Hi Everyone,
I needed a couple more pictures to illustrate other religions and cults for the opening song for a LTW video presentation, so I set out to take a quick picture of the “Church” of Scientology. I only intended to take a couple of shots of the place and be on my way. I had never been there before. I headed down Vermont to Sunset to the main location.
I got out of my car and took a quick shot, walked about five steps to get a different angle, and, within five minutes, a security guard approached me on a bike. He asked me a foray of questions: “Excuse me, but what are you doing? May I ask why you are taking those pictures? Are you a Scientologist or not? Why you are taking the pictures?”
Out of respect for the fact I was on their property, so as not to attempt to proselytize the other Scientologists passing, I whispered back in frustration, “What have we come to in this nation? Am I not even allowed to take a picture? What if I am a Scientologist, and what if I am not?”
He answered, “I just need to know why you are taking the pictures.” I said calmly, “I am a Christian. I am not a Scientologist. I just want to say, that if you went to any Protestant church, Sir, they would let you take a picture. They would not send someone out within five minutes to ask you why you were there. What does that tell you about this place? What are they so paranoid about? Have you thought about that? I mean, why would they be afraid of someone taking a picture?” I continued, “I will leave now.”
Not letting up, he asked again, “But, I have to ask you, why are you taking the pictures?” I answered, “I am doing a slide presentation for a Christian ministry and the first song talks about other religions. I am using the picture for that song.”
He inquired sheepishly, “You are not going to say anything bad about Scientology are you? L. Ron Hubbard was a great man.” It was just like I was talking to some naïve child. I said, “No, the slide presentation will be just music and pictures. I am going to show a picture of the Scientology campus while a song is playing called There’s A God-Shaped Hole In All Of Us.” I introduced myself, and I gave him my card.
He was very nice and seemed open, so I continued,” You know, I am not living for this world. I love Jesus. The Jesus of the Bible is the God I love and follow, and His teachings were very opposite from L. Ron Hubbard. He didn’t say, ‘Come and follow Me, and I will make your every wish come true in this life!’ Instead, He said, ‘If anyone wishes to follow Me, they must pick up their cross and follow Me; If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you.’ I am living for heaven- a place where I am going when I die to be with Jesus, who is my Redeemer. L. Ron Hubbard cannot explain the fact that the grave of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is empty today. He said He was God and the only way to the Father; L. Ron Hubbard does not claim to be the only way. And, Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies from the Old Testament to the New Testament; prophecies written hundreds of years before He was born. And, they buried Him in 100 pounds of embalmment; and, He was the only Man in history that had his tomb guarded to make sure He would stay in it! A Roman guard did not consist of just one person, but many people; and Jesus appeared to over 500 witnesses after He rose from the dead, which is one of many reasons why His tomb is empty today.”
Interestingly, the guy replied gently, “I am glad you came.”
I continued, “I will buy a book before I leave. I have read bits and pieces of Dianetics, but I will buy it and read the whole thing to find out more about the teachings of Scientology. But, listen, if I am not afraid to read something different from what I believe, please don’t be afraid to do the same. Please, please read the Bible. I have a little booklet I would like to give you. (I had one of my booklets called, Meditate on This, which is full of Scripture verses to show that man is not a god! I was planning on mailing it out on my way to the post office after the Scientology stop, but I felt led to give the booklet to this guy).
I asked, “May I take your picture holding the books?” He seemed nervous and, with a frightened look on his face, answered, “Oh, no. I can’t let you do that.” I told him that was ok. He thanked me for the books and even thanked me for coming. He also promised to read the books. He even said, “I am sorry if I offended you by inquiring about your motives behind the photograhy. “ I told him once again, “It is ok.” He said, “You know this place has really helped me. I mean, I have been through a rough time, and it has helped me deal with things better.” I whispered back, “Well, I am glad that it has helped you, and I am sorry that it has helped you, because it has deceived you away from the Bible and the only true God.” Believe it or not, the guy actually hugged me when I left. I headed for a quick stop at the resource center to pick up the Dianetics book with the motive of educating myself more on their demonic ideology to be more equipped in talking to people at my booth at Venice.
Three videos were playing of L. Ron Hubbard’s teaching on large screen televisions as I entered the receptionist reading area. Surrounded by a whole library of thick books and videos by L. Ron Hubbard, I asked if I could simply purchase a paperback of Dianetics. Again, the inquisition started. A man named Vinny approached me and asked why I was there and why I wanted a copy of the book. I told him I was interested in learning more about Scientology. He said, “So, you are in quest of the truth.? “ I answered, “I am just here to get a book to learn more about Scientology.” Well, that was the beginning of an experience I will never forget. He took me on a tour of the place. He insisted on it, so I toured the narrow corridors, one floor after another with Vinny, the “Asho Auditor”. What I saw was worse than any chapter of George Orwell’s Brave New World. I grew up Baptist, with pre-tribulation beliefs, but by the time I left that place, I had to ask the Lord if, perhaps, the tribulation had already begun. I drove back home, sort of dazed by the whole experience, as if I had just seen the most horrifying movie of my life! But it was not a movie. It was real. I remembered the sermons of Walter Martin, who said he could not say for certain whether the rapture would take place before the tribulation or if we were in the tribulation already. I popped in a CD of L. Ron Hubbard mocking Jesus, and the audience laughing in response. I sat there in traffic thanking the Lord that we would have the victory in the end, as the dehumanizing scenes from those Scientology rooms flashed through my memory once more.
