Scientology & TIP

Scientology and Training in Power, a Comparison.)

The similarities between Scientology and Training in Power have to do with common cult practices. Both groups claim to know 'The Truth', both have an intricate belief system revealed through incremental levels, both enforce a fixed fundamentalism through specific language, expectations of behavior and fear of disagreement, both have an us/them camaraderie that excludes outsiders, both reveal to people, after years of investment, secret knowledge to do with space beings and being part of a special universal force that will save the Earth.

Both groups have typical cult methods to deflect and deny accountability; questioning the group's doctrine or practices is not allowed. Followers of both Scientology and Training in Power are manipulated into thinking that if they aren’t seeing or believing what everyone else is seeing or believing, if they disagree with a teaching or teacher, they are just not doing enough, or they are in resistance, or they need to fix themselves by taking more courses or doing more healing work with the group. The result of this is that people tend to act like believers even though they don't really see what others say they see, thus the group doctrine and group illusion is maintained.

One of the best descriptions I've heard of how Scientology (and Training in Power) manipulates people is by Mark Bunker. Watch his video Scientology: Comparing Myths

in which he answers the question: "Don't all religions have some things that outsiders would view as silly?"

You can see all of Mark's informative videos at his website at XenuTV

Tory Christman was a high level member of Scientology for 30 years and does a great job of exposing in several YouTube videos. Scientology: Tory Speaks in Santa Barbara Part 2 describes deflection of accountability by laying blame on people who disagree or question. I recommend watching her other videos either on YouTube or on Mark's site.

Both Scientology and Training in Power originated from charismatics who created a fixed doctrine. Both are as evangelical as the most conservative religious groups, only this fact is hidden until you reach upper levels. Here is an extreme example from another charismatic leader, Benny Hinn, an evangelist from Toronto, to give a feeling of the incredible power of belief that both Scientology and Training in Power create. This comes from a CBC article exposing Benny Hinn called Do You Believe in Miracles at CBC.

Within this exposé is a Master's thesis by Justin Peters exposing Hinn as a false prophet and pathological liar. As for his evangelical healing practices, Peters describes dejected parents, after being convinced to donate to Hinn's cause for healing, carrying their unhealed crippled children out of the church, believing they just don't have enough faith. To quell doubt, Scientology and Training in Power both lay blame on followers for not believing enough.

Both groups feed on people’s hopes and dreams with the promise of great secrets revealed and supernatural power. Every course gets you closer to fulfillment of the promise, which is always above you. It is the part of us that wants the brass ring, the big prize, the secret knowledge and ultimate nirvana, that doesn’t want to fail and that is manipulated by these groups through doctrine and group think. In order to not fail, the brainwashed mind must deny doubt.

Those who do begin to break the spell for whatever reason begin to ask the right questions. In this exciting educational, spiritual, psychological group am I healthier than ever, richer in spirit, enriched with tools that help my career and family experience? Am I in increasingly in better emotional shape, financial shape, more connected and happy in life? Am I fulfilling my own path? When one realizes that the promised precepts of both Scientology and Training in Power are arbitrary and manipulative, they must leave knowing they will be dropped and/or become an enemy of those in the group. If you're not unquestionaly for us, you're against us.

Both groups preach that you are special and were “chosen” to bring this knowledge to the world, appealing to ego and life purpose. They state it is your free will to participate in this special work. But ex-members who wake up know they never gave their free will or consent to be manipulated. One could say, buyer beware, but the truth of the faulty goods are hidden from your awareness for years, and when you do find out, the spiritual and emotional cost is painful.

I have no personal experience with Scientology, yet I hear the same story from their ex-members as I hear about and personally experienced in Training in Power. I think of all those I know who were shamed, humiliated, accused of theft, berated in classes or meetings in front of others and then left, without fanfare, alone, haunted by the hypnotic "fallen" failure message, even if they knew better. Training in Power’s system of love and light, so seductive and beautiful at first, is really spiritual rape, and this is what it has in common with Scientology.

The following material comes from Operation Clambake, Quotes about Scientology and shows professional views of Scientology which can be applied to coercive groups in general.

Justice Anderson, Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia:

"Scientology is evil; its techniques are evil; its practice is a serious threat to the community, medically, morally, and socially; and its adherents are sadly deluded and often mentally ill... (Scientology is) the world's largest organization of unqualified persons engaged in the practice of dangerous techniques which masquerade as mental therapy."

Kenneth Robinson, British Minister of Health:

"The government is satisfied that Scientology is socially harmful. It alienates members of families from each other and attributes squalid and disgraceful motives to all who oppose it; its authoritarian principles and practice are a potential menace to the personality and well being of those so deluded as to become followers; above all, its methods can be a serious danger to the health of those who submit to them... There is no power under existing law to prohibit the practice of Scientology; but the government has concluded that it is so objectionable that it would be right to take all steps within its power to curb its growth."

