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The Clearwater Bubble

JustMe

Patron Meritorious
While all current Scientologists appear to be living in their own bubble, it seems that it is especially true in Clearwater - at least that's my perception based on many people I know who still live there.......

An interesting bit of history is that Clearwater was not the first place seriously considered for being the location of the "Flag Land Base".

The first place checked out was Savannah, Georgia. The Savannah Country Club was seriously checked out well before the Fort Harrison.

I bet most residents of Clearwater would have wished that Savannah was picked after the mission went there to check it out.

In fact it was the two missionaires on that mission to Savannah who were the first to pretend they were from the phony front group/nominee SLDLC ("Southern Land Development and Leasing Corporation") that was later used to buy the Fort Harrison.

So Clearwater became the "mecca" and not Savannah. Lucky Savannah.
 

CoolHand

Patron with Honors
By the way, in case it isn't yet known, I'm also "FoolMeTwice". My first post was "Washing Away" and I started a blog at http://12yearsofjudgment.wordpress.org. I was going to keep those identities different, but decided that it would be too difficult and just not worth it as there is really nothing left to hide since speaking out.
 

Boomima

Patron with Honors
CW's the only place I've heard "wogs" speak Scientologese. It is not a big city by any means, especially not the downtown area. Having all those staff members and money in the heart of downtown CW makes them dominant in the community and SO members don't get as much exposure to the outside world as they do, for example, at PAC.
Clearwater has only about 115,000 people. St Petersburg has a little more than twice the population. Outside of Clearwater, you rarely hear about Scientology. People know what it is but it's basically ignored.
 

OliviaZero

Patron with Honors
I was at FLB and PAC and it's the same amount of exposure believe it or not. That seems counter-intuitive but it's true nonetheless.

ETA

Now that I am reflecting on it. I actually had more freedom to move about when I was at FLB training. When I was at PAC base you couldn't go anywhere without being questioned by security. We used to take the public transit at FLB to go to restaurants and stuff on our days off.

Adam, were libs on Saturday in Clearwater? Or at least Saturday morning? I was there recently, and my travel companion and I noticed on Saturday that there was a steady stream of SOs going to Walgreens, and many were walking outside of the usual SO boundaries, and a couple of them even stopped by to have breakfast at the breakfast place we were at (potentially awkward! Although in retrospect, we wished we'd bought them breakfast).

Also, do they get paid on Saturday? Also, also, how do they afford to buy this stuff? Were these likely the people with extra money from family? Sorry for the list of questions! Answer at your leisure. :)

ETA: I'm sorry, another question. Do you know what goes on at the Mill, exactly? Strictly RPFers working there?
 

Miss Pert

Silver Meritorious Patron
Adam, were libs on Saturday in Clearwater? Or at least Saturday morning? I was there recently, and my travel companion and I noticed on Saturday that there was a steady stream of SOs going to Walgreens, and many were walking outside of the usual SO boundaries, and a couple of them even stopped by to have breakfast at the breakfast place we were at (potentially awkward! Although in retrospect, we wished we'd bought them breakfast).

Also, do they get paid on Saturday? Also, also, how do they afford to buy this stuff? Were these likely the people with extra money from family? Sorry for the list of questions! Answer at your leisure. :)

ETA: I'm sorry, another question. Do you know what goes on at the Mill, exactly? Strictly RPFers working there?

Hi Olivia!

Libs at Flag are usually on Saturday as is personal cleaning time. They get paid Friday arvo so as soon as they have cleaned their quarters Saturday morning they are on the bus to CW to stock up on supplies. WE OOTs (out org trainees) did the same thing. Sorry I can't answer the question about the Mill though.
 

OliviaZero

Patron with Honors
Hi Olivia!

Libs at Flag are usually on Saturday as is personal cleaning time. They get paid Friday arvo so as soon as they have cleaned their quarters Saturday morning they are on the bus to CW to stock up on supplies. WE OOTs (out org trainees) did the same thing. Sorry I can't answer the question about the Mill though.

Thank you, lovely! That does help a great deal with some things we were wondering. That morning is the only time I saw any of them smile, also. :(
 

OliviaZero

Patron with Honors
Hi Olivia!

