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One little thing is whether you worked with OSA or for them. Not important but I'd still comment that with all those people you worked "with" (so many, in so many places, you have difficulty remembering them) I'd guess they would have reported stats you got "for" them, not "with" them. Even without the stats, brainwashed cult control freaks may have seen your working relationship a little differently than you saw it. HOW THEY SAW MY RELATIONSHIP IS NOT MY CONCERN.
No doubt, your well-known performer status ( I humbly forgo use of the word "celebrity") would have meant a cosy, buddy, style of management of you as an employee, or volunteer. DB, as you might have gathered, I don't take orders. No one "managed" me. Everything I did, was my own idea. I controlled EVERY aspect of every appearance that I was a part of.
From day one, I spoke ONLY about religious freedom and other human rights issues. I worked WITH OSA, on a "co-ordination basis". Of course, they were using my Relgious Freedom Events to raise their own "stats". I had no stats. Just my conscience and my belief that I was trying to do the right thing. I had nothing to gain "internally" from any of what I did.
That may have helped to convince you that you were working "with" them. There is so much more ARC in that version of things.
See, I haven't said you are wrong here. I am just throwing ideas around. And you could have indeed worked only "with" them. If that's true, I could ask if your independence gave you enough distance to observe how hard they worked on manipulation to gain the goodwill of public for brainwashing, or religious conversion.
DB, as you saw in the press release that I posted, I have never tried to "convert" anyone. That was never my intention, and I stated that in ALL my press releases, and at the events themselves. I worked with representatives from MULITPLE religious movements who were being discriminated against.
By the way, You were in super frigg'n power for IAS by the sound of it. If that ain't workin for them I don't know what is. They prolly stuck a saliors badge and cap on you and forced some of the downstat OT's to work for you! Did they do that? I was their most-successful fundraiser. I have admitted that. However, no one "worked" for me. We don't do sailor's badges or caps... not a good look for an old italian.
Next thing. I haven't said you did anything illegal. We are talking about scientology here so if you had, I would not even say anything about it, like attack you, or judge you etc. I asked about that because we are after all talking about the cult of scientology, particulary OSA, and not to wonder if that is an element in a particular story could be naive, although I know that committing crimes doesn't get handed out as a task to everybody, or all departments/areas of the organization. What I am discussing is what I FACTUALLY did. My purpose was a free and open discussion of human rights issues. That is what I spoke out for.
Try as you may, you will not make me responsible for OSA's purported or actual crimes. I perpetrated no crime, fraud, soul-harvesting nor brain-washing. I never abused an audience's trust, and I gained nothing financially from anything I did for religious freedom. Quite the contrary.
I could, once again just wonder about something else which is not really important, and that is all that loot you hauled in for IAS - and other fundraising, perhaps regging? It was all above board. But was it a nice thing to do? Or did you have to, by yourself, or working with others trick or contrive to get those doners to release those wads of cash. I got some money out of people when I was in, for services, not IAS, unfortunately I was fairly incompetent at that job so didn't get much. Had I been better at the job I would have gotten a lot more. I regret some of that of course. I was raising money (so I thought) for the legal defense of individual Scientologists and Scientologist-owned companies throughout german-speaking Europe. After everything that had (so publicly) happened to me, I was extremely effective. On top of that, when I sing, people listen.
I dont' know what to say about your religious freedom crusade as it applies specifically to Germany. The cause itself is not something I completely disagree with. But you hooked up with scientologists with it, I was Scientologist at that time. I could have written a book "trashing" everything I had done for Religious Freedom because I was no longer a Scientologist. I did not do that.
My belief in the basic principals of Freedom of Religion, and more importantly Freedom of Information (especially in the media) are unchanged. WHAT HAS CHANGED is that I LEFT SCN.
On the religious freedom thing, I think religions have way too much freedom in some places, like the US, and thats why the scientology cult not only gets tax exemption, but also gets past other laws that others have to obey, and why they do not have the FBI being more proactive in stopping them. I don't give a damn about the loony cults like fundies whether christian or anything else. Scientology is a business, period. It should be treated as such. Cult or no cult, it should be held the same principle of accountability for their "products" as Sony, Phillips or GM. That they are not, is neither in the interest of their consumers or in the interest of any government.
The tax laws of the US are different than in Europe in many instances, not only regarding religions. However, that is not a discussion for here. Seperate from any discussion about SCN's moral (or lack thereof) behaviour, just on the basis of their faulty product line and dis-contented customer base, there will be reason enough, EVENTUALLY, for legal action on that front.
You were saying (in a later post), ban one- ban them all, as a sort of rhetorical shot. Would you mind if scientology got banned? IMO, if they ban one religion, they should ban them all -- or at least MAKE THEM ALL PAY TAXES.
If SCN, got banned, I personally wouldn't care. I have nothing with that organization anymore.
However, DB once we start BANNING things without legal precedent, we are sliding down a very slippery slope toward a completely "controlled" society.
But they could probably be nailed on taxes, fraud, misrepresentation of various kinds and all sorts of other juicy things. This is the way to handle the SCN issue. Take them to court.
Lastly, so I gather your book really is about your crusade for religious freedom then? My book is about my life. I have lived a really big life. PART of the book has to do with my "growing up and waking up." The persecution you experienced no doubt proves the worth of one of your life's purposes. Can you see that even though people here in general would not have much need to disagree in any way with your crusade, they are in the funny position of having been fucked over by scientologists who used real religious freedom issues plus false religious smoke and mirrors in the public area and in their personal lives, in a way which probably won't make religious freedom issues a big priority for them? Yes, I can certainly understand that. I know how FUCKED OVER feels. I was fucked over ROYALLY by my "friends" in SCN, DB.
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