The following are the uncooked, digitally preserved statistics for this blog.
+++ Total Visits Per Day Average
2009 558,162 3,036
2010 2,232,948 6,118
2011 2,492,948 6,829
2012 3,636,456 9,950
There have been 8,914,639 total visits to this blog from its inception.
The total visits is not the total number of unique visitors per day. Per wordpress we average about 2.75 return visits per visitor per day. So, 9,950 translates into about 3,618 individuals visiting the blog each day during 2012. That is up from roughly 2,483 during 2011.
You all have made 188,477 comments since the beginning of the blog.
The top ten most commented upon topics this year were:
1. Judgment 642 (and counting)
2. The Virus That Killed Scientology Inc. 639
3. ‘Then There Is Me’ – Tom Cruise 604
4. Scientology And Saving the World 567
5. The Mecca of Thought Control 527
6. Open Letter from Debbie Cook 524
7. Battle of San Antonio – A Review 520
8. Debbie Cook – Gathering Steam on Day Four 507
9. To Those Who Fly Under The Radar 494
10. Miscavige Surrenders 475
Overall this year the hottest topic for reader participation was Debbie Cook Baumgarten and Wayne Baumgarten and their epic battle to expose the abuses of David Miscavige (subject of six of the top ten reader participation posts). Original post from one year ago tomorrow: Reformation – Division Within Corporate Scientology.
I have learned quite a bit from everybody’s input. I hope you have too.
Thank you for participating.
I wish all who visit here a wonderful 2013.
Moving On Up a Little Higher 
Oh my God!!! Real statistics that are actually verifiable and going up!!! Not some made up BS!! Ha!
Thanks for providing a forum Marty where people can find out what is happening to the people they care about and at the same time provide real freedom of speech and opinion.
I learn something new all the time on this forum! Happy New Year!!
All the best for finding what you are looking for in 2013. Lets all hope the next step is figuring out what to do with it;) Happy New Year Marty and Mosey!
Marty, this is proof that your blog is addicting. When Windhorse commented about her “blog addiction” I’m pretty sure she was referring to yours as the drug of choice. It’s mine too, so keep it coming. Wishing a Happy New Year to you, to Mosey and to all your friends and readers.
A productive New Year filled with good deeds is wished to you Marty, and all those visiting here. Thank you for the work you’ve done and for keeping the comm lines in with those interested. Happy New Year to all. 😀
And, if I may, thank YOU Mr. Rathbun for writing this blog and regularly sticking your head above the parapet – when most peoples’ instinct would be to melt away quietly and hibernate in peace. This blog is a worthwhile, always interesting, vibrant community, which continues to make a real and tangible difference to many lives.
Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy and fabulous 2013.
IEG xx
Thanks for everything, Marty. I am so grateful for all you have done and are doing. I had not realized how much I really needed this blog until I found it. I am a slow decompressor. It is so good to learn that I am not alone in the questions and doubts I have had over the many years since I got involved in and left Scn. I wish you and Mosey all the happiness and success you can stand!
Love,
Nancy
3,618 real individuals vs. 40,000 clubbed seals. Looks like a tipping point is approaching.
Straight up and vertical without flashing lights, hyperventilation and hyperbole.
Thanks Marty, Mosey, Steve, Mike, Karen, etc. , et .al.
Thanks for a great year and the one to come.
3,618 per day, average, over a year!
HELLO ALL YOU LURKERS!! 🙂
Clearly, people think this blog has something of value in what it says, and they’re RIGHT!
Is there a geographical breakdown?
To all, a very good and prosperous New Year!
Marty, Wow! Thank you for giving everyone a place to communicate. This forum has been a terrific. ML, Jan
You are very welcome, Marty, and thank you and all of those who continue to participate here!
Please forgive me for using this huge generality when I say “we,” Marty, but “WE” especially want to thank you for being there for us all and for communicating with us all…unwaveringly and continuously committing two of the most wonderful crimes in this universe!
Love and best wishes for another awesome year!
Marty, Mosey
and to all the many who create and contribute to this blog,
and to all who create and contribute to this movement,
and to all who crate and contribute to make this planet a better place,
and to all who work to help their fellow men,
in whatever field, on whatever place,
who make it more friendly and easier to live here,
and to all who share love and wisdom,
and to all who accept the love and wisdom that is shared with them,
to all of you I wish to say:
Thank you for being here,
thank you for doing that job.
