Phil Jones has waged war with Scientology since it ripped his family apart with its cruel ‘disconnection’ policy. You’ve read here about his campaign to place billboards in Los Angeles and Florida about disconnection, and about his involvement in a TV series that never aired. He’s a regular contributor here, and he and his wife Willie are two of the most inspiring ex-Scientologists we know, fighting against the church simply because they want to see their two grown children again, Emily and Mike, who are both committed Sea Org members.
And yet, despite all that, Scientology is desperate to “recover” lapsed members (recruiting new people is more futile than ever), and so it puts enormous resources into tracking down formerly active Scientologists and pestering them about watching a new video or signing up for a new class. And so Phil Jones still gets these recruiting calls from clueless Scientology telemarketers who are apparently unaware of his history.
Recently, Phil found a voicemail on his phone that came all the way from Saint Hill Manor, Scientology’s UK headquarters, where the person leaving the message, Martin, said that although the facility was shut down for the pandemic, he was still calling from home. (And for some reason, he said he was calling for “Jeff.”)
Phil shared that message with us, and we held on to it, telling Phil that while it was funny, we hoped they might call him back again. And they did.
On Tuesday, Phil received a call from a Saint Hill recruiter, this time a man by the name of Hugh, once again calling for “Jeff.” Phil played along, saying that yes, this was Jeff, and then had a lengthy conversation with Hugh. We have both the voicemail message from Martin and the full call with Hugh for you to hear.
Phil asks Hugh about how he’s doing in the pandemic, and he answers, “We’re here at home where we live, for the past few weeks now. Hopefully, maybe in a few weeks we’ll be able to get back to the org, but yeah. Yeah, quite an experience, eh?”
Phil says it’s been a long time since he was at Saint Hill, and asks how long Hugh has been there. Hugh says it’s been 18 years.
When Phil asks if Saint Hill is closed down, Hugh answers, “Yeah, just like with most orgs, you know, there’s a skeleton crew in there.” (This is what we’d heard from others, that even at closed orgs there’s a small staff living on the premises.)
Phil asks about whether any auditing is going on, and Hugh says, “It’s kind of an underground operation…there’s still delivery occurring, but it’s under strict conditions.”
Hugh asks Phil if he’s seen a Scientology TV episode of the “Inside Scientology” series about Saint Hill, but Phil hasn’t.
Phil reminisces about East Grinstead, and asks about Nick and Natalie Wakley, parents to London org fixture Charlie Wakley. But Hugh lets him know they’re no longer together and Nick isn’t around anymore. “He went a bit Type III to tell the truth, and got in a lot of trouble,” Hugh says. “Type III” is Scientology jargon for someone who has had a psychotic episode, which could actually mean any kind of behavior the church frowns on. Whatever got into Nick, he’s apparently been declared suppressive and is no longer around.
Hugh seems to get impatient with all the reminiscing and chitchat and asks Phil if he’s tried an extension course. Phil says no, and Hugh gets curious as to why he isn’t on course. He asks if Phil is married, and Phil says that he is and has two children in the Sea Org.
“That’s good. Are you in comm with them?” Hugh asks, Scientology jargon for “in communication.”
“No, not really,” Phil answers. “Because, you know, they’re in the Sea Org. And they’ve been in for about 20 years so, you know, that’s one thing about Scientology I found. It’s not big on family really. They’re not big on family, it seems.”
A discussion about disconnection ensues, and Hugh blithely suggests that any family dispute can be easily “handled” with the policies in the Scientology ethics handbook.
But Phil, still not revealing his own true situation, calmly explains that it’s not possible to “handle” the situation of a person out of Scientology being unable to talk with someone still inside. The ethics rules that allow a break to be healed only refers to Scientologists in good standing.
“I can see the dilemma,” Hugh admits.
“Why not let loved ones in talk to loved ones who are out?” Phil asks.
Hugh responds that those are the rules. “There are reasons for that,” he says.
Phil then tries to get Hugh to realize that Scientology is on its last legs, with empty orgs and maybe only hundreds of Scientologists left in places like the UK. But Hugh insists that Saint Hill was getting 600 to 700 people a week before it closed for the pandemic.
