My Scientology Blog

Scientology: What happens in a typical church service? (2)

2009-12-22T09:40:00.001-05:00

The next part of my answer is this:

The major services of a Scientology Church are called "Auditing" and "Training".

Scientology Auditing is one-on-one spiritual counselling. It consists of very specific and exact procedures aimed at helping an individual attain higher spiritual levels. The goal of auditing is to restore individuality and ability. This is accomplished by (1) helping the individual rid himself of any disabilities and (2) increasing individual abilities. Obviously, both are necessary for an individual to achieve full potential.

It is difficult to compare it to practices in other religions, because it is not like anything I've ever come across anywhere else. There are hundreds of different procedures (called "processes") arranged in a very specific order. For example, one set of processes is aimed at achieving "The ability to communicate freely with anyone on any subject" another set achieve "Freedom from the hostilities and sufferings of life." One of the major goals is called the "State of Clear" which is a person who is self-determined and no longer the effect of his past and the traumas of his past.

Here is a video that gives a basic introduction to Scientology Auditing:

Scientology: What happens in a typical church service? (1)

2009-12-21T09:38:00.000-05:00

The first part of my answer is this video:

Scientology: Questions from a student

2009-12-20T21:37:00.000-05:00

I recently received a request from a student to answer a set of questions her professor had set. I thought that maybe the questions and their answers might be of interest to many of my blog readers, so I have taken my original answers to her (which I had to come up with very quickly) and expanded them.

I'll be posting the expanded answers in the next few blog posts.

Thanks to Stephanie and her professor for the original questions.

The Spirit of the Season

2009-12-15T07:50:00.005-05:00

Here is something to help you get into the spirit of the holiday season. It's from the Church of Scientology, Mission of Seattle blog: A Mid-Holiday Season Pick-Me-Up!

Splurge on it!

Scientology and Human Rights

2009-12-13T11:34:00.003-05:00

Eric asked: I notice that Scientology makes a big deal out of human rights, although I don't know what LRH or Scientology itself has to say on the matter of human rights.

To be even more specific, does Scientology assert that humans have inherent rights (and if so, what are they as understood by Scientology?), or do Scientologists simply endorse and stand by the established legal understanding of human rights, i.e. the Universal Declaration on Human Rights?

Thanks for any clarification you can give on this matter.

Hey Eric,

Great question. There are multiple answers:

Why do we "make a big deal out of human rights"?

Scientologists and the Church of Scientology make a big deal of human rights because you can't help individuals to become more spiritually free in an oppressive society. For example, if a person can be imprisoned without trial then people will be walking around with this threat hanging over their heads and just won't be able to put their attention onto the spiritual trauma underlying their current condition.

It's like you have a guy sitting with a boa constrictor wrapped around him about to swallow him and you ask him to recall a time he was happy - it isn't going to work. You have to handle the boa constrictor first.

This applies to almost every human right in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If conditions such as discrimination, slavery, inequality, imprisonment without trial, torture, no asylum, no freedom of thought, etc. are prevalent in a society then spiritual improvement will be either very difficult or impossible.

Aside from the spiritual side, life is much harder to lead in all areas without these rights. No one but a totalitarian could object to human rights.

Between the mid-1960s and early 1980s, following a geopolitical study of what most plagues this world, L. Ron Hubbard wrote a series of essays on the "cultural inadequacies" of the late twentieth century. In these articles he mentions human rights a great deal and covers why they are so important.

Does Scientology assert that humans have inherent rights (and if so, what are they as understood by Scientology?)

Specific human rights that are regarded as inherent are mentioned in the Creed of the Church of Scientology.

For example:
- That all men have inalienable rights to think freely, to talk freely, to write freely their own opinions and to counter or utter or write upon the opinions of others;
- That all men have inalienable rights to their own defense;

Do Scientologists endorse and stand by the established legal understanding of human rights, i.e. the Universal Declaration on Human Rights?

Absolutely.

