What's new

Daughter [16F] announced she's joined Scientology. Father has worries, needs help

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Daughter [16F] announced she's joined Scientology. Father has worries over this, need some help.

Obviously, any helpful advice posted here will not be seen by the father who needs help, and should be posted (or at least cross-posted) on Reddit.

Reddit Relationships: Me [45M]. Daughter [16F] announced she's joined Scientology. I have worries over this, need some help.
http://www.reddit.com/r/relationships/comments/2rycre/me_45m_daughter_16f_announced_shes_joined/

* * * * * BEGIN QUOTATION * * * * *

OK, using a throwaway here, but this issue is troubling me. Anonymity is needed due to the content of this topic, it being a sensitive issue and all.

Last night over dinner, we were talking about how our day was, what we'd been up to at work etc., our plans for the weekend and our daughter then told us she had something important to say.
Our daughter is in college (over here in the UK it is an institution of further education at an intermediate level (in the UK, typically teaching those aged 16 to 19) or an institution for adult education at a basic or intermediate level (teaching those of any age). Mentioned this since I'm aware some readers may not even live in the UK, on here.

I was both hopeful and worried, hopeful that it was something exciting, but worried it might be something shocking like "I'm pregnant" (she is sexually-active, then again she is college-age, we know that as she's told us herself), or "I have an STD." Guess those are normal parental worries when you have a teenage daughter.
She's a lovely girl, we really love her, and want the best for her.
It was something neither me or my wife [her biological mum, not a step-parent] had expected - she told us she's joined Scientology and is going to become a Scientologist.

I've heard a lot of negative things about the group, seen the now-notorious Panorama documentary - it's on YouTube if you know where to look, and I'll be honest, I have worries. However, back then, when I saw it, to me, it was just another documentary on an issue in society, I didn't expect it to happen to our family.

I do know for a fact that Scientology is followed by people like Tom Cruise, Juliette Lewis etc. and that's probably one reason why she joined, and they're controversial too.

I've also heard claims that people in big black SUVs, about as big as a Range Rover, follow and harass people who leave Scientology. Is it realistic to think this will happen? If she decides to leave, could she be harassed by them, like how Tommie Davis harassed John Sweeney on Panorama?

I read online the following things happen to people who leave or speak out against Scientology, but apart from the news, how often have they happened without publicity. The list I read included:

* Phone the critic's parents or family members

* Stage a picket outside the critic's home

* Contact the critic's employer and attempt to get them fired

* Contact the critic's ISP and attempt to get their account shut down

* Kill the critic's pets, or leave dead animals on their doorstep

* Spread libellous leaflets around the critic's neighbourhood

* Sue the critic

(if the critic is an ex-Scientologist) reveal infomation from the critic's confidential confessional folders

DA the critic

Investigate the critic

Support the enemies of the critic (if, for example, the critic is involved in a messy divorce, support their spouse)

Dig up dirt on the critic using spies

Infiltrate a person close to the critic to report on them

Frame the critic

Our family are non-religious - well, we celebrate Christmas, but it's an end-of-year festival not a religious one, so this has surprised us. Our daughter joining Scientology, that is, not celebrating Christmas, sorry, poor grammar there.

Our daughter doesn't have that many friends, in college anyway, so that could be a possible motivation for joining.

For now, I've taken the approach of "take-it-day-by-day", and wait for her to discuss the topic.

Are my concerns valid? Have I done the right thing? I am not criticizing her or saying her religion is "wrong", I am just trying to understand this topic.

I am aware this is a controversial issue, but am seeking advice on the best way to proceed. I could just read about Scientology on Wikipedia (well, I have partially) but that won't always be useful, will it?

I think, but aren't certain, that this is a bit more than teenage experimentation; aren't people recruited into Scientology at any age.

It would be interesting to hear what your experiences are regarding this topic, since the issue is a controversial one, I appreciate that, and it's a first for our family. Please, no harassment, trolling, whatever, I come here for serious advice, this is a serious topic; go elsewhere if you consider this to be funny.

tl;dr: Our daughter announced she's become a Scientologist yesterday, this has worried us. Could do with advice.

