Sherwood Ball does not own Ernie Ball Co. His younger brother does, Sherwood is strictly a trust fund baby, that is thrown a bone now & then from his brother to keep him quiet. He has no singing career, but did BGs for the above listed 20+years ago. Scientology giving life support to a 60+year old never-has-been.

Scientology benefits when Miami dentist runs up patient bills November 21, 2010, Joe Childs, St. Petersburg Times

Thanks, Hingle.

In a broad sense, I understand much of this, so it’s great to hear more detailed information (and metaphors, Tony!) from others who are much more familiar with it than I.

I absolutely know it’s the case that most people who get sucked into cults are not stupid. I have a friend, quite brilliant, who spent many years in a weird little local cult we have where I live — they gained a little notoriety 10-15 years ago because some members had become accomplished ultrarunners, but “Yo,” the freak who runs the show, is truly bizarre. She has tried to explain to me how it all happened, and while I understand the steps she took, I still find it hard to understand.

That said, having left a 12-step community some time ago, I have gained a little insight. Overall, the group was very helpful to me, However, while I don’t think 12-step groups are cults — they distinctly lack some very key attributes, IMO — I did gradually come to see cultish aspects. Having now left, some of those have become more clear: in a pale reflection of official $cientology disconnection policies, once I left this group pretty much everyone stopped talking to me, returning phone calls, texts, etc. (and no, I didn’t go back to “using” or descend into anti-social madness).

Because you asked … didn’t you? Ha!

Thanks again, Hingle.

Hello Jimmy 3. None of the above.
Make that a dreadnaut.

Wow. I remember asking this exact kind of question a few years ago. Like you, I’m a never in. While I’ve always been aware of it, I didn’t get my first taste until some friends visiting from Australia dragged me into the Founding Church of DC back in 2006. It was huge joke for them (terrible PR Down Under for Co$), and I was appropriately weirded out, and lost a bet to my Aussie buddy when I couldn’t believe that they would try to hit me up for money the first time I went in. After getting me to admit my general intellectual curiosity and agreeing that I’d be willing to read their book, the Div 6 lady hit me up for $20 to buy it. I explained to her that I didn’t have the money, since I now owed my friend $20 for her attempt to lighten my wallet. I’ve been following ever since.

My best answer to your question about GAT 2 and why people redo services is to point out that when people do leave- especially long term folks or execs, there is generally always a predictable and sometimes lengthy deprogramming process. Articles have been written on it. First, DM fucked everything up, then the Co$ as an organization is corrupt but Hubbard is cool, then Hubbard went off the rails somewhere (1966 comes up a lot), then the whole thing was rotten fruit and they’re free. People can rarely just chalk it up as bullshit and walk away.

In a nutshell, IMHO: 1. people either get in through friends/family, or they’re seeking. 2. The first couple of levels are often beneficial to people looking to improve themselves (and not too expensive) 3. You get invested and look for bigger gains and they will hold this carrot in front of you for as long as you will chase it. During this time, you become initiated into the group, learn their lingo, and redefine words to fit their concepts (I use the Scientology Ethics concept to explain this to people often- it doesn’t mean what you think it means). 4. As a group member, using their language and concepts, you alienate yourself from outside the group, though you might not realize it, and one way or another, you are dependent on the group. 5. The benevolent concepts you learned earlier are now used against you, as you’ve accepted the group goals as superior to your own and any failure to benefit is always your own fault. It’s not just disconnection.

Hope that helps. Everyone here is pretty awesome, but it works the same way. I got here out of morbid curiosity, then I had fun with the group, then I moved from curiosity to morbid fascination that such a thing as Co$ exists and how such high quality people are taken in, and now I’m at that place where its like I’ve read 3/4 of the story and have to hang on to the end. Haha. At least Tony doesn’t take my money. . .

I just added HWWLTN (long form) to DAVID MI$CAVIGE NICKNAMES http://tonyortega.org/2014/06/12/more-proof-of-kerri-kasems-scientology-involvement-and-laura-prepon-lies-like-a-rug/#comment-1439058509
I’m not a Missionary Man, but I was a Missionary Kid. You, however, can call me anything you want. 😉

That is certainly the most obvious possibility, of course, but as one who has been there, I just wanted to point out that it is often not so cut ’n dried (I didn’t mean to put words in your mouth, of course)
Perhaps he is the reincarnation of Clarence?

Jeesh, I feel like I should be a spokeshole for Mr. Miscabitch or something, but your idea that Miscavige is trying to give the impression that Hubbard made a mess, and he’s cleaning it all up is crazy — the stuff usually found only in hardcore indie lunacy. Why would he ever give that impression to clams? That would be risky. They might start thinking.

I know, it’s a view that can be taken in a wry, sardonic way, for fun, but that’s it. It has little to do with reality. Most of your other views, Jeff, I agree with completely, but this one is so off it’s laughable.

The impression he is trying to make is that Scientology is expanding and flourishing under his glorious leadership, and that LRH’s voluminous output has sometimes been mishandled and not given its proper treatment.

If he’s making people repeat levels or start from the beginning, it’s because he wants people to believe that doing Hubbard’s levels over and over again, is expanding and wonderful, and it brings in so much money which will help the cult expand more. No one is clear because there is no clear! So why not do all the levels 10x maybe, if that’s what it takes, to get a person’s last penny. The cat is out of the bag, because of the Internet. And you’ve got to appreciate, this is something that Dr. Hubtard did not have to contend with and Mr. Miscabitch does.

When Miscavige announces that he has authored some new OT levels himself, or when he starts writing books, then I’ll believe that he is turning the cult into one based on him and his personality. Plus, Miscavige blamed the whole semicolon/colon issue on copyists or something, not on Dr. Hubtard.

When Miscavige talks about Hubbard, he get this look of humility as if he’s talking about God. I realize part of it may be an act, or not, but that is what he has to do.

After being in hiding from the public since the Koppel interview, the Atlantic ad was supposed to be something that would inform the world that Scientology is flourishing under his direction, and that it isn’t a dying space cult full of brainwashed dupes and narcissistic and shallow Hollywood people. No one except Scientology watchers and cult members even know who the hell he is. Yes, it was ridiculous to do it that way, but that ad didn’t turn the tide. Most people are laughing at the cult now anyway, of those who know anything about it.

He’s not telling any boyhood stories of being cured of asthma or being struck by lightning, or being a war hero, or traveling to other planets. He’s a freaking H.S. dropout who has done nothing but sell Scientology for his whole life and he wants it known that he’s a damn good salesman. Maybe he is nuts and he thinks he really is saving the planet, too.

Awww Pinx.. For every person their may be a different reason. Afraid of Disconnection, An erosion of Critical Thinking Skills…

Too much invested to turn back now.. Just on and on and on and on. It is a very complex issue to write in one post. It was designed for Evil.