Mike: Disconnection — Scientology’s Nasty Secret

[CommunicatorIC]

NOTE: I highly recommend Mike's essay, and strongly recommend that people go to Mike's site and read the entire essay. I very much regret that I cannot cross-post the entire essay here.

I also think it is significant that, unlike Fundamentalist Independent Scientologists and perhaps some other Independent Scientologists, Mike Rinder does not argue that LRH "cancelled" disconnection. He does not place all of the blame on DM, or attempt to absolve LRH.

Mike: Disconnection — Scientology’s Nasty Secret
http://www.mikerindersblog.org/scientology-disconnection-policy-exposed/

Excerpt:

The Facts

[SNIP]


2. There IS policy applied by the Church of Scientology that REQUIRES someone to disconnect from anyone declared by HCO as a Suppressive Person. HCOB 10 September 83 PTSNess and Disconnection states the following:

“To fail or refuse to disconnect from a suppressive person not only denies the PTS (person connected to a Suppressive Person) case gain, it is also supportive of the suppressive – in itself a Suppressive Act. And it must be so labeled.”

The “Suppressive Act” is specifically stated in the Introduction to Scientology Ethics book (taken verbatim from the PL Suppressive Acts Suppression of Scientology and Scientologists) as:

“Continued adherence to a person or group pronounced a Suppressive Person or Group by HCO.” This is now no longer for the benefit of the individual, but intended to benefit the organization.

3. An individual labeled a Suppressive, even if only due to continued association with someone ELSE who has been labeled a Suppressive, faces the reality of immediate family members (spouses, children, parents), friends, business associates and even employers who are Scientologists disconnected from them. Lost jobs, divorce, kicked out of school, refused service by doctors and many other ramifications from life altering to merely annoying.

4. It is church policy that anyone who is declared has forfeited their right to participate in the activities of the church and is no longer eligible for auditing or training. This is the Scientology equivalent of being condemned to hell. It is a powerful motivating force.

If I Hold A Gun To Your Head Are You Choosing Freely?

The statement that the church does not enforce disconnection is similar to the rapist claiming his victim “consented” after he held a gun to her head. “It was her choice, she could have refused….” So too with the victims of enforced disconnection in the church of Scientology – they could refuse to disconnect from someone the church deems a trouble-maker and have their own life destroyed by being labeled suppressive themselves. Or they could “go along with it”, save their own neck and let the other person fend for themselves. For most, it is a practical decision, not a moral one.

 

[Infinite]

""

While disconnection has certainly been something of a PR disaster for Scientology, I am a bit wary of a focus soley on that aspect without a wider consideration of the overarching PTS/SP Doctrine. Jim Berry, Paulette Cooper, Gabe Cazares, Gerry Armstrong, Michael Flynn, Dennis Erlich, Shawn Lonsdale . . . the list goes on and on, but none of them suffered the disconnection. Yet, the human agony caused by Scientology's actions based on nothing more than the bletherings of L Ron Hubbard spreads out to include them because of the application of the PTS/SP Doctrine. That seems to me to the real dirty little secret or, perhaps, its really the elephant in the room.

If those using the hypno-cans outside of the cult are genuine in their abhorrence of disconnection, then that abhorrence must extend also to the harm caused to everyone who has suffered as a result of the fundamental precepts which, in the Scientology mind, justify it. Trouble is, remove the PTS/SP Doctrine and you essentially gut vast swathes of the tech, including the rationale for why it it often proves to be unworkable. That may be too big a step to consider for many.

 

[SchwimmelPuckel]

Has Mr.Rinder spotted L.Ron Hubbard as the SP yet?

 

[Wants2Talk]

""

While disconnection has certainly been something of a PR disaster for Scientology, I am a bit wary of a focus soley on that aspect without a wider consideration of the overarching PTS/SP Doctrine. Jim Berry, Paulette Cooper, Gabe Cazares, Gerry Armstrong, Michael Flynn, Dennis Erlich, Shawn Lonsdale . . . the list goes on and on

Please don't forget Bob Minton.

 

[CommunicatorIC]

WWP / Anon Big List of over 2000 Exes Who Have Spoken Out posted to Mike's blog.

WWP / Anon Big List of over 2000 Exes Who Have Spoken Out posted to Mike's blog.

http://www.mikerindersblog.org/scientology-disconnection-policy-exposed/#comment-5058

TrevAnon says:
May 31, 2013 at 10:06 am

“Speak up. Speak out.” Well said.

If you consider speaking out: you’re not alone.

There’s a list of more than 2,000 people who have spoken out against organized Scientology. Although some of them still believe in the validity of the core precepts and practice them outside of the Church of Scientology, all of them have denounced the legitimacy of the organization itself.

The list is here
http://whyweprotest.wikia.com/wiki/Former_Church_of_Scientology_members_who_have_spoken_out

 

[Gib]

""

While disconnection has certainly been something of a PR disaster for Scientology

PR=Marketing=Sales of make believe EP's (end phenomenon) = loss of income or gain of income.

 

[CommunicatorIC]

Mike: Scientology Disconnection — Who Qualifies To Be Declared?

Mike: Scientology Disconnection — Who Qualifies To Be Declared?

http://www.mikerindersblog.org/scientology-disconnection-who-qualifies-to-be-declared/

Excerpt:

The Brave New World of Corporate Scientology

According to what is now considered “normal” one can suddenly find oneself a target for disconnection for activities that could hardly be considered “anti-social” or “suppressive” – a mother who refuses to disconnect from her son or daughter who blew from course or took drugs. A husband who will not allow his wife to take out a mortgage on their house. Or even lesser “crimes” of refusing to unfriend someone on Facebook or being unwilling to attend events.

As time goes by and the hardcore keeps shrinking — leaving the ever more robotic to keep the lights on – the standards of what qualifies one for labeling as a “Napoleon, Hitler or Dillinger” becomes increasingly insane.

The Lord of Flies children who occupy most of the MAA roles in Scientology these days (usually second generation Scientologists who have ONLY known the world according to Corporate Scientology) are unmoved and unemotional about the injustices, hardships and insanities they mete out in the name of “Keeping Scientology Working,” “No other fish to fry,” “Command Intention” and whatever other platitudes they spout. These are Apocalypse Zombies wound up and walking inexorably in the direction they have been pointed. Rationality or common sense are not in their vocabularies.

Scientology “Thought Crimes”

If you have the idea that this is all somehow going to magically get better, unfortunately, the ONLY evidence is that it is going to get worse.

The “crimes” for which you can be subjected to “disconnection” have already edged VERY close to “thought crimes”.

Thinking bad thoughts about “COB” will get you removed from the building, and you might find friends and family giving you the stink eye, but you have to do something else (lip off to an IAS Reg or refuse to show up for an event) before you get a “Non Enturb” Order and subsequent verbal declare (or the latest technique – for another posting – the “letter declare” with a highlighted “Policy” attached). But the day is coming when it will be overtly acceptable to declare people and order any remaining Scientologists to disconnect from them for their THOUGHTS. IT is closer than anyone would have thought possible a decade ago. The highest crime in the Corporate Scientology Universe these days is no longer “communicating”, it is “Expressing CI (Counter Intention) to Command” (this ranges from open revolt — rare — to unacceptable facial expressions).

Sadly, long gone are the days when one was allowed to “think for themselves” or “question authority” or “never desert a comrade in need” or “never permit your affinity to be alloyed.”