I guess I should start this with a disclaimer.
What you are about to read is based on my personal experience with The Church Of Scientology and the group that opposes them known as Anonymous. I am reporting the facts as I observed them, and any opinions expressed are strictly my own.
The idea for this piece was born after watching the now infamous Tom Cruise Scientology video. I was particularly fascinated, or maybe concerned is a better word, by the statement he made regarding SP’s or suppressive persons. He stated wouldn’t it be great if we lived in a world where SP’s were only something that people read about in history books. You can read my prior piece on the video here, where I presented the Scientology definition of what a Suppressive Person is.
I then had to ponder how exactly to approach getting the answers to my questions.
If I went in to the Scientology center and presented my self as a journalist, I would at best get the “party” line or at worst, be labeled an SP myself. The danger of that is what the Church calls it’s fair game law. It was incorporated into Scientology’s teachings in 1965 and the original wording was;
A Suppressive Person or Group becomes fair game. By FAIR GAME is meant, may not be further protected by the codes and disciplines or the rights of a Scientologist. [1]
It was amended in December of that year to include;
The homes, property, places and abodes of persons who have been active in attempting to: suppress Scientology or Scientologists are all beyond any protection of Scientology Ethics, unless absolved by later Ethics or an amnesty … this Policy Letter extends to suppressive non-Scientology wives and husbands and parents, or other family members or hostile groups or even close friends. [2]
Now here comes the scary part. In a continuation of the policy, Hubbard issued the following in October of 1967;
ENEMY — SP Order. Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed. [4]
All righty then. You can see my problem here.
Now, before someone comes back with “The Church does not use Fair Game any more, and has issued a memorandum to this effect.” The actual memo, HCOPL 21 Oct 68 Cancellation of Fair Game reads;
“The practice of declaring people FAIR GAME will cease. FAIR GAME may not appear on any Ethics Order. It causes bad public relations. This P/L does not cancel any policy on the treatment or handling of an SP.”
I should note that all of the above information, including foot notes, comes from Wikipedia.
Now, it is not my intent to attempt to suppress Scientology. I have often said that whatever gets you through the day, well, thats your belief, and no one, myself included, has the right to denigrate those beliefs.
However, when those beliefs cause harm to others, well, the story has to be told.
SATURDAY
I would be lying if I said I was not more then a little nervous walking into the Downtown Portland Scientology center. I don’t know what I expected. Maybe crazed people with looks of hunger on their faces as they drew new members into their grasp. Whatever I expected, it was not what I observed. The place was very busy. They were having some kind of charity drive, collecting food for the flood victims in Vernonia. I was approached by an older woman who asked if she could help me.
I explained that I was looking for some information about getting help with some mental health issues. She called down another woman who I started to explain what was going through and what I was looking for. As we were talking, a third young woman joined us. This was the woman I would be meeting with.
She found us a private office to talk. She then asked me what the problem was.
I explained to her that I had attempted suicide 8 months ago and was currently on 3 different medications and that they had still not made a complete diagnosis of my illness.
Now, as regular readers know, this is all the truth. I have spoken about it openly in this forum. I have been undergoing treatment and for the most part, am a happier and better person then I was 8 months ago. It is a long road, but one I am glad to be traveling.
I then began to deviate from the truth.
I explained to her that I was frustrated with my treatment, that I felt that I was no better off then when I started and that I hated having to take all these medications. I went on to explain that I was looking into alternatives to conventional psychiatric treatment and that I had heard that Scientology had had great success in treating problems such as mine.
To her credit, the woman I was talking to was an excellent listener and was able to draw out details of my attempted suicide and the events leading up to it.
She asked questions for about 15 minutes and gave me the impression that she was seriously considering whether or not The Church could help me.
She then told me that Dianetics could help.
She went on to lay out the broad strokes of Dianetics, how our current problems are a result of issues in our past and that by using the natural healing powers of the mind, we can, in effect, heal ourselves of mental illness. Then came the kicker, I would have to get off the medications I was taking for it to work.
