Critical Q&A

My question-and-answer video show, where I take up questions subscribers and commenters have asked me in my videos and answer them as best I can. Questions this week:

(1) What would the world look like if Scientology succeeded in “clearing” the planet? What kind of reality could that possibly be and how does it compare to their stated goals for a “cleared” planet? What do they claim they’re going for and what would really happen? What is the payoff? What happens if everyone alive is a Scientologist?

(2) The late Christopher Hitchens (a personal hero of mine) often stated that one of the reasons why he became an American citizen was that the USA is the only western democracy that has a separation of church and state in its very constitution. He was however, also one of the first to notice and comment upon the paradox that religion seems to saturate everything in America. This includes, but is not limited to the news, politics, legislation etc. As a former cult member, you more than most I would suspect, know that people are motivated by beliefs and ideas. Therefore the fact that religion seemingly saturates everything, including your highest public office, does this concern you?

(3) What do you mean by “sexual identity extremists”? I’m very curious what that means for you and what you think about it.

(4) Why do Scientologists use so much made-up jargon instead of perfectly good words from the million-word English language (and if the answer is “because LRH did,” then my question is the same, only about him)? Best reason I can think of is something like this: I’ve noticed that when authors write self-help/pop-psych/business motivation books, the content is often mindless fluff, filled with no new insight. To disguise that, they do something similar, by making up new names for concepts that have been around forever, sometimes creating so many names that they actually add a glossary in the back. Do you think Scientologists do that to disguise the empty mess that is their message?

(5) I live close to the Pasadena org and always wonder if I met a Scientologist, what question can I make (without offending them)? How they are saving this “sector” of the universe? Or, should I just leave it alone and smile as I walk by? I feel like I should say something to make them think for themselves but I feel it’s useless.

(6) Chris, my Brother of Reason, I love your efforts and appreciate that you take the time to do this right. I am a huge fan. This has to be the weirdest question so far: what does Scientology smell like? I know that sounds silly but at its best, football smells of fresh-cut grass and airborne chalk-powder, maybe some stale beer in the stands and roasting hot-dogs. At its worst football smells like sweat, dirty socks and dried blood. Can you give us the visceral and olfactory experience of both ends of this spectrum in regards to the culture of Scientology?

(7) So did you not know that LRH was married more than once? What did you know about his private life when you were still in?

(8) Could you please clarify for me the Church of Scientology’s position and belief system concerning abortion? If L Ron Hubbard stated in Dianetics that people could suffer considerable negative emotional fallout from the time when they were a fetus, caused by hearing their parents arguing, how can abortion, or the strong consideration of abortion, not also have substantial negative consequences for the fetus/person? When is the soul believed to enter a fetus in Scientology? If the soul is considered to be present from the point of conception, then what happens to the soul if the fetus is aborted? Do Scientologists believe the soul passes on to another fetus? If this is the case does that new fetus/person still experience negative emotions from being aborted in a past life?

(9) How many copies of The Road To Freedom CD have you purchased and listened to over the years? Does Scientology convince you that those songs are for real? That is surely the worst album ever recorded.

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