Outsider question: Is there an official policy of shunning, ex-communication?

[ccec]

Nope, everything is based on how it affects the cash flow into the cult, if enforcing disconnection will cause a decrease in cash flow, such as that of a wealthy member and enforcing it might cause them to leave, it won't be enforced. However if you're just an average Joe and your family is potentially standing between the Hubbard's Cult and a Dollar, it will strictly enforced.

Interesting. Well, that brings up a follow up question. I'll create another thread about that.

[Claire Swazey]

I know someone directed me to some great resources on the subject but I'd love to hear it from anyone here. What are the excuses offered to you regarding their disconnection practices?

In my learning process, I'm very curious if these disconnection, shunning, excommunication policies are similar across the board.

Well, I'm not Mark, but I remember the excuses being that they really leave it up to the person and they hope it all works out, and they don't want a person to become sick or screwed up in any way from connection with entheta.

I mean, the excuses are bullshit, but those are some of 'em.

[ccec]

Well, I'm not Mark, but I remember the excuses being that they really leave it up to the person and they hope it all works out, and they don't want a person to become sick or screwed up in any way from connection with entheta.

I mean, the excuses are bullshit, but those are some of 'em.

It sounds like in your case, it wasn't enforced? This "disconnection" policy?

[themadhair]

It sounds like in your case, it wasn't enforced? This "disconnection" policy?

There’s a lot to it, and it seems enforcement is tied to the money making element of it.

For example in Ireland there was a lovely girl called Gabrielle. The only reason disconnection was even brought up with her was to ‘encourage’ her to sign up for a €3,000 course. They were fundraising heavily and it was ‘suggested’ that the reason she couldn’t afford the course (she refused to take out a loan) was because her mother was a suppressive influence. In essence it was an attempt at blackmailing her into coughing up the cash.

Another example is Pete Griffiths who, despite being declared a suppressive person, was allowed to open and run his own Scientology mission. As long as the money was coming in the fact that he was a declared SP never seemed to matter.

Yet another example is Tony Phelan, who is still in the organisation. The Phelan family took their concerns about the Scientology organisation public so Tony, who was a lucrative source of cash for the cult, was ordered to either handle the family or disconnect from them. They have had no direct contact with Tony since 2002.

The rigidity with which disconnection is enforced is tied to how much pressure there is for cash at that moment in time, as well as being used (such as in Tony’s case) as means of isolating some members from concerned relatives and friends.

[Claire Swazey]

It sounds like in your case, it wasn't enforced? This "disconnection" policy?

Well, here's the scoop.

A lot of the discussions wherein the afore mentioned bullshit was uttered took place over the years. So I was like, what if this person does this, what if that happened and they'd answer.

Another thing: if a Scn'ist gets sick, the cult starts looking for "counter intention" (just what it sounds like) on his or her "lines" and "PTSness" (Potential Trouble Source- connected to a suppressive or to someone who acts like one and reminds you of an earlier real suppressive in this life or a previous one). So if you get sick, you're put through the ringer. What's wrong, are you PTS, ethics interviews.

Being sick did make me PTS, in fact. To them.

And anyway, when they're doing that, they're asking who you're "connected to". Members are abjured to "handle or disconnect".

My dad got his money back from the Church of Scientology. And before that, he made noises about it. I turned him in. They never asked me to disconnect, but they did make a lot of noise about my Mom who hated Scn. I always deflected and pushed back. There are people here who have said that it's impossible that this would have ever happened to me and that "(they) can't keep track of (my) lies." However, it did happen as I've depicted. I'm an extremely aggressive person when cornered and those who've made the remark I just quoted are aware of this, actually.

However, whether I was made to do whatever or not, or I got off easier than a lot of people (which I did) there's no justification for them even putting the subject on the table, for ever implying that they could make me or any other member do anything.

I know someone who was expelled. Her adult kids were pressured to "disconnect". When they did not, then they were expelled and people were pressured to disconnect from them. I sometimes wonder how many times that chain's gonna link.

There are many many many accounts of disconnection here. Many families have been torn apart.

I was at a lot of obscure back woods type Scn places & that may've affected things re me, though, frankly, I'm so ornery that I kinda doubt it.

[themadhair]

In 1 minute the whole thing summed up: