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John Sweeney’s Trailer for His New Book, The Church of Fear

Free to shine

Shiny & Free
Everyone has a right to believe in anything and nothing, and that includes Scientology. My argument is with the Church as an institution, its leader and its apostles, and its deafness to the stories of ex-members who say they suffered great harm. Uncomfortable as it is, I defend the right of Scientologists to believe in Scientology. But that right does not give anyone a license to abuse people. If you read The Church Of Fear, you will see that the central narrative is about the institution under leader David Miscavige which ex-members say has gone mad and bad. The Church and Miscavige deny abuse; they say I am psychotic, a liar and a bigot.

Welcome to ESMB. Is this John Sweeney or just someone trying to be?
 

Freeminds

Bitter defrocked apostate
Welcome to ESMB. Is this John Sweeney or just someone trying to be?

That's the name John Sweeney appears to use on Twitter, where he's followed by BBCPanorama and has a lot of posts, none of them complimentary to our favourite 1950s UFO cult.

... seems legit, to me, at least as far as the Twitter presence goes. If you really need to know if he is who he appears to be, maybe ask him to post a comment there, or do the old "picture of yourself holding a copy of today's newspaper" thing or something.

He may well be pleased to be pictured with a copy of The Independent (newspaper)... he has just published a piece in it. More cult Kryptonite.
 

Dulloldfart

Squirrel Extraordinaire
From 50km, the symbol would look like the size of the 20/100 letters - that is about the second-top line of a regular eyechart, so yes - pretty comfortable viewing. :biggrin:

EMPIRICAL, I said, not theoretical.

Here's a pic from Google Earth from 49.32 km altitude. I changed the coordinates slightly so you don't have the big-ass yellow pin to point it out. Can you see the circles? I can't, and I *know where they are!*

trementina-off-center.jpg


Paul
 

Freeminds

Bitter defrocked apostate
I could say something fatuous about how a naked eye wouldn't last very long in space, what with boiling away into the vacuum and all.

I could point out that a being who's gone to all the trouble of renting a U-drive flying saucer and coming all the way to 'Space Station Thirty-three' to look for evidence of a vanished UFO cult would probably orbit a few recon satellites or release a bunch of fly-by drones while she was still decelerating from interstellar speed, or use ground penetrating radar, or simply sniff at the expanding shell of our electromagnetic transmissions... but I won't.

Instead I'll just politely remind everyone that the purpose of Trementina Base was fundraising. Just like the library campaign where each book had to be paid for at full retail, despite the fact that the libraries didn't want 'em... the purpose of Scientology boondoggles is never anything but regging. Always hitting people up for money: that's what this pseudoreligion is all about.

Well, that and space aliens, obviously.
 

Danger Mouse

Patron with Honors
I wonder if the LRH archives might be another "shore story." When I read about LRH's final days, it seemed to me that Hubbard may have chosen Pat and Annie Broeker to be his next parents. The feeling I got was that Hubbard was trusting the Broekers with all of his earthly possessions so he could come back (in October 1986 or so) with Pat and Annie as his mom & dad. I notice that Miscavige seemed to make it a high priority to break the couple up. So, is it possible that the double zero symbols are not directions for space aliens to locate a non-existent LRH archive, but actually a signpost for LRH's thetan to find his way into Annie Broeker's womb? If that is the case, the double zeroes may not represent a pack of Kools but instead, a pair of nurturing breasts.
 
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ILove2Lurk

Lisbeth Salander
Sorry if I missed it, but has anyone read the book and can offer a bit of a review?

All of us have just seen and read so much. A bit jaded by now maybe. :eyeroll:

I don't want to risk ruining my appetite on any mediocre fare. Waiting for LW's book,
which I know will be like a well prepared filet mignon followed by dessert and coffee. :biggrin:

Any reviewers here?

ILove2Lurk
 

ChurchOfCylontology

Patron with Honors
Sorry if I missed it, but has anyone read the book and can offer a bit of a review?

All of us have just seen and read so much. A bit jaded by now maybe. :eyeroll:

I don't want to risk ruining my appetite on any mediocre fare. Waiting for LW's book,
which I know will be like a well cooked filet mignon followed by dessert and coffee. :biggrin:

Any reviewers here?

ILove2Lurk

I can try but I will need more time to read it again. I've read almost everything on the subject too (with the exception of Larry Brennan's Miscavige statements eBook, and "Messiah or Madman") but I highly recommend Sweeney's book because it really spells out what happened behind-the-scenes with the making of both the 2007 and 2010 Panorama Exposes. For those of us that want to know what got left out of those pieces, this is a 'must read'.

Sweeney is also very funny and sarcastic with the subject, which is an element mostly left out of other critical Scientology books. Actually, humor is left out of most Scientology discussions (except for some here on ESMB) so Sweeney's book gives this subject a much needed shot of levity while really spelling out the danger.

I'll try to write a more thorough one up...we should start a thread, maybe, for reviews.
 

Anonycat

Crusader
I wonder if the LRH archives might be another "shore story." When I read about LRH's final days, it seemed to me that Hubbard may have chosen Pat and Annie Broeker to be his next parents. The feeling I got was that Hubbard was trusting the Broekers with all of his earthly possessions so he could come back (in October 1986 or so) with Pat and Annie as his mom & dad. I notice that Miscavige seemed to make it a high priority to break the couple up. So, is it possible that the double zero symbols are not directions for space aliens to locate a non-existent LRH archive, but actually a signpost for LRH's thetan to find his way into Annie Broeker's womb? If that is the case, the double zeroes may not represent a pack of Kools but instead, a pair of nurturing breasts.

I am agreement with the figure eight as a signpost for Hubbard. Hubbard loved those 8s.
 

