What's new

St Pete Times Editorial concerning Scientology

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
It seems as though the St Pete Times is really beginning to get it, seeing some of the deeper layers of the scientological onion. :thumbsup:

Here's an editorial appearing in todays newspaper.

If you have time, go onto their website, register, and make a comment in the "comments section" below the article to counter some of the BS from the OSAbots who are there.




http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article1102372.ece

A Times Editorial

Scientology's family-friendly image contrasts with pressure for abortions

In Print: Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Among the beliefs listed in the "Creed of the Church of Scientology": "All men have inalienable rights … to the creation of their own kind" and "no agency less than God has the power to suspend or set aside these rights, overtly or covertly." Yet a very different picture emerges from women who became pregnant while working for the church. They relate painful stories of intimidation, shaming, shunning or outright coercion by the church until women agreed to abortions or were forced out. It is yet another example where the church's cultivated image does not match reality.
The public image of the Church of Scientology is family-friendly. But inside the organization's 6,000-member work force called the Sea Org, young women who became pregnant faced a barrage of tactics clearly designed to weaken their resistance to abortion. These women were victims, swayed by an organization that already controlled their lives and in effect denied them free will to make their own decisions about their pregnancies.
In reports Sunday and Monday, St. Petersburg Times staff writers Joe Childs and Thomas C. Tobin told the stories of women who said they as well as other women they knew were pressured to have abortions while working for the Sea Org. Those workers toil long hours for little pay and are subjected to punishments if they are not productive or try to leave.
In some cases the women joined the Sea Org while still children themselves, recruited by the church and lured into signing billion-year contracts. Separated from their parents and often married as teenagers, they naturally wanted to start their own families.
Laura Dieckman joined the Sea Org at 12, married at 16 and was pregnant at 17. But her disapproving supervisors pressured her to end the pregnancy, she said. Claire Headley joined the Sea Org at 16, married at 17 and was pregnant at 19. She felt pressured enough to have two abortions while a Sea Org member. Sunny Pereira, who joined the Sea Org at 15 and married at 21, also had two abortions.
The prospect of motherhood should have been a joyful time for them, but instead it became a grueling test of loyalty. Continuing their pregnancies, they were told, was an unacceptable distraction from the church's mission to "save the planet." Ending the pregnancies would prove their loyalty to the church and keep them in the fold. Women who continued their pregnancies were taunted or shunned by other Sea Org members, isolated from their husbands or assigned to long hours of manual labor, the women said.
Church spokesman Tommy Davis denied all of the allegations by the women. Yet the church acknowledges that children are discouraged because they get in the way of the group's work. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, who wrote the Scientology creed, was a father of six. After he died in 1986 and David Miscavige, who has no children, assumed the top spot, Sea Org members who wanted to have children were shunted off to work at small, unproductive Scientology churches where they could not earn a livable wage. In 1996, Sea Org members were banned from having children. Those who became pregnant were forced to leave.
Davis told the Times that the policy that now prohibits having children "evolved out of respect for families and deference to children." That's the height of hypocrisy, coming from an organization that recruits children into its labor force, requires them to sign billion-year contracts, separates them from their families and subjects them to 18-hour workdays.
No woman should be coerced into making this painful decision, which only she can make — even by powerful bosses inside a church. The stories of pregnancies terminated by vulnerable young women under considerable pressure are one more fracture in the polished facade of the Church of Scientology.

 

Alanzo

Bardo Tulpa
It seems as though the St Pete Times is really beginning to get it, seeing some of the deeper layers of the scientological onion. :thumbsup:

Here's an editorial appearing in todays newspaper.

If you have time, go onto their website, register, and make a comment in the "comments section" below the article to counter some of the BS from the OSAbots who are there.




http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article1102372.ece

A Times Editorial

Scientology's family-friendly image contrasts with pressure for abortions

In Print: Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Among the beliefs listed in the "Creed of the Church of Scientology": "All men have inalienable rights … to the creation of their own kind" and "no agency less than God has the power to suspend or set aside these rights, overtly or covertly." Yet a very different picture emerges from women who became pregnant while working for the church. They relate painful stories of intimidation, shaming, shunning or outright coercion by the church until women agreed to abortions or were forced out. It is yet another example where the church's cultivated image does not match reality.
The public image of the Church of Scientology is family-friendly. But inside the organization's 6,000-member work force called the Sea Org, young women who became pregnant faced a barrage of tactics clearly designed to weaken their resistance to abortion. These women were victims, swayed by an organization that already controlled their lives and in effect denied them free will to make their own decisions about their pregnancies.
In reports Sunday and Monday, St. Petersburg Times staff writers Joe Childs and Thomas C. Tobin told the stories of women who said they as well as other women they knew were pressured to have abortions while working for the Sea Org. Those workers toil long hours for little pay and are subjected to punishments if they are not productive or try to leave.
In some cases the women joined the Sea Org while still children themselves, recruited by the church and lured into signing billion-year contracts. Separated from their parents and often married as teenagers, they naturally wanted to start their own families.
Laura Dieckman joined the Sea Org at 12, married at 16 and was pregnant at 17. But her disapproving supervisors pressured her to end the pregnancy, she said. Claire Headley joined the Sea Org at 16, married at 17 and was pregnant at 19. She felt pressured enough to have two abortions while a Sea Org member. Sunny Pereira, who joined the Sea Org at 15 and married at 21, also had two abortions.
The prospect of motherhood should have been a joyful time for them, but instead it became a grueling test of loyalty. Continuing their pregnancies, they were told, was an unacceptable distraction from the church's mission to "save the planet." Ending the pregnancies would prove their loyalty to the church and keep them in the fold. Women who continued their pregnancies were taunted or shunned by other Sea Org members, isolated from their husbands or assigned to long hours of manual labor, the women said.
Church spokesman Tommy Davis denied all of the allegations by the women. Yet the church acknowledges that children are discouraged because they get in the way of the group's work. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, who wrote the Scientology creed, was a father of six. After he died in 1986 and David Miscavige, who has no children, assumed the top spot, Sea Org members who wanted to have children were shunted off to work at small, unproductive Scientology churches where they could not earn a livable wage. In 1996, Sea Org members were banned from having children. Those who became pregnant were forced to leave.
Davis told the Times that the policy that now prohibits having children "evolved out of respect for families and deference to children." That's the height of hypocrisy, coming from an organization that recruits children into its labor force, requires them to sign billion-year contracts, separates them from their families and subjects them to 18-hour workdays.
No woman should be coerced into making this painful decision, which only she can make — even by powerful bosses inside a church. The stories of pregnancies terminated by vulnerable young women under considerable pressure are one more fracture in the polished facade of the Church of Scientology.