Libs at Flag are usually on Saturday as is personal cleaning time. They get paid Friday arvo so as soon as they have cleaned their quarters Saturday morning they are on the bus to CW to stock up on supplies. WE OOTs (out org trainees) did the same thing. Sorry I can't answer the question about the Mill though.

Ok, Miss P, maybe you can shed light on this: A large group of people (appearing to be mostly Asian), going for a run from Hacienda Gardens yesterday morning. Did not appear to be RPF/EPF. OOTs, maybe. Is there mandatory running for them somehow? Could they be on the purif? Thanks in advance!
 

Smurf

Gold Meritorious SP
Ok, Miss P, maybe you can shed light on this: A large group of people (appearing to be mostly Asian), going for a run from Hacienda Gardens yesterday morning. Did not appear to be RPF/EPF. OOTs, maybe. Is there mandatory running for them somehow? Could they be on the purif? Thanks in advance!

That could very well be Scios from Taiwan doing the Purif, which has long been done at the HG compound.

Clearwater is seeing alot more Asians and South American natives in the SO, nowadays.
 

Miss Pert

Silver Meritorious Patron
Ok, Miss P, maybe you can shed light on this: A large group of people (appearing to be mostly Asian), going for a run from Hacienda Gardens yesterday morning. Did not appear to be RPF/EPF. OOTs, maybe. Is there mandatory running for them somehow? Could they be on the purif? Thanks in advance!

I don't think they would be OOTs, we were berthed at 3 motels in a different part of CW to the HG, but they may have moved them since I was there. It is possible it was a purif thing as Smurf said. Another possibility is.... when I first arrived as an OOT we used to have to muster every morning in the car park of the Clipper berthing block and do calisthenics, some people CSWd to go jogging instead, I'm not sure if the SO guys were expected to do this too or not.

After a while they stopped allowing people to jog and then when the Basics push came in they stopped exercises totally and sent half of us into the base early to do sales call in. Not me of course, I managed to get out of doing sales stuff. Getting sick a lot had it's advantages, especially when you got sick during the hatting process for call in and if you hadn't done the hatting you weren't allowed to do the call in. :biggrin:
 

OliviaZero

Patron with Honors
That could very well be Scios from Taiwan doing the Purif, which has long been done at the HG compound.

Clearwater is seeing alot more Asians and South American natives in the SO, nowadays.

I don't think they would be OOTs, we were berthed at 3 motels in a different part of CW to the HG, but they may have moved them since I was there. It is possible it was a purif thing as Smurf said. Another possibility is.... when I first arrived as an OOT we used to have to muster every morning in the car park of the Clipper berthing block and do calisthenics, some people CSWd to go jogging instead, I'm not sure if the SO guys were expected to do this too or not.

After a while they stopped allowing people to jog and then when the Basics push came in they stopped exercises totally and sent half of us into the base early to do sales call in. Not me of course, I managed to get out of doing sales stuff. Getting sick a lot had it's advantages, especially when you got sick during the hatting process for call in and if you hadn't done the hatting you weren't allowed to do the call in. :biggrin:

Thank you, both. This is pretty much what we were leaning toward, too, Smurf. And Miss Pert, the extra info about what you went through is very valuable. I'm so glad you're outta there!
 

OldAuditor

Patron with Honors
Is there a backstory?

I've already been declared for over a year. It has just taken me this long to not be afraid to speak out. http://luke-catton.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-new-leaf.html Thanks Pooks and Smurf for the Padgett story - I'll have to check that out. An JM - never knew about Savannah. That's interesting history. Savannah is only 4 hours from me now and would have been a hell of a lot easier!

Luke, can you explain this article "Setting the Record Straight" published over your name on truthbetold.onsourcescn.com


I failed to follow proper Church channels and persist on correct internal comm lines due to my own overts and withholds, which included a failure to apply KSW to myself and others. As a result I wound up reading and watching several entheta news stories online. From there I searched and began reading websites and blogs of former Church members who have since been declared SPs. I read these blog postings for a period of approximately three months and I became consumed with the entheta. I bought into the lies and natter and had even participated by posting highly critical and suppressive comments on Marty Rathbun’s blog. In addition, I sent a few emails to Marty Rathbun, David St. Lawrence, Jim Logan and Christie Collbran in an attempt to contact Mike Rinder.

