As Leah Remini returns for a third round, here’s Scientology’s side of the story

To our American readers, Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you have a swell day with your loved ones. We plan to do the same. Now, on to today’s story…

Two years ago this month, Leah Remini premiered her A&E series, Scientology and the Aftermath. And before she did, knowing what a major impact it was going to have, we decided to give the Church of Scientology its chance to make its own case first.

We featured a documentary about Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard that was narrated by Scientology’s current leader, David Miscavige. Now, two years later, Leah is about to kick off her third season in earnest (after a special episode, anyway), and once again we thought it would be a good idea to let Scientology give its best shot at counterprogramming in the meantime.

So what we have for you today is about as good as it gets for Scientology these days. It’s a young up-and-coming celebrity, pianist Stephen Ridley, announcing to his fans that for the last four years he’s secretly been involved in the church. For his coming out, he’s made a sort of Scientology advertisement — filmed, he says, by his friend Luke Ayers, who you will remember is Scientology’s great Australian hip hop hope.

The 2-minute film certainly has that Scientology look, and we can’t help wondering if this is a dry run at this year’s Super Bowl ad. Probably not, because it’s just too subtle, and there’s no voiceover telling us that we should be curious about discovering the mystery of ourselves. But still, it’s a well-produced spot, Ridley is a good-looking kid, and the film certainly wants to be profound.

So give it a good look, and then read Ridley’s testimony that he sprung on his friends. If more young, talented people were extolling the virtues of Scientology like this, it might actually help with recruiting, who knows.

So here’s your day, Scientology. Enjoy the free advertising, and prepare yourself for Leah’s return on Tuesday.

I’ve been doing Scientology for around 4 years.
Surpriiiiiiiiiiiise!! Haha.
I’d heard the rumours, and I’d seen the black propaganda.
But honestly, that only made me more curious.
I figured, at worst, it would be a cool new experience, and another weird moment in my life!
I’ve done a lot of weird things in my life in search of ‘more’; I’ve stood on my head meditating in India, I’ve got blind drunk over and over and over just to feel comfortable on a night out, and I’ve worked 20 hours a day in a job I hated just to buy more ‘stuff’.
The list goes on.
Truthfully, I have searched for freedom in everything; in money, in travel, in work, in success, in women, in prestige, in fitness…
And I’ve done them all to extremes.
They all brought their own kind of temporary relief.

Advertisement

But that relief got much more temporary with repetition.
Nothing could ever bring any real permanent change.
At 24, I’d done everything that pop culture tells you should make you happy. I’d made a stack of money, I’d had businesses, I’d had straight A grades, I’d had impressive jobs, I’d had a lot of sex, I’d bought a lot of shit, I’d travelled the world more than once, I’d followed my dreams.
I was running out of antidotes to the seeming emptiness of existence.
There had to be more!
There just had to be, because the mundanity of ‘the adult world’ just felt suffocatingly boring.
I met so many extremely wealthy, powerful people, and grew up quite modestly in the north, and I learned that win or lose, none of it seemed to make anybody that happy.
Everybody was just plodding along in quiet desperation, or worse yet, they’d lose the fire for more and resigned themselves to ‘the real world’.
I just couldn’t stomach that.
I couldn’t do 40 years working just for money and call that a life.
I wasn’t really planning to go looking in religion for the answer.
That seemed like the last place to look.
You see, I’ve never really been ‘religious’. That’s an understatement. Almost a decade ago, I actually won a prestigious debating championship, debating in favour of atheism, and have an extremely Scientific approach to knowledge which makes ‘faith’ impossible for someone like me.
Anyway, maybe I’ll make video going into more details, but long story, I discovered that one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met, and someone I very much looked up to was… a Scientologist?!!

Advertisement

Hmmmm. Well. There was something new to try!
Why not!!
I figured it would be weird.
But whatever. I was bored and had nothing better to do on a slow Tuesday. So I decided to give it a try, more out of curiosity than any real belief it would do anything.
I went in to experience their therapy and take a couple courses on ‘how to overcome emotional ups and downs’.
Wow.
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Finally. A taste of actual freedom.
It blew me away.
The study gave me simple tools to practically handle the problems I had in life; finances, relationships, emotional instability, fears, lacks of confidence, and a general feeling of living less than my potential.
The therapy allowed me to see myself and meet myself, without evaluation, for the first time.
And unlike past therapies, and other shit I’d tried, the results weren’t temporary this time.
It was giving me a permanent change in my state of existence.
I was seeing myself.