Freeminds

Bitter defrocked apostate
Okay, here's my cog for the night.

1. There's a secure Scientology-owned facility that's in the middle of nowhere.
2. Nobody can get into the place, without the Ronbots having plenty of warning.
3. The place is a bunker, secure (theoretically) against an atom bomb.
4. Where is Shelley Miscavige's corpse?
 

Anonycat

Crusader
Okay, here's my cog for the night.

1. There's a secure Scientology-owned facility that's in the middle of nowhere.
2. Nobody can get into the place, without the Ronbots having plenty of warning.
3. The place is a bunker, secure (theoretically) against an atom bomb.
4. Where is Shelley Miscavige's corpse?

Tom Cruises' underground mansion?
 

Jump

Operating teatime
EMPIRICAL, I said, not theoretical.

Here's a pic from Google Earth from 49.32 km altitude. I changed the coordinates slightly so you don't have the big-ass yellow pin to point it out. Can you see the circles? I can't, and I *know where they are!*

trementina-off-center.jpg


Paul

My math is correct, which leaves the question: why do you think looking at a computer screen image with à nominal scale is the same as the empircal reality?
 

I told you I was trouble

Suspended animation
Everyone has a right to believe in anything and nothing, and that includes Scientology. My argument is with the Church as an institution, its leader and its apostles, and its deafness to the stories of ex-members who say they suffered great harm. Uncomfortable as it is, I defend the right of Scientologists to believe in Scientology. But that right does not give anyone a license to abuse people. If you read The Church Of Fear, you will see that the central narrative is about the institution under leader David Miscavige which ex-members say has gone mad and bad. The Church and Miscavige deny abuse; they say I am psychotic, a liar and a bigot.


It was always mad and bad and anyone that even looks sideways at scientology is automatically labelled psychotic, a liar and a bigot (you dared to do a bit more than that ... lol).

Hubbard
wrote the policies and created the 'tech' that now provide Miscavige with the means to continue the abuse.

Many thanks for doing what you did, it can't have been easy dealing with such a confusion of lies, deceit and anger dressed up as a religion.
 

Anonycat

Crusader
Lol! "She over there, those pink legs sticking out, didn't like me."

You remember, he had one built, right? $10 million custom job they say:

Devout Scientologist Tom Cruise plans to build a $10 million bunker under his Telluride, Colorado, mansion, a source tells Star! Equipped with a high tech air-purifying system, “it’s a self-contained underground system where up to 10 people can survice for years.” Apparently, Scientologists believe that the evil deposed galatic [sic] ruler Xenu is set to attack Earth, and they’ll need a safe place to survive.

[From Star Magazine, print edition, October 1, 2007]

and also:

Tom Cruise is planning to build a $10 million bunker underneath his Colorado mansion in preparation for the end of the world, according to a bizarre new report. The Top Gun star and Scientology nut is said to be taking the costly precaution in order to out-smart an evil intergalactic ruler called Xenu who, he believes, will attack Earth. A source told Star magazine: "Tom is planning to build a $10 million bunker under his Telluride estate

cruise-shelter-02.jpg


Old thread: http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?1980-Tom-Cruise-builds-10M-shelter-to-hide-from-Xenu
 

smartone

My Own Boss
Everyone has a right to believe in anything and nothing, and that includes Scientology. My argument is with the Church as an institution, its leader and its apostles, and its deafness to the stories of ex-members who say they suffered great harm. Uncomfortable as it is, I defend the right of Scientologists to believe in Scientology. But that right does not give anyone a license to abuse people. If you read The Church Of Fear, you will see that the central narrative is about the institution under leader David Miscavige which ex-members say has gone mad and bad. The Church and Miscavige deny abuse; they say I am psychotic, a liar and a bigot.

They say we all are psychotic, liars and bigots - so join the club John.
 

Freeminds

Bitter defrocked apostate
You remember, he had one built, right? $10 million custom job they say:

Devout Scientologist Tom Cruise plans to build a $10 million bunker under his Telluride, Colorado, mansion, a source tells Star! Equipped with a high tech air-purifying system, “it’s a self-contained underground system where up to 10 people can survice for years.” Apparently, Scientologists believe that the evil deposed galatic [sic] ruler Xenu is set to attack Earth, and they’ll need a safe place to survive.

[From Star Magazine, print edition, October 1, 2007]

and also:

Tom Cruise is planning to build a $10 million bunker underneath his Colorado mansion in preparation for the end of the world, according to a bizarre new report. The Top Gun star and Scientology nut is said to be taking the costly precaution in order to out-smart an evil intergalactic ruler called Xenu who, he believes, will attack Earth. A source told Star magazine: "Tom is planning to build a $10 million bunker under his Telluride estate

cruise-shelter-02.jpg


Old thread: http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?1980-Tom-Cruise-builds-10M-shelter-to-hide-from-Xenu

This is what I've always feared: that the shrinking Scientology cult will see itself as increasingly embattled and surrounded by enemies, to the point where the remaining members start daydreaming about apocalyptic scenarios, and arming themselves to suit. When law enforcement does finally move in on Miscavige and his loony friends, should we expect a Waco-style siege?
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
They say we all are psychotic, liars and bigots - so join the club John.



Yes, John, you're in very good company! :)

Thank-You for standing up to this organization and continuing to put the truth out there even when the nature of this criminal cult became evident.

I believe it is Edmund Burke who said:
"All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing."

I have nothing but admiration for journalists such as Lawrence Wright, Joel Sappell, and yourself, who continue to tell the truth about this organization even after knowing what you're up against with the harassment, threatened lawsuits, fair game, etc. It's appreciated more than you'll know.
 
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