All of the “Asho” workers were dressed alike. They all had walkie-talkies and cell phones. Some Scientologists on the “bridge” level were dressed in uniforms looking like pilot captains and flight attendants. They were called “Thetans.” Vinny took me to the second floor and he opened a door to a very narrow hallway. No one was in the dark, narrow hallway but he and I. He opened a door to the right and the room was full of people sitting across from each other barking like dogs. I whispered to Vinny, “It seems weird to me that they are barking.” He said, “They are working out turmoil from their past lives; they are becoming more aware.” There I stood watching these people bark at each other. I asked, “How do you know they have had past lives? “ He answered, “Oh, it all comes out. It comes on the Thetan level…the Thetan is in tune with the universe enough to know past regression. The Thetan is a state of awareness and reception with the universe.” He said, “Trust me, people find out, and they experience power.” I thought to myself, “I’ll just bet they do!” Then, we went to the left of the hall to a whole other large room where about twenty-five people were sitting with machines and head phones. Vinny said they were listening to their lessons. They looked intense and serious, all sitting silently. He introduced me to the other “auditor” in the room who was dressed just like him, monitoring the place. He introduced himself. I told him it was nice to meet him. He said, “I can tell you are from the South with your accent. I am from the South, too.” Vinny said something to him in their sub-language vernacular, which I could not understand. L. Ron Hubbard believed in aliens, teaching people how to be “evolved” like the aliens. The place did seem like another planet!
We went up to the next floor, through another corridor, to a new large room facing Sunset Blvd. The people were sitting across from each other in pairs. One person was the auditor and the other was the student trying to achieve “clear.” The student was holding two metal prongs which supposedly measured his or her energy by the “e-meter,” a machine with a needle which the auditor monitored. I heard one auditor ask a student, “Define ‘sky’.” The student would then recite back the memorized answer. The needle would move and the auditor would mark down something, in approval or disapproval, depending on the needle. The auditor would ask, “Define ‘self’ “- It was like a scene from the movie, Stepford Wives. The people were plastic like robots. We went in another room and the people were talking to the walls. Vinny said they had to memorize and rehearse the answers twenty times each to practice.
(Guess how much they were paying to be so awakened and evolved? $14,000.00; $10K to be a “lifetime” member).
The next level was the spookiest yet. It was the floor where auditors “assist.” Meaning, they heal people. We entered the rooms. They were empty. Vinny pointed to the table and said, “The person lies there, and the auditor touches them (assists them) and says certain empowering sentences. We do not believe in drugs here. We believe that if someone is fully aware, they will be able to heal themselves. The people who assist are aware enough to heal. You wouldn’t believe it if I told you what I have seen! Well, you wouldn’t be able to accept it. I am not allowed to tell you anyway.” I asked, “Out of curiosity, does anyone believe in the power of Satan here or demons?” He practically jumped back aghast, “Oh, no we never mention such negativity.” I said, “Oh, ok.”
We walked out back toward the elevator, passing pictures of huge mansion estates. He said, “Those are all Scientology headquarters in other countries.” I asked, “I was just wondering, what contribution has Scientology made from a social standpoint? I mean, Christianity has founded The Red Cross, The Salvation Army, orphanages, nursing homes, universities, and the like. What has Scientology contributed to society on a socio-economic level?” He answered, “We are very involved in public school education and we also help out the police department.” I said, “Oh, ok.” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We walked a little further, and I asked, “So, what does L. Ron Hubbard have to say about Jesus Christ, out of curiosity?” Vinny answered, “Well, he said Jesus was a great prophet, of course, and a great teacher.” I said, “Oh, with the miracles He did?” He said, “Yes, L. Ron Hubbard says Jesus was very aware and gave people hope to some extent.” I asked, “Well, if He was so “aware” and “highly evolved,” and that was the explanation for the miracles He did, then why did He die on the cross? I mean, why didn’t that charka or “thetan” kick in and save Him from dying on the cross?” He said, “Well, L. Ron Hubbard’s explanation is that Jesus Christ was not clear enough, unfortunately, or aware enough to keep himself from being killed. He was just not aware enough to save himself from being killed.” He paused. “That was a shame,” he added. I replied, “Hmm. Then, why is there the empty grave? What does L. Ron Hubbard have to say about the fact that the grave of Jesus Christ is empty today?” He said, “Oh, he does not comment on that.” I said, “Oh, ok, I understand.”
