“Fight for your family; fight for your sons and daughters; you've got to get them out of this thing.” — Leah Remini.
Leah Remini, the lead actress of "King of Queens" and former advocate for Scientology, has brought light to this “religion.” Scientology is a religion and system of healing founded by L. Ron Hubbard, emphasizing pastoral counseling to heal the spirit and thereby alleviate physical ailments.
However, this religion has many flaws: their foundation and history, the current leader of Scientology and the lives that have been ruined by this organization. Scientology proves that people are violent and awful.
Scientology is a system of healing. It is a system that was created by L. Ron Hubbard. Mr. Hubbard was a science fiction author in the 1950’s; a time when it was okay to worry about aliens and think of all of the possibilities of the future. In May of 1950, the belief of anything in the future went to paper. L. Ron Hubbard published Dianetics. Dianetics outlines the principles of Scientology. Many of the principles and organizations within the church resemble Naval practices; as L.Ron Hubbard was in the Navy.
Within a few years, Scientology began to have quite the following. In 1953, unofficial documents claim Hubbard formed his first church in Camden, New Jersey. However, according to Scientology International, the first church was formed in Los Angeles in 1954. Just as the church formed, so did criticism. Many of the practices raise the question to what this “religion” really is. For instance, auditing is a major aspect of the religion. Auditing is a process to clear bad memories known as engrams. It is done through an e-meter. The auditor asks the participant questions to measure the blood pressure levels to see if they are still holding this memory. It is much like a lie detector. It is used as a punishment and can be very mentally damaging to the participant. It can cost thousands of dollars to complete this process.
The amount of money that it takes to be a Scientologist has brought to question its financial status. “In 1957 it was declared a nonprofit religious group”. Shortly after, the IRS began to question its tax-exempt status. “By 1967 it reclassified Scientology as a corporation”. Finally, in 1993 it was reclassified as a legitimate religion. But, not for reasons like other religions. For example, being a charitable organization. Instead, it was granted that status because of the constant harassment the IRS has received from Scientology about the status. It means everything to them. Without it, they have to answer to where all of the auditing and constant book purchase money goes.
Before it was reclassified as a legitimate religion, many changes took place in the organization. The main change was that L. Ron Hubbard died. Once that happened, everything changed. David Miscavige took over; Miscavige was not always a Scientologist. In fact, he was an avid Catholic until he had an asthma attack which leads he and his family to the Church of Scientology. Soon after that, he rose to power by joining the Sea Org (a training facility in Florida to make the perfect Scientologist) and shortly grew closer to Hubbard; within months he was Hubbard's right-hand man, helping him with making films about the Church. Naturally, he was the first in line to take over after Hubbard died of a stroke in 1986.
After he took over, everything changed. According to a former member of Scientology, Tom Devotch, “You are not allowed to ask about David Miscavige in the church.” He has begun to live a lavish lifestyle at the expense of the members of the church. For instance, he will fly by a Boeing jet, accompanied by his hairdresser and chiropractor. While he is blowing all of that money of the church's high level, Scientologists are paid below minimum wage and fed beans and rice. Not only has he been blowing money on his lavish lifestyle; he has also been blowing it on propagated media. According to Leah Remini, “At each Scientology convention, new videos full of propagated media and facts are shown that Scientologist's believe.” In fact, Leah once believed them. However, the money that is being spent is the least shocking change since Miscavige has taken over.
In a recent interview with Leah Remini, Tom Devotch told his account with David Miscavige, “He grabbed me by my tie and began to choke me.” David Miscavige choked one of his employees for not being able to get a road destroyed to stop an anti-Scientology protest. Miscavige is a dictator who uses fear to get into people's minds. It does not matter your status or relationship to Miscavige; anyone is up for his violence. Ron Miscavige, David's father, left Scientology in 2012 after the abuse he received from his son. In an incident report from Ron Miscavige, his son would repeatedly call his father names or physically harm him if he felt it necessary. Finally, David Miscavige's wife has not been seen and even reported missing from former Scientologist. A former Scientologist that has made her name known.
Ms. Leah Remini is the first person who comes up when one searches about Scientology. Her former love of the religion turned to burning hate after she was declared a suppressive person, someone banned from the church. Her life has been ruined; she has now made it her mission to educate people on this “religion.” To achieve her goal, she has partnered with A&E to make a documentary series about her former religion. Due to the fact that she has been giving Scientology negative press, she constantly receives hate mail. In addition to that, on the way to one of her interviews she was stalked by a private investigator hired by the Church of Scientology. Ms. Remini is a more modern case of a life ruined from this organization. But, there have been older ones.
Paulette Cooper was the first and is one of the most famous cases of Scientology ruining people’s lives. In 1971, she published a book named The Scandal of Scientology and received several death threats after it. In fact, the Church of Scientology devised the plan “ Operation Freak-Out” which the main goal was "to get P.C. incarcerated in a mental institution or jail". The Church was almost successful. They impersonated Cooper and said she tried to bomb the Church. Cooper was indicted in 1973. She received 19 lawsuits from the Church. It was not until 1977 whenever the FBI raided the headquarters and saw the plan. However, it was too late. Cooper already had lost all of her credibility.
Besides journalists or celebrities, everyday people have had their lives and families ruined; all because of the process of disconnection. Disconnection is the process which “according to critics, church officials pressure parishioners to cease communicating with family or friends who leave and criticize the church”. There have been many cases in which families are separated for life because one member decided to drop out of the Church. Amy Scobee, a former Sea Org member, lost years of time with her mother because of disconnection. Her mother now regrets that she abandoned her daughter as she is now on her deathbed with cancer.
As you can see, Scientology is a cult. It is a cult that traps its members through processes such as disconnection and auditing. Scientology has proven people are violent and awful. It has shown this through its history, current leader, and stories of lives being destroyed. Finally, to quote the most famous skeptic, “Even though Scientology sees itself as the authority on ethics and responsibility, obscuring the truth is built into its core” Leah Remini.