Advertisement

I was seeing life.
I was understanding why people are like they are.
I was understanding.
As such I was more able to take on bigger problems, starting businesses, finding my purpose, expanding my musicality and discovering myself spiritually.
I became more me.
I became more.
I became.
More aware, more conscious, more intelligent.
I became kinder, richer and broader.
Extraordinarily life changing.
I’ve been scared to publicly write about this, because I feared the social repercussions of being this open and honest.
Telling someone I’m a Scientologist feels like telling someone I’m a Jew in the early 1940’s and hoping they’re not German.
So why am I writing this?
Why risk the public ridicule.

Advertisement

And on Facebook of all places; the number one place to get trolled and destroyed.
Well I’ve come to a place where I genuinely don’t need to be liked and admired in order to feel enough.
I have my own sense of personal integrity and I have now seen sufficient evidence for myself of the overwhelming effectiveness of this technology, such that it doesn’t really bother me too much what people think.
Thus, I risk social suicide and write this for two reasons.
1. Quietly, I’ve been on a very very personal journey, and now handled myself such that I don’t really have the problems that ‘everyone knows’ are normal. I have spiritual peace, and though that’s great for me, I walk around a world and it’s suddenly more clear than ever that everyone else is lacking that.
I travel the world, and I see so many sad people, so many people who don’t love their lives, and who are really not happy beneath the social veneer. I feel like a doctor walking through a street of gunshot victims slowly bleeding, and doing nothing, saying nothing. I know how to treat these simple wounds that are killing them, and I do nothing, I say nothing, purely so I won’t be embarrassed (incase the gunshot victim might think I’m a bit weird).
That’s no longer okay with my conscience.
Because contrary to what popular media is so eager to shove down your throat, there really are answers.
It really is possible to achieve those spiritual goals set out in Bhuddism and Hindusim and many other -isms, in a way that’s Scientific, in a way that requires no faith, no mysticism, no rituals; just the practical application of simple principles to any area of life you wish to handle.
You can change.
You can be free.
You can help others do the same.
2. You probably have never met a Scientologist, and I guess you could go the rest of your life without (knowingly) meeting one, as most people who do it keep it to themselves. So I figured, if I was public with it, it would give my friends on here a rare chance to ask me anything they want.
And I’ll answer it, probably in a personal message to avoid this post becoming the usual World War III that occurs anytime that anybody dares to express an opinion on here.
If you want to know more, hit the link below.
I really do love you,
And I really do want the best for you, and for mankind.
Stephen

 
——————–

Irish Narconon faces setback after locals complained

After locals in Ballivor, Ireland complained about a new Scientology Narconon drug rehab facility being put in their neighborhood, an independent planning board (An Bord Pleanála) has ruled that a 2016 zoning allowance for the rehab was improper and Narconon will have to get a new zoning variance before it can open up.

As we saw yesterday with a visit from Erin Hodges Plumb, construction is going on and workers said it would be completed on the project in a couple of months. But now, Scientology will have to send in its sharkiest lawyers to push through proper approvals. We have a feeling the Irish media will be all over it.

 
——————–

Scientology’s celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs’ — now with comments!

We’re building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs.’ We’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them, in order to build a record and maintain a watch as Scientology continues its inexorable decline — and yes, we finally have comments working on these new pages! Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.

Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!

Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!

Today’s Scientology front: Citizens Commission on Human Rights!

 
——————–

Now on sale: Twice the Miss Lovely!

 
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. What a pleasure it is for us to work with her on this after we wrote about her ordeal as a victim of Scientology’s “Fair Game” campaigns in our 2015 book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, which is also on sale in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions.

 
——————–

THE WHOLE TRACK

[ONE year ago] VIDEO: Scientology gives its highest award to Nation of Islam minister, who thanks Allah
[TWO years ago] Leah Remini demands $1.5 million from Scientology for interfering with her A&E series
[THREE years ago] Scientology drug rehab policy: Get the sexual assaulter out of state before police arrive
[FOUR years ago] The Scientologist who wouldn’t fly: The rise and fall of insurance mogul Richie Acunto
[FIVE years ago] Mark Bunker Returns to Clearwater: Wise Beard Man Back in Scientology’s Mecca!
[SIX years ago] Thanksgiving? Pshaw! The Scientology Begin-A-Boom Bookathon Starts TODAY!

 
——————–

——————–

Posted by Tony Ortega on November 22, 2018 at 07:00

E-mail tips and story ideas to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.

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 can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.

The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2017 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Undergound Bunker (2012-2017), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)

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 | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ

Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…

Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates

Join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.

Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news