Since I left the Church (after being a class V Auditor for almost ten years) I reflected upon the questions "What really is Scientology? Where has it dangerous differences from an ideal true religion?".

They are not simple questions to answer to.

More or less all religions deviate from logic and physical sciences so the Xenu story and the Body Thetans matter is not what makes Scientology different. The same reasoning can be applied for the auditing tech.

Other religions too require an almost total engagement ... so the Scientology hard schedule is not a difference.

I isolated this points that, by me, are characteristic of true religions:

1) True religions can be practiced at home by the faithfuls even at the higher levels of the teachings.

2) In true religions interior lighting can be reached without paying huge sums of money.

3) In true religions the faithfuls know since the beginning the financial request of their Church (i.e. the Mormon faithfuls pay 10% of their income to the Church - it's an honest way to have the money they need).

4) In true religions the main subject is spiritual enhancement.

5) In true religions everyone, rich or poor, can gain the higher levels of wisdom.

6) In true religions the "staff members" can easily leave.

7) In true religions people can express their doubts freely and often they do debates to discuss these doubts and people is encouraged to express themselves.

8) In true religions the faithfuls have to take care even of antagonistic people or non-believers and pray for their souls.

9) In true religions hate is a major crime.

10) True religions don't pretend to be natural sciences.

If we look at Scientology we find this:

1) To reach the highest levels of the Bridge a scientologist must go to Flag Service Org (Clearwater - Florida ) or to Flag Ship Service Org (the Freewind ship) and he must stay there for months. If the scientologist works in a firm that is distant (i.e. in Europe) he can encounter serious problem to get the time required to do all his Bridge. I saw ONLY professionals (lawyers or managers) going to FSO or FSSO to do OT levels, I NEVER saw a worker doing this.

2) Scientology auditing costs from a minimum of about 125 $ per hour (in class V orgs) to about 450 $ per hour (at FSO or FSSO) with many middle prices between these two depending from discounts and other "offers".

So let's make some countings:

a) The Bridge from "wog" to Clear requires averagely 250/300 auditing hours. So the medium "price" to go to Clear is 125 $ x 250h = 26,250 $ b) Now there is the OT I - OT II - OT III sequence but before this the faithful has to be a Solo Auditor.

He has two training roads to choose from:

first road: Student hat course - Trs Professional Course - Upper indoc TRs course -New Metering Course - Academy Level 0 Course and finally The Solo Auditor Course (this is the more standard path because gives to the person more confidence with the auditing tecniques) this path costs about 9,000 $ ( 5,500 $ for the courses plus an E meter Mark VII Quantum that is charged about 3,500 $) or second road: The Basic Study Manual Course - The Hubbard Qualified Scientologist Course and the Solo Auditor Course plus the E-meter this path costs about 5,500 $ ( 2,500 $ for courses plus 3,500 $ for meter) We are trying to save money so we choose the second road and we add 5,500 $ to our sum.

We have until now expended 26,250 $+ 5,500 $ = 31,750 $ c) Then there are OT preparation (this straighten up the Clear's case) and the OT elegibility (mainly Security Checks).

These programs require variable number of hours, but being very optimist we suppose that our Clear is in a good shape and that his ethics files are empty so he comes off well with 12h30m (1 intensive) Now he is in an Advanced Org and the price increases to ( I am optimistic) about 300 $ per hour, so we have 300$ x 12h = 3,600 $ Total until now 31,750 $ + 3,600 $ = 35,350 $ d) Now we are on OT I - II - III their cost is about 15,000 $ ... (but if you encounter problems and you need a review session from an Auditor the sum increases) total until now 35,350 $ + 15,000 $ = 50, 350 $ e) now it's time for OT VI, it's usually a brief action, let's say 5 hours for 300 $ per hour 300 $ x 5 h = 1,500 $ total until now 50, 350 $ + 1,500 $ = 51,850 $ f) OT V - NOTs (NED for OT) this is a long series of Rundown - let's say it takes 3 intensives 300 $ x 37.5 h = 11,250 $ total until now 51,850 $ + 11,250 $ = 63,100 $ g) OT VI it's a course that prepares the pre-OT for OT VII I don't know its price but it can hardly be below 5,000 $ total until now 63,100 $ + 5,000 $ = 68,100 $ h) OT VII can take a long time, the pre OT audit himself at home sometimes for years.