She explained that the medication would interfere with my minds natural healing ability and I would not be able to experience any results from Dianetics while taking them. She made it clear that she was not a physician, and later in the conversation she did tell me to discuss it with my doctor.
I told her that I had discussed eliminating my medication with my doctor, but he was dead set against it. She told me she expected that, and proceeded to explain how the medications don’t really do anything and just make money for the drug companies and the doctors, who are paid to prescribe them.
She related to me the story of a woman who had lost her children because psychiatric medications she had been described had made her violent, and she had hit the kids. The woman had to insist for 2 months to be taken off the medication. When she finally was taken off the medications, she was able to heal herself with Dianetics and had gotten her kids back and was living a better life. Her advice to me was to demand of my Doctor that I be taken off the meds. Failing that, I could use the Scientology Handbook “Answers to Drugs” to help wean myself off the drugs.
I told her this all sounded well and good, but I had one further problem, Money. I explained to her that my finances were extremely tight due to all the work I had been missing, how much would all this cost me? Again, this wasn’t really a lie, I am pretty broke.
She explained that it would be pretty cheap. I would need the book “Dianetics”, a home study course and the “Answers to Drugs” book, all told, around $65.00. $65 dollars to be free of mental illness. It was an attractive offer, if not wholly believable. I explained to her that money was so tight I could not even afford that right now, thanked her for her time and started to leave. She stopped me, and asked me to stay a moment while she looked into something.
I thought the jig was up and that they were on to me. Would some smiling young men in dark sunglasses carry me off to some secret chamber, never to be seen again?
She returned a few minutes later and told me that I could get started with the “Answers to Drugs” handbook, $5, and then start on the Dianetics program when I had followed that program to get off the medication. She then wrote her name and cell phone number on a piece of paper and gave it to me, with instructions to call her or the center if I had any problems while getting off the medication. She said I was nice guy and that I had suffered so much, she wanted to help me get a good start on my new life.
OK, now I was starting to feel like a bit of a shit heel. This young woman seemed so earnest in her desire to help me. She truly believed what she was saying and did not mince any words, but press on I must.
I was finally able to steer the conversation to the true purpose of my visit. I explained that I had seen the Tom Cruise video on the internet (she claimed she did not know anything about it), and that I didn’t understand many of the acronyms he had used, but I was hoping she could explain one, I asked what an SP was?
There it was, the question I had come to ask. Would this be what tipped her off that I was not what I appeared to be?
She explained that SP’s were just bad people. She cited the example of a guy who would walk past the Center each day and spit on the window. She said you can either get upset at them or just go clean the window. Sounded reasonable to me. She then went on to explain that SP’s make up about 1% of the population and that Scientology just wasn’t big enough yet to deal with them.
Deal with them? How will they deal with them, I asked.
“Oh,” she replied sweetly “once there are enough us we will just be able to lock them in rooms and treat then 24/7 until they are cured.”
I honestly could not say what shocked me more, her statement or the matter of fact way she delivered it. It was as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She seemed to think that this was the answer to it all. No rancor, no malice, just a simple statement of how Scientology would “heal” The Suppressive Persons in their midst.
I can not say how I managed to maintain my composure. I just knew that what I had just heard had disturbed me greatly and wanted to get out of there.
She told me that if I wanted to see some suppressive people I should drop by the center on Sunday, that there was going to be some kind of protest. She did not seem to understand why they would want to protest them, after all, they were helping the community with their food drive, weren’t they?
I thanked her for all her help and paid the $5.00 for the book. Everyone smiled at me as I left. As I walked back to my car, I contemplated the conversation I had just had and the one question that I wanted to ask, but could not.
That question was, if I tried the plan that she had laid out and failed, thereby causing harm to myself or others, how would that make her feel?