Scientologists and the International Association of Scientologists support and sponsor a huge human rights educational program that is aimed at making the Universal Declaration of Human Rights known to people all over the world so that human rights become a reality rather than just an idea or theory.

-Youth for Human Rights
-United for Human Rights
-Human Rights Public Service Announcements (Videos)
-What are Human Rights? (Video)

I hope that answers your questions.
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France moves further away from Democracy

2009-12-08T11:46:00.000-05:00

Here is an article about the "training" of judges in France which shows how the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" is being eroded by the French government:

Article in French: Scandale pour la justice : des juges spécialement formés par la MIVILUDES pour condamner les nouveaux mouvements religieux

English Translation: Scandal for justice: judges especially trained by the MIVILUDES to condemn new religious movements

FYI: MIVILUDES

Helping Kids stay off Drugs

2009-12-07T11:35:00.001-05:00

The Church of Scientology of Los Angeles was where the Drug Free Marshals program started, 16 years ago. Since then the program has activated young people of all backgrounds, faiths and ethnicities in pledging to live drug-free lives and helping their friends and families do the same.

And the program is still going strong: Church of Scientology of Los Angeles Youth Help Kids Say No to Drugs

Helping Kenya

2009-12-06T11:28:00.001-05:00

A guy I know has just gone to Kenya to deliver a week long training session to Scout Leaders. The whole purpose of the training is to give them tools to help them deal with a changing society in their country.

Here is more about it: Scientology Volunteer Minister Returns to Kenya

Scientology and Abortion

2009-12-05T11:10:00.003-05:00

The other day, in the real world, someone asked me what was the Church of Scientology's position on abortion.

I didn't have a ready answer because I don't think the Church has one. I've never heard it mentioned because it's one of those things that is up to the individual, and the Church doesn't interfere with individual choices in such things.

I would assume that staying out of this area is covered by the "Second Dynamic Rules" policy where L. Ron Hubbard says "It has never been any part of my plans to regulate or attempt to regulate the private lives of individuals." (I mentioned this policy recently in the post "Scientology and Homosexuality".)

So I guess the answer is: "It's up to the individual."

The Harmony of Religion

2009-11-29T16:23:00.007-05:00

I just got the new album by Epica (Epica: Design Your Universe).

So what? You say, what has that got to do with Scientology? Let me explain:

When I first listened to this album I was wondering if these guys were Scientologists. The lyrics I could hear and some of the song titles sounded very Scientological to me.

For example: From the song "Unleashed":

"I'll exist again
No more lost endeavors
Nothing to contend
When I'm free"

So I hunted down the lyrics and read them. (Great lyrics by the way). Once I found the lyrics, I discovered why I thought they sounded Scientological: they are from Buddhist and Hindu philosophy, so no wonder they speak to a Scientologist. (In case you didn't know, the Buddhist and Hindu religions are ancestors of Scientology.)

Anyway, the album is great. The genre is gothic metal (that's metal with a classical vibe, this album includes orchestra and operatic chorus). I highly recommend it.

I like complex, fast and loud music and this is certainly that. But it is tempered with quiet pieces such as "Tides of Time" and "White Waters", but even when the album is loud it never drowns out the music or the vocals. And, the lead vocalist, Simone Simons, has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard, the album is worth it just to hear her sing.

Anyway, it just showed me how much people of different religions can end up in harmony.

I'll leave you with this from the song "Design Your Universe":

"Don't forget you're able to
Design your own universe"

Great Article From Australia

2009-11-25T23:10:00.002-05:00

When disaster strikes, Scientology Volunteer Ministers are on the scene and helping as quickly as possible, but they don't stop there. Months after a disaster, you will still find them working with the survivors, helping them recover from the trauma of what happened. Here is one such story:

Australian Scientology Volunteer Uses Dianetics to Help Samoan Hero Recover from the Ravages of Disaster

An example of a member of Anonymous

2009-11-23T15:41:00.002-05:00

When the people who attack you are like this guy - Mark Fisher In His Own Words - then you know you must be doing good, because only someone like that would oppose a group that supports human rights and has a campaign going against the global sex-slave trade.

