Keeping Scientology Working

A recent thread frequently mentioned "Keeping Scientology Working," a policy of obvious importance to the cult. Because of its importance, I've decided to post the policy letter here, along with my own comments and criticism on it.

This is taken from "The Volunteer Minister's Handbook," (c1976, Church of Scientology of California). _______________________________________________________________

HCO PL 7 Feb 1965

KEEPING SCIENTOLOGY WORKING

We have some time since passed the point of achieving uniformly workable technology.

The only thing now is getting the technology applied.

If you can't get the technology applied then you can't deliver what's promised. It's as simple as that. If you can get the technology applied, you *can* deliver what's promised.

The only thing you can be upbraided for by students or pcs is "no results." Trouble spots occur only where there are "no results." Attacks from governments or monopolies occur only where there are "no results" or "bad results."

Therefore the road before Scientology is clear and its ultimate success is assured *if* the technology is applied.

So it is the task of all members of the Church of Scientology, Volunteer Ministers and field staff members to get the correct technology applied. _________________________________________________________________

Hubbard sets the tone of the piece here. I'm struck by the *mechanical* nature of his tech -- there's only one way of doing it right (Hubbard's way) and it always works it it's done his way. Do *all* human minds really operate so uniformly? Is there no diversity in human mental processes? _________________________________________________________________

Getting the correct technology applied consists of:

One: Having the correct technology. Two: Knowing the technology. Three: Knowing it is correct. Four: Teaching correctly the correct technology. Five: Applying the technology. Six: Seeing that the technology is correctly applied. Seven: Hammering out of existence incorrect technology. Eight: Knocking out incorrect applications. Nine: Closing the door on any possibility of incorrect technology. Ten: Closing the door on incorrect technology. _________________________________________________________________

These 10 points are the essentials of this policy, although it's actually the last four points that are discussed. It seems to me that "Three: Knowing it is correct" is given short shrift here, since without "belief" in the tech, none of the rest applies.

Note the "power verbs" in the last four points. _________________________________________________________________

One above has been done. Two has been achieved by many. Three is achieved by the individual applying the correct technology in a proper manner and observing that it works that way. Four is being done daily successfully in most parts of the world. Five is consistently accomplished daily. Six is achieved by instructors and supervisors consistently. Seven is done by a few but is a weak point. Eight is not worked on hard enough. Nine is impeded by the "reasonable" attitude of the not quite bright. Ten is seldom done with enough ferocity.

Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten are the only places Scientology can bog down in any areas.

The reasons for this are not hard to find. (1) A weak certainty that it works in Three above can lead to weakness in Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten. (b) [sic--!] further, the not-too-bright have a bad point on the button self-importance [sic--hunh?] (c) The lower the I.Q., the more the individual is shut off from the fruits of observation. (d) The aberrated computations people make them defend themselves against anything they confront good or bad and seek to make it wrong. (e) The bank seeks to knock out the good and perpetrate the bad.

Thus, we as Scientologists and as an organization must be very alert to Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten. ____________________________________________________________

I have no idea what Hubbard's trying to say in (b) above. Anybody got any clues? In fact, nothing beyond (1) above seems to make much sense.

To be continued....

Diane Richardson ao579@yfn.ysu.edu