Going Clear - Clearance Sale

[Intentionally Blank]

From Tony's blog this morning: Want to go Clear? Has Scientology got a deal for you!

http://tonyortega.org/2015/04/29/want-to-go-clear-has-scientology-got-a-deal-for-you/#more-22180

Commentary from Chris Shelton (Galactic Patrol here at ESMB), emphasis mine

That is significantly less than what people used to pay to get to Clear. Miscavige has changed things up significantly with this Golden Age of Tech II thing. From what I can see, he hasn’t cut down the amount of time it takes to get to Clear, but he has significantly changed where that time is spent. He has everyone down doing the Purification Rundown and Objective processingand he’s made it so that it takes months and months to get through them. And as we went over in yesterday’s posting, people are not going to be in very good mental shape when they are done with those Objectives the way they are being run now. More than anything else, sending everyone back down the line and making them spin around and around down there has bought Miscavige time. It’s been years now that this has been going on, time he’s needed since he hasn’t had a lot else to offer them.

It hit me as I was reading this - in any other course of study whether it be academic, skilled services, or even in a religious order the goal is to advance through the curriculum until one reaches a level of mastery where they could use their knowledge and skills with proficiency either in a profession or as a teacher. Think: doctor, lawyer, accountant, bookkeeper, car mechanic, salesperson, priest, minister, and so on. As students master the discipline and move into the world using their skills new seekers are admitted to the program of study.

The problem scientology faces is twofold (well, that's simplistic but for purposes of my little thought here I'll go with that) -

First: No one is gaining any significant skill set they can take into the world and make a noticeable contribution or pursue a career path.

Second: There are no new seekers entering scientology and no higher levels for those who have completed the lower ones.

In order to keep the income stream coming - and give the staff something to do, it's imperative to cycle the remaining members through the lower grades over and over again.

Yeah, I know, I'm preaching to the choir. It just hit me this morning in a way it hasn't previously.

Blanky

 

[Udarnik]

From Tony's blog this morning: Want to go Clear? Has Scientology got a deal for you!

http://tonyortega.org/2015/04/29/want-to-go-clear-has-scientology-got-a-deal-for-you/#more-22180

Commentary from Chris Shelton (Galactic Patrol here at ESMB), emphasis mine



It hit me as I was reading this - in any other course of study whether it be academic, skilled services, or even in a religious order the goal is to advance through the curriculum until one reaches a level of mastery where they could use their knowledge and skills with proficiency either in a profession or as a teacher. Think: doctor, lawyer, accountant, bookkeeper, car mechanic, salesperson, priest, minister, and so on. As students master the discipline and move into the world using their skills new seekers are admitted to the program of study.

The problem scientology faces is twofold (well, that's simplistic but for purposes of my little thought here I'll go with that) -

First: No one is gaining any significant skill set they can take into the world and make a noticeable contribution or pursue a career path.

Second: There are no new seekers entering scientology and no higher levels for those who have completed the lower ones.

In order to keep the income stream coming - and give the staff something to do, it's imperative to cycle the remaining members through the lower grades over and over again.

Yeah, I know, I'm preaching to the choir. It just hit me this morning in a way it hasn't previously.

Blanky

The career path used to be Mission Holder / Mission Staff / Irresponsible Fucker-Around in Other People's Psyches For Which The Marks Convince Themselves They Are Receiving A "Win"

(Sorry, long, but accurate job title)

It used to be possible to make a decent living as an unlicensed counselor in the Co$ system, but they destroyed that in 1983. Really, the downward spiral can be traced to the Mission Holder's conference. There was just so much momentum still in the system, it's taken decades to observe the deceleration.

 

[SPsince83]

The career path used to be Mission Holder / Mission Staff / Irresponsible Fucker-Around in Other People's Psyches For Which The Marks Convince Themselves They Are Receiving A "Win"

(Sorry, long, but accurate job title)

It used to be possible to make a decent living as an unlicensed counselor in the Co$ system, but they destroyed that in 1983. Really, the downward spiral can be traced to the Mission Holder's conference. There was just so much momentum still in the system, it's taken decades to observe the deceleration.

I used to resent the Mission Holder's Conference for forcing me out of Scn. Now I think they actually did me a favor.