Saturday Night
I had a long talk with The Secret Alien that night and related what I had heard and seen.
I think he was a little more concerned then I was at my having dealings with The Church. He reminded me more then once that they have an Army of lawyers who live to take down people like me. He also put quits on my idea to call this young woman back with my Caller ID blocked. I wanted to explain to her that I was a journalist, and wanted to ask her that final question. Not Smart, he cautioned.
I sought his council on what to do next.
I told him that I was thinking of attending the protest on Sunday to get the other side of the story. He was impressed and told me that I had crossed the line between Blogger and Investigative Journalist. Look out Geraldo.
I decided to sleep on it and make my decision in the morning.
Sunday Morning
Over my morning coffee, I started a search to see if I could find some information on the protest I had been told about. As I used Google, I came across some information on a protest that had taken place in Sydney, Australia that attracted two hundred people to the local Scientology center.
As I dug deeper, I found that this was a part of a world wide campaign by a group that goes by the name Anonymous. Orchestrated on line, this day of protests at Scientology Churches was going on at 11 AM in every city across the globe. I dug deeper still and found a message board giving detailed instructions to the protesters. All involved should wear masks to prevent Scientology from identifying them. All should refrain from speaking to anyone as there could be Scientology members attempting to gather intelligence among the protesters. At the conclusion of the protest, all members should disperse immediately, speak to no one, and not to exchange personal information with anyone.
Before I go any further, I should explain that Anonymous has been engaged in a campaign against Scientology for some time. Email and fax attacks. Bringing down Scientology websites. These protests were to be the groups first face to face encounter with Scientology. They have issued communiques, which can be found on UTube, threatening those who would interfere with their campaign. One digitally distorted voice warned that people are either with them or against them and anyone else who involves themselves in this matter risks “getting caught in the crossfire.”.
As with my earlier statement, I say the same to Anonymous as I did to Scientology, this article serves to report my observations and opinions. I neither support you actions and methods nor do I decry them, that is for the reader to decide.
I do have one question for you, though. Given that you are a decentralized group, with no recognizable leadership structure, operating in the shadows, is it not possible that this entire campaign has been organized by Scientology itself, in an effort to gain sympathy and silence it’s detractors? How would you know? If I can figure out that this would be an effective tactic, so can they.
Well, despite this information, I decided to proceed and attend the protest.
As I drove over, I pondered how to approach the protesters. I had already decided that wearing a mask would be out of the question, despite my desire to not have those at The Scientology Center aware of my presence. I decided to just introduce myself as a journalist, hand out my card, ask non- specific questions and hope for the best.
There were about 100 people already their when I arrived at 1100 sharp. As before, I had parked several blocks away, just in case. There was the usual shouting and signs. Many called an end to the churches tax exempt status, others listed the names of Scientology’s alleged victims. One vocal young man at the center of the crowd yelled “Praise Lord Xenu” over and over.
For my first attempt at an interview, I struck up a conversation with a middle aged man decked out in camouflage. I asked him the question that would become the theme for the day.
Why Are You Here?
He explained that he was upset at the churches tax exempt status. They are a business, he complained. We spoke for several minutes and he seemed more then eager to talk to me. Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard after all.
I worked my way farther down the street, doing my best to keep my back to the center and to the video cameras being employed by several of the churches members to monitor the demonstration. This however proved to be futile.
I next introduced myself to a man of about fifty. He was unmasked, odd for this crowd, and it led me to believe that this might be someone other then a legitimate protester, despite the sign he held. He explained that he was here to support his son, who was very involved in the movement to shut down Scientology. His son joined us a few minutes later and the three of us began to talk about Scientology and what he claimed to be the toll the church had taken on the lives of others.