The emails were seeking agreement on my own problems that I was creating within the Church and by communicating with these individuals, I was in effect supporting their activities and intentions. Each one of these people encouraged me to leave the Church and to attempt to get others to leave as well.

The communications included an insidious attempt for me to find buttons and mutual out-ruds on others in order to spread entheta (Christie), directing me to other complete squirrel websites for reference material (Jim) as well as the promotion of complete non-standard meters (David).

The craziest part is that these attempts are extremely covert in that they were trying to befriend me to join their group with the claim that they were the only way to get “standard LRH tech” – and yet what they are promoting is the complete opposite of it!

I had also sought agreement from other Church members, including my wife, parents and co-workers, and tried to communicate my upsets to them and attempted to spread entheta from these websites. This was not okay.

In my emails to Marty, I asked if he knew where I could find an auditor outside of the Church who still holds valid certificates and if he knew of a way to get my folders from Flag.

He replied that he could audit me and that he didn’t need my folders, but instead would conduct a “case check.”

I then asked, “What about my OT levels?”

He said he could deliver those as well.

I told him I was not meter-trained and had not done Solo 1.

He said he could train me on the meter also – stating that it would include at-home drilling and then returning to see him.

I realized that this was:

1. a complete squirrel activity,

2. that it was anti-LRH,

3. that his actions are preventing people from moving up The Bridge,

4. that he is a true SP.

And at that moment, I stopped communicating with him.

Upon further inspection, I see that people posting comments on Marty’s blog include people who had intentions to outright destroy the Church and any LRH groups such as social betterment activities. These “friends” of Marty, Mike and crew include members of Anonymous – people who have committed hate crimes against the Church and include some of the most vile and outright evil members of society. One of their modes of operation is to instill fear in current Scientologists to make them think that the Church is evil or bad in some way in order to create more of a separation while feeding bank agreement.

That is not a group of people that I want anything to do with. My ignorance of the situation does not justify my unfounded actions and in no way excuses anything I have done.

In my comments and emails, I made very degrading remarks about the Church and individual Scientologists.

I am retracting all of the statements I made because they were completely baseless. These remarks included Joking and Degrading high-ranking members of the Sea Org such as David Miscavige and Tommy Davis, whom not only do I not personally know, but whose products toward advancing Scientology and helping Mankind are innumerable.

I had also been finding fault with and criticizing promotional activities and Church expansion as well as committing suppressive reasonableness regarding the intentions of those groups who are attacking Scientology and Scientologists. The communications I forwarded were absolutely horrific as they are not representative of who I really am and what I stand for. They were ignorant and suppressive.

I let down my group and LRH and I feel absolutely horrible for doing so. I am going to fix the problems that I caused.

The real me supports LRH policy and the legacy that he left us and will use correct lines and terminals from now on regarding anything having to do with the Church.

The Church is doing more to help Mankind than any other group on the planet and holds the only true route to spiritual freedom.

– Luke Catton aka "Steve"
 

CoolHand

Patron with Honors
I absolutely can, David. Thank you. I actually even commented about it elsewhere today. When I was faced with the verbal declare and shown a bunch of propaganda by Kathy True and Marion Pouw back in January/February of 2011, they had me sit down and write a "public announcement" on the spot to start an A-E program, which had to meet their approval. Faced with immediate disconnection (and prior to another year and a half worth of research), I edited it three or four times at their request until it met their qualifications of what they wanted it to say. They then told me it would be posted somewhere, but would not have my name on it, and indeed it only had my initials at first.

I had revisited that site and thought the page was taken down after my official declare happened several months later. Then I got a call from someone I suspect to be working with OSA who told me she saw it up on that site again and that now it not only had my name on it, but that it also had the screen name I was using on Marty's blog at the end of 2012/ beginning of 2011.

When I looked and sure enough saw it was there, I sent an email to the address I had for Kathy True last Saturday and told her it was ridiculous and that she needed to remove it.