 

[Intentionally Blank]

The career path used to be Mission Holder / Mission Staff / Irresponsible Fucker-Around in Other People's Psyches For Which The Marks Convince Themselves They Are Receiving A "Win"

(Sorry, long, but accurate job title)

It used to be possible to make a decent living as an unlicensed counselor in the Co$ system, but they destroyed that in 1983. Really, the downward spiral can be traced to the Mission Holder's conference. There was just so much momentum still in the system, it's taken decades to observe the deceleration.

Mmm hmm .... that makes sense. Again, if we were to compare to a religious order, the career path would be to priest, minister, teacher, monk, etc. Of course, if one were in a bona fide religion the parishoners and larger organization would add to the support of the priest or minister. And if one were teaching or counseling it would be at market rates.

 

[Enthetan]

Mmm hmm .... that makes sense. Again, if we were to compare to a religious order, the career path would be to priest, minister, teacher, monk, etc. Of course, if one were in a bona fide religion the parishoners and larger organization would add to the support of the priest or minister. And if one were teaching or counseling it would be at market rates.

One thing about the Catholic church I grew up in: you can show up at mass every week, or just at Christmas and Easter; you can put a $100 in the collection plate as it passes you, or just $1, or nothing at all. Nobody will say anything to you. You are free to come and go, and contribute what you please. You are not required to put yourself on the mailing list (although you can) and you don't need to give your phone number.

Contrast with Scientology, and "hard sell".

 

[Udarnik]

Mmm hmm .... that makes sense. Again, if we were to compare to a religious order, the career path would be to priest, minister, teacher, monk, etc. Of course, if one were in a bona fide religion the parishoners and larger organization would add to the support of the priest or minister. And if one were teaching or counseling it would be at market rates.

I think if Tubby had lived, he would have re-instituted an outreach program similar to the Missions, because the one thing he did not pass on to the Demented Martinet was an idea of how things are perceived outside the bubble and how new public is brought in. Laffy always had a great idea of that, and while he certainly did his own thing, he made sure he had some cheese in the trap.

DM has never lived outside the bubble, so he has no idea what makes an attractive cheese to a never-in.

A happy, thriving lay movement was a huge part of Laffy's cheese recipe. I am certain he would have had a Stalinesque "Dizzy from Success" moment that re-instituted the Missions program in some other guise - with new Mission Holders, as part of the idea (beyond the cash grab) was to purge popular personalities who could rival him. He did exactly the same thing in the 50s.

Would have done, if he hadn't slipped into a drug-addled dementia, that is. :confused2:

 

[Intentionally Blank]

One thing about the Catholic church I grew up in: you can show up at mass every week, or just at Christmas and Easter; you can put a $100 in the collection plate as it passes you, or just $1, or nothing at all. Nobody will say anything to you. You are free to come and go, and contribute what you please. You are not required to put yourself on the mailing list (although you can) and you don't need to give your phone number.

Contrast with Scientology, and "hard sell".

And no one is going to strong arm you into the confessional, charge you for the 'privilege', and then use your confidential confession against you if you decide to go play with the Lutherans .... or the atheists.

 

[Enthetan]

And no one is going to strong arm you into the confessional, charge you for the 'privilege', and then use your confidential confession against you if you decide to go play with the Lutherans .... or the atheists.

Plus in Catholic confessional, the priest is behind a screen in a darkened confessional booth. He doesn't know who you are. If you have a friendly relationship with the priest to the point where he could recognize your voice, you have the option of doing your confessional anonymously at the church down the road.

 

[Intentionally Blank]

I think if Tubby had lived, he would have re-instituted an outreach program similar to the missions, because the one thing he did not pass on to the Demented Martinet was an idea of how things are perceived outside the bubble and how new public is brought in. Laffy always had a great idea of that, and while he certainly did his own thing, he made sure he had some cheese in the trap.

DM has never lived outside the bubble, so he has no idea what makes an attractive cheese to a never-in.

A happy, thriving lay movement was a huge part of Laffy's cheese recipe. I am certain he would have had a Stalinesque "Dizzy from Success" moment that re-instuted the Missions program in some other guise - with new Mission Holders, as part of the idea (beyond the cash grab) was to purge popular personalities who could rival him. He did exactly the same thing in the 50s.