Please continue and go ahead making progress.
You are doing wonderful. You are doing great.
Worsel
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!
Marty,
Thank you for providing an open forum that allows for introspection to all that is wrong with Corporate Scientology.
I would like to thank all the people who have touched and inspired me on the blog, with your examples of perseverance, integrity, creativity, compassion, intention, accomplishment. You either know who you are, or hopefully somebody will be telling you again soon. Thank you!
Perfectly said…I’ll let you speak for me on that!
Huge thanks from the Great White North!
Maybe M&M will open a MartAnon center on their new property to cure people of addiction to this blog? I’m already declared suppressively incurable though.
Happy 2013 to all especially the Sci. lurkers who are finally part of a large growth movement.
Grokked in its fulness.
No matter what track ou find yourself on in 2013, best wishes to all in “moving up a little higher”. (It’s OK to move up a LOT higher as well..;) )
Happy New Year Marty, Mosey and everyone who enjoys this blog and freedom of speech.
I think the dramatic upstats reflect an interesting point, Marty. People are listening to you. More and more people are listening to you.
What you have to say generates interest and further communication.
The viewpoints on this blog give me sense of community, even when I disagree.
May 2013 be the most enlightening year yet, for all.
Les Warren
Debbie Cook’s 2012 email will have legs well into the future.
She opened up her own special version of Pandora’s Box and remarkably out popped the truth-Imagine that!
All the evils of the world were supposed to be held there and the truth was the worst evil of all for the C of S and DM.
Here’s to you Debbie… (Please picture me raising a glass!)
Happy New Year!
Thankyou Marty and Mosey.
Looking forward to a great 2013
You are by definition up stat, my good man!
And for good reason — informative, provocative in a positive way, dedicated to truth, reality, and rationality, etc.
I know I am certainly a fan and have found this site to be very helpful to me personally. Thank you. And best wishes for 2013 and beyond!
This has been a revelatory year for me. I knew the “church” was off the rails 20 years ago and just started to withdraw and ignore it, after about 20 previous years of ups and downs and harrassesment. Many wins to OT5, but finally, it was enuf!!!
Then Debbie blew open the gates of info a year ago and that was it.
I am not all at surprised that Debbie’s email was the pivotal turning point that your statistics show.
Can’t wait for what the new year brings.
Marty, thanks for the actual stats… Very Well Done and Happy New Year to you and all…….BTW, when you think about it, “actual stats” is a very strange statement because it presumes someone is continuously producing no, missing and false stats… Ugh!
Great stats Marty! Happy new year to you, Mosey and Chiquita! I wish you all the best.
Linda
Marty, in answer to your question – yes, I have learned a lot! Very much so, from both your blog posts and all the comments. I think you have set a precedent for discussions about Scientology in general, not just as regards the current situation with the CoS.
It seems to me that LRH made a big mistake on the point of no “verbal tech”, (unless his intention was actually misinterpreted). I’ve observed that so much can be gained from sharing experiences and ideas about the written and recorded materials.
If the philosophy and tech are to evolve as living wisdom, I believe there should be the freedom of discussion, both for freedom’s sake and for the sake of the huge gains that can be had through that particular form of enlightenment.
My heartfelt thanks for all you have done. Wishing you and everyone who reads and posts here a Happy New Year. I am so sure it will be a wonderful year!
Wow…some straight up and vertical stats you can believe in.
It must be very disturbing for DM to look at stats that are real – 3X and climbing!
If they are climbing here they are crashing at Flag.
Happy New Year, Marty and Monique 🙂
Thanks for the great blog. Brilliant. Love it.
Richard Kaminski
My postulate for 2013 is that all Scientologists of good heart and good intention – whether still in the COS or already independent – rediscover our common reality of making a better world by helping one another and others on this earth, all dynamics, as the worthiest goal we can pursue. That is the ARCU I wish for all of life. It can bring all dynamics back into balance. Happy New Year to you all.
Thanks for the data and for having create and continue to create this blog.
Marty Rathbun,
Well done on all! Thanks for sharing the stats.
