Here's the latest column from Murray Luther. Enjoy!

For a complete list of Regime Reports, see http://www.truthaboutscientology.com/read/

A Means to an End

By Murray Luther Unofficial Correspondent for the Church of Scientology

"Ethics play a significant role in Scientology," said the Rev. Lee Holzinger, who in 2001 ran the Santa Barbara Church of Scientology. He was making an effort so put distance between the Church and Reed Slatkin, the Scientologist charged with defrauding investors of at least $230 million in an alleged Ponzi scheme.

It's true that Ethics plays a significant role in the lives of Scientologists, but what does that mean? What is an ethical Scientologist? What are the basic elements and tenets of Scientology Ethics? Honesty? Integrity? Morality? While those may be laudable virtues, they have almost nothing to do with the Church's system of ethics.

Scientology Ethics is a self contained contrivance designed exclusively to serve the Church. Hubbard states that Ethics ". . .is simply that additional tool necessary to make it possible to apply the technology of Scientology." If it makes the Church bigger, better, or stronger, it is, by definition, ethical. So if a few innocent Scientologists get harmed along the way, well that's the price you pay. Hey, if you help more people than you hurt, it all works out in the end. Don't worry about a few casualties here and there as long as the Church is being served.

The list of Scientologists who lost tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars due to the fraudulent acts of fellow Scientologist Reed Slatkin is literally a who's who list of prominent Church members. Why wasn't there more outrage? Why didn't Scientologists take legal action at the first sign of financial impropriety? Non Scientologists contacted their lawyers. What did Scientologists do? They contacted Church executives.

The Church follows a well established code of conduct commonly practiced by police and military organizations: You look out for your own by keeping misdeeds from public view, and administer justice from within.

Scientologist Chuck Anderson faced a dilemma when he first realized that the company he worked for, Digital Lightwave (a company with significant Church connections), had been releasing falsified records. What did he do? He called the Church of Scientology. His primary concern wasn't the potential harm to customers and investors, but the "huge potential flap"

that might reflect negatively on the Church should the unsavory revelations become public.

Church member Gillian Christie shrugged off the whole Slatkin affair as nothing more than a "blip on the horizon." Quite a blip when considering that Christie had sunk over $400 thousand that she would likely never see again. Better to soft-peddle the idea of getting ripped off by a Scientologist than to make public criminal allegations towards a fellow member.

The death of Lisa McPherson at the Fort Harrsion hotel while under the care of Scientology practitioners and administrators is perhaps the best, and certainly the most outrageous example of how Scientologists circle the wagons when faced with potential scandal. Defending the Church against legal and PR flaps is a noble act, regardless of any questionable tactics that may have been necessary. Remember, Scientologists believe with every fiber of their being that what they do is right, morally and ethically, if it ultimately serves the Church, dead Scientologists not withstanding.

Many critics have come to the mistaken conclusion that such seemingly blind loyalty is all part of a cult mentality, a product of devious mind control and brainwashing. To the contrary, Scientologists are well aware of what they do and why they do it. Scientologists are skilled practitioners of Machiavellian politics-- a high stakes game of ruthless "win at all costs" strategies and tactics. Never underestimate the meticulous method to their madness.

The 16th Century statesman and political thinker Niccolo Machiavelli saw the state as the highest achievement of man. The individual could serve no higher purpose than to serve the state. No consideration of justness or unjustness, of cruelty or pity, of praise or shame, was as important as saving the state and preserving its freedom. For many European sovereignties trying to emerge out of the Dark Ages, it was a workable system. For the Church of Scientology it's the prevailing principle that defines Scientology Ethics.

What's good for the Church is good for the Scientologist. This means that as long as you're making significant contributions, whether it's financial or some other form of assistance, Scientology Ethics will protect you. As long as your stats are up, you're an ethical Scientologist. In fact L. Ron Hubbard coined the term "Ethics Protection" to describe this principle. He states, ". . .if a staff member is getting production up by having his own statistic excellent, Ethics sure isn't interested. . . In short a staff member can get away with murder so long as his statistics is up. . ."

Reed Slatkin was an upstat Scientologist in the complete sense of the word. While he was making money hand over fist, he was donating a significant portion of his earnings to the Church. A few Slatkin investors were making money too. No doubt those who were Church members were making similar financial contributions of their own. For the Church this was, without a doubt, a good thing. But all the while there were indications that all was not well, indications that seem to have been knowingly ignored by the Church and its members.

There are many questions surrounding the Slatkin case that Scientologists will never answer. But let's ask them anyway. At what point did any Scientologist step forward to question Reed Slatkin's potentially criminal activities? As early as 1997, Slatkin admittedly lied to Securities and Exchange Commission investigators. By 2000 Slatkin was still under SEC investigation yet Scientologists were unalarmed. In 2001 when Slatkin finally filed for bankruptcy, Scientologist investors remained silent. Even when the IRS and the FBI were searching Slatkin's home in Santa Barbara, Church members who stood to lose huge amounts of money were incredibly understanding.