Would have done, if he hadn't slipped into a drug-addled dementia, that is. :confused2:

I wonder, among those who are left, how many came in via the missions. Pretty sure that was how Mr/s Blanky was ensnared. I remember once having a conversation about missions and trying to figure out how they are different than orgs. S/he tried to make a comparison to the Catholic missions all over CA. Not really a good analogy as it turned out :/

 

[SPsince83]

And no one is going to strong arm you into the confessional, charge you for the 'privilege', and then use your confidential confession against you if you decide to go play with the Lutherans .... or the atheists.

Well...............I seem to recall this thing called the Inquisition. It was instituted when the Catholic Church was far more established than BScn. Catholics and protestants still kill each other from time to time. Ireland comes to mind. Scn is a typical religion. Punish blasphemers viciously. This is not uncommon. As bad as BScn is it is not the worst thing on earth right now. It is not the only evil religion on earth right now. Shunning is practiced in many churches in the US. This is EXACTLY disconnection. Amongst the Amish, for example, a family member not going along with a shunning would also be shunned. There is a difference here? I don't see it. It's easy to get myopic on this board, I find. BScn sucks. Hard. We all agree. And we are correct. It is, however, just one of many serious problems, and far from the most damaging. Fundamentalist Christians,for example, do significantly more damage in the US than BScn'ists.

 

[SPsince83]

I wonder, among those who are left, how many came in via the missions. Pretty sure that was how Mr/s Blanky was ensnared. I remember once having a conversation about missions and trying to figure out how they are different than orgs. S/he tried to make a comparison to the Catholic missions all over CA. Not really a good analogy as it turned out :/

Back in COSMOD's heyday EACH mission brought more people in in a week than the Portland, Sac, and SF orgs would bring in in a month COMBINED.

 

[Intentionally Blank]

Well...............I seem to recall this thing called the Inquisition. It was instituted when the Catholic Church was far more established than BScn. Catholics and protestants still kill each other from time to time. Ireland comes to mind. Scn is a typical religion. Punish blasphemers viciously. This is not uncommon. As bad as BScn is it is not the worst thing on earth right now. It is not the only evil religion on earth right now. Shunning is practiced in many churches in the US. This is EXACTLY disconnection. Amongst the Amish, for example, a family member not going along with a shunning would also be shunned. There is a difference here? I don't see it. It's easy to get myopic on this board, I find. BScn sucks. Hard. We all agree. And we are correct. It is, however, just one of many serious problems, and far from the most damaging. Fundamentalist Christians,for example, do significantly more damage in the US than BScn'ists.

Oh that little Inquisition thang.... I was in so much trouble in catholic school because I kept insisting "Thou Shalt Not Kill" was incongruent with burning people at the stake.

I agree, the history of organized religion is full of bloody battles over stupid dogmatic shite. I think what makes scientology and other cults different, today in most of the western world, is that mainstream religion is mostly civilized and one might say even somewhat indifferent. It's true - there are groups that practice shunning - I would be inclined to call those toxic or destructive in the same way I call scientololgy those same things. And, I'd be inclined to include the rabid fundamentalist christian sects in that description as well. NOT the belief sets - but the actions that often arise from a belief set that insists they have The One Right True Way.

 

[Veda]

Well...............I seem to recall this thing called the Inquisition. It was instituted when the Catholic Church was far more established than BScn. Catholics and protestants still kill each other from time to time. Ireland comes to mind. Scn is a typical religion. Punish blasphemers viciously. This is not uncommon. As bad as BScn is it is not the worst thing on earth right now. It is not the only evil religion on earth right now. Shunning is practiced in many churches in the US. This is EXACTLY disconnection. Amongst the Amish, for example, a family member not going along with a shunning would also be shunned. There is a difference here? I don't see it. It's easy to get myopic on this board, I find. BScn sucks. Hard. We all agree. And we are correct. It is, however, just one of many serious problems, and far from the most damaging. Fundamentalist Christians,for example, do significantly more damage in the US than BScn'ists.

"The inquisition... Scn is a typical religion... the Inquisition... It's easy to get myopic on this board, I find. BScn sucks. Hard. We all agree. And we are correct. It is, however, just one of many serious problems, and far from the most damaging... "


Wow. You've managed to get a lot of Scientology talking points into one post. Not that it hasn't been done before, but it's always strange to see.

