Dear Ms. Pouw,

I am sure you are aware that on the 11th of March, 2008, I issued a press release entitled "Mother Bear Defends Cub". This release detailed my efforts to bring my daughter, Katherine, home for a vacation with her family. During the fifteen years that my daughter has been a member of the Church of Scientology's Sea Organization, she had only come home for one three day visit in 1996 - cut short by the Church due to some "emergency”.

When I allowed my daughter, then a minor, to join the Sea Organization, I was told that Sea Organization Members are allowed three weeks holiday per year. In fact, it is stated in the contract that Katherine signed in 1993: “2. HOLIDAYS: '...three (3) weeks per continuous active year for Sea Org Members'.” This has never happened.

During Christmas of 2004, Katherine was denied permission to attend a family reunion in Minnesota, with relatives she has not seen in many years, some of which she has not seen since childhood. After the travel reservations had been made and tickets purchased, Katherine informed me that she was not able to go. To somehow include Katherine in the reunion, she was put on the speaker phone to wish both grandparents a Merry Christmas. She was sobbing and apologizing for not being able to be with them.

I have tried to be patient with the Church. I have had no objection to Katherine following her religious principles and beliefs and have not objected to her work for the Church of Scientology. But I have objected to the continuing and systematic isolation of Katherine from her family. Katherine and I have enthusiastically discussed vacation plans many times, with no plans ever coming to fruition. My calls with Kate have become less and less frequent, and at times, I find myself talking to her on a speaker phone, with others present in the room who do not identify themselves. My daughter sounds less and less herself and more and more "coached" and cautious in her responses.

To deny my daughter normal communication with me, and the opportunity for vacation time with her family, is unconscionable. Last March, I reached the end of my tether, and issued a press release about the situation. I issued an ultimatum: "Have my daughter at home in my living room within two weeks, or I will go to law enforcement and the media."

As a result of this ultimatum, a hurried meeting was arranged between myself and my daughter. I flew down to Los Angeles and met my daughter and her Office of Special Affairs "handler," a woman named Beth, at the J. Paul Getty Museum. It was wonderful to see my daughter, and Katherine and I hugged and cried together. Katherine bought postcards from the museum store, wrote notes on the back of them, and gave them to me:

"Dear Mom,

These postcards are to remind you of our day together, to remind you we will always be in
communication, no matter the distance, to remind you that you raised a happy, healthy, contributive
person, to remind you that I will visit you, to remind you that I love you!

All M' Love, Katherine”

Katherine promised me that she would come soon for a vacation. Her handler also promised me that it would absolutely be worked out so Katherine could come and visit us in Portland. She seemed sincere. I felt reassured.

On April 30th Katherine informed me that she was going to do a "special program", and that I would not be able to talk to her until the program was completed. Katherine told me that I could speak with Beth while this program was in progress. I asked what kind of program it was, but Katherine and Beth refused to say. The program, which was supposed to take four or five weeks, is still not completed.

It is now four months later, and we are no closer to Katherine visiting than we were in March. My own vacation came and went. My birthday came and went. No Katherine. On my birthday, I received flowers from Katherine, followed by a phone call not from Katherine, but from her OSA handler Beth, asking if I had received the flowers. Beth wished me a Happy Birthday.

In August, Katherine reached the point in her program where she was allowed to speak with me. The last time I talked to my daughter was mid-August. My daughter was not her spontaneous, loving self, but sounded strained and stiff. She expressed concern, that because I am no longer in Scientology, that I do not approve of what she is doing with her life as a Scientology staff member. She asked me to send her any critical things I had been reading about the Church, (so she could "handle" me on each one of these). This would have to be done, she said, before she could come and see me.

This is ridiculous. In the first place, I have no intention of spending our valuable vacation time with my daughter arguing about religion. I have always respected her decision to follow Scientology. As you know, I am myself a former Scientologist. I left the Church for my own reasons, as is my right. That my daughter and I have chosen different religious paths is of no consequence to anyone, and, frankly, is no business of the Church of Scientology. Many parents and children disagree on religious matters, or political matters, or a host of other things. It does not affect their love and respect for each other, and is no reason to forbid connection between them.

Scientology preaches that communication is the "universal solvent" and will resolve anything. Yet in this case, that sentiment is not being applied. Communication is being denied. Do you seriously think that Katherine's faith is so fragile that the slightest contact with any criticism of Scientology will shatter it? If so, then you have less faith in Katherine's intelligence and strength than I do.

You want to know what my main criticism of the Church of Scientology is? That they have isolated me from my own daughter and made it impossible for me to maintain the close and loving relationship that both Katherine and I desire. That is my objection. How can I be "handled" on this objection? Easy. Grant Katherine her well-earned three week leave to see her family. Is that so hard?

I never, ever thought I would have to sacrifice my relationship with my daughter over religious differences. Many, many families across the world have differences with their choices of religions and political ideologies. A loving family does not let these differences impede their relationships with each other.

You, yourself, have denied publicly that Scientology disconnects families. In your press release of 14 January of this year, you stated that "...most family members of Scientologists are themselves not Scientologists. And yet, as any one of millions of Scientologists would have told Morton if he had asked, they maintain a loving relationship with their families. Indeed, the Church always counsels to mend any and every familial upset – whether between Scientologists or those of another faith."

