QUOTE (bee @ Jun 24 2008, 03:32 PM)

Also, I also don't get....why, if it's all so terrible.... high-profile, rich people get involved? Is it true that Will Smith
is involved....or have I got that wrong and it's just a rumour?
I have a pretty simple answer for this. Many years ago (in the 50's) when LRH started his organization, he felt one of the best ways to attract the common person was to get celebrities involved. There is a CoS in Hollywood called the "Celebrity Center" Yes, it's a chruch just for Celebs. The kind of Scientology that celebs are taught and fed is completely different from what the common person gets. Totally different. You won't find any celebs that send their kids off to Sea Org nor will they or their kids get sent to the punishment camps to work off their "surpressive behavior". What those high profile people get is SO much different from the common schmuck. celebs don't have to work 20 hours a day for the church the same way the no money Joe might to work off their payments.
QUOTE (Omnaka @ Jun 24 2008, 04:38 PM)

You seem to Back them, and defend them, I'm still waiting for an Scientlogist to Come and tell their story. I see alot of Scientologist bashing threads, Maybe I should go to one of the links provided and ask one to Join us in this trial where Beliefs and Lifestyles are Judged?
It won't happen. Simply put, Scientologists who have the inside track on the organization are disallowed from using the internet, watching news, reading papers etc... it's considered a distraction (yea right). It's also the reason the celebs have "handlers" who sheild them from any news or internet usage that might turn them on to what the rest of the world thinks about their religion and what former members say. With one exception... they do task several of their members (often school aged children), to come to places like UM and dispute what's being said. As I understand it though, CoS numbers are dropping rapidly, and they don't have enough people to combat all the negative information flowing around the internet anymore. They did try for a long time though.
Most people aren't even aware that mega internet giant Earthlink used to be run by a very high ranking Scientologist; that is absolutely known for sure. The whole company was believed to be a front for CoS by some folks (I don't know if that's true.... but). it's since changed hands, but I have hair raising stories from a few folks I knew who worked for Earthlink in the early 90's who were REQUIRED to work Dynetics at work whether they were Scio's or not! Sky Dayton, founder and former CEO is quite a head case. Many of those folks left Earthlink fearfully and came to work for the company I worked for HLC.