Links about Anonymous

2009-11-22T15:33:00.002-05:00

I just found a bunch of links to data on Anonymous and their attacks on the Epilepsy Foundation, the Australian Prime Minister and more.

Attack on Scientology Website Sends New Jersey Man to Jail on Felony Charges

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Christmas comes to Hollywood

2009-11-21T14:55:00.004-05:00

Winter Wonderland on Hollywood Blvd has become a Hollywood Christmas tradition and this year the 60ft Douglas fir that is the centerpiece for all the fun was actually planted in 1983, the year that Winter Wonderland began.

For the full story click here:

60ft Christmas Tree Arrives at L. Ron Hubbard's Winter Wonderland for the 26th Consecutive Year

Jail for Anonymous Member

2009-11-19T10:22:00.004-05:00

A not so anonymous member of the Internet hate group that calls itself Anonymous was sentenced to a year in jail for his part in attacks on Church of Scientology web sites in Jan 2008. You can read more here: Attack on Scientology Website Sends New Jersey Man to Jail on Felony Charges.

The article includes the following data about who else Anonymous has attacked:

Anonymous is an underground hate group that, in addition to the cyber attack, targeted Churches of Scientology and members with death threats, bomb threats and fake anthrax mail. In addition to Scientology Churches and the Prime Minister of Australia , Anonymous has also targeted The Epilepsy Foundation, hip-hop music websites and others.

Anonymous is a nasty bunch of people, but they are being caught and justice is occurring.

Scientology and Drugs - Attitudes and Rules

2009-11-11T10:08:00.004-05:00

Eric asked: I know Scientology opposes the drugging of society, but I am unclear as to precisely what extent it stands in opposition to drug consumption, i.e. absolute opposition vs. nuanced opposition.

What, if anything, does Scientology have to say, for example, about "moderate" caffeine and/or alcohol consumption? Are Scientologists discouraged from drinking beer and caffeinated soda?

Hey Eric,

Great question.

The Church does its utmost to not interfere in people's lives. So there are no rules about what you can and can't do regarding drugs - other than the usual laws of the land.

It has been found that certain drugs affect Scientology Auditing, so there are rules about how long you have to wait after (for example) drinking a beer or taking a painkiller before you can get auditing.

The church policy about physical illness is that you should go to a competent practitioner in that field: e.g., an MD, a chiropractor, a nutritionist, etc. At that point it's up to the practitioner.

As to attitudes of Scientologists to drugs, there are some survey results here: Use Of Drugs/Alcohol.

The following data on attitudes to drugs is from my own experience and observations.

Illegal drugs: They are illegal, so we don't touch them.

Legal drugs that have been proven to be safe: if you need a drug because of a medical situation and it has been prescribed by a competent practitioner then you should take it. Ditto for over-the-counter stuff.

Scientologists are individuals. Most that I know are very careful about drugs and we have workable alternatives to them. For example, I'd say a Scientologist was less likely to take a painkiller for the pain from an injury than your average Joe, because we have alternative, very workable methods of handling pain (See Scientology Assists). But if you need a medical drug and it's the usual thing to take then you take it.

Here is an example: a friend of mine had a burst appendix. It was pretty severe and she needed a major operation to handle the peritonitis caused by it (she still has a 6 inch scar from this operation). After the operation she was put on Vicodin for the post-op pain - a powerful and potentially addictive painkiller. As soon as I could, I gave her a course of Scientology Assists and next day she didn't need the Vicodin anymore, she was able to go down to aspirin. After some more assists she didn't need any drugs at all.

Legal drugs that have been proven to be dangerous and to cause harm but are still on the market because the drug manufacturer makes billions from them: We are opposed to these. We don't take them. Examples of this sort of drug: Psychiatric Drug Side Effects Search Engine.

Other miscellaneous drugs such as alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, etc.: Some drugs can get in the way of Scientology Auditing. For example, you can't get auditing within 24 hours of drinking alcohol because it has been found that it will interfere with your spiritual progress. Same goes for some other drugs such as aspirin. So there is no restriction on you having a beer, just that you can't get auditing for 24 hours afterwards.

