CLEARWATER, Fla. — Raised as Scientologists, Christie King Collbran and her husband, Chris, were recruited as teenagers to work for the elite corps of staff members who keep the Church of Scientology running, known as the Sea Organization, or Sea Org.Read the rest here.
They signed a contract for a billion years — in keeping with the church’s belief that Scientologists are immortal. They worked seven days a week, often on little sleep, for sporadic paychecks of $50 a week, at most.
But after 13 years and growing disillusionment, the Collbrans decided to leave the Sea Org, setting off on a Kafkaesque journey that they said required them to sign false confessions about their personal lives and their work, pay the church thousands of dollars it said they owed for courses and counseling, and accept the consequences as their parents, siblings and friends who are church members cut off all communication with them.
“Why did we work so hard for this organization,” Ms. Collbran said, “and why did it feel so wrong in the end? We just didn’t understand.”
They soon discovered others who felt the same. Searching for Web sites about Scientology that are not sponsored by the church (an activity prohibited when they were in the Sea Org), they discovered that hundreds of other Scientologists were also defecting — including high-ranking executives who had served for decades.
I have just one question. Why are the leaders of this cult/scam not in jail?
I am thrilled to see Orthodox Christians here in San Francisco taking an interest. I have often prayed at the shrine of St. John to forgive the criminals in the cult, for the release of captives, and the protection of Anonymous, who have done so much to help bring the cult down in the last two years.
ReplyDeleteDavid Miscavige and his minions are not in jail because not enough Christians are outraged enough to speak up and demand action from our government officials.
Through the intercession of St. John may we end the this evil.