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In the past, Scientology promotion could be found on Usenet groups and press releases. Now, sites like this have been added to their arsenal, as teams of "citizen journalist" Scientologists have begun adding promotional articles to the mix.
The most informative thing about these articles is the commentary exchange following a provocative topic. On this site, you can read about how Scientology might enhance your sex life, or how children wish to grow up "just like L. Ron Hubbard," the founder of Scientology. Then too, there's the article inexplicably entitled "It is Hopeless to Not Be a Scientologist," which suggests they are about to take over the world, so you'd better get on board.
Amusingly, there is also a rant claiming that Scientology critics are all criminals or ex-members who simply weren't ethical enough for the organization.
These pieces are all by the same writer, who is doing his best to get people to look at Scientology-produced sites which, surprise surprise, promote Scientology!
Unfortunately for the writer, he has become a straight man for a large number of well-informed Scientology critics; people who have done a lot of research and are able to refute the lies, misleading statements, and slippery Scientology "logic" that is
typical of Scientology PR flacks.
Why the desperate attempt to promote and defend Scientology? In January of 2008, the number of critics exploded as people on
the Internet decided they'd had enough of this cult trying to censor information online. Since then, thousands of internal Scientology documents were made public. Ex-members, emboldened by the sheer number of critics, began to speak out. Some have launched lawsuits against cult abuses; human trafficking, forced abortion and abuse are being exposed. The stories from these people have a thematic coherence of shared experience.
Scientology representatives attack the messenger, deny the allegations, and squall about "religious bigotry" and persecution. At the same time, it is clear that new membership has plummeted, but those still "in" insist that Scientology is expanding; in part because local chapters are being pressed to buy large buildings which are then signed over to the Mother Ship at the top of the corporate ladder. These buildings are "proof" that the organization is growing; the fact that many of these properties are unused and not maintained escapes them.
It's been a hard time for Scientology. Since 2008 began, there have been high level defections, lawsuits launched against them for fraud, practicing medicine without a license, and other charges in France and Belgium. Germany continues to monitor them, viewing the group as a threat to their constitution.
Scientology front groups have been exposed and mocked. Their "drug rehab" program, Narconon, has seen the collapse of several of their flagship facilities. Second Chance, a knockoff of Narconon, was expelled from Albuquerque due to a comedy of errors culminating with the disappearance of kitchen appliances that vanished when the front group sneaked out in the middle of the night.
And every time a Scientologist tries to promote the unscientific, bogus teachings from a drug using, college dropout pulp fiction hack, someone is there to point out the flaws in their arguments. Scientologists become straight men to educated, well informed individuals whom they inevitably label criminals. What follows is a superb demonstration of the Scientologists' severe lack of critical thinking skills, dodgy logic, and a willingness to outright lie in order to make a point. Unfortunately, these lies are easily refuted by people who understand the difference between anecdotal testimonials and documented proof.
Every argument they offer in defense consists of ad hominem attacks on their critics, links to Scientology websites, and unsubstantiated statements of "fact" that are easily disproven.
Readers might be curious as to why the sudden spate of essays promoting this destructive organization. It is because they are desperate; their public outreach is being slowly shut down, one front group after another. Their attempts to position themselves as human rights activists are being challenged by their own history of abuses.
Simply put, a better informed populace is no longer ignorant of Scientology's fifty year history of espionage, abuse and lies. And they simply cannot back up their arguments in the face of solid evidence as high profile issues such as the death of Jett Travolta focus attention on their dangerous, destructive beliefs. The organization's attempt to censor information is failing. It's hard to claim to champion free speech when clearly, the only free speech they support is their own.
This is not a religious issue, although Hubbard stated more than once that Scientology is not a religion. People are speaking out against the abuses, the intolerance, the fraud, intimidation and lies the organization wields as weapons to terrorize and silence their critics.
It's not working any more. Too many eyes are watching. As more citizens become aware of the true nature of Scientology, the impact on politicians will be evident. A relationship with Scientology will be seen as political suicide on a par with a relationship with the KKK or the American Nazi Party.
The sun is setting on the Scientology empire. Buckle up, and enjoy the ride. Popcorn is encouraged.