Help available
Hi,
If you need some help working out what to say, how to say it or just need help to get it out of your head onto paper, let me know here or by PM and I will help.
It's my aim to support a high number of submissions to the inquiry, even if it is mainly people just saying "Yes, we want a Public Benefits Test". Without a large volume of submissions, it would be very difficult to get the amendment through and a great deal of work will be wasted. A small number of highly effective submissions alone just won't do it, we live in a democracy and numbers count. There are people who are working hard to get detailed and lengthy submissions in to the inquiry and the inquiry need to see that this backed by a high volume of clear, concise requests for the PBT. I'm asking everyone who has not yet popped in a submission to contribute.
It is important to remember that those to whom our information is being sent are people like you and I who need to know what we want so that legislation can keep up with public views. It may have been okay for all churches to be considered "in the public good" in the 1800's but today - well, I'd like them to prove their benevolence rather than just accepting that anyone under the banner of charity or religion is going to be beneficial to my community. That's what a PBT is for - rather than just proving your organisation is a religion, you need to prove it is of benefit to the community as a whole - not too much to ask for all those millions of dollars in tax savings.
If you have experience of any "Tax Exempt Organisation" not showing benevolence, charity and benefit to the community or even perpetuating abuse and causing harm, well this is the time and place to mention it because those who are reading the inquiry submissions and who will make the decisions can't make the right ones without public information. Living in a democracy has opportunities for the everyday man to speak up on issues that are important to us, and this is ours. Living in a democracy affords you and me the right to speak up and have a say in how we act and to influence the direction our culture takes in ways that reflect our values. So let's speak up for ours.
In Scientology democracy is looked down on and considered something like "rule by the lowest denominator" - this is a spin promoted so that the dictatorship we were living in could be veiwed as benevolent and to ensure the majority never had power but would uphold the "authority" of the COS. It took me close to 20 years out of Scn to realise this indoctrination and its purpose.
In the Sea Org, on staff and even as public we were conditioned to see those in "higher orgs" or senior to us on the bridge or in training level or posting etc as knowing everything and not needing our "verbal tech" our insights, our point of view. Think about it - if anyone's view ever differed from the party line - they were "corrected" not the system, not the problem, abuse, injustice etc. This is one of the downfalls of the Scn culture, so let's make sure that here and now when we have a chance for our voices to be heard that we all speak our own truths and don't keep our mouths shut like the COS would want.
If you are umming and ahhing about doing a submission, ask yourself this question - "Am I happy if my tax payer dollars are supporting the activities of unregulated, unsupervised organisations like the COS?" Or how do you feel about supporting those churches that have their clergy accused of sexually abusing children and say they are "handling it internally"? If you're not happy to have them freeload on your tax dollar, then let's get a submission in from you too. I'll help in any way I can.
I'd give my left arm to know that the trap had been shut and there would be no more girls abused and forced to lie about it, no more children forced to disconnect from their parents, no more ... well I don't need to list it for you.
So, if you've just got 5 mins, lets get a submission in asking for an PBT. If you've got an hour or more, let's get some solid information in about the abuses, twisted values and damage perpetuated by the COS. No one is asking for more than you can manage, I am asking you for at just one of these.
There are 19 submissions showing up now. How about we get 6 more up in the next day or so and take the number to 25?
Natascha
All the best with it, and here's to a stack of submissions from the people who wanna see an end to the crimes and abuses of the CofS!