Federal prosecutor's memorandum to the judge urging stiff jail sentences for 9 top leaders of Scientology who had pleaded guilty to criminal charges:

"The crime committed by these defendants is of a breath and scope previously unheard of. No building, office, desk, or file was safe from their snooping and prying. No individual or organization was free from their despicable conspiratorial minds. The tools of their trade were miniature transmitters, lock picks, secret codes, forged credentials and any other device they found necessary to carry out their conspiratorial schemes."

Justice Latey, ruling in the High Court of London:

"Scientology is both immoral and socially obnoxious...It is corrupt sinister and dangerous. It is corrupt because it is based on lies and deceit and has its real objective money and power for Mr. Hubbard... It is sinister because it indulges in infamous practices both to its adherents who do not toe the line unquestionably and to those who criticize it or oppose it. It is dangerous because it is out to capture people and to indoctrinate and brainwash them so they become the unquestioning captives and tools of the cult, withdrawn from ordinary thought, living, and relationships with others."

Judge Breckenridge, Los Angeles Superior Court:

"[The court record is] replete with evidence [that Scientology] is nothing in reality but a vast enterprise to extract the maximum amount of money from its adepts by pseudo scientific theories... and to exercise a kind of blackmail against persons who do not wish to continue with their sect.... The organization clearly is schizophrenic and paranoid, and this bizarre combination seems to be a reflection of its founder, L.Ron Hubbard."

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Paul Breckenridge, June 1984, in the Gerry Armstrong case:

"In addition to violating and abusing its own members' civil rights, the organization over the years with its 'fair game' doctrine has harassed and abused those persons not in the church whom it perceives as enemies."

California appellate court, 2nd. district, 3rd. division, July 29, 1991, B025920 & B038975, Super. Ct. No. C 420153:

"In January 1980, fearing a raid by law enforcement agencies, Hubbard's representatives ordered the shredding of all documents showing that Hubbard controlled Scientology organizations, finances, personnel, or the property at Gilman Hot Springs. In a two week period, approximately one million pages were shredded pursuant to this order."

California Supreme Court, United States v. Lee [455 U.S. 252,257,258 (1982)*/:

"When a person is subjected to coercive persuasion [as in Scientology] without his knowledge or consent ...[he may] develop serious and sometimes irreversible physical and psychiatric disorders, up to and including schizophrenia, self-mutilation, and suicide."

USDJ Judge Leonie Brinkema 4 Oct 96 Memorandum Opinion, RTC vs Lerma:

"The dispute in this case surrounds Lerma's acquisition and publication on the Internet of texts that the Church of Scientology considers sacred and protects heavily from unauthorized disclosure. Founded by L. Ron Hubbard, the Scientology religion attempts to explain the origin of negative spiritual forces in the world and advances techniques for improving one's own spiritual well-being. Scientologists believe that most human problems can be traced to lingering spirits of an extraterrestrial people massacred by their ruler, Xenu, over 75 million years ago. These spirits attach themselves by "clusters" to individuals in the contemporary world, causing spiritual harm and negatively influencing the lives of their hosts ".

Lord Denning:

"...capable of such danger that the public interest demands that people should know what is going on"

Judge Constandia Angelaki:

"It is an organization with medical, social and ethical practices that are dangerous and harmful,"

"It claims to act freely so as to draw members who subsequently undergo ... brainwashing by dictated ways of thinking that limit reaction capabilities."

Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia, Justice Brookings, 1982:

" ...the teaching of Scientology and the practice of Scientology will result in the commission of many offenses and may well result in the commission of many others."

California 9th Circuit Appeals court in the Zolan case, after secret Scientology tapes were remanded from the U.S. Supreme Court:

"The purpose of the MCCS project was to cover up past criminal wrongdoing.... The MCCS project involved the discussion and planning for future frauds against the IRS in violation of 18C USC 371."

Ted Gunderson, former head of the FBI's Los Angeles office, quoted in TIME May 6, 1991:

"In my opinion the church has one of the most effective intelligence operations in the U.S. rivaling even that of the FBI."

IRS Final Adverse Ruling re "Church of Spiritual Technology," July 8, 1988:

"The California case also demonstrates inurement... amid continuous representations denying control by and benefit to Mr. Hubbard, and a tenacious denial of the actual state of the organization's actual affairs in the face of overwhelming evidence establishing the true nature of the organization's operations." ...Such self dealing does not lose its identity as private benefit and inurement merely because it is conducted through intermediary individuals and\or organizations.