Nice words. A wonderful, politically correct sentiment. But the question is, Ms. Pouw, are you actually willing to stand by those words? Are you willing to put them into action? Are you, as a Scientologist, willing to factually practice what you so eloquently preach?

I am still waiting for my daughter's arrival in Portland for the vacation that she and I have been promised.

The Church claims that its senior policy is to deliver what is promised.

At long last, will you?

Sincerely,

Susan Lentsch

PS: I am mailing a copy of this letter to my daughter so she can read and understand how I feel. I will be checking with her to make sure she personally received it.

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Please re-post and distribute as appropriate.
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Please go to the press and the FBI! This disgusting cult!
I hope you get that three week vacation with your daughter.

Spread to enturbulation.org....
http://forums.enturbulation.org/15-medi ... pouw-28134

Reposted here:

http://www.scamofscientology.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?p=310#310

Peter

Dear OSA,

Please ensure that David Miscarriage is aware of the following synchronicitous events:

1. Susan Lentsch's Open Letter; and
2. Dr Phil says he wants to help cult victims and their families; and
3. His fly is undone.

Dr. Phil.com - Be on the Show

cross-posted to enturb

Karin Pouw is an unconscionable liar, which I would not hesitate to tell her to her face. She denies that disconnection exists, yet there are thousands of victims of Scientology disconnection out there, those who have been disconnected by SP Declares and even more who have been disconnected by the ripple effect. These are family and associates who have chosen to stand by the the original victims. I have counted 20 in my immediate family and over 100 in my family/associate catchment area. I've stated this before on the board, but it can't be stated often enough.

Now the cult is realizing that they have thrown far too many babies out with the bathwater and they need to recover them because they don't have enough members to keep their operations running. That's the motive behind SP recovery, which is too little, too late.

I was wondering about this today.It's sad that Susan has to keep fighting but great that she's doing it.
One again,the so-called 'Church' is it's own worst enemy.

4. ?????????
5. PROFIT!

Susan is a brave woman and tenacious in defending her right to have a relationship with her own daughter. I would recommend that other families affected by "disconnection" follow Susan's example:

1. Refuse to be "handled."

2. Refuse to "disconnect."

Fish

Fish, I agree, if more families spoke out, the cult would lose that power of disconnection. Susan is an inspiration.

Just a piece here for speculation, but was the daughter RPFed?

When ex Scientologists trying to contact their kids contact me, I tell them to read the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the clause on the right to change one's religion.

Scientology/Hubbard failed to realize they are enforcing their religion when they tell former Scientologists to adhere to Hubbard's religious rules. That would be like asking a former person of any religion to follow the religion they chose NOT to follow.

It is idiocy to expect a former member who chose NOT to be a member, to still apply some of the old religion's procedures.

There is NO need to EVER do any more Scientology procedures, including any SP steps, etc.

All I suggest, is remain good roads and good weather, and if they still refuse to act normally when you act good roads and good weather with them, then make them follow the UN rules which say they must respect your new religious status!

Highlight the fact that Scientology is NOT following the UN rules on allowing ex Scientologists the right to be a different religion than Scientology! They should now treat ex Scientologists with the same dignity and rights as any other human being.

They cannot enforce their condemnatory SP status on ex members who are no longer Scientologists!

Just do good roads and good weather and don't be provoked to indecent unkind behavior, and they are obliged to respect family members like Susan and allow normal communication again!

Disconnection is enforcing their religion on non members, in violation of the UN rules, if the non members are being good roads good weather about their communication to the existing Scientology family members.

Susan, thanks for posting this open letter.
We are behind you all the way.

Do you want to have people protest outside Big Blue, specifically with signs about you and your daughter? Perhaps on a day other than the day of the world-wide protests?

I pray you get to see her. Everybody here does.

Please pm me if you think a protest will help, or make a general announcement.

That's damn right, Chuck! Thanks for pointing this out.

Families of disconnected loved ones: won't you please come forward and speak out? Network with others: be it the folks here on the boards, your close friends, your community, or all of the above. Go to the press, get your story on-line, go to the protests and hit the streets. Hand out flyers, hold up signs. There is so much at stake here and now, while there is much public attention on the CoS. Capitalize on this momentum. You have an enormous group supporting you!

Just please start with something. Please.

Love,

Valkyrie

Thanks for posting this, Mother Bear.

This is why we protest scientology.

Your reasonable tone further exposes scientology's unreasonableness (to put it lightly).

Indeed -- any "religion" or philisophical belief that has to stifle critical thinking in the manner in which scientology does is obviously weak and insecure. See "Keep scientology Working" doctrine (for those of you unfamiliar with it) for the low down on this control mechanism.

Any "religion" that cannot allow a mother and daughter to be with each other due to fear that it might lose an adherent is SO weak. Ugh, so obviously sad and weak.

Good for you, Mother Bear, for speaking/writing your mind.

I hope that your daughter is able to wake up and assert herself as a human, being.

Another Surfer

I'll spread it where I can, including pasting in a thread on our local board.
Es