Scientology's claim that their organization has 8 million members/adherents is a bald-faced lie.
In article <19970523150301.LAA25930@ladder01.news.aol.com>, exile49@aol.com wrote:
>
> The most silly of all lies this group has attempted to foist on the
>public is that they have "8 million" members.
> A little arithmetic would show it up as another one of their paltry
>fibs. They have about 350 orgs, missions and chuches worldwide. Their
>stats, not mine. They would have to average over 22,000 members per site
>to reach the number they claim. They say though that their largest
>membership is in Clearwater with some 6,000 members (no way) so where do
>they make up the difference? I suppose here and there you will find
>Scientologists out in the hinterlands all by themselves but Scientology is
>very much a "Group" thing that dosen't thrive in the backwoods.
> They couldn't reach 8 million members even if they counted their dogs
>and cats, or even goldfish for that matter. How many members do they have?
>I doubt if even they know for sure since it is an "Ethics" offense to
>question somebody's status in the church, unless you are lucky enough to
>be pitch out on your ear. My best guess is that they have a trifle over a
>100,000 active members worldwide.
> Nope folks, it is just another silly, pathetic lie all too common in
>Scientology.
Let me comment upon the outrageous claim by Scientology that their
organization has 8 million members/adherents. This is a bald-faced lie.
As of 1983 when I got out of the Sea Org, there were 250,000 names on
the cult's computer at AOLA. This computer was shared by LA Org Day & Fdn,
ASHO Day & Fdn, AOLA and several other smaller Sea Org units in PAC.
Of the 250,000 names, about 10% were listed as "Addunk" (address unknown).
Approximately 50,000 were people who had done a training or processing action
(T&P). The other 175,000 were names of people who had read a book, were now
inactive, had been labelled a legal threat, has asked off the list, had dropped
their body (died), or were declared PTS, SP or deadfiled.
The computer (known as the AOLA Computer) was located in a room at the
NW corner of the AOLA building - either the 2nd or 3rd floor. The names on
the mailing list included *everyone* in the entire western hemisphere (US,
Canada, Mexico, Central & South America). There had been a project in the
early 80's to get all names from all orgs and missions onto the computer.
Even public at Flag or who had been to Flag were entered onto this list.
The bulk of the names on the mailing list were book buyers and/or basic
(introductory) course completions.
Based upon my inside information gained as a staff member in the Sea Org,
I would estimate approximately 100,000 members *worldwide*.
I can only guess that Scientology promotes the lie of 8 million members
to create the impression that Scientology is gaining acceptance in the world.
If Scientology were to come forward and announce their *active* membership
as 100,000 +/- they wouldn't be perceived as very successful. But the reality
is that Scientology has made only 50,000 or so "Clears" (I'm one of them) in
46 years. And the vast majority of those *ARE NOT EVEN INVOLVED IN SCIENTOLOGY
ANY LONGER*.
And that is the truth.
Warrior - Sunshine disinfects