Discussion with RonArtist

Dear Mike, Thanks for your mail, and thanks for not claiming the large numbers of invisible ars people that others have tried to do. There is a LOT of pointless noise on little ol' ars. The negative but LOUD few there pretty much defeat themselves will all that. As far as the positive aspects of Scientology, the book "What Is Scientology?" speaks volumes, even for just one volume in itself! There should be a copy at your local bookstore or somewhere nearby. For myself, I've seen it save people from years of misery that so many face. Even the simplest of Scientology concepts, such as the Emotional Tone Scale, are tools that anyone can use to benefit one's self and others. As far as "little defense" on ars, the many Scientologist out there are busy using the discoveries of L. Ron Hubbard and not interested in the noise made by a predictable small group of negative few. Basically...we're too busy enjoying the benefits of Mr. Hubbard's work to bother with the rantings of a handful of others. As far as facts you can check out for yourself, get a Hubbard book or tape and see for yourself. Or meet some real Scientologists and see what is going on. It was funny how arsers themselves documented how many thousands of ars posts were put up on ars each week by a handful of negative attack-style people. And they use things that were so pointlessly used even decades ago! Sincerely, Ron

Dear RonArtist,

Thanks for you thoughtful response. I agree with you that a.r.s. does contain a lot of noise, coming from both sides of the meter <g> But it is also the only place I know of where public, open discussions of Scientology can, and occasionally do, take place.

Yes, I have seen What is Scientology. I have also met many Scientologists. I used to be "onlines" and I even attented a private school using LRH Study Tech.

I'll be the first to admit that Scientology does contain useful information. Looking up misunderstood words makes perfect sense. People with poor communication skills can benefit from TRs. A strong drug-free anvironment os good for people with a history of drug problems. Even Dianetics can be a useful way of working on one's emotional problems.

However, Scientology claims to be much more than that. It claims to be the answer Life, the Universe and Everything. LRH is the ultimate expert, beyond question, of every subject he's expressed himself on.

At in the library of a Scientology school I attended, I found 1984 by George Orwell, and I saw too many paralells to the world I was living in -- where certain types of thought were unacceptable.

In fact, the book you recommend, What is Scientology, is a fine example of what the Ministry of Truth (where Orwells Winstoncharacter worked) might have produced.

Nowhere in its 400+ pages does it mention if LRH was ever married or had kids. Apparently, the medals he won as a boy scout at age 12 are more important than the family(s) he created. Also, operation Snow White, in which the Guardians Office, under the direction of Mary Sue Hubbard, ran an intelligence operation against the US Government (this was pretty much admitted at the time in a book, Playing Dirty, which was sold on Org bookstores at the time) seems to been transformed into a government plot to plant documents in Church files making it appear that the Church had broken laws.

Yeah, right!

My conclusion about Scientology is that what is positive isn't unique, and what is unique is not positive. The TRs and parts of study tech, and Book 1 Dianetics are fine, but the gains are available through other means without all the abberative B.S. attached.

Despite the fact that the OT levels are supposed to elevate man to spiritual hights never before acheived, you would never know this by observing the OTs I knew. I was very frustated that even the suggestion that LRH claims should be put to scientific tests seemed to suggest evil motives.

As you know, Upper Level material has been readily available on the Net. I was once told that viewing OT III before one was ready would cause illness or death, yet no edidemoc appeared when a synopsis appeared in the LA Times several years ago.

One of my favorite posts on a.r.s. was called "A Scientific Scutiny of OT III" Apparently, continetal drift has not been discovered by scientists in 1967, and Hubbard failed to notice it in his Whole Track Recall. So in OT III he referrs to several geologic formations that did not exist 75 million years ago!

So there you have it RonArtist, an open dialog about Scientology outside the intimidating presnece of an ethics offer.

Mike De Wolfe

"A 'science' which depends on Authority alone is a breath in the wind of truth and is therefore no science at all" -- L. Ron Hubbard From Dianetics -- The Modern Science of Mental Health