If you’ve ever wondered about whether this website is read by officials of the Church of Scientology, we have a pretty remarkable example to bring to your attention today.
What a week it’s been here in the Underground Bunker. From digging up what L. Ron Hubbard actually said about space aliens and Scientology, to Leah Remini’s new jab at the LAPD about Shelly Miscavige, to Nora Crest’s emotional new video about Scientology homophobia, to the stunning news of a possible Shelly Miscavige sighting, and a crushing look at the way older workers are treated in the Sea Org, this place has been on fire.
And all of the action wasn’t only in the stories themselves. In the comments section of the post about Nora’s video, longtime reader Andrei “DodoTheLaser” Organ posted a pretty wild smackdown that hinted at something interesting going on where he is in the Cincinnati area…
You may remember Dodo from a story we did earlier about his son Daniel (2nd item, here). The Organ family is from Moldova, and Dodo is one of our many readers who is a former Church of Scientology member.
He tells us that he is friends with a woman who, like him, used to work on staff at Scientology’s Cincinnati org (which has been replaced by a new “Ideal Org” across the river in Florence, Kentucky). Now that they’re both out of the organization, they still live very close to each other, and their families are tight.
On Wednesday, Andrei got a series of frantic phone calls from his friend. She was being heavily recruited by the Florence Ideal Org, which wanted her to come back on course and on staff. And the Scientologists were pulling out all the usual tactics to overcome her objections, even going so far as to apply for a new credit card with a $40,000 credit limit on her behalf so she could pay in advance for expensive new classes to take her to “Clear.”
Andrei was incensed, and unleashed his rant in our comments section. “Back the Fuck Off,” he wrote. But what were the chances that his message, inscribed here at a blog hosted in New York, would even be read by Scientology officials in, of all places, Kentucky?
Thursday evening, Andrei got his answer. The following note was slipped under his neighbor’s door. (We’ve blacked out his friend’s name for her privacy.)
We especially enjoy the part where Scientology has informed its former member that she is no longer eligible to pay shitloads of money for bogus Scientology courses because she’s mixed up with some “suppressive persons” at this website that is totally not being obsessed over by Scientology officials day and night.
“I just feel like that post of mine on your blog made a difference and saved two people from a lot more turmoil and mindfuck,” Andrei tells us. “It makes me really happy.”
Well, it makes us happy, too, Dodo.
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Mike Rinder lays the smack down
Scientology’s former spokesman is speaking some truth this morning, fellow campers.
Please spread around his message that former Scientologists should not be frightened out of reporting crimes by the church’s usual intimidation tactics.
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Go here to start making your plans.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on December 17, 2016 at 07:00
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Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information about the book, and our 2015 book tour, can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | Scientology’s Private Dancer | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | Scientology boasts about assistance from Google | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Our Guide to Alex Gibney’s film ‘Going Clear,’ and our pages about its principal figures…
Jason Beghe | Tom DeVocht | Sara Goldberg | Paul Haggis | Mark “Marty” Rathbun | Mike Rinder | Spanky Taylor | Hana Whitfield