My very best wishes to you, your wife and your adorable dog. As mentioned earlier, this blog really helped me sort out what was real/true and what was not in relation to the Corporate Church of Scientology. It will be three years in May of 2013 that I have extricated myself from the supposed religion that is in truth a cult of the worst kind. Yes, I had huge wins on much of my earlier auditing but paid the price dearly, seeking repeats in the later years that were never to be had.
I believe in “workable technology” and I have found much in my searches in the last couple of years. Truth is truth no matter where it is found. The bottom line is you have helped me. I doubt that my path would be one that you would choose but it is the correct on for me.
Thank you for sharing your very personal experience in auditing on an earlier post where you elicited your postulates for this lifetime. I found it very moving and inspirational.
I wish you Peace, happiness and continued success with what you are doing. You are a courageous fighter and if I were a fire and you had the hose, I would RUN, RUN, and RUN FASTER! Again, my thanks for your work and truth!
Penny Krieger
An incredible year, to say the very least. Enjoyed immensely hearing from and about everyone, just an incredible year.
Yeah, that’s great, but Marty, how about the important stats… like how many board feet of flooring installed at Casablanca!
🙂
… but seriously, thank you Marty and Mosey for all your great work – have a great 2013! And give our best to the Rinders.
Thank you for the blog and all the best in the New Year to you and yours!
Ha! Just had a realization. To the extent OSA may troll this blog, they are actually contributing positively to the stats too! Though they are certainly in a wee minority, I love the irony: DM and crew observe the blog, and your stats go up; they don’t observe, and your stats still go up!
I wish the best 2013 ever for those in, those not in, those who are independent, etc.!
Marty,
Thank YOU for creating this wonderful resource and forum for Scientologists.
Your reformation activities have truly helped all Scientologists – whether in or out of the Church of Scientology. The increasing popularity and return visits to your site prove that support for the reformation of the C of S is indeed borne out in fact.
Keep it up brother, you have our support and we’ll get through this together.
Happy New Year to all!
Hey ducky, happy New Year ! :–)
Happy New Year! Another year to look forward to being out of the RCS!
Your stats indicate how valuable your blog is for the readers + contributors, Marty.
To me this blog is a mix of current information, past experiences from all echelons of Scientology as reported by former staff and publics, and true inspiration to never put the eye off moving a little higher.
Furthermore you set a living example of holding up integrity, decency and spirit of play despite of all temptations by OSA bandidos to do otherwise.
Thanks a lot, Marty – may the force coninue to be with you !
+1
Exact time, place form and event!
Marcel Wenger
Stats tell the story. Don’t change anything. Keep doing whats successful. Step in when you need to if the bots are trying to mess it up. Like a garden it still needs pruning and watering.
Happy new year and may all the fallen angels rekindle their failed purposes this year.
Wow – now THAT’S an up stat!!!
It occurs to me that freedom to practice ones religion is a fundamental right in the united states of America.
As a matter of history – Religions fracture.
Can a religion be copy written? Seems to be a central question.
Could it be that in the reformation led by Martin luther would not be recognized if it had taken place in the USA in 2013, say, if the bible were copy written?
Ironic part about that, in my opinion, is that any OSA person monitoring and/or trolling this blog, also as part of the job has to READ the blog and you just KNOW that each time they do, they go just a wee bit more into doubt.
My very best to you and yours for the next year. Your blog rules!!
I think it is quite interesting to try to understand how many of the visits to this site come from the Anon/ESMB crowd .. not a post goes by that doesn’t get some sort of quote and subsequent derision from that scene, and in my opinion there could be no better indicator of the degree to which Martys’ 3rd-dynamic impinges on those who would like nothing more than to see Scientologists – of all variety – go down the tubes.
There sure seem to be a lot of Spectators, eh? 🙂
What I like to think is that anyone spending their time thinking about Scientology, either pro or con, is still spending time thinking about Scientology – wherever their response is on the tone scale, osmosis is still occurring. Its pretty funny to hear the jokers and degraders talking, near-endlessly, about a subject they seem to think that they despise so much ..
Anyway, great work Marty, on expanding this scene, and I look forward to many more interesting tales of enlightenment and progress from you – and your group – in the future.
Congratulations and thank you for holding the fort.
May this year make a difference.