I've never seen anything regarding most other "minor" drugs such as caffeine or tobacco, it's personal choice.

My own personal preference is to stay away from any kind of drug as much as possible. If I have a physical problem then I'll first try something natural, if it doesn't work then I'll try something stronger, but I'll try to apply the Scientology principle of gradients. E.g., If I had a nasty systemic virus such as Chronic EBV, then maybe I'd start with dioxychlor, if it didn't handle it I'd move on to something stronger and more medical like doxycycline and if that didn't work then acyclovir (BTW: that's an actual example I know of). Of course, all this would be done under the guidance of a competent practitioner, the Church would not be involved in this sort of medical treatment in any way.

I hope that answers your question.

Church of Scientology Washington D.C.

2009-11-04T22:02:00.003-05:00

The new Church building in DC was opened last weekend and here is a short video of the ribbon cutting taken be one of the people there:

Recent Allegations

2009-11-02T12:41:00.001-05:00

A couple of unreliable yet noisy media outlets have recently publicised allegations made by a former Scientologist against the leader of our religion, David Miscavige.

If you read these allegations and are wondering about their accuracy then you should read this: Mark "Marty" Rathbun.

If you wonder about the reliability of ex-members and what they have to say about their former religion (and this doesn't just apply to Scientology - witness the havoc caused by ex-members of Opus Dei and how Dan Brown used their outrageous allegations in his book, "The Da Vinci Code") then you should read what sociologists have to say about these "apostates":

- The Reliability of Apostate Testimony About New Religious Movements
- Apostates and New Religious Movements

A telling paragraph from the second article:

Neither the objective sociological researcher nor the court of law can readily regard the apostate as a creditable or reliable source of evidence. He must always be seen as one whose personal history predisposes him to bias with respect to both his previous religious commitment and affiliations, the suspicion must arise that he acts from a personal motivation to vindicate himself and to regain his self-esteem, by showing himself to have been first a victim but subsequently to have become a redeemed crusader. As various instances have indicated, he is likely to be suggestible and ready to enlarge or embellish his grievances to satisfy that species of journalist whose interest is more in sensational copy than in a objective statement of the truth.

Another (anonymous) one bites the dust

2009-11-01T11:56:00.005-05:00

Although I feel sorry for a guy who is most likely a pawn in the criminal hand of Anonymous, he still broke the law and now has to face the consequences:

Federal Crime Charges against Anonymous

Anonymous member indicted by US State Attorney

On Wednesday, October 28, 2009, a federal Grand Jury in Los Angeles indicted Brian Thomas Mettenbrink, a member of the cyber hate group Anonymous, for his part in the January 2008 attempted destruction of Scientology websites owned by the Church of Scientology.

Mettenbrink, 20, is charged with conspiracy and “transmission of a code, information, program, or command to a protected computer.” The indictment states that he obtained a computer program from an Anonymous website and executed a “DDOS” attack from his dormitory at Iowa State University against Church computers in Los Angeles. A DDOS (distributed denial of service) attack occurs where a large amount of malicious Internet traffic is directed at a website or a set of websites, with the intent to overwhelm and shut down the websites.

Mettenbrink is the second member of Anonymous to face criminal charges relating to this attack. In May 2009, Dmitriy Guzner, then 18, pleaded guilty to computer hacking charges for his role in the attack on Church computers. He is currently awaiting sentencing.

Scientology is a worldwide religious movement with more than 8,000 Churches, Missions and groups in 165 countries. The Church and its members dedicate their time and resources to numerous humanitarian programs that Scientology has become known for around the world, including combating drug abuse, immorality, illiteracy and human rights violations.

Scientology and the Da Vinci Code

2009-10-30T06:19:00.011-04:00

The other day, a co-worker who has the subtly and diplomatic skills of a charging rhino (I'll call him Bill), asked another co-worker (Joe) who the woman and child were in the picture on his desk. Joe replied that it was the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. Bill went on to extract from Joe that Joe was a Catholic. Bill the rhino then asked Joe if he'd read the Da Vinci Code and what he thought about it. Joe (who does have some diplomatic skills) said he hadn't and attempted to move the subject off to something less controversial, but Bill persisted.

