They aren't all robots - Some are stuck between a rock and a hard place, and many could do with a shoulder to lean on or advice as to where to find one.
If you were to get a call, wouldn't it be better to get an inkling of where they are at, and maybe offer some truths and a helping hand?
When I used to get calls, I'd play it by ear. Through doing so, I know I had influence in helping some get the guts or confidence in making the move to get out. Admittedly I gave the odd one both barrels, but only after they tried to pull rank on me or hassled my kids or some such thing.
These guys doing call-in are people, not toys. They're not your problem, maybe, but that doesn't make it kosher to use them as entertainment at their expense, IMO.
I promise you it was not my intent to just play with them. I tried, with as much camaraderie as I could muster, to show this girl that there are serious, major, show-stopping 'out-points' in the cult, especially with the upper bridge. I expected to be cut off at any time by some monitoring senior like I was before, so I was getting in as much info as I could before the plug got pulled.
I might have given the impression that I was argumentative and harsh, but I really did try to keep it as light as possible. It was always in the back of my mind that here was a sincere, well-meaning young woman who was in grave danger of wasting her life as a slave for this monstrous cult, and what was the best thing I could say that might get her to question what she was doing, and maybe get some outside sources of info.
I would consider it a major life accomplishment if I could save even one person from a life of indentured servitude with this abomination of an organization.
Sure, I play it by ear, too. I kept going because this girl seemed to be listening, which was rather surprising. Most of them that I've talked to over the years just clam up. (yuk, yuk).
One time, many years ago, I was walking through a mall in Hemet, and I saw some folks demonstrating and selling those toy airplanes that did loops when you threw them. One came back and smacked this girl in the face, and I saw her start to do a contact assist, so I knew I was looking at a member.
I asked her if she was, she confirmed, said she thought there was something about my friend and I (Richard Hernandez). I had just read Bent's book, so I started to relate what I had found out in that book about the upper levels, and she freaked out! I mean screaming for security, screaming that I was an SP, I mean it looked like a psychotic episode.
I said 'look, I'm not an SP, I just...' 'YES YOU ARE!!!! SECURITY! SECURITY!!!! AHHHH!'
I was quite taken aback. I had never seen anyone, let alone a Scio, freak out that bad over anything. People were looking at this display wondering wtf was going on. I did explain to people close by that she was a member of Scientology, and I was trying to tell her some things that were wrong with it.
Richard wanted to leave, so I went with him. I wish now I had hung around. I certainly had done nothing wrong. It would have been interesting to see how it played out.
So, I've kind of always kept that in mind, as I always expect some kind of reaction like that, more or less, when trying to dissuade someone who's in, so I try to get in some points that will nag at them later before the wall goes up.
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