I explain what drew me to alt.religion.scientology and why I decided
to speak out.
In article <338a1156.56817778@news.calgary.telusplanet.net>, look@this.com wrote:
>
>I have read with interest through all of the postings started by this
>article with great interest and understanding. Although my experience
>in the Cof S was not as long as your own, my actual involvement with
>the $cn technology spanned 12 years. I have found that only in the
>last 6 months I have been able to open up and discuss what I went
>through and what I have witnessed. My exposure to $cn took place in
>Scotland, England and LA. I really do appreciate reading others
>experiences and acknowledging the similarities in my own experiences.
>>
>>I have been involved with many churches in my lifetime.
>>
>Me too and you are right, I know I have never been lied to in the
>outrageous way as in the CofS
>>
>>I will never forget how astonished and disbelieving I was when payday
>>came after my first week as a staff member. I had worked approximately 48
>>hours my first week. My pay was $7.00... Granted, I was a newbie with much
>>to learn; but then I was earning about $120 - $150 per week managing a
>>restaurant for my day job which I put in an average of 40 - 50 hrs/wk.
>>At only $3.00 per hour, my day job wasn't making me rich either, but at
>>least I was able to work my schedule around my classes at the University,
>>and food was available to me at what it cost the restaurant owner. So I
>>was happy.
>>
>I worked full time both in the Class IV org and the Sea Org, other
>than receiving £20.00 salary over a two year period. I did earn some
>other money for book commisions, this was only while in Class IV orgs
>though, in the Sea Org base I had no contact with the public.
>>
>>There is so much more that I could say, but the point I wanted to make
>>is that the only church that ever lied to me was the "church" of Scientology.
>>And that I was lied to over and over and over again through the almost 8
>>years I was a Sea Org member. This post only deals with a few of the initial
>>lies I was told in order to dupe me into signing a Sea Org contract.
>>
>You know, in discussing my experiences with friends and family now,
>the question that keeps coming up is "why didn't you just walk away?"
>I think like you, in the beginning I felt proud to be a part of a
>group which purported to have strong altruistic beliefs and goals. As
>time went on and I became further entrenched I found that fear,
>isolation from the outside world and destitution played a large part
>in keeping me there.
>
>In February/March of this year I posted two articles giving a
>testimonial which summarized a lot of what I experienced. I found it
>very therapeutic. However, I don't think I am finished yet either, I
>am working on writing a full account of my story too.
>>
>> More later...
>>
>I look forward to it
>>Warrior - Sunshine disinfects
>
>Regards,
>
>Moira Hutchison
Hello,
[posted only]
Glad to hear from you. I have been receiving a lot of email. It seems
that my postings touched a nerve with many former Scientologists, particularly
former Sea Org members.
I just grew tired of remaining silent on my experiences during my Sea Org
years. I had been afraid of speaking up! I realized that I was letting
myself be intimidated into silence by the Scientologists. Recently I realized
that my fears were keeping me a prisoner of my own mind. Had I done anything
wrong to Scientology? I asked myself this question over and over during a span
of months. The answer was and is always the same -- NO! So, why then was I
fearing to speak up? I realized that Scientology still had a hold on my life
and my mind.
I left the Sea Org 13+ years ago! At that time I tried to just move on with
my life and put the SO experience behind me. Perhaps I never dealt with it.
What drew me to this newsgroup was the raid on Arnaldo Lerma. Late one night
I was watching CNN Headline News when the report showed Lerma at his place. I
remember thinking, "This is America!! How can a person be treated this way
for simply telling the truth?!?!" I believed, as Arnie did, that since certain
"upper level" materials had been entered into a court case, that it should be
OK to reproduce it.
So Scientology has themselves to assign "CAUSE" to for "pulling me in" to
this newsgroup!
Before I leave ARS, I will tell everything I know, everything I observed,
everything I saw happen to others.
I will state here and now that I am definitely a critic of Scientology.
I do not believe that anyone or anything will ever stop some individuals from
believing in or practicing Scientology, any more than I expect the practice of
Satanism to cease.
What I definitely do hope to accomplish is to expose the actual practices
of Scientology, especially its' lies, abuses, manipulations, and betrayals.
I have grown VERY TIRED of Scientology's lies. And I intend to speak out
against their madness.
Warrior - Sunshine disinfects