Being a mediator at heart, I jumped in and said a couple of things about the book that directed the rhino charge elsewhere and saved Joe from further embarrassment.

Having read a couple of the books referenced in the Da Vinci Code and not having a foot in either camp, I sent Joe a link to an FAQ, that authoritatively and accurately debunks Dan Brown's assertion that "all descriptions of [..]documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate" and are based specifically on the fact that "in 1975 Paris' Bibliothèque Nationale discovered parchments, known as Les Dossiers Secrets" which reveal the story of the Priory of Sion. (See The Da Vinci Code Faq.)

As I said, I have read a couple of the books that are referenced in the Da Vinci Code and I must say they make fascinating reading and I can understand how they could have influenced Brown to write his book. They are filled with fascinating speculations and intriguing deductions but they are not filled with much in the way of facts.

I re-read the Da Vinci Code FAQ and was struck by the idea that, in all probability, millions of people now believe that the Priory of Sion exists and that Christ was married-with-kids. And all based on the attempts of an impoverished French would-be aristocrat to ascend to the thrown of France followed by the machinations of a TV producer attempting to improve his ratings by embellishing an already outrageous story.

It's a frightening commentary on how gullible people are. Just because a fiction writer says at the start of his book that something is true doesn't mean it is, but apparently millions of people are willing to just accept it without question.

So what has all this got to do with Scientology? Well, if you are foolish enough to start hunting around the Internet for web-sites about Scientology you will find many that say extremely alarming, damaging and downright nasty things about Scientology and the Church of Scientology and, like Dan Brown in his opening note to the Da Vinci Code, they will assert that what they are saying are "facts".

Of course I can simply tell you, "It's a pack of lies" and then you can say, "So how can I tell if your blog isn't just a pack of lies also?" And the answer is that, without further research, you can't.

So, here is what I suggest:

If you are not interested in further research then please don't believe any of it. Don't believe the detractors and don't believe me. Just stay completely neutral on the subject. Allow Scientologists the same rights as anyone else when it comes to what they believe and what religion they wish to practice (See: Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
If you are willing to do some further research then buy a basic book on the subject (such as Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health or Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought), read it and then use the practical methods the book gives you to improve your life or the lives of others. At that point you will be able to evaluate for yourself if the subject is valid or not.
Another thing you can do is go to a Church of Scientology (Scientology Church Locator) for a free introductory lecture or a low priced introductory service. That way you get to see what the subject is, use the practical methods of the subject to see if they work and meet real-life Scientologists so you can observe people who use the subject daily in their lives. Then you can make up your own mind based on personal, first-hand experience.

Is it a deal?

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Scientology in France - Some Facts

2009-10-28T13:00:00.000-04:00

At last some facts about the case in France:

Church Of Scientology Defeats Attempt To Curtail Freedom To Practice The Religion In France

Here is the article for those who don't want to click the link (I've highlighted some interesting bits):

The Paris Correctional Court has rejected the recommendations of prosecutors in a case against a Paris Scientology Church, a Scientology bookstore and six individual Church members. The Court cited the absence of any complainants coming forward despite the intense media surrounding the trial and that the defendants had acted out of sincere religious conviction as reasons for refusing the draconian sanctions sought by the government. The Court imposed no restrictions on the Church’s activities.

Throughout the month-long trial held in May and June 2009, the Church decried the case as a heresy trial and an example of the discriminatory treatment to which new religious movements are treated in France—treatment that has been condemned by international human rights bodies. In its annual International Religious Freedom Report issued on October 26, 2009 the United States State Department said that “discriminatory treatment” of Scientologists in France “remained a concern.”

