Other than paid or duped apologists, it has often been the "Orthodox Secularists"/atheists, etc., who, over the years, have been the ones who have, unintentionally, empowered Scientology by giving credence to its biggest lie: that it's a bona fide religious organization. Some excellent writing and/or video has been produced by these same persons - who are capable of being both brilliant and courageous - but they largely nullify their own work by affirming Scientology's primary empowering fraudulent assertion.
To them, calling Scientology a religion is a put down, so why not call it a religion?
Looking back on the media coverage of Scientology from decades ago, it was rarely, if ever, called a religion. Gradually, as Scientology repeated that it was a religion, a religion, a religion and, at the same time, sought to discredit the idea of mind control, mind manipulation, or brainwashing, more in the media began also calling Scientology a religion, and veering away from the topic of mind manipulation or brainwashing.
That's a victory for Scientology, no matter how many people are snickering at it.
couldn't agree more with what you wrote. I also offer as proof that is what Hubbard intended by reading Le Bon, which Hubbard read (see my tread), and we now see trying to be implemented as well as being implemented, ie court cases not wanting to step between the boundaries of religion.
From Le Bon:
"
2. THE MEANS OF ACTION OF THE LEADERS: AFFIRMATION, REPETITION, CONTAGION
When it is wanted to stir up a crowd for a short space of time,
to induce it to commit an act of any nature--to pillage a palace,
or to die in defence of a stronghold or a barricade, for
instance--the crowd must be acted upon by rapid suggestion, among
which example is the most powerful in its effect. To attain this
end, however, it is necessary that the crowd should have been
previously prepared by certain circumstances, and, above all,
that he who wishes to work upon it should possess the quality to
be studied farther on, to which I give the name of prestige.
When, however, it is proposed to imbue the mind of a crowd with
ideas and beliefs--with modern social theories, for instance--the
leaders have recourse to different expedients. The principal of
them are three in number and clearly defined--affirmation,
repetition, and contagion. Their action is somewhat slow, but
its effects, once produced, are very lasting."
from
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/445/pg445.txt
and "crowd" here means the scientologist, a true believer.
It should be also known, that affirmation, repetition, contagion also works in the opposite direction.
For, the whole idea of scientology being a religion isn't it for want of being "clear" and then "OT", that the state of "clear" and "OT" can be achieved?
oh yah, the constant repetition of ex members that no clear or OT exists, the constant affirmation of that, and thus the contagion of that proves scientology is a hellvahoax.
No space cowboys free to roam the universe, no soul astronauts.
As Arnie Lerma would say, we wouldn't have any ESMB or critics or non believers, if one clear or OT existed.
It's all rhetoric, LOL, the art of persuasion.
More likely they'd get one of these~ The repairs are endless, the depreciation horrendous, mileage, hm, not so much...