ML/A
Thanks for the data on stats on this blog pretty Big must say
Happy New Year and thanks to you Marthy and Mosey for what you do
All the Very Best for 2013.
Happy New Year! I love this blog. You’re all fab. Cheers!
Only one conclusion possible: You are very up-stat!
Hope it will continue like that in 2013.
Hang on – it’s 3,618 unique individuals per DAY. It won’t be the same individuals visiting each day – so the actual number of unique individuals who have had the benefit of this blog in 2012 is actually FAR higher. I would suggest it’s a lot closer to, or even greater than the 40,000 still attending events etc. And I wonder how many of those have sneeked a quick peek this last year…!
Incredible stats Marty – it just shows that you just can’t keep truth hidden. People will find it, one way or another. Happy 2013 to you!
Great stats! Congratulations Marty!
Are kidding Marty…thank us…No! THANK YOU! There’s case gain to be had on this blog in one form or another! The service you provide is AWESOME! Happy New Year to you, Mosey and Chiquita!
Marty’s stats are pretty important. The Church of Scientology doesn’t welcome Marty in their “church” because he helps to indicate to people that the Church of Scientology is NOT the fastest growing religious movement in the world it is the fastes growing “CRIMINAL MOVEMENT” in the world. Like attracts like. I remember when I walked into Qual and saw my name on the SSO’s scheduling board, just before I was to begin my Drug Rundown. The other day the state of Colorado made is legal for people to grow, possess and use Marijuana:
Link here:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/01/colorado-members-only-pot-use/1802081/
So what the hell in the world would anybody need a Drug Rundown for then? 🙂 The Church of Scientology must also be active in their campaign against drug use in the state of Colorado as well! 🙂
Happy New Year!
HELLO! 😉
This was posted on Facebook today. Thanks for this its revelatory.
“Unprecedented Expansion” – NOT!
Let’s start off this New Year with some simple and verifiable truth.
Go to business search for the State of California:
http://kepler.sos.ca.gov/cbs.aspx
Select “Corporation Name” under “Search Type”
Type “Church of Scientology” for “Entity Name:” and hit “Search.”
Look through the list keeping in mind that this is for California only. Also, some of the missions that closed relatively recently may still appear under “Active” such as a Mission of Santa Monica and a Mission of Melrose.
I think it would interesting to see a similar list for all States and all countries.
For “Status” definitions go here:
http://www.sos.ca.gov/business/be/cbs-field-status-definitions.htm#status
Happy New Year Everyone!
MARTY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Thanks for sharing with the world what REALLY happens inside Corporate SCN. I hope the INDY field continues to grow and give people a safe and honest place to do SCN. I hope shorty gets shorter
Just saw this and wanted to share with you guys something interesting to contemplate while we are discussing our ability to Move On Up A Little Higher:
Please take the time to watch this Keynote from this years CCC congress.
It is *highly* relevant to the cause of Freedom that we all work for.
Marty, Dave says the stats are false and has ordered a couple 16 year old high school dropouts to investigate you and get to the bottom of this!
Seriously, I have been out around a year now and well remember what I was going through when I knew the end of the road for me would be an SP declare.
Then I found this blog and I can tell you that it gave me courage to do what I needed to do.
I was going to do it anyway, but the articles and the comments and originations of the folks on this blog enabled me to do it with a lot less pain and agony!
Thanks for being here and communicating Marty ( and thanks to all you other criminals who are committing the 2 crimes of being here and communicating)!
Actually, in the end there was NO pain or agony!
The best blog on my “must read” list.
Thanks to you Marty for giving so much facts and data to help clear the false propaganda and lies of David Miscavige.
This not only help saving people from the enslavment but saving the entire subject of Scientology.
Thanks to all who participate in this blog, giving your views and facts that help put all the pieces together.
I consult this blog every week, more as soon I have more time for it, and this is the first one I recomend together with friends of LRH and scientology cult.com
Best wishes for 2013 and happy new year to Marty Mosey and you all.
