J. Swift wrote:
I'mglib wrote:
What's interesting is over on Marty's blog they seem to be okay with the idea that LRH lied about his war record. They are going with the notion that "LRH wasn't perfect but the tech is good".
But how is this any different from, say, Catholics saying that Catholicism is good despite the horrendous convictions of priest-pedophiles, the Inquisition, the Crusades, Indulgences, and everything else flawed in Catholicism? How is CoS any different from any religion or church that has had a flawed charismatic leader? Christian Science does not depend upon Mary Baker Eddy having been perfect. The Jehovahs Witnesses do not depend upon Judge Rutherford having been perfect. Even Ted Haggard's church survived his meltdown into drugs and gay sex with a prostitute. In Christianity and its variants, human perfection is assigned solely to Jesus and all other persons are all deemed to be imperfect in various ways.
IMO, all religions overlook certain flaws in key personalities because they are significantly outweighed by the spiritual benefits of religious practice. Scientology is no different in this regard.
It is entirely possible, and even desirable, to decouple the Tech from LRH. The same thing has occurred in Mormonism where the personal behavior Joseph Smith and Brigham Young have been decoupled in important ways from modern practice. For example, the polygamy practiced by early Mormon leaders does not falsify key Mormon rituals that are performed daily in the Temple. I see Scientology following the same trajectory. Predictively, CoS will abandon draconian LRH and DM policies in the same way that LDS dropped polygamy and its ban on Black men serving as priests. This is already happening in CoS to a certain extent. Pregnant couples in SO are being routed out and paid off. Freeloader Debts have been canceled. There are more signs of internal changes. However, it all seems too little too late in terms of PR. Like Mubarak, DM will have to go into exile. CoS will have a post-Miscavige era where it will have to reformat itself as have many other religions.
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I also agree with you, J. Swift.
Because as much as I would like to see the Co$ eventually dry up, it's important that people have the freedom to practice it if they want to.
Full disclosure is the key. I definitely think that people looking into Scientology should be let in on the whole "Wall of Fire"/Xenu story. I think it's been proven that hearing about it won't kill you. I imagine the Xenu story might even attract some people.
I also think that there should be a price list next to each step on the Bridge.
But indeed, if the whole system was laid out and especially if the "tech" was made free, there would be little I could quibble with.
Because although it was amazing to me that Gerry Armstrong would be on board with Scientology even after knowing about Hubbard's whoppers, as long as the truth was known about Hubbard, I suppose all's fair.