 

[SPsince83]

"The inquisition... Scn is a typical religion... the Inquisition... It's easy to get myopic on this board, I find. BScn sucks. Hard. We all agree. And we are correct. It is, however, just one of many serious problems, and far from the most damaging... "


Wow. You've managed to get a lot of Scientology talking points into one post. Not that it hasn't been done before, but it's always strange to see.

What's your point? That I am PRO BScn by saying these true things? Scn IS a typical top-down religion. It is shit. Just like ALL top-down religions. The Inquisition was worse in one year than BScn has been in it's history. BScn is NOT the only problem in the world. These are PRO BScn talking points? I can see the ad campaign now "SCIENTOLOGY ETHICS!!! Not as bad as the Inquisition."

 

[Intentionally Blank]

No religion I know of reaches the level of financial extortion the way scientology does. Even in the heyday of paying for indulgences I don't think the catholic church came close.

 

[Intentionally Blank]

What's your point? That I am PRO BScn by saying these true things? Scn IS a typical top-down religion. It is shit. Just like ALL top-down religions. The Inquisition was worse in one year than BScn has been in it's history. BScn is NOT the only problem in the world. These are PRO BScn talking points? I can see the ad campaign now "SCIENTOLOGY ETHICS!!! Not as bad as the Inquisition."

Dear god in heaven above - I want that as a bumper sticker.

 

[eldritch cuckoo]

First: No one is gaining any significant skill set they can take into the world and make a noticeable contribution or pursue a career path.

Second: There are no new seekers entering scientology and no higher levels for those who have completed the lower ones.

In order to keep the income stream coming - and give the staff something to do, it's imperative to cycle the remaining members through the lower grades over and over again.

*dons distracting Illuminati mantle*
Hey, it's a sci-fi role play,* they're playing it for over half a century now, no one else wants to join, and they don't have the (fucking) rank to make up new levels, so they re-play the older levels over and over. Under such circumstances, there's nothing better than a catchy sounding justification for what has to be done, for the greatest good of all (12 or 20, depends on the used dice) dynamics.
Not that this would be something immoral or reprehensible...
BIGOTS!!!

And then, the sacred scripture.
Don't get me started.
You've never waited TEN FUCKING YEARS for a follow-up volume from Froideval, isn't it?
Huh?



* Best Futurama episode/movie ever... ASIDE FROM THE TENTACLIC ONE... I like tentacles.

 

[Udarnik]

Dear god in heaven above - I want that as a bumper sticker.

The only reason it's not is that they don't hold any political power.

Does someone want to tell me that the next step up from a prison camp such as the Hole is not Dachau? If Slappy thought he could get away with murder, he would do it in a heartbeat.

I'm not sure what the distance is from the RPF's RPF and the Hole is to the Inquisition, but it's not as great as what some people tend to think.

 

[degraded being]

One thing about the Catholic church I grew up in: you can show up at mass every week, or just at Christmas and Easter; you can put a $100 in the collection plate as it passes you, or just $1, or nothing at all. Nobody will say anything to you. You are free to come and go, and contribute what you please. You are not required to put yourself on the mailing list (although you can) and you don't need to give your phone number.

Contrast with Scientology, and "hard sell".

The Catholics were honest, and not money grabbers.

You are going to hell if you're not perfect. We can't make you perfect.
See God about that, but you don't have the fucking rank to talk to Him.
Anyway, he's a psychopath, so it won't turn out well if you do.
In the meantime we can make you feel really bad about yourself.
Even low income earners can afford it.

 

[Veda]

-snip-

Scn IS a typical top-down religion. It is shit. Just like ALL top-down religions.

For whatever reason, you're presenting a caricature of Scientology's most preferred critic: the person who is anti religion. That's like a lollipop for Scientology.

We're supposed to forget that Scientology is a mind control cult and start thinking Scientology is about religion.

The Inquisition was worse in one year than BScn has been in it's history. BScn is NOT the only problem in the world. These are PRO BScn talking points?

-snip-

Oddly enough, they are PRO BScn talking points. Almost word per word.


We, already, all know that the Inquisition was awful, and that Scientology is not the only problem in the world.