Yes, Arnie...it does help, and I am o.k. with learning more about the (REALLY) dark side and true origins of Scientology! Thank you.
I never had to LIVE it like you did.
Can I just take a moment here to add that
Aleister Crowley (seen below doing TR 0 ~ note how the TRs start with 0 and not 1, another magickal influence... )
really SQUIRRELED THE TECH when he wrote that "This is the whole of the law: Do what thou wilt". Do whatever the hell you want to do in life, (no matter who it hurts) is the kind of ruthless self-determinism that you "get" when you "Get IT" in EST, which was an offshoot of Scientology. I think Crowley's postulate of this as a "rule to live by" as a wannabe magus is the seminal thought behind Ron's creation of Scientology. I think Ron just copied and followed his hero...
"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" is an exact quote from Crowley's best known and still read work "The Book of the Law" published in 1904. It wasn't even an original thought with him...from Wikipedia:
"This famous statement derives from several historic precedents, including that of François Rabelais in describing the rule of his Abbey of Thélème in Gargantua and Pantagruel: Fait ce que vouldras (Do what thou wilt), which was later used by the Hellfire Club established by Sir Francis Dashwood.
It is also similar to the pagan proverb: An ye harm none, do what thou wilt; but the oldest known statement of a similar idea is by St. Augustine of Hippo: Love, and do what thou wilt."
Good old St. Augustine of Hippo (Bishop, Confessor, Doctor of the Church... respected by Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran traditions alike) lived from 354 to 430, A.D.
The important point that I want to make about this is that Crowley's "The whole of the Law is 'Do what thou wilt'" is squirreled from, and morally, ethically and spiritually diametrically opposed to the spirit of the ancient pagan magical rede, which pre-dates Christianity and so, St. Augustine, from which this all comes, "and so it harm none, do what thou wilt..." St. Augustine's version is a slight reworking with a Christly "love one another" take on it.
That to me is very similar to the golden rule found in various ancient cultural traditions and teachings, same meaning and import. I think it's a key to success in spiritual practice, protection, and advancement for us as individuals and for our moral and social evolution as a species.
The core concept of Ron's Scientology creation opposes that.
The ruthless self determinism of Crowley's "This is the whole of the law, do what thou wilt" (invalidating all other religious and social systems of belief, moral values and social practice that promote loving kindness, and first do no harm to others kinds of values) is the core essence and foundational platform of Scientology. We see that being played out and demonstrated for us both historically while Ron was alive, and in real life right now by actions and abuses in the so-called "Church of Scientology" by it's current leadership.
The whole COS enterprise is rotten to the core and worse than worthless, harmful spiritually to people, because of this.