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I Visited The Church Of Scientology. Here’s What Happened
The Federalist ^ | January 5, 2017 | Bre Payton

Posted on 01/06/2017 12:04:59 PM PST by EveningStar

Last week I wandered into the Church of Scientology in Pasadena, California, and what happened during my visit made me afraid for the church's members.

While shopping along Raymond Avenue in Old Town Pasadena last week, my friend and I stopped into the Church of Scientology to take a free personality test that was advertised on an A-frame chalkboard sign just outside.

As a Christian, I wasn’t really searching for guidance or salvation, but I wanted to hear the Church of Scientology’s elevator pitch. I wanted to know what they said to make people fork over massive amounts of money, or even distance themselves from family members in an effort to work their way up the church’s ranks.

(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalist.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; US: California
KEYWORDS: brepayton; california; churchofscientology; cult; cultism; cults; dsj02; leahremini; pasadena; scientology; thefederalist
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South Park: What Scientologists Actually Believe
1 posted on 01/06/2017 12:04:59 PM PST by EveningStar
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To: EveningStar

My sister and I took that test years ago, just for fun. The hard sell was scary, and I didn’t like that we were separated.

Thankfully I got away from them.


2 posted on 01/06/2017 12:08:27 PM PST by Not A Snowbird (SandyInPeoria just doesn't sound right... yet here I am.)
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To: EveningStar

Been watching the Leah Remini series. Pretty good, but fails to answer the one big question I always have: how in blazes did a complete freaking hack like Hubbard make a book people will follow with religious intensity? His stuff is generally borderline unreadable, I don’t get how these folks actually read Dianetics (which apparently is mandatory) without throwing it across the room and leaving the cult.


3 posted on 01/06/2017 12:09:51 PM PST by discostu (Alright you primative screwheads, listen up!)
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To: SandyInSeattle

Sorry ‘bout your sister then...


4 posted on 01/06/2017 12:10:13 PM PST by BBB333 (The power of TRUMP compels you!)
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To: EveningStar

lunatic cult


5 posted on 01/06/2017 12:10:50 PM PST by Enchante (Hoping the Clintonistas are gone from our public life forever!!)
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To: SandyInSeattle

I hear that it’s impossible to get off their mailing list. Are you and/or your sister still on it?


6 posted on 01/06/2017 12:11:33 PM PST by EveningStar
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To: discostu
Been watching the Leah Remini series. Pretty good, but fails to answer the one big question I always have: how in blazes did a complete freaking hack like Hubbard make a book people will follow with religious intensity? His stuff is generally borderline unreadable, I don’t get how these folks actually read Dianetics (which apparently is mandatory) without throwing it across the room and leaving the cult.

Saw the documentary "Going Clear" Apparently, the nutburger Hubbard stuff isn't revealed to you until you are in for thousands of dollars already and a lot of time and effort. People stay in at that point out of either momentum or not wanting to feel stupid about being in in the first place.

7 posted on 01/06/2017 12:14:32 PM PST by southern rock
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To: BBB333

Ha, ha, caught me. Yes, she got away.


8 posted on 01/06/2017 12:15:56 PM PST by Not A Snowbird (SandyInPeoria just doesn't sound right... yet here I am.)
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To: EveningStar

I don’t remember being on a mailing list. This was back in 1983, so good luck if they want to track me down now.


9 posted on 01/06/2017 12:16:49 PM PST by Not A Snowbird (SandyInPeoria just doesn't sound right... yet here I am.)
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To: southern rock

I saw something on how the really crazy Xenu is stuff is backloaded. So I get that. But even the “surface” stuff must be poorly written, I could barely wade through a couple of his short stories and yet folks go through thousands of pages of his junk. As a sci-fi I always feel kind of guilty how “we” (all before my time but still) accidentally inflicted this guy and his crazy cult on the world.


10 posted on 01/06/2017 12:18:04 PM PST by discostu (Alright you primative screwheads, listen up!)
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To: SandyInSeattle

Lol

I took the “assessment” years ago
Think I gave them my correct name?!
Or where I lived
Or telephone? They did not like my answers
Said I drank scotch everyday, along with cigars, etc. etc.
I am pretty sure they saw thru me right away- lol


11 posted on 01/06/2017 12:19:03 PM PST by mj1234
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To: EveningStar

HBO’s Going Clear shows what happens when you try to leave.