The longer they keep it up, the more stupid they look. I wasn't the only person who recanted my forced write-up. I am truly sorry for what I said about you and anyone else. That is not how I see things now at all, and wish everyone well on his/her chosen path.
 

OliviaZero

Patron with Honors
I absolutely can, David. Thank you. I actually even commented about it elsewhere today. When I was faced with the verbal declare and shown a bunch of propaganda by Kathy True and Marion Pouw back in January/February of 2011, they had me sit down and write a "public announcement" on the spot to start an A-E program, which had to meet their approval. Faced with immediate disconnection (and prior to another year and a half worth of research), I edited it three or four times at their request until it met their qualifications of what they wanted it to say. They then told me it would be posted somewhere, but would not have my name on it, and indeed it only had my initials at first.

I had revisited that site and thought the page was taken down after my official declare happened several months later. Then I got a call from someone I suspect to be working with OSA who told me she saw it up on that site again and that now it not only had my name on it, but that it also had the screen name I was using on Marty's blog at the end of 2012/ beginning of 2011.

When I looked and sure enough saw it was there, I sent an email to the address I had for Kathy True last Saturday and told her it was ridiculous and that she needed to remove it.

The longer they keep it up, the more stupid they look. I wasn't the only person who recanted my forced write-up. I am truly sorry for what I said about you and anyone else. That is not how I see things now at all, and wish everyone well on his/her chosen path.

That letter makes me so sad. I can't imagine what you went through with the "thought police" to have that letter be the end product. It must have been dreadful. I'm glad you made it back to the other side, Luke. I appreciate your honesty about everything.
 

CoolHand

Patron with Honors
That letter makes me so sad. I can't imagine what you went through with the "thought police" to have that letter be the end product. It must have been dreadful. I'm glad you made it back to the other side, Luke. I appreciate your honesty about everything.

Thank you, Olivia. It was was absolutely a police state. These guys are insane, and as each month goes by I find myself being able to stand up straighter and see things more clearly.
 

Man de la Mancha

Patron with Honors
In some of my conversations with Scientologists, they go on high-alert when any forbidden ideas or words even come into the conversation.

The same thing is apparent amongst some of the independents (although not in such a ham-handed way as your skit... usually). That's why I found it refreshing to see the video of Terril speaking freely about "exorcism". The cat's out of the bag on that one and continual denials are unbecoming. It is a practice that has existed as long as religion and should not be treated as "taboo". Incident 2 aside, the removal of BTs should not come as a great shock to the world. With this in mind, I understand Scientology's desire to withhold OT3 data, but I don't understand why the whole thing must be attached to some specific incident, and I think it would be very easy to remove it from scripture - just like the Christians did way back in the day.

The next step would be to acknowledge the fact that neither LRH nor the tech are perfect ("it works" would be adequate). This would not de-legitimize the religion. In fact it would do the opposite. People don't really believe in perfection and I don't think it makes a good sell, especially not in an era when it is so easy to disprove claimed perfections.

This is so obvious it would be silly if it weren't so destructive.

For example, Let's say Jane goes into her local ideal org and looks at all the elaborate displays touting Hubbard's various accomplishments. This event, purely for the sake of sales, should be handled very differently than it was in the 80s, but it's not.

Nowadays its a whole new ballgame. Every staff member on the planet knows about this new thing called the internet. They all know about search engines and wikipedia, and they know that people are looking for any plausible way to discredit Scientology and, in this regard, Scn Inc has been the gift that keeps on giving.

LRH died before he could put together the "Internet Tech", but I am quite certain he would have handled things differently.

So how should the staff member respond when Jane returns next week all ARC broken because some website "debunked" the LRH display? How about, "yeah, we like to 'hamm-up' the 'ol man a bit, but what's important is that he created this tech that seems to work on just about everybody". Whatever.

Regardless of whether the "official" LRH biography is entirely accurate, it would be adviseable to remove the elaborate displays at ideal orgs. It could be 100% true, but with all the naysayers it would still create an unstoppable internet nightmare that turns people away before reading even a page of Dianetics.

Pro's and Anti's can argue til they're blue in the face over whether Scientology works, and nobody will ever win or lose that argument. That's where Scientology should try to focus internet debate.
 
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