Plus, the state of California is 15x the size of the state of New Jersey. New Jersey (the whole state) currently has one (1) active mission located in the town of Hawthorne. By equal comparison, California should then have 15 missions for each of New Jersey’s one, make it a kind of universally equal expansion. So, California is HUGE state, lots of real estate there, so for the whole state to be in possession of only this many missions? 🙂 Eeee Gads, has the Church of Scientology gone bonkers that they consider their expansion to be out the roof?! 🙂 So, I agree. 🙂 Just my two cents for the holidays. 🙂
Marty and Mosey, you have done a huge and highly pro survival service with this blog, bringing us all together with a place to share opinions and ideas. Your confront of evil has taken away the fear in many of us of the big bad church and the emperor of the dark side, DM. Indy Stats are going up steadily and thanks to this blog and other efforts and contributions Indies are expanding in numbers. Best of all more auditing is occurring and training is way more available. LRH Tech is alive and well in the field. We are making more releases, Clears and OTs than the “church’ is. I wish all a very prosperous and beneficial New 2013 and even more opportunity to get up the true LRH Bridge!! And thank you all for your contributions to Keeping Scientology Working.
Marty thank you for maintaining this blog. It is like the heat of a good fire that warms me to the bone on a cold Winter night. I loved seeing that someone still respects stats integrity is every thing. Happy New Year and a hope of prosperity for you and all the Indies. Compassion to all thetans. ARC Bill Dupree
Marildi,
You’re right about open discussion of philosophy, but I’m not sure that is any violation of “no verbal tech”. Imo, “verbal tech” is the verbal representation that “LRH said” [whatever]. It is so easy to misquote someone, even with good intentions, easy to take something out of context, and especially when one is training it is very important to have the original text (that’s what one is paying for).
**In my observation** talking about life or experiences with someone is not ‘verbal tech’ – it’s closer to a co-audit e.g.
Joe: *I* think that *I* should …
Bob: Yes, *I* did that and …
Joe : The 2007 edition of Scn 0-8 doesn’t include “A Description of Scientology”!
Bob: Holy Omissions Batman! That’s a gross omission!
That’s very different from:
Joe: LRH said the needle has to swing three times back and forth
Bob:: Wow. I guess I was wrong about …
I doubt that LRH’s intention was to stop anyone from communiating. (Is that verbal tech?)
Carcha.
I absolutely agree, Joe. The appeal here is to truth, not authority. And it the search for truth that probably got the majority of Scientologists interested in the first place.
Happy New Year 2013 to everyone! May it bring yet another year of progress towards a free and open world.
Marty, thank you!
You may say I’m a dreamer but I know from this blog, I’m not the only one. Thank you Marty for dreaming and for letting us share the world, right here.
People obviously like this blog as evidenced by your uptrending stats. Thank you for what you do. Happy New Year to you and yours and to all who frequent this blog.
Marty, excellent stats. Over 3000 people a day viewing this blog is awesome. My key take-aways from this blog and this Indie movement in general are:
1. Scientology is alive and well.
2. The subject can and will survive spirited discussions and diverse viewpoints.
3. I am/ we are not alone in this.
4. There is not one regular commenter (and author) here with whom I would not love to share coffee and conversation.
Amazing achievement! Happy New Year to you all!
Richard,
Interesting statuses as of 28 Dec 2012. One of the “Active” status (Entity Name:CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY MISSION OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY Entity Number: C1319779 Date Filed: 10/01/1984
Status:ACTIVE) was a subject on this blog earlier this year in April: https://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2012/04/08/massive-straight-up-and-vertical-international-expansion-really-dave/
It seems that “Active” in terms of CoS Inc is another False report or Fraud to the California government.
Happy New Year Marty and Mosey! You and the Indies are and have been upstat for real, for the last few years!
Well, I guess these numbers don’t exactly jibe with the recent pronouncement that many of the people who used to post on this blog are staying away. If that’s true, then each person taking off is being replaced by two others.
From a non-Scientologist perspective, I believe some of the success this blog has had is due to the fact that it provides a formerly unavailable and fascinating window into this community’s thought process as you guys wrestle with what went wrong in the church and how best to proceed. I find myself constantly impressed by the level of intelligence and thoughtfulness displayed here.
I look forward to the liberation of many more still in and much success to everyone in the new year.
Happy New Year! Congratulations!
Thank you for providing the wisdom, the learning experience, the ability to express ourselves freely without “Thought-Stopping”, and some entertainment along the way. I have observed that when someone voices wins, or concerns, it turns out that several others have had similar experiences. We realize that we are not alone going through the journey. It is marvelous.