Perhaps law enforcement might possibly be interested in the child labor and family planning policies of the Church of Scientology in the United States?
 

Carmel

Crusader
It seems as though the St Pete Times is really beginning to get it, seeing some of the deeper layers of the scientological onion. :thumbsup:
Yep, it seems so, and they're doing a great job of exposing it! :happydance:

They wouldn't be "getting it" though, if there weren't former Scientologists working with them showing them where to look and helping them with their research. These guys don't just stumble across this stuff or work it out themselves.

So good on those of you who have worked with these guys! - You've done a great job! :cheers:

Here's an editorial appearing in todays newspaper.
<snipped for brevity>
Very good article! :thumbsup: Kudos to the two of them!
 

skydog

Patron Meritorious
COS response underscores sinister nature of cult

It not so much that they deny but what they deny. They do not deny there is a policy that prohibits children in the sea org; they do not deny that if a woman chooses to carry the child full term that the individual will be transferred out of the sea org. They do not deny that abortion is an available option that will be paid for by the church.

The fact they do not deny appears to be undisputed. In light of the numerous allegations of substandard medical and dental care of sea org members, there is never an issue with obtaining the medical procedure of abortion. Most health care coverage will not cover an abortion unless medically necessary. Yet the church gladly foots the bill for a procedure that most established religions condemn.

Your tax payer dollars hard at work.
 

Bea Kiddo

Crusader
Skydog,

I dont think the church pays for abortions. They did not pay for either of mine. I had to come up with the money myself. The first time by lying to a relative and they gave me the money, second time my husbands sister paid for it.
 

SchwimmelPuckel

Genuine Meatball
Reading the comments there.. Scientologists are fighting hard for their right to reqruit 12 year olds into billion year contracts, in which they cannot ever have babies and will not be payed.. (The pay is negligible)..

And in fact these 12 year olds are being deprived of the protection that laws of our society provides. The church forbids members to report to police or any other authorities.

That's some lofty and ethical goals those scientologists fights for, eh?

:eyeroll:
 

Wisened One

Crusader
Reading the comments there.. Scientologists are fighting hard for their right to reqruit 12 year olds into billion year contracts, in which they cannot ever have babies and will not be payed.. (The pay is negligible)..

And in fact these 12 year olds are being deprived of the protection that laws of our society provides. The church forbids members to report to police or any other authorities.

That's some lofty and ethical goals those scientologists fights for, eh?

:eyeroll:

:yes: Yep. The SO recruited my 12-yr old daughter. (But we never intended nor allowed to her to go and she didn't)
 

AnonyMary

Formerly Fooled - Finally Free
My favorite parts of the article

[..] Davis told the Times that the policy that now prohibits having children "evolved out of respect for families and deference to children." That's the height of hypocrisy, coming from an organization that recruits children into its labor force, requires them to sign billion-year contracts, separates them from their families and subjects them to 18-hour workdays.

No woman should be coerced into making this painful decision, which only she can make — even by powerful bosses inside a church. The stories of pregnancies terminated by vulnerable young women under considerable pressure are one more fracture in the polished facade of the Church of Scientology.[..]

BTW, posting comments at the website are important for driving the articles out to the public and giving creedance to it. Please take a moment to register and comment, as the scilons are posting opposition to all then articles that have ome out there.

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article1102372.ece
 

skydog

Patron Meritorious
Skydog,

I dont think the church pays for abortions. They did not pay for either of mine. I had to come up with the money myself. The first time by lying to a relative and they gave me the money, second time my husbands sister paid for it.

I can't believe someone could come up with a response that would lower my opinion of these slime turds. Thanks Bea. You have my sincere condolences for having been through this. I hope you are well.
 

TG1

Angelic Poster
I've gotta not dwell anymore on this string. It all just makes me too, too angry.

I'm doing stuff about it though. Just gotta do more.

Recruiting children into the SO is one of the WORST crimes against humanity the CoS is committing. I won't recite (again) all the others.

Gotta not go there right now though.

TG1
 
Top