* * * * * END QUOTATION * * * * *

EDITED TO ADD THAT KOOKABOURA POSTED A LINK TO THIS THREAD TO THE REDDIT THREAD:

https://www.reddit.com/r/relationsh...5m_daughter_16f_announced_shes_joined/cnl276x

* * * * * BEGIN QUOTATION * * * * *

Kookaboura 1 point 6 minutes ago

Perhaps you should visit this thread at the Ex Scientologist Message Board :

http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthre...ned-Scientology-Father-has-worries-needs-help

The community at ESMB has provided advice to people who have loved ones involved with the cult (make no mistake, that's what it is). You can also find many stories of people who were once involved, both in the past and relatively recently, get an idea of what it is exactly that they do in their courses, and what their peculiar jargon means.

* * * * * END QUOTATION * * * * *
 
Last edited:

WildKat

Gold Meritorious Patron
"DA the critic"? Is that a term even used outside the cult??? DA means Dead Agent....I thought that was Hubbard-speak
 

Leland

Crusader
Interesting gambit of replies....on that web page.

Its saddening to hear this....that it is still happening....That parents have to worry about this still happening to their children.

My suggestion is for the father to find out WHO told her about it....and roped her in... (or what book she read...and why.) Then tear them up. (intellectually.)
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Posted a link to this thread over there.
EDITED TO ADD THAT KOOKABOURA POSTED A LINK TO THIS THREAD TO THE REDDIT THREAD:

https://www.reddit.com/r/relationsh...5m_daughter_16f_announced_shes_joined/cnl276x

* * * * * BEGIN QUOTATION * * * * *

Kookaboura 1 point 6 minutes ago

Perhaps you should visit this thread at the Ex Scientologist Message Board :

http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthre...ned-Scientology-Father-has-worries-needs-help

The community at ESMB has provided advice to people who have loved ones involved with the cult (make no mistake, that's what it is). You can also find many stories of people who were once involved, both in the past and relatively recently, get an idea of what it is exactly that they do in their courses, and what their peculiar jargon means.

* * * * * END QUOTATION * * * * *
 

Kemist

Patron with Honors
"DA the critic"? Is that a term even used outside the cult??? DA means Dead Agent....I thought that was Hubbard-speak

No, not to my knowledge (but english is admittedly not my mother tongue).

It's a bit weird, but if he has started reading a bit on the subject, he might have picked it up.

I know I picked it up quite rapidly.

I don't see what the purpose of posting that could be for a scientologist, but I used a an alternative username on reddit just in case.
 

Anonycat

Crusader
Posted a link to this thread over there.

Thank you for doing that Kemist, he'll be welcomed with open arms, I'm sure. Also, what a smart dad! Get over here, smart dad! Seriously, you've done very well with looking at this situation. All of those things are possible (Dead Agenting or D.A./Destroying a Suppressive Person, or S.P.), but I've never heard of an odd dead animal being left on ones' property. Every account I know of, from the person it happened to, was their own cat or dog. It depends how high she goes in the cult, because it indicates how much she knows of the inner workings of the higher-ups in the cult. If you look at the history of Debbie Cook, it gives an excellent illustration of how it is. She knew where the bodies are buried, and they paid her off quickly when she started talking in court. She signed off on their papers, took a check of an undisclosed amount, and she and her husband took a year long vacation. They've resided in several exotic destinations. I think she's taken up painting.

Cheers, and all the best for a good outcome for your girl.
 

Anonycat

Crusader
No, not to my knowledge (but english is admittedly not my mother tongue).

It's a bit weird, but if he has started reading a bit on the subject, he might have picked it up.

I know I picked it up quite rapidly.

I don't see what the purpose of posting that could be for a scientologist, but I used a an alternative username on reddit just in case.

That is 100% cult-speak.
 

Udarnik

Gold Meritorious Patron
No, not to my knowledge (but english is admittedly not my mother tongue).

It's a bit weird, but if he has started reading a bit on the subject, he might have picked it up.

I know I picked it up quite rapidly.

I don't see what the purpose of posting that could be for a scientologist, but I used a an alternative username on reddit just in case.

It is a bit weird. Like Kemist, I picked it up from hanging around y'all, and I understand the term, but I would never use it, and most especially not use the abbreviation.
 