Some blogs are negatively, and viciously, biased.
The heated debates in some posts & comments on this blog, though they resemble a good parliamentary session, provide a free exchange of ideas totally unprecedented. They help blow off charge, help bring about understanding on a large scale, and help as-is our entangled 3rd Dynamic “reactive mind”. I personally GAIN tremendously from the process.
♦ May we cause more “damage” to that reactive mind in 2013! 🙂
I have a few postulates and ambitions for 2013 under my sleeve, some of which are getting audited and re-trained, thanks to this blog and its contributors.
▲Θ Hip-Hip Hurray!
Well if DM thinks he can get anything by trying to
investigate truth, expression of truth he is wasting his time.
He only is dramatitizing a complusion force control mode to try
and suppress the blog writers and users , perhaps he thinks
they will get diseffected against and re think , of course all
methods to supress and control Marthy and Co.Well he is
stupid even to try.
happen he DM is just looking for ways to pretend to controlstill.
He is a looser.
theirs no way to try and control speaking the truth.
Because why do so many speak it and support truth / and
you would then ask why do so many people support
Marthy’s blog.
he can try, at least theirs truth in whats found out about Dm and
he Dm still trys to hide and pull people down and maintain falsehood of Keeping
Scientology working
Thank you! I like this.
Now THAT is straight up and vertical!!
Very well done, Marty and all who participate!
Happy New Year to all
“All here is charming – even the very trees.
My fancy takes words that never fail to please
A grateful echo in my heart awakes”
Kesava, Ancient wandering teacher in the Himalayas
George M. White
Happy New Year everyone!!
Happy New Year Marty & Mosey! Thank you for providing us a neighborhood hang out to share our thoughts with one another. Your ongoing contribution to Freedom is vast and so appreciated. I think I started reading your blog in 2009. Starting writing in 2010. In 2012 got my first auditing in the Indie Field! and as of 2012, no more family members in the Sea Org. Still under the radar because of family at this point. My postulate for 2013… more freedom for all. Let’s all keep moving on up a little higher! Thanks for everything! Congrats on the fantastic Stats!
Ok, i want to go out on the limb of my reality for the next postulate. Enforced disconnection ends in 2013, one way or another. Hell, I would like to go to some Indie parties this year!
Thanks Marty for your good wishes!
The statistics are NICE!
While we are on the subject of Marty’s impressive expansion stats, Richard, this is a great find you shared; thank you!
On this California Government site which you mention above http://kepler.sos.ca.gov/cbs.aspx you can even search using only the word Dianetics or using only the word Scientology, or using both words together in the search, such as Dianetics Scientology or Scientology Dianetics.
According to these State of California business records there are 177 corporations using Scientology and/or Dianetics in their name, of which only 55 are shown as currently active.
The remaining 122 down-stat Scientology/Dianetics corporations are shown as suspended or dissolved, etc.
For the record, I am guessing that way too many staff in these California corporations have no idea that their government has already written them off as dissolved and/or suspended.
I missed it, but did Mr. Miscavige happen to mention this contraction at the New Year’s Eve Fund Drive?
Sinar, if I take your point correctly, then one of the following two (or some mix of the two) must be true:
1. CoS, Inc. is falsely reporting to the state of California; or
2. CoS, Inc. is falsely reporting to the public and its members; or
3. Some mix of 1 and 2.
No matter the choice above, CoS, Inc. loses via unethical if not illegal use of data.
All the justifications in the world for lying such as the greatest good for the greatest number fall flat in face of the fact that a lie is an alter-is, and an alter-is creates the persistence of the problem; it does not lead to a solution.
PS The ethical philosophical stance of Scientology is purportedly a form of consequentialism, specifically the form called utilitarianism, or the greatest good for the greatest number. In Scientology, this became the greatest good for the greatest number of _dynamics_.
In reality though, CoS, Inc. practices the other major branch of ethics opposed to consequentialism — it practices deontology. Deontology calls for duty to be supreme, and CoS, Inc. demands duty and unfailing loyalty.
Roughly the two can be compared as “the ends justifies the means” (consequentialism) vs. “the means is more important than the