California appellate court, 2nd district, 7th division, Wollersheim v. Church of Scientology of California, Civ. No. B023193 Cal. Super. (1986):

"Substantial evidence supports the conclusion Scientology leaders made the deliberate decision to ruin Wollersheim economically and possible psychologically.... We do not mean to suggest Scientology's retributive program as described in the evidence of this case represented a full scale modern day "inquisition." Nevertheless there are some parallels in purpose and effect. "Fair game" like the "inquisition" targeted "heretics." "Other testimony established Scientology is a hierarchal organization which exhibits near paranoid attitudes toward certain institutions and individuals---in particular the government, mental health professions, disaffected members, and others who criticize the organization or its leadership... During trial, Wollersheim's experts testified Scientology's "auditing" and "disconnect" practices constituted "brainwashing" and "thought reform" akin to what the Chinese and North Koreans practiced on American prisoners of war." "A religious practice which takes place in the context of this level of coercion has less religious value than one the recipient engages in voluntarily. Even more significantly, it poses a greater threat to society to have coerced religious practices inflicted on its citizens." "Using its position as religious leader, the church and its agents coerced Wollersheim into continuing auditing even though his sanity was repeatedly threatened by this practice... Thus there is adequate proof the religious practice in this instance caused real harm to the individual and the appellant's outrageous conduct caused that harm... Church practices conducted in a coercive environment are not qualified to be voluntary religious practices entitled to first amendment religious freedom guarantees." "We hold that the state has a compelling interest in allowing its citizens to recover for serious emotional injuries they suffer through religious practices they are coerced into accepting. Such conduct is too outrageous to be protected under the constitution and too unworthy to be privileged under the law of torts."

U.S. v Kuch 288 F Sup. 439 (1968):

"Those who seek constitutional protections for their participation in an establishment of religion and freedom to practice its beliefs must not be permitted the special freedoms this special sanctuary may provide merely by adopting religious nomenclature and cynically using it as a shield to protect them when participating in anti social conduct that otherwise stands condemned."

United States v. Article or Device, Etc., 333 F.Supp. 357 (D.D.C. 1971) [regarding Scientology's "E-Meter"]:

"The bulk of the material is replete with false medical and scientific claims devoid of any religious overlay or reference." (333 F.Supp. at 361) "The Court's opinion directly and forcefully confronts the issue of claimed First Amendment protection by Scientology. The Court then held that the practice of Scientology was secular." (333 F.Supp. at 359

Commissioners of the City of Clearwater, Florida, public hearings, May 5-10, 1982. The Commission received documentary and testimonial evidence with respect to the operation, activities and conduct of Scientology. Based upon the sworn testimony of witnesses, affidavits, state and federal court decisions, and miscellaneous documents reviewed and considered, the Commission made the following factual recitation:

"Evidentiary fact:

The Church of Scientology is currently engaged in a nationwide conspiracy to impede and obstruct municipal, state and federal taxing authorities, by adopting a religious and charitable guise to avoid payment of taxes.

"Scientology's internal policies state: "They (the public) want ministers. We will show them what ministers look like" (Vol. 1 p.41). "Churches are looked upon as reform groups. Therefore, we must act like a reform group" (Vol.1 p.196).

"Scientology has nothing to do with religion. The Church did not adopt the religious guise until it was necessary to seek First Amendment protection (Vol.4 p.405).

"Scientology uses a religious image checklist designed to falsely portray a religious image to mislead officials (Vol. 2 p.238,239). "Church policy instructs members to lie to inquiring officials (Vol.1 p.226,227).

Documentary evidence in Church of Spiritual Technology vs U.S., November 22, 1989:

"The goal of the department [of governmental affairs] is to bring the government and hostile philosophies or societies into a state of complete compliance with the goals of Scientology. This is done by a high level ability to control and in its absence by a low level ability to overwhelm. Introvert such agencies. Control suchagencies." -- LRH

"The purpose of the legal officer is to help LRH handle every legal, government, suit, accounting and tax contact or action... and to bring the greatest possible confusion and loss to its enemies." -- LRH

"Guardian Order 060971" seized in FBI authorized search of Scientology headquarters:

"The vital targets on which we must invest most of our time are:

(T1) Depopularizing the enemy to the point of obliteration.

(T2) Taking over the control or allegiance of the heads or proprietors of all news media.

(T3) Taking over the control or allegiance of key political figures.

(T4) Taking over the control or allegiance of those who monitor international finance..."

Documentary evidence in the Armstrong case:

"You can be merciless whenever your will is crossed and you have the right to be merciless." -- LRH

California Supreme Court, in United States v. Lee 455 U.S. 252,257,258 (1982):

"When a person is subjected to coercive persuasion [as in Scientology] without his knowledge or consent ...[he may] develop serious and sometimes irreversible physical and psychiatric disorders, up to and including schizophrenia, self-mutilation, and suicide."