I don't know its price but it can hardly be below 6,000 $ plus the pre OT must have a safe in his home to hide his confidentials material from others and periodically must go to FSO to have control checks.

total until now 68,100 $ + 6,000 $ = 74,100 $ i) OT VIII can only be done at FSSO (the ship) I am not sure but I remember one person telling me it costs being about 8,000 $ total until now 74,100 $ + 8,000 $ = 82,100 $ So this is a real MINIMUN price ... about 82,000 $ to become OT VII if you have no troubles along the way, which I NEVER saw to happen.

You can approximate the sum to 100,000 $ because sometimes you will have to take special handlings ( like the False Purpose Rundown) ... then if you are really bugged and the C/S says that you have to do Ls Rundowns you will have to add a big sum (almost 40,000 $ for L12 alone) to all this.

Do you really think that this is a religion for both rich and poors?

3) Scientology hides its prices and hypocritically call them "donations".

People are told "accettable truths".

Then they are handled for hours "to make them the prices real" and to avoid that people talk about it outside.

Staff members lie to themselves (in good faith) saying that the high cost is due to the technical perfection that is required.

In reality money goes to Scientology lawyers and to Scientology bank accounts and only a very little part of it goes to staff members (they are always below the poverty level and they are always in need ).

Random ( and huge) donations can be required "to help the Church" and when IAS (International Associations of Scientology) enters ... money goes away from your pockets. Sometimes people are taken by surprise into IAS regging cycles. That cycles can last for even 16 hours and it ends only when the person gives a huge donation. IAS try to take all you have ... if you protest that you need the money to do the bridge they say that you are not a helping person and that you think only to yourself.

In Scientology you really don't know how much you will be required to pay.

4) In Scientology the main subject is HANDLING money and statistics.

5)In Scientology, as seen in point 2 above, only rich people can achieve high case level ... and even they have problems.

It's a little "elite" that goes up the bridge. Others are locked out. This despite the LRH's PR statements when he said that "Knowledge is for everyone".

6) In Scientology if a staff member decides to leave the Church breaking "his contract" (Sea Org members are always in this situation because they are supposed to be on staff for all this lifetime ... and the future lives too) he has to pay for his previous training and auditing. This is explained with the fact that many people join the staff only to receive free training and auditing (freeloaders) and this rule prevents them from doing this.

It is a real stupid explanation.

If a staff member is sincere but he MUST leave the staff (due to money or family problems) he will find the way to pay his freeloader.

If a staff member was dishonest he will leave he and will not pay his freeloader.

This rule is a pesant penalization for staff members that believe in Scientology because only they will pay.

This is a betrayal of their faith.

Staff members that decide to leave often leave with a debt of about 15,000 $ or more.

It is a rule to stop people from leaving the staff because when you leave you are automatically put in a "lower ethics condition" until you will patch up the sit and until you will have paid your freeloader bill; being in lower condition you cannot talk to other scientologist because you are not "in good standing".

It's a really suppressive rule that is intended to make money even from staff members that have problems and to have them subjected to a total evil control.

7) In Scientology no one can discuss the tech and the policy. "Spare your critics for the session", says Ron. Free speech is discouraged and if one has a doubt he cannot "contaminate" others. If you have counter ideas you instantaneously become an enemy. The group meetings are only about wins and successes. This prevents a free reasoning and gradually limits your point of view.

8) In Scientology there is no solidarity. People who don't like Scientology are enemies. Scientology tries to destroy "enemies" rather than letting them to have their opinions.

9) Scientology encourages hate campaign. Hate the Psychiatrists, hate the medical doctors, attach first, lie to them, our target is to destroy them!

We take over CAN! We destroyed them! ... And so on.... really like "1984".

10) Hubbard said many things about the scientific nature of Scientology and Dianetics. Later he turned the boat and he talked of spiritual healing and religion. But it all started as a science ... the early books are full of this claims ...even the title of book one " Dianetics: The modern SCIENCE of mental health".

So we can see that Scientology has nothing to do with the common meaning of Religion.

Hubbard tried to create a "scientific religion" ... or a "religious science" but in reality it is not a religion and it is not a science.

Russell Miller described Ron as a mixture of Adol Hilter, Charlie Chaplin and the Baron Munchausen so I think that Scientology can be defined a mixture of Nazism, Entertainment and Braggings.

The voice of truth

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