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News from Hungary and an introduction

Thalkirst

Patron with Honors
Hello everyone,

not so long ago I decided to take the fight against the Church to new level and decided to reveal my identity, talk to the media and write a book about my experiences in the Sea Org.

My name is Peter Bonyai, and I was a Scientologist for 12 years (1995-2007), and I spent around 8 years in the Sea Org. I was a crew member in OTL Central Europe (Operations and Transport Liaision, a small continental office basically, responsible for the Central and Eastern European activities of the Church). I started out as a translator, later became the CO of OTL Training Org (kind of a Qual Sec + Services Reg in one), and then Supercargo (basically the deputy CO for internal matters, a sort of a "fixer"). I spent the last two years as the Fundraising In-Charge for the Budapest Ideal Org project. Also, if any international reges arrived (IAS - Achim Bendig or the Superpower people), I was supposed to help them out.

I gave an interview recently to a Hungarian weekly magazine called Heti Válasz, and they made a 30-minute video about Scientology.

I am in it, as well as "Cherrish" aka Cherrytree (her story is in this thread).

You can also see an OSA lawyer in action - the attorney of the CoS has agreed to speak to the reported (as far as I know it was not coordinated with OSA Int and they were quite upset about it).

The former and current Data Protection Ombudsmans also gave their viewpoint on certain issues.

Here is the video (English subtitles are available):

[video=youtube;tWNuOPEVk0U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWNuOPEVk0U[/video]

I also wrote a book called "Szcientológus voltam" (I was a Scientologist) which has been published and available in the bookstores in Hungary.

The Church in Hungary

As you might have heard, the Church of Scientology will lose its religious recognition by 1 Jan 2012 (in a month!). As far as I know they are rather busy trying to figure out how to continue their operations, but nothing is decided yet.

I will post more later.
 

Dulloldfart

Squirrel Extraordinaire
I watched the first 6 minutes of that video. It is full of sinister music — quite appropriate really! The English subtitles are well done, not a machine translation of written Hungarian. It's a professional video, not something tossed off.

The content looks useful for warning new people, if they haven't already got the picture.

Their lawyer was funny. He said he doesn't believe in God (thinking Scn is a religion about God), is not a Scio, and people should be free to say whatever they want. I doubt he will last long!

Good for you, Peter. :)

Paul
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
Thalrirst, Thank-You for what you've done and telling your story. I believe that if enough of us do this, just tell of our experiences while in the Sea Org and Scientology in general that it will have an enormous impact on helping people in the future veer away from this soul-sucking cult.
 
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AngeloV

Gold Meritorious Patron
Thank you, Peter for doing the video and writing your book. It is good to see more and more people speaking out against scientology and its deceptions and lies.
 

loose cannon

Patron with Honors
Hi Peter!

We know each other. I am Vítek Profant, the Czech guy who was on EPF in the OTL Budapest from Nov. 2000 till Dec. 2000. Funny, I remembered you a couple of days ago, for no reason whatsoever. Another funny thing is that I've always thought of you as someone exceptionally intelligent for a scio, but when I was asking myself who of the people I met in Hungary is out by now, I never thought of you as a possibility.

But whatever, I'm glad that you've managed it out. I got sick of the Sea Org very soon and when it hadn't been accepted for months that I wanted to get out, I just climbed over the fence in the back court of the hotel Corona in Copenhagen in July 2001 and went my way. I was then delared in June 2002.

But I have never regretted that decision. I finished my university and have been working as a software developer ever since. I got married and we have too sons. BTW, this summer we were at Balaton for our holiday. I'm a little active in the Ron's Org too, but currently the most important thing for me is learing German so I can try my luck in Switzerland, out of this freaking EU.

I've got a fairly voluminous blog in Czech, mainly on scientology, and a also a blog in English, but I haven't managed to make enough time to make it bigger.

You certaily also know Jirka Lorenz, who did EPF in Hungary some time before me. He blew from the Sea Org some half a year after me, but he was intensely damaged and then was bad off in his life. A year ago I took him to the Ron's Org's training camp and he got many "discharge" sessions and assists. With some comm-lag, his attitude towards life changed and the last spring or summer he started to work as a taxi driver and he's doing much better.

I'd certaily like to hear more from you.

Vítek
 

Infinite

Troublesome Internet Fringe Dweller
The "WEEK OF WIN" continues . . .

..

6427954513_78c17ddcfe.jpg

. . . yep, researching that damn intertubeweb can lead to all sorts of freedoms.

Thank you Peter Bonyai. Now do MOAR ; )
 
G

Gottabrain

Guest
This is fantastic news! So Hungary will be the FIRST COUNTRY CLEARED OF THE CULT OF SCIENTOLOGY!! Congratulations. That is so so wonderful. Thank you for all your hard work.

russia-hockey-world-champions.jpg


I had a hard time finding the interpreter, finally figured out I had to go to the original YouTube vid and click on the top of the vid. Finally saw the vid. Nice!

Then I took a few minutes to look up the size of Hungary. Hungary is much bigger than I thought! It has just over 10 million people. Compared to other countries' populations, that's bigger than Haiti, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, Israel, HongKong, Serbia, etc.

Hungary is #85 in the world by population size, and about half the size of the population of Australia.

So this is no small thing.

Thank you. You done GOOD. :yes:
 

Thalkirst

Patron with Honors
Thank you for the acknowledgements. I definitely want to do more about it in the future.

To Vitek and anyone interested:

I definitely know you and I remember Jirka, too. It is glad to know that you are both doing well.

I am now working as a freelance translator, but I also buy and sell computer and console games on Ebay and other online auction sites. My wife left the Sea Org with me and we have a beautiful daughter called Nikolett, who is 1,5 years old.