Continuing to walk the halls, Vinny asked, “So, what do you believe?” I said, “I actually do believe in Jesus. I believe He was God and the only Man that was and is God, and I believe He rose from the dead and is alive today. I believe in the Bible, like the Founding Fathers of this country, as old fashioned as it sounds.” He suddenly changed his calm demeanor, got all excited, and enthusiastically responded, “Dwayna, imagine with me that you were once a god. Just imagine that, if it is not too hard for you.” I said, “Ok, I will try to imagine that.” He continued, “Good. Now, imagine that you were once a god, but you have regressed to being an animal, and you have to work and become more self-realized and more aware so you can become a god again.” I said, “Well, I have not been through any level of Scientology, but you know what? I know I am not an animal. You know why? Because I have the natural capacity as a human being to create a symphony. You know, Bach and Beethoven never took any Scientology classes, but they created symphonies, because human beings, unlike animals, have the natural capacity to create symphonies. Also, I know I am not an animal because I have the natural capacity as a human being to solve chemistry equations. Animals cannot create symphonies or solve chemistry equations, so I know that human beings are different from the animals.” He said, “Well, you are a thinker. I’ll say that much. Let me give you some free material, “ as we headed back to the resource center.
I asked, “So where do you think that L. Ron Hubbard is today? “ He said, “Oh, he is still alive, though he shed his body. He is on to higher things. He probably hangs around this place quite a bit. He is on to higher things, though, that is for sure.” I said, “You know, Vinny, if reincarnation is true, there would have been no reason for Jesus to die. You know the Bible says He died for our sins. He is the only Redeemer,“ Vinny interrupted rolling his eyes, “I know, I know,” rolling his eyes still, “I was raised to believe all of that.”
We returned to Vinny’s desk on the first floor, and I told him I had to go. He reached into a metal briefcase and took out his own personal e-meter machine, which in Scientology determines the worth of someone, basically, depending on the movement of the needle. It is amazing that anyone could fall for such a thing! He said, “Before you go, I want you to hold the e-meter metal cans, and let me measure your energy.” I said, “Oh, no. That’s ok.” He said, “Come on, just hold the metal cans, and I will tell you what the machine says.” I said, “Thanks for asking, but I don’t want to hold the cans.” He said, “It won’t hurt you. Come on now, give me your hand!” I said once more, “I just don’t feel comfortable with that, and I just don’t want to touch it or hold it, but thank you for asking.” Looking straight in my eyes, he replied emphatically, “This machine has the power to save people from hell!” I said, “You mean hell in this world, right? Because you don’t believe in any eternal punishment for sin, as in eternal separation from God in a place called hell, right?” He said, “Right.” I thanked him for the tour and his kindness toward me. He gave me a CD by L. Ron Hubbard, recorded in 1952, called Man the Animal & Man the God. He said, “This is gold!” Vinny asked me what I did for a living. I smiled, and I gave him the web site for this ministry. He told me that he hoped to see me again.
I came home last night and did more research on the Internet to find that people have mysteriously disappeared when they have said anything negative about the Church of Scientology. There are accounts of people committing suicide after reaching the top levels of “awareness”, people dying for lack of medical care, lawsuits against the organization and Hubbard; how Hubbard was married three times, having two wives at the same time; how people have had their lives threatened when they have left; listed, also, were names of people thought to be murdered by the church; how people have had to change their names when escaping; how there are cameras all around the place to keep anyone from leaving who lives there, and to keep anyone on the outside (referred to as WOGS) from coming in. Hubbard’s college records are now available to the public, due to his death. He was never a scientist, and he lied about all of his degrees. I saw his college records on the internet last night from George Washington University. He had a GPA of 43 and dropped out after two years. There is nothing scientific about him or the Church of Scientology. Many people have had nervous breakdowns from the e-meter procedures of dialog. But they don’t tell you any of that. They don’t tell people like Vinny that, either. I realized that it would be too dangerous for me to ever return to their property, though I wish I could help those poor, pitiful, brainwashed people. It is a multi-million dollar world wide organization that plans to take over the world.
This morning I took out the L. Ron Hubbard “highly evolved” CD lesson, Man the Animal & Man the God, from my Scientology bag of souvenirs from yesterday’s visit. There was a postage paid business reply card inside. In regard to their hypnotic power over people, I took a huge, thick magic marker, and without signing my name, I wrote over the questions in large print: GO TO INTERNET. HUBBARD ONLY HAD TWO YEARS OF COLLEGE. HIS MILITARY MEDALS ARE FAKE. IT’S ALL A LIE. THEY HAVE KILLED PEOPLE. IF YOU ARE READING THIS, ESCAPE. I dropped it in the mail, addressed back to the Scientology headquarters.
Fighting the good fight with you,