While investigators were informing investors that their money was gone, Scientologists publicly expressed a complacent willingness to take it in the shorts. Ms. Christie offered this justification: "I would like to emphasize how much good came out of it." Prominent Scientologist Keith Code casually explained, "A lot of people I know are not crushed by it."

This is Scientology math, and it's driven by their Ethics system. In their calculation, the number of people who benefited from Slatkin's fraudulent scheme offsets any losses incurred by others.

Church officials displayed a tolerance towards Reed Slatkin that can only be explained as PR spin. Rather than publicly condemn one of their own, the Church shrugged its shoulders and claimed complete ignorance of the whole affair. However, behind the scenes, the Church was already going into damage control mode. Bennetta Slaughter, a longtime Church activist and donor, was contacting Scientologists in an effort to organize creditors, a move that some believed was an effort to somehow control the agenda. The issue at hand was no doubt the potential PR flap that would result should a few Scientologists begin resorting to legal action against Slatkin. Amazingly, he remained a Scientologist in good standing, even as his bail was being set. (Not coincidentally, Slaughter was vigorously involved in the Church's efforts to deflect criticism surrounding the death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson in 1995.)

It was only after Reed Slatkin pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud, money laundering and conspiracy, that the Church applied their "ethical"

system towards their wayward parishioner. They simply expelled him, thereby demonstrating a valuable lesson in Scientology Ethics-- do what you have to do to expand Scientology, but if you get caught up in some unsavory high jinx, you're on your own. But thanks for stopping by, Reed.

Another "ethical" Scientologist, Greta Van Susteren would be an "illegal pc" under different circumstances. She falls under the "third category"

of Scientologists who, per Hubbard's Policy Letter "Illegal PC's, Acceptance Of," could be denied auditing because she's a member of the media, and therefore a security risk to the Church. But this Fox News reporter needs only to keep a healthy flow of money going towards the Church and her status is immaculate beyond reproach. .

Prior to the Reformation the Catholic Church used a similar practice. It was a corrupt use of church "indulgences" whereby wealthy parishioners could donate large sums of money, fund monasteries, rebuild churches, etc., and they'd be granted remission of punishment for offences committed against Church rules and discipline. By the way, a lot of Catholics saw through this unscrupulous ruse and objected furiously.

They're called Protestants now.

Van Susteren's husband John Coale is another reputable Scientologist who has funneled lots of money to the Church of Scientology. That's why the Church can look the other way when American Lawyer magazine calls John Coale "a symbol for everything wrong with the plaintiff's bar." It explains why the Church is unconcerned when the same magazine honors Coale with its Most Frivolous Suit Award. Scientology Ethics has no problem with the fact that the West Virginia Bar tried to disbar both John Coale and Greta Van Susteren for their allegedly unethical behavior.

You got a beef with a Scientologist? Better first check the IAS donors list before considering taking any action. The Church might start coming after you. As Hubbard laid it out, "When people do start reporting a staff member with a high statistic, what you investigate is the person who turned in the report." Don't think for a moment that this doesn't apply equally to upstat Scientology public.

All's fair, as the saying goes, especially in war, a maxim that Hubbard readily recognized. In "Ron's Journal 34" he observed, "Oh, yes, we've had some casualties . . . But that is the way with wars: not only combatants but innocent bystanders can get wounded." In Machiavelli's political essay The Prince, he said that one ". . . ought not to mind the reproach of cruelty." Hubbard echoes this sentiment in his "Code of Honor," where he says, "Never fear to hurt another in a just cause."

After all, as Hubbard said in "Ethics Protection," "We are not in the business of being good boys and girls." Certainly not. As the Code of a Scientologist states, the game is "To increase the numbers and strength of Scientology over the world." Cost be damned, as long as the Church prevails.

The history of Scientology is strewn with casualties, some who got in the way, either knowingly or unknowingly, and others who found themselves innocently caught in the crossfire. Meanwhile the Church presses on like some righteous steamroller, disregarding the damage they leave by the wayside. And their conscience is clear, confident that they're the most ethical people on the planet.

* * *

Murray Luther is the pen name of a Scientologist of over twenty-five years who currently remains in good standing with the Church. He's the founder of the Scientology Independent Network, (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Scn_Ind_Network/) an advocacy group for former members of the Church of Scientology.

All views expressed here are those of Murray Luther and do not necessarily reflect the views of truthaboutscientology.com or scientology-lies.com.

All material by Murray Luther is copyrighted, with all rights reserved by the author. Material posted by Murray Luther on the internet may be reproduced for non-commercial use only.

-- Kristi Wachter the activist formerly known as "Jour" (before $cientology outed me)

If I am not who you say I am, then you are not who you think you are.

- James Baldwin

I think $cientology is hurting people and breaking the law, and I want them to stop it. See http://www.scientology-lies.com for more.

KSW: http://www.truthaboutscientology.com/alteringtech.htm

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