The case arose out of the five-month participation in Scientology religious practices in 1998 by the main civil party. This included studying Scientology Scriptures and receiving spiritual counseling. The donations made by the plaintiffs were returned to them in full well before any case was heard. In 2006, the prosecutor recommended the case be dismissed because there was no evidence of any wrongdoing and because all donations had been returned.

Instead, the court succumbed to pressure from anti-religious extremists in government and turned it into a heresy trial in violation of the rights of the Scientologists under French law and under the European Convention on Human Rights.

This is in marked contrast to the treatment of Scientology in other countries where Scientology is formally recognized as a religion. The European Court of Human Rights has on two recent occasions found that Churches of Scientology in Russia are entitled to the protection of religious freedom guaranteed by Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Today’s decision means that Scientologists remain free to practice their religion in France, despite the best efforts to the contrary by anti-religious extremists. While the fines and suspended sentences issued by the Court will be appealed, they will have no effect on Church activities and the rapid expansion the Church is experiencing will continue.

The Church of Scientology has grown from one Church in 1954 to more than 8,000 Churches, Missions and groups in 165 countries today. The Church sponsors an international human rights education initiative as well as the world’s largest non-governmental drug education program. Four new Churches have opened in 2009, most recently the Church of Scientology of Rome on October 24, with a new Church opening in Washington, DC, on October 31. In April, three new Churches were dedicated: in Malmo, Sweden; Dallas, Texas; and Nashville, Tennessee. The Scientology religion has expanded more in the past year than in the past five years combined and more in the past five years than in the past five decades combined.

Scientology In France

2009-10-28T09:48:00.001-04:00

Here is the "Official statement of the Church of Scientology" in France regarding the recent court decision that you may have heard about in the media.

If you can read French then the original is here: Pour le tribunal, la Scientologie doit continuer ses activités

Here is a translation that I ran through Babel Fish. Not the best English, but understandable:

For the court, Scientology must continue its activities

First of all, and it is perhaps most important, the Court recognized today that the Church of Scientology was to continue its religious activities in France.

It could not escape the reality which there exists a broad community of happy Scientologists to practice their religion. It also noted that in spite of the extraordinary media pressure around this lawsuit, no new complaint had been deposited in 10 months since the beginning of the lawsuit.

The UNADFI was declared inadmissible once again as a civil part, which proves again that it does not have any legitimacy to be involved in the businesses concerning the religious minorities, and that the million subsidies which it received from the State are not enough to make it credible in front of Justice.

Concurrently to that, the Church denounces a lawsuit in heresy, an enquiry of modern times and this since the beginning. The judgments pronounced in total contradiction with the requisitions of withdrawal of case of origin are the result of carefully orchestrated political pressures which seem to have weighed on the court.

“We will not give up. The religion of Scientology develops more than ever and its recognition in France is inescapable, as in the other countries. We believe that nobody has the right to say to the French what they must think and what they must believe as regards religion”, declares the spokesperson of the Church Celebrity Centre.

We support the French Constitution and the European Convention of the Human rights, whereas the campaigns of Georges Fenech and Miviludes are criticized within certain international organizations because of the threat which they carry against freedom of worship. The international report/ratio of the American State Department on the religious liberty which has just left recalls once again that “the discriminatory treatment towards the Witnesses of Jéhovah and the Scientologists continues to lend to concern”.

The Church of Scientology was founded in 1954. Today there exists more than 8000 Churches of Scientology, missions and groups in 165 countries. The Church sponsored the most important initiative of education to the human rights in the world as well as the greatest nongovernmental programme of prevention against drug.

The Scientology makes great strides without precedent, with a more significant development during the last twelve months than during the five previous years, that the five last years being higher than the 50 previous years combined.

Last weekend, the inauguration of the new Church of Scientology of Rome gathered 6000 people. The next week, the Church of Scientology of Washington DC will settle in its new buildings in the middle of the city.

===============

Oh, no. Despite the best laid plans of mice, the Church of Scientology continues to expand at an exponential rate. Too bad :)

Scientology is here to stay

2009-10-27T21:12:00.005-04:00

While Martin Bashir and the French government are busy attacking Scientology, the religion continues to grow at an exponential rate.