Our conversation soon attracted a couple of other protesters. We were having a very pleasant conversation when an unmasked man with a video camera approached us and began to record us. I held a flier I had been given between myself and the camera, not wanted to become part of the churches records. Apparently this gentleman was dead set on having my face on tape, because he danced around trying to get a clear picture of my me. I was just starting to understand how Brittany Spears must feel when another protester interceded on my behalf. A rather large fellow placed himself between me and the camera and said “This man is here as a journalist, he is not one of us, and DOES NOT want to be photographed. I think you had better stop RIGHT NOW.” My hero.
My would be paparazzi backed off, but continued to dog my steps for the remainder of my time at the protest. I worked my way through the crowd of masked protesters, Guy Fawkes masks seemed to be the most popular, occasionally stopping to ask my question.
It began to strike me as odd that each time I asked it, the person I asked would begin to respond “We are here…”. “No, no”, I would respond, “Why are YOU here?” The responses were as varied as the masks and dress of the protesters. There almost always seemed to be a long pause, as if each was asking themselves that very same question for the first time.
I took me about three quarters of an hour to make it to the end of the block. It had spoken to so many people that I was running low on business cards and I was beginning to recognize individual protesters despite their masks. I observed a lone Portland Police Officer usher a group of protesters who had gotten too close to the front of the church back across the street. It was the only police presence I observed.
By this time the crowd had doubled, but was well behaved. I stopped to talk to couple from San Francisco that were staying at a nearby hotel and asked me what this was all about. As I explained what I knew of both Scientology and Anonymous, a masked protester, who looked a lot like Silent Bob, complete to the Batman mask from Mall Rats, stepped forward, thrust a flier into the couples hands and uttered “Don’t talk to him, He is a Scientologist.”, and began to retreat.
Now I guess I should have just shrugged it off, but I guess I snapped a little.
“Wait One Minute,” I said, my old Navy Command voice cut above the crowd, “Come back here.” He started and turned to face me. He began to remove his mask. “No, No”, I said, “leave it on and come over here and talk to me.” I explained what I had done yesterday and what I was doing here today and told him that if he wanted to accomplish his groups goal, he better take pains not to alienate anyone. He apologized and told the out of town couple that “this guy is OK.”
I talked to several more of the protesters before deciding to call it a day. I felt they made some valid points and accomplished their goal of attracting attention to the church. Overall, the people I met were young and passionate, a rare thing today in this instant gratification, me, me, me, culture. I did not encounter any “posers” or anarchists looking to stir up trouble for troubles sake. Just people who believed that The Church of Scientology poses a threat to it’s members and the public in general, decried the Churches “Salvation for profit” and wanted to make their voices heard.
The Week After
As I wrote this piece, I realized that it had taken on a life of it’s own. It has taken me someplace I did not anticipate. I think I set out to do a hatchet piece on The Church of Scientology, but as I wrote it evolved.
I think that both Scientology and Anonymous represent different sides of the same coin.
Extremism.
Each side has it’s point of view, and they will not be swayed to a middle ground. It is part of what is tearing our world apart.
Does The Church of Scientology have a right to exist. My personal impression, based on my experience is no, not in it’s present form. If they are offering redemption at a price, they are a business, and should be treated as such in the eyes of the law. No one is forced to go into one their centers, and if giving them selves over to the teachings of a mediocre science fiction helps them get through the day, so be it.
I find it interesting that while their followers, such as the young lady I spoke with, find it OK to make medical “suggestions” all of their printed material contains disclaimers that they are not meant to “…provide a physical handling for bodies…”. To this I say, you can’t be a little bit pregnant guys. You are either encouraging people to give up on accepted psychiatric methods or you are not.
Does Anonymous have the right to attack Scientology in any manner they see fit. Again my answer has to be no. Protesting and raising public awareness is one thing, threatening to destroy the digital lives of anyone who dares get between you and your goals, that is terrorism, no matter what your lofty goals may be or how right you feel your cause is.
I do applaud the folks I met Sunday in Portland. You did it right. You made people aware of what was going on in a peaceful and thought provoking manner.
