Posts by GetBusyLiving

there are a ton of them over at the site i read this on, but this one in particular really struck me because of the parallels i noticed between the cos and the jw's.

pretty heart-wrenching stuff.. .

This is an interview I just read of an ex-member of the church of Scientology. There are a ton of them over at the site I read this on, but this one in particular really struck me because of the parallels I noticed between the CoS and the JW's. Pretty heart-wrenching stuff.

http://alley.ethercat.com/cgi-bin/door/door.cgi?3

1. How did you first become acquainted with the Church of Scientology?

I was born and raised within Scientology.

2. What initially appealed to you about scientology?

In my case, since I was born and raised within this cult it was never a matter of what appealed to me. I was socialized to regard it as the only way to be and I was told again and again how chaotic and dangerous the outside world was. I wanted to help people and I was told this was the only thing that could help.

3. Were there problems in your life that you thought scientology would address?

Since I was so young at the time there were no personal problems that I had to address.

4. Did you see, experience, or hear about things that didn't seem right while you were in the Church of Scientology? What were they, and what convinced you to set aside your feelings?

I noticed so many things that “were not quite right” that I could write a book. I will list a few of them here, but believe me each one that is listed I could write a chapter about.

- My parents spent thousands of dollars and many evening/ weekends on Scientology, all the while neglecting their children’s needs to some degree or another.
- There were at least three times that I know of that my mom spent large sums of money on Scientology without my dad’s consent, this was advocated by the church as the “greatest good for the greatest number of dynamics”
- I was recruited at age 15 to join the Sea Org. My teenage years were stolen from me and I was not able to finish my high school degree.
- The three years that I was in the Sea Org I endured low living standards and little to no pay. I lived with 5-8 other girls at all times in a one room studio. I was told that my living expenses and needs would be taken care of but when it came to getting a dresser, there were none to be found, when it came to getting uniform parts I mainly got used and raggedy pieces issued to me and when it came to get paid the $50 a week as was promised I usually only saw between $10-20 which is not even enough to buy tampons and shampoo. One time there was a huge push from management to sell a lecture series and staff were expected to give up the few dollars they made a week to buy these LRH lectures. Through peer pressure many people did.
- Each time I wanted to leave the Sea Org I was called names, threatened and humiliated on a daily basis. I was not allowed to tell my parents that I was thinking of leaving and get some parental advice. The one time that I did I was told I violated a policy called “Leaving and Leaves” and that I was going to be declared a suppressive person. Actually, I wasn’t just “told” I was going to be declared. I was backed up against the wall while someone was screaming at the top of his lungs that he was “going to fucking declare me.” The consequence of being labeled a suppressive person within the church are huge, I would no longer be able to have any contact with any Scientologist. Being born and raised within Scientology this would create a huge problem for me and my family.
- When I finally left I was strapped with a $10,000 bill at age 18 from services I did while in the Sea Org. My bill was considered low by other ex- Sea Org members I knew who had to pay anywhere from $30,000 to $80,000!
- At age 15 I was flown to a class V church (a non-Sea Org church) to be an “executive.” As I was to be an “executive” I was not allowed to befriend anyone at the church and get help. The Sea Org and the church I was working for did not pay for my basic expenses such a room and board. I was 15 and not allowed to tell my parents I was broke and living off of eggs and bread. No one looked out for my interests as a minor.
- My parents got divorced because the church convinced my mom to sign a staff contract and leave my dad.
- The church has sent my mom to get “training” for months on end, never once did she come home completed with her training. At one time she was in LA for this training for 6 months, when I talked to her through out this time she told me that all she was doing was waiting for materials to arrive and they wouldn’t let her go home before she was done. She used her credit card at this time to pay for her room and board, something the church says it will pay for. She is now over $30,000 in credit card debt because of Scientology.
- Scientology broke my family apart. First with my parents and now my mom and I. We can no longer have a conversation because all she can talk about is Scientology.

5. Why did you choose to stay in the Church of Scientology?

In so many ways I didn’t have choice. It was all I knew, my parents and all my friends were Scientologist. I thought I would be lost with out it and that even though there were many things I disagreed with it was the ONLY way to improve my life. Since I was raised in Scientology it was pounded in to me at an early age that Scientology has all the answers and I cannot question the validity of them because they were already “proved” to me. I was assured that anything I did not agree with was because of my misunderstood words or low case level.

6. Were you staff or public? If staff, was it at a mission or an org? Were you ever in the Sea Org or OSA? Which unit? If not on staff, did you ever volunteer to 'help out'?

I was public and then staff. I don’t wish to disclose where.

7. Why did you leave the Church of Scientology? Was there a "final straw"?

I can’t say there was a final straw. Slowly truth was uncovered to me and I saw that I was lied to, that it wasn’t just me having these problems with the church, but that there were people just like me all around the world. I have to say that it helped to have a wonderful friend who loved me and made me feel special just because I was who I was, not because I was a statistic or a production machine

8. Do you think the Church of Scientology needs to change some of its practices? If so, what should be changed? How did those practices affect your life?