One could look at the timing of the most recent attacks from the SP Times and Nightline and be surprised that they both occurred during major international Scientology gatherings and celebrations (one in June and one in October) when the Church staff members who would normally be handling such media machinations are at their most busy. One could perhaps get the idea that these attacks were carefully timed and coordinated. But the joke is that these attacks merely shove the subject into the public eye and cause more people to become interested and want to find out about Scientology.

It's a phenomenon that I've noticed since I got into Scientology over 30 years ago. I recall an incident in England when a TV station broadcast a standard hatchet job and for the following month the Churches in the UK were inundated with new people wanting to find out more.

You have to wonder at people who attack a religion which runs the biggest non-governmental anti-drug campaign in the world. Who are the attackers working for? Drug companies? Drug cartels?

You have to wonder at people who attack a religion which runs the biggest human rights educational campaign in the world. Who are the attackers working for? Oppressive governments? Corrupt governments?

You have to wonder at people who attack a religion which runs the biggest moral standards campaign in the world. Who are the attackers working for? Organized Crime? Anonymous?

You have to wonder at people who attack a religion which runs the biggest non-governmental volunteer disaster and emergency services organization in the world. Who are the attackers working for? Arms dealers? Media Moguls?

It's hard to fathom the depths of depravity you'd have to reach to attack such a religion, but unfortunately there are people who have descended to those depths who do just that. Some of them work for the SP Time and Nightline and the French government. But don't worry. Deep down in the cinder block they have in place of a soul, even they know that they are attacking the good guys, and they will eventually do something to stop themselves.

Actually I feel sorry for them. Can you imagine having to live with someone like that? Well they have to live with someone like that 24/7 - themselves.

So, despite the cockroaches getting under our feet, Scientology is expanding at an unprecedented rate, and that expansion will continue. So, just in case anyone reading this is from any of the groups listed above (you know, the drug cartels, the corrupt governments, etc.), I'm sorry to have to burst your bubble, but you may as well give up now, because Scientology is here to stay.

Scientology Wedding Details

2009-10-23T07:51:00.004-04:00

Well, I had thought of writing a sort of blow-by-blow, running commentary so you could see the exact steps of the wedding of my friends, but after a few paragraphs I realized it was kinda boring.

You see other than the actual words of the ceremony a Scientology wedding is pretty much the same as any other wedding. If the bride and groom want it to be formal and have a lot of pomp and circumstance then it will be formal with a lot of pomp and circumstance. If they want it to be informal and casual then that's how it will be.

The atmosphere of my friends' wedding was informal. There was a bride, a groom, a matron of honor, a best man, a minister, family, friends, a photographer, a sister with a video camera, a little boy as the ring bearer, a little girl as the ... not sure of the name, but she scattered flower petals before the bride as she walked down the aisle.

At the end of the ceremony the bride and groom kissed. The bride threw the bouquet for the unmarried girls to catch, the groom threw the garter for the unmarried guys to catch. There was a reception with food and music afterwards.

It was pretty much like a million other weddings that take place in the US every year.

Sorry I couldn't be more controversial.

Scientology Wedding

2009-10-17T13:23:00.005-04:00

Today two of my good friends are getting married and it was me that introduced them. I don't usually go in for matchmaking but these two just seemed really suited for each other so I thought I'd give it a try. Looks like I got it right :)

There was a lot of hoopla a couple years back when Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got married and a lot of mis-information about how we Scientologists go about getting married. The ceremony is simple and (I think) intimate. The words are aimed at creating a shared agreement about the future together and the realities of married life. My favorite of the alternative wordings also has quite a bit of gentle humor in it and is very poetic. Others prefer the more traditional sort of wording, but that's just me.

My two friends are not celebrities, but they will be having a similar ceremony (although not in a location as fancy) as the Cruise's wedding. I wish them every happiness.

For more info you can check out these links:
- Scientology Wedding Service
- Marriage Solutions
- FAQ: What is a Scientology Wedding Ceremony?
- Scientology Wedding