Veda,
I appreciate that you started this thread but I failed to read your post carefully enough. Otherwise I would have jumped in sooner with some additional information:
Negatives are explored for the very reason you stated. One has to look at both to understand why a decision was made and whether the result was worthwhile. Dissent is encouraged. Invalidation is discouraged.
I agree completely. Scientology became a cult with the creation of the Sea Org as its militant priesthood in the late sixties and KSW #1 as it primary dogma.
For those who have never looked at the details of cult behavior, I wrote
Are you now, or have you ever been a member of a cult?
Interestingly enough there are ex-SO and ex-scientologists who still do not believe they were in a cult. Read my article and decide for yourself.