Vitek, do you know anything about the Prague mission? Also, is the Sikora family still in, pouring the cash into IAS coffers? :)
 

loose cannon

Patron with Honors
I am now working as a freelance translator, but I also buy and sell computer and console games on Ebay and other online auction sites. My wife left the Sea Org with me and we have a beautiful daughter called Nikolett, who is 1,5 years old.

Sweet. BTW you look very good in the video.

Vitek, do you know anything about the Prague mission?

Prague mission has moved 3 times since 2001.

First around 2006 a little out from the town center to smaller premises.

Then (2008-2009 I guess) a little closer to the town centre, but the place was harder to reach (no underground station nearby). At that time I learned from a friend of mine that "the mission was not in a good condition". But apparently he has been made to disconnect from me ever since and thus I don't have the most fresh information.

And recently the mission moved back to the town center to almost as good location as in 2001. It's a little mystery to me because I don't believe in a miraculous recovery of the mission. But there's a certain hint: the premises of an estate agency owned by a Scientologist are directly across the street.

Also, is the Sikora family still in, pouring the cash into IAS coffers? :)
I remember Sikora's family from the 1990s, but I haven't seen them or heard about them ever since. I'll ask another ex-churchie who was more directly involved in those entrepreneur circles.
 
Re: News from Hungary and an introduction/Achim bendig

Hi,
I am looking for ACHIM BENDIG who is in this post already. I have found some mailadresses (AB AUTO Czech) but the Address is dead.
ACHIM BENDIG was offloaded in 2006 and mooved to Czech.
I don't know if he is still there.....
I am very much interested if somebody know if he has still connections with the CHURCH and DM`s Organisation or if he might have moved to the FREEZONE or if he is out...

Thank you I wish you all the best

GP
 

slimjim

Patron with Honors
Thalkirst,

How are things going??

I just read your post today and see you posted this end of November and had some posts in early December and nothing after that. I am hoping you are ok!!!

All my best wishes are with you and thank you for doing what you do!!

Slimjim
 

Thalkirst

Patron with Honors
Re: News from Hungary and an introduction/Achim bendig

Hi,
I am looking for ACHIM BENDIG who is in this post already. I have found some mailadresses (AB AUTO Czech) but the Address is dead.
ACHIM BENDIG was offloaded in 2006 and mooved to Czech.
I don't know if he is still there.....
I am very much interested if somebody know if he has still connections with the CHURCH and DM`s Organisation or if he might have moved to the FREEZONE or if he is out...

Thank you I wish you all the best

GP

AFAIK Achim is still a Scientologist - a bit disaffected, but has not left the Church.
 

Thalkirst

Patron with Honors
Thalkirst,

How are things going??

I just read your post today and see you posted this end of November and had some posts in early December and nothing after that. I am hoping you are ok!!!

All my best wishes are with you and thank you for doing what you do!!

Slimjim

A bit of an update:

- 3800 copies of the book has been sold so far.

- The Church did not harass me at all, not even a press release, nothing, zero reaction to the interviews and the book. But they did put up a generic "DA" website at http://www.tuddmegazigazsagot.hu/ (means "find out the truth"), with official Church responses to OSA, Operation Snow White, Lisa McPherson and the situations in France, Germany, Russia, etc and the usual "theta news" about all the new buildings.

- The loss of religious recognition and the sky-high pressure for donations had a surprising effect - an apparent 75% decrease in the number of active Scientology. The latest Hubbard birthday event had 300 attendees - a record low here. In 2001-2005, there were usually 1000-1200 attendees.

- Also, the start of the Drugfree Marathon (the two Scientologists organizing this annual event even got a Freedom Medal for it) was attended by around 30-50(!) people, almost exclusively Scientologists. They could easily get together 200-300 people in the previous years.

Some news on the fundraising and "Ideal Org":

- according to insider info, 1.5 billion HUF was raised already (around 6.5 million USD) but they need 300 million HUF (1.25 million USD) more for the immediate renos. Also, there was a mention of an additional 1 billion HUF to be collected after this initial 300 million HUF is realized, because of the custom made furniture they are supposed to order directly from Int (for example they need a special desk for the LRH Office, manufactured in LA, which costs 6500 USD alone). The staff would sit on custom made 750 USD office chairs, etc. Special Dell computers are to be bought, and the make of the LCD panels is also set.

- Some more insider info: CSI billed the Hungarian Church for the space plans, for a whopping 520,000 USD. This was too much even for the local Koolaid drinkers and the ED Budapest simply refused to pay. The EU Landlord Monica Aslanis came down and threatened with every possible justice action. After a bit of negotiations, 450,000 USD was agreed upon and sent to CSI. It is still an outrageous amount and I hope the the tax office investigates the ex-church as this sum is totally disproportionate to the quality and quantity of services rendered.

- There were also some interesting "FSM commission" payments - apparently one of the OT VIII has retroactively submitted FSM slips for some of the bigger donations and then "donated" the 10%s to the local Sea Org unit, OTL Central Europe. Around 70 million HUF (300,000 USD) was transferred to OTL, which is coincidentally the cost of some super-duper translations computer equipment they had to buy at that time...

- The building was bought in 2005 and now, 6 and a half years later, the renovations have actually started.

- The fundraising motif is based on the movie "300" (I bet they don't pay any royalties :)). They need 300 "Spartans" (=300 million HUF donations) to defeat the vast army of wogs/reactive mind/SPs etc. So they are asking the Scilons to send a "Spartan" (or preferably more) to the war. Anyone giving at least a million HUF gets a Spartan helmet replica. Nice, isn't it? :)
 
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