I don’t think it should change anything, I hope it continues its sick practices of exploitation, deception and coercion until people get outraged enough to shut it down for good.

9. If the items you listed in the previous question were changed, would you consider rejoining or staying in the Church of Scientology? If so, why?

I will never join the Church of Scientology again. It is heartbreaking to know that there are so many good people within the church that truly and honestly want to help people, but I still don’t think the church could be changed enough to be resemble a constructive group

10. Any additional comments you would like to make?

I want to applaud any Scientologist or ex-Scientologist who is researching Scientology on the Internet. I know we have been trained not to do this, but thank you for thinking for yourself and doing it anyway

21

Got home from the meeting the other day and couldn't stop crying

by JamieL in

jw
friends

i know everyone here thinks it's probably a waste of time for me to keep going to meetings cause i'm disfellowshipped.

but i go for my own reasons, i explained these a while back when i first posted on here.

he's a jw, but we are like brothers so he contacts me sometimes and it makes me feel a little better.

GetBusyLiving

(((JamieL))) Poor dude. You've got a lot of friends and support here. Take advantage of it. You'll get through this man.

GBL

26

Demons to the left of us, demons to the right........

by Gill in

watchtower march 15th 2007: page 27 the watchtower obsession with satan and demons seems to have no end.

it is little wonder that jehovah's witnesses are so superstitious when they take in things such as the latest offering from the fds:.

'ever since the wicked angels lost their original position, they have been the demon companions of satan and have served his evil interests.

GetBusyLiving

Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.. GBL

69

A Letter from a disfellowshipped JW

by reneeisorym in

jw
friends

there was a disfellowshipped jw that came to the witness now for jesus convention in pennsylvania.

we all tried to show him the error of the jw way but he is just so blinded that he couldn't understand what the problem is with jws (can you believe it?!

) we tried until we were blue in the face and it seemed that with every step we went forward with him one day, we went back two the next.

GetBusyLiving

IT WAS MY HONESTY WHICH ATTRACTED YOU TO ME IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Were you internet dating this guy or something?

BUT YOU ALWAYS FORGET HALF THE THINGS YOU TOLD ME.

What is he refering to?

GBL

69

A Letter from a disfellowshipped JW

by reneeisorym in

jw
friends

there was a disfellowshipped jw that came to the witness now for jesus convention in pennsylvania.

we all tried to show him the error of the jw way but he is just so blinded that he couldn't understand what the problem is with jws (can you believe it?!

) we tried until we were blue in the face and it seemed that with every step we went forward with him one day, we went back two the next.

GetBusyLiving

What the heck does "getting porked" mean?

I think he means that her and her worldling boyfriend having sex is "getting porked for Satan".

GBL

69

A Letter from a disfellowshipped JW

by reneeisorym in

jw
friends

there was a disfellowshipped jw that came to the witness now for jesus convention in pennsylvania.

we all tried to show him the error of the jw way but he is just so blinded that he couldn't understand what the problem is with jws (can you believe it?!

) we tried until we were blue in the face and it seemed that with every step we went forward with him one day, we went back two the next.

GetBusyLiving

Think carefully before making any decisions. You are an attractive girl. OK A little fat.

What a fucking puke stain. What I get from reading this is that he might be thinking you have left the Dubs and have a worldling boyfriend because you couldn't find one in the cult. He's assuming this is the real reason you have left and anything else you have to say are just excuses. The arrogance of this guy is nauseating.

GBL

41

What Naughty Things Did You Know Of That Went On In Your Hall?

by minimus in

jw
friends

as an elder, i knew a lot of things that happened in the congregation, including "secret sins".

what i also knew was that some persons were quite good at being sneaky----especially the teens.

years after my daughter stopped hanging around certain friends and she was in her 20's, she told me little juicy tidbits of what some of her best friends regularly got away with.

GetBusyLiving

I was 16 and a bunch of my friends and I were walking through a MacDonald's parking lot after having lunch. The dad of a friend of mine who wasn't there was just sitting in his truck staring straight ahead. He didn't see us. I thought it was kind of strange that he was just sitting there so I gave a double take when we got out of the parking lot. The mom of a different friend of mine lifted her head up from the dad's lap and took a look around. She was giving him head in the MacDonald's parking lot. About a month later he got df'ed and she got reproved.

GBL

19

So long, and thanks for all the kids...

by Paralipomenon in

jw
friends

i recently remembered this jw rumor that went circulating around when i was younger.

two sisters call on a door in service and is confronted by an obviously demon possessed individual.

(the details always changed, floating lamps, speaking in tongues, the usual folklore) sensing a disturbance in the force the younger sister leaves but the older pioneer sister stays determined to give her witness.

GetBusyLiving

Ahh man those Witnesses are some goofy bastards. That is one dumb ass demon too. Satan must have torn a strip off of him for revealing their diabolical plan.

GBL