Hi everyone. I've been lurking on this site for the past couple of days, probably because of the sheer bombardment of negative Scientology stories that have been in the media lately. However I've got a small story to tell, just to share, that goes back to 1997. I was 22.

It's really brief, but I was approached by a girl around my age in the downtown core of where I worked/lived at the time (a major city in Canada) while waiting for the light to turn green and for me to cross the street. This was in the middle of the workday, nearing the end of my lunch hour, and I was on my way back to work.

She was well dressed, and greeted me and started to talk to me. She told me that there was going to be an event at her church on the weekend and wondered if I'd be interested. She asked me if I had time to go after work (I told her I was on my way back to work) to meet her, and I told her no. I don't remember the exact conversation, but I did ask her which church and she told me it was the Scientology church just up the street from us (from where we were standing). The only real exposure I had to Scientology was when my sister dabbled in it and brought a Dianetics book home in the early 80s. Mother promptly threw it out and that was the end of that (mom was Penecostal and we were from an otherwise traditionally Catholic family on Dad's side).

So we talked for a bit while I walked back to work, and we exchanged numbers. She told me that she would be looking for me.

Anyhow, after that meeting, I regretted giving her my number. I got a bad vibe. I can't really explain "the vibe" except to say that my sixth sense kicked in and something didn't sit well with me. I didn't show to the event, and didn't call. Then my phone started ringing, and rang on a off for about two months thereafter. The calls were frequent during the first week. They started with her feigning concern over my no-show and wondering if I was okay and if anything happened to me to prevent me from showing. When those calls weren't answered or returned, the tone became one of mild chiding and disappointment. One in particular struck me as creepy when she said on my VM that "I never took you for the kind of person to do this", as in, being a no-show and screening her calls. Thereafter I got one call every week, then every two, then hangups. By the time two months rolled around, I had told my mother of my experience and was given the low-down and the chastising (I lived alone by this time in my own apartment). Of course, she told members of her congregation at her penecostal church.

So, about 4 or 5 months later, the phone rang and I answered. It was her. As soon as I confirmed it was me on the phone, she proceeded to tell me how good it was to finally reach me. After exchanging mild pleasantries over the phone, she asked me why I didn't show, how she was worried and ultimately disappointed me in, etc. Then I unleashed on her. I told her how creepy and inappropriate it was to cast aspersions on me as to what "kind of person" she thought I was after a brief meeting on the street, at how utterly foolish it was of me to have given her my telephone number after such a brief meeting and how I regretted it almost as soon as we parted ways that day on the sidewalk, how inappropriate all her telephone calls to me were and how I resented having to screen my calls for all this time, and how if she ever tried her cultish BS on me again, phoned me EVER again, had anyone else phone me in her place EVER again, that I still had her telephone number and would take up my mother's entire penecostal congregation's offer to phone-bomb her until the phone company cut her off for sheer volume. I told her never to call me again, asked her if she understood, she meekly said she did, and I hung up.

That creeped me out enough to cross the street whenever I walked along that stretch of sidewalk that the church was located. I can only imagine what it has done to those with more experience and time invested in this Church. Anyhow, thanks for letting me share.

Great story, Weeblewog, and welcome to the board.

Thanks for sharing Weeblewog. Incredibly creepy persistence on her part with those calls and messages. Welcome to OCMB!

Scientologists are taught to believe in postulates, which is another way of saying that if you want something real bad, it will happen. They think that their postulates are strong enough to bring people to the cult, that is why they never give up their recruitment efforts.

In real world the word “postulate” is an equivalent of the phrase “physics law”. In Scientology world this word means something else.

Thanks for the welcome. I gathered that her persistence was her way of trying to wear me down to get me to visit, but all it did was freak me out even more. She was way too familiar with me on the messages and that is creepy. You can't force familiarity on someone. They have to warm up to you. Anyone could see that calling someone repeatedly and not getting returned calls or answers means that the person doesn't wish to continue the relationship. I was too young and still too much into the headspace of my upbringing that girls must be nice. I learned much from that encounter, and not the least of which was not to jeopardize my security for the sake of not hurting someone's feelings or offending them. I should have cut her off immediately and not let the calls persist for months because they stressed me out.

I think back to how naive I was in general at that time of my life and I am just thankful that I listened to that inner voice that told me that this situation was not a good one. I no longer cross the street before reaching their storefront to their church, but that's because time and experiences have made me a bit curmudgeonly. I don't care how I am perceived so long as I'm not pestered.

Geez, and now I DO sound like my grandfather!

^welcome, WW!
I think the aggressive initial approach and level-jumping in a relationship (especially when "relationship" is a stretch) is a true cult hallmark.

I had college experiences with the (insert name of city) Church of Christ, which I believe began as the Boston Church of Christ (not to be confused with the legit Church of Christ -- the cult one always has the name of a city in front of it).

Non-students would hang out on campus and try and spark up conversations. If they got your number, they would call persistently and start inviting you on weekend-long ski trips or retreats.