Very bad cult. Those people go crazy wondering why they can’t get the aliens out of their bodies. Very strange and extremely dangerous.

Brainwashing at it’s worse.


12 posted on 01/06/2017 12:19:21 PM PST by submarinerswife (Allahu FUBAR.)
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To: BBB333

LOL My thought exactly.


13 posted on 01/06/2017 12:19:58 PM PST by Mercat (Men never do evil so fully and cheerfully as when they do it out of conscience.” (Blaise Pascal))
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To: discostu

Been watching the Leah Remini series too. Good and very scary. This cult is almost as scary as the cult of Islam.

As a sci-fi fan I do a lot of reading on the subject as well as read the sci-fi itself. Seems Hubbard made a bet with Robert A Heinlein that he could create a religion that would make him rich. He won the bet. But Heinlein, by far was the better writer.


14 posted on 01/06/2017 12:21:53 PM PST by Vaquero ( Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
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To: discostu

15 posted on 01/06/2017 12:22:18 PM PST by Ciaphas Cain (The choice to be stupid is not a conviction I am obligated to respect.)
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To: SandyInSeattle

Prepare for snail mail from them ... for forever. I’ve requested threatened HARD CORE cussed them out since 1970 ... still get mail from them. I hope you didn’t give them your phone number ... they also call for forever from all sorts of different sites.


16 posted on 01/06/2017 12:22:31 PM PST by clamper1797 (We are getting close to the last "box")
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To: 5th MEB; ab01; AgThorn; al baby; BAW; bboop; BenLurkin; Bob J; Bon of Babble; BunnySlippers; ...
SoCal Ping!



Attention Southern Californians



Please ping me with any Southern California related articles. Thank you!

If you want on or off this ping list, please FReepmail me.

17 posted on 01/06/2017 12:23:04 PM PST by EveningStar
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To: discostu
Been watching the Leah Remini series. Pretty good, but fails to answer the one big question I always have: how in blazes did a complete freaking hack like Hubbard make a book people will follow with religious intensity? His stuff is generally borderline unreadable, I don’t get how these folks actually read Dianetics (which apparently is mandatory) without throwing it across the room and leaving the cult.

Part of that is answered in the article. "All came to the church with low self-esteem and a lack of necessary social skills. The church, its courses, and its auditing sessions gave them the confidence they so desperately lacked, they said. The church’s recruitment methods all seemed to be directed at finding a specific kind of person: someone who was vulnerable, overwhelmed by his or her shortcomings, someone who had poor communication skills, who lacked confidence, and was desperate for help."

Also, some people are unfortunately born into the church or brought into it by their parents. Then they get indoctrinated like the Hitler Youth. Smart guys like you and I would not be the people they target.

18 posted on 01/06/2017 12:23:27 PM PST by Sans-Culotte (Time to get the US out of the UN and the UN out of the US!)
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To: EveningStar

19 years old, walking down Newbury Street in Boston with 2 pretty co-workers on a beautiful Spring day around 1987 or so when this attractive young woman approaches me and asks me a few questions.
Next thing i know this young woman is dragging me down a side street into an old building, up a flight of stairs into a dingy office with 5 or six other people inside.
They where all ranting about Scientology and were physically keeping me from leaving.
I had two choices, fight my way out or give them something like 5 bucks for a Dianetics book and my address.
Just to make it easy and being that i was a nice peaceful guy at the time i chose the latter.
To this day my mother still receives junk mail from the church of scientology.

If i had to do it again i would have knocked them all out and stole their wallets...


19 posted on 01/06/2017 12:25:05 PM PST by mowowie (Press 2 for Deportation)
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To: discostu

Weak minds. Inability to spot a fraud. Same folks who buy the nigerian money scam perhaps(podesta?). Manson had followers. The first time that head assclown davey miscabbage took a swing at me would have been his last. BOOM!


20 posted on 01/06/2017 12:25:13 PM PST by rktman (Enlisted in the Navy in '67 to protect folks rights to strip my rights. WTH?!)
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