“Going Clear” on screen: 5 shocking revelations to look for in HBO’s new Scientology documentary

[applegrove]

“Going Clear” on screen: 5 shocking revelations to look for in HBO’s new Scientology documentary

by Anna Silman at Salon

http://www.salon.com/2015/01/26/going_clear_on_screen_five_shocking_revelations_to_look_for_in_the_new_scientology_documentary/

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1. L. Ron Hubbard’s personal affirmations
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is its exploration of L. Ron Hubbard’s fascinating and disturbing inner life. As Wright explains, “The tug-of-war between Scientologists and anti-Scientologists over Hubbard’s biography has created two swollen archetypes: the most important person who ever lived and the world’s greatest con man.” Particularly revealing are the excerpts culled from an autobiographical document by L. Ron Hubbard called “The Affirmations” or “The Admissions,” a book whose legitimacy the church disputes. These range from fairly normal self-help stuff to unhinged reassurances about reptiles in his bed. Examples: “You will live to be 200 years old,” “You have no fear of what any woman may think of your bed conduct. You know you are a master,” “You can read music,” “Snakes are not dangerous to you. There are no snakes at the bottom of your bed.”

2. “Scientology Jail”
Wright’s book depicts Scientology as a brutal and totalitarian organization, complete with a Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF)—essentially, a Scientology jail where wayward Scientologists are made to do heavy labor while they undergo “rehabilitation.” Prisoners in RPF wear rags and eat scraps, are separated from their children and loved ones, and are subjected to something known as a “blow drill” if they try to escape. It is unbelievable and horrifying.

3. Operation Snow White
The extent of the church’s covert operations are likewise often too shocking to believe. Wright details a church operation known as Snow White, beginning in the 1970s, wherein the Guardians Office, the church’s intelligence agency, infiltrated 136 government organizations across the globe. In the U.S. alone, they penetrated the IRS, the Treasury, the Labor Department and the Federal Trade Commission, as well as newspapers including the Washington Post. “Nothing in American history can compare with the scale of the domestic espionage of Operation Snow White,” Wright writes.

4. Hollywood intrigue
The fascinating “TC and COB” chapter focuses on the church’s wooing of Tom Cruise, their distrust of Nicole Kidman and their hunt for a new mate for Scientology’s golden child. Even though it’s not new, the extent of Cruise’s commitment is astonishing. In one passage, he sits in a Home Depot parking lot doing “tone drills,” where he tries to intuit the emotional state of random people exiting the store. As Wright puts it, “No other member of the church derives as much material benefit from his religion as Cruise does, and…none bears greater moral responsibilities for the indignities inflicted on members of the Sea Org, sometimes directly because of his membership.” Other important Hollywood figures like John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and Paul Haggis are also major characters in Wright’s story.


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[shenmue]

1. Wow

Hope it's on DVD before long. This sounds good.

[applegrove]

2. I can't wait. I love to see manipulators/bullies take a hit.

[zappaman]

3. Looking forward to this.

The book was a mind blower.

[Scuba]

4. Please remind me how this is different from other organized religions.

[Orrex]

5. +100

Any religion based upon a supernatural premise has, at its heart, an equally questionable foundation.

Religions differ wildly in their practices, of course, but from the outside, they all have an essentially equivalent magical basis.

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. +1.

[Orsino]

11. Established faiths don't have to use stalking, kidnapping and lawyers to silence dissenters.

They can rely on their considerable social inertia, in part because their crimes aren't usually so blatant or personal.

[Javaman]

12. Time invested. lol

if one of the various big ones had started now, there would be this same kind of intrigue and subterfuge going on.

but with the big ones thousands of years old; time buys a lot of influence and convinces a lot of people in high places.

[MohRokTah]

6. Scinetology ranks as the #1 creepy cult in the world.

Followed closely by the Moonies.

[cleanhippie]

8. While the names and details are different, the story is the same as any other religion.

This religious cult is no different than any other religious cult, except it's newer and less accepted. You could have written the same story a few hundred years ago and substituted Islam for Scientology, or 1500 years ago and substituted Christianity for Scientology.

I'm not sure who first said it, but it seems an apt description;

'The only difference between a cult and a religion is the size of the congregation.'

[tabbycat31]

9. IT's based on a book

(Same title).

The book was a fascinating read and I'd recommend it (my library had it on their ebooks lending program).

[tammywammy]

10. I read "Inside Scientology" a few years ago.

Also pretty interesting. I'll look for this book.