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Jon Atack and Steve Hassan discuss his 2013 edition of his book, A Piece of Blue Sky

Albion

Patron with Honors
Re: Jon Atack and Steve Hassan discuss his 2013 edition of his book, A Piece of Blue

The endorsement that he got from Professor Stephen Kent is incredible that you included in your article. That in alone should help sell many copies.
I certainly hope so!
 

Albion

Patron with Honors
Re: Jon Atack and Steve Hassan discuss his 2013 edition of his book, A Piece of Blue

I should add that while the book is now up on Amazon, if you buy it at the
CreateSpace link, I think Jon gets a higher cut of the takings.

And so far as those endorsing the book are concerned, the list is a lot longer
than I listed in my piece at Infinite Complacency. See this piece posted
yesterday at FactNet
. I think I can dig up some other names later...

Albion/jj
 

Albion

Patron with Honors
Re: Jon Atack and Steve Hassan discuss his 2013 edition of his book, A Piece of Blue

A new post at Infinite Complacency, with a guest contributor.

Among the new material in the revised edition of Jon Atack's A Piece of Blue Sky is
an introduction from Steven Hassan, an acknowledged expert on mind control issues.
Infinite Complacency is pleased to be able to reprint his tribute to Atack and Blue Sky.

 

Caroline

Patron Meritorious
Re: Jon Atack and Steve Hassan discuss his 2013 edition of his book, A Piece of Blue

Infinite Complacency has a new essay by Jon Atack, author of A Piece of Blue Sky.

A Cult by any other Name: propaganda by redefinition of words

Happy birthday, Project Chanology.

Thank you, Albion! Jon Atack quotes from a 1954 lecture that really adds to a conversation we're having on another ESMB thread as well:

Jon Atack said:
With his usual casual cynicism, Hubbard explained the purpose of this church, and the compilers of his Modern Management Defined foolishly repeated an idea that should have been kept very quiet. Luckily, amid the welter of words that poured from the Founder, almost no one took notice:

Hubbard said:
There is a difference between the Church of American Science and the Church of Scientology. The Church of American Science is a Christian religion. It believes in the Holy Bible, Jesus is [sic]the Savior of man and everything that's necessary to be a Christian religion. People who belong to that church are expected to be Christians. These two churches fit together. We take somebody in as a Church of American Science [sic]. It doesn't disagree with his baptism or other things like that, and he could gradually slide over into some sort of better, wider activity such as the Church of Scientology and a little more wisdom and come a little more close to optimum. Then if he was good and one of the people that we would like to have around he would eventually slide into the HASI. So we have provided stepping stones to Scn with these organizations. (tape 5410C04)

So, this church is simply a ‘stepping stone’ to ‘something better’, something more ‘wise’ than Christianity.

If you want your redefinition to take root, you have only to use the basic three r’s of exploitative persuasion – repetition, repetition and repetition:

Hubbard said:
The way to redefine a word is to get the new definition repeated as often as possible. Thus it is necessary to redefine medicine, psychiatry and psychology downward and define Dianetics and Scientology upwards. This, so far as words are concerned, is the public-opinion battle for belief in your definitions, and not those of the opposition. A consistent, repeated effort is the key to any success with this technique of propaganda... (Propaganda by Redefinition of Words)

Atack, J. (2013) A cult by any other name, or propaganda by redefinition of words. infinitecomplacency.blogspot.com. Retrieved from Infinite Complacency.
 

Albion

Patron with Honors
Re: Jon Atack and Steve Hassan discuss his 2013 edition of his book, A Piece of Blue

Thanks for drawing my attention to that: have just cross-posted (as a service to humanity
and in the interests of shameless self-promotion).

Feel free to continue the debate on the comments section beneath Jon's piece. :)

jj
 

Teanntás

Silver Meritorious Patron
Re: Jon Atack and Steve Hassan discuss his 2013 edition of his book, A Piece of Blue

I so pleased this book is being re-released. It's the first critical book I ever read. I borrowed it from a library and had to hide it at home by stealing the book jacket from one of Hubbard's books (might have been Science of Survival) and wrapping A Piece Of Blue Sky in the jacket. It sat on our bookshelf looking very innocent from the outside :biggrin:.

I'll definitely be buying this book even if I never read it. John Atack deserves to reap some rewards for his important work. He is a hero to me.

Many of us owe a great deal of gratitude to Jon - it was his book that propelled my final exit from Scientology and I know that to be true for many others. I have ordered my copy of the new edition. I well remember the excitement of reading the book - it confirmed many of my hunches about the entire subject and the organisation.
 

koki

Silver Meritorious Patron
Re: Jon Atack and Steve Hassan discuss his 2013 edition of his book, A Piece of Blue

today ,i listened this for second time...
and it is even better.:happydance:
 
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