Then they come back to disconnection, and Phil again asks, what about the family member who no longer wants to be a Scientologist. Why can’t they see their family members still in the organization? And he provides a stark example, about a 12-year-old child that had been abandoned by her mother who decided to join the Sea Org.
“That would be the mother’s choice,” Hugh says coldly.
“That’s your attitude about a mother who ditches a 12-year-old on the side of the road?”
“I’m saying that’s her choice, not something someone made her do.”
Phil points out that one of Scientology’s slogans is that it’s a game where everyone wins. How is it a win for a mother and child to be split up like that?
“I think you’ll find it is a win,” Hugh answers.
“For someone to disconnect from a family member?”
“Possibly, possibly.”
Then, Hugh utters a stunning example of the Scientology mindset, which is focused on the “greatest good for the greatest number.”
“Millions are killed for nothing in war. If you’re going to salvage a whole planet, then a few thousand who might not agree, OK, you might have to do that.”
Phil is stunned. “So you’re saying there’s like collateral damage?”
“Maybe,” Hugh answers.
“So you’re willing to write off these children, mothers, brothers…”
“For the greatest good for the greatest number? Yes.”
Um, wow.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is as clear an example you’re going to get of a mind warped by L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology.
Our thanks to Phil for going through this for the rest of us.
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Jon Atack and Chris Shelton
Recovering from Scientology, part three.
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“There are lines of force in a galaxy. And these cookies had actually found how to detach matter along a line of force. And so they’d set a Magellanic Cloud loose along one of these lines of force and it would swing out of balance and move on out and engulf a system, and then swinging out further would engulf another system, and would spend an awful long time hanging around the system as it went by, you see? And frankly, these clouds would get to systems which they didn’t come near for maybe thousands and thousands of years. They didn’t direct these clouds intimately, they just set them loose and they would drift out through space. And these wise professors — I’ve never trusted a professor since — would sit around stroking their diplomas saying, ‘Well, this is the natural consequences of the disintegration of a galaxy. A certain period in the life of a galaxy, the Magellanic radioactive masses at the interior of the hub begin to disperse themselves out toward the rim. And this is known as the Keplin-Spreplin law and the Booplum-Booplin law, and the calculations are M to the gup-gup squared or the rippety-rip-bop to the tenth power.'” — L. Ron Hubbard, May 23, 1963
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“LRH was a high volume thetan. My personal opinion was that he was probably controlling two bodies at once – Cecil Rhodes and Mark Twain. The similarities between Twain and Hubbard are rather amazing.”
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“I love churches, cathedrals, mosques and I’ve visited more than few of them. I just don’t like what’s being taught in a lot of them.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Jay Spina: Sentencing was set for April 3 in White Plains
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members: Trial set for October 7 in Los Angeles
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Waiting for an appellate decision from the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: July 8 (plaintiff attorneys pro hac vice), August 31-Sept 1 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed.
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. 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!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientology tries stealthy opening of new drug rehab in Canada and gets stuffed
[TWO years ago] Scientology asks court to freeze Laura D’s forced-abortion case for a long-shot appeal
[THREE years ago] When a Scientology ‘body-router’ turns out to be the father you haven’t seen in 7 years
[FOUR years ago] Scientology’s newest attack on Ron Miscavige: Could his son David be any whinier?
[FIVE years ago] Jon Atack: Stop making excuses for L. Ron Hubbard and the Snow White Program!
[SIX years ago] Richard Teague speaks out after his horrific ordeal at a Scientology rehab center
[SEVEN years ago] A Womb With a View: More Dianetics Just-So Stories
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,946 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,450 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,970 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 990 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 881 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,188 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,056 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,830 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,604 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,950 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,516 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,435 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,603 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,184 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,445 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,483 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,196 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,721 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,251 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,811 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,951 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,271 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,126 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,246 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,601 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,904 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,010 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,412 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,284 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,867 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,362 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,616 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,725 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on May 23, 2020 at 07:00
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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. Our book about Paulette, 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, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | 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 | Shelly Miscavige, 14 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…
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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 | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