Udarnik

Gold Meritorious Patron
Thank you for doing that Kemist, he'll be welcomed with open arms, I'm sure. Also, what a smart dad! Get over here, smart dad! Seriously, you've done very well with looking at this situation. All of those things are possible (Dead Agenting or D.A./Destroying a Suppressive Person, or S.P.), but I've never heard of an odd dead animal being left on ones' property. Every account I know of, from the person it happened to, was their own cat or dog. It depends how high she goes in the cult, because it indicates how much she knows of the inner workings of the higher-ups in the cult. If you look at the history of Debbie Cook, it gives an excellent illustration of how it is. She knew where the bodies are buried, and they paid her off quickly when she started talking in court. She signed off on their papers, took a check of an undisclosed amount, and she and her husband took a year long vacation. They've resided in several exotic destinations. I think she's taken up painting.

Cheers, and all the best for a good outcome for your girl.

NoName reported dead rats, IIRC.

NoName, any comments?
 

HelluvaHoax!

Platinum Meritorious Sponsor with bells on
That is 100% cult-speak.


Absolutely!

Ronology.

It would be an entirely remarkable (and very anomalous) event for a non-scientologist to acquire that fluency with cult speak, even if they were reading the net. Even if that had encountered that term, it would be even more bizarre that they would toss out the "DA" abbreviation so easily.

If this was Las Vegas and I was asked to bet........


:giggle:


Hey, shutttt UPPPP! I didn't say yet which way I am betting. LOL
 

NoName

A Girl Has No Name
NoName reported dead rats, IIRC.

NoName, any comments?

I'm involved with a celeb and quite well-known in the community myself. And rats weren't all, but it's not for public discussion....

So the average father of a 16 yo nobody should not expect rats. Or much of anything else. OSA is in a condtion of overwhelm and don't have time for this dad.

They don't even have time for me since my significant other became disaffected.
 

eldritch cuckoo

brainslugged reptilian
That is 100% cult-speak.

Certain terms of the cult speak, mostly about how the Co$ treats their enemies, are commonly used by critics and cult watchers. In this case it was also used as an abbreviation, "DA", which is always a possible motive. His post seems to be written in an impatient, worried mood and sounds sad, and this is the only unexplained cult term. He also might not know that this term, this combination, applies only to Scientology - after reading a while about the cult he might have thought that it is a relatively commonly used term for PIs, judges, etc.. Or he just assumed that the people amongst his readers who know enough about Scientology to help him, will know what it means. And so the "Underground Bunker" commenters et al use cult speak for describing certain types of OSA operations or - SIC - "SP handling". It is a shortcut, no more. If it is in inverted commas, all fine.

Re using the cult lingo: strongly re-defined sociological and psychological words are one thing, but I have no problem with using cult speak under certain circumstances, mostly when irony is involved - I use Scientologese for humorous purposes, usually putting invented or re-defined words in inverted commas, so that lurkers don't stumble over an unusual/idiosyncratic meaning and know to search for the real meaning. Sometimes, that's the incentive for a person to get to educate oneself a bit about the cult. If Scientologese is used in an ironic way and people know that there's something phony and yes, cultic about the use of a word... that entices them to dig deeper. :coolwink:
 

Anonycat

Crusader
Absolutely!

Ronology.

It would be an entirely remarkable (and very anomalous) event for a non-scientologist to acquire that fluency with cult speak, even if they were reading the net.
Even if that had encountered that term, it would be even more bizarre that they would toss out the "DA" abbreviation so easily.

If this was Las Vegas and I was asked to bet........


:giggle:


Hey, shutttt UPPPP! I didn't say yet which way I am betting. LOL

It's completely possible these days, for a concerned parent to get on the 'net and look into the cult. Some people do know how to research on the web, but on the other hand, I'd imagine that any dad who knew what Dead Agenting (sic) was, and about the stalking, dead animals, spreading horrible lies to your employer, and to your neighborhood and family, etc., they might want to know what to do next. Maybe he'll show up, and we can find out what's going on.

Just for fun, I Googled "scientology" and got 'About 8,890,000 results'. That's a lot of available information. It'll be interesting to see what he has to say.
 

R2-45

Silver Meritorious Patron
Absolutely!

Ronology.

It would be an entirely remarkable (and very anomalous) event for a non-scientologist to acquire that fluency with cult speak, even if they were reading the net. Even if that had encountered that term, it would be even more bizarre that they would toss out the "DA" abbreviation so easily.

If this was Las Vegas and I was asked to bet........


:giggle:


Hey, shutttt UPPPP! I didn't say yet which way I am betting. LOL

:hysterical:

DA=DA=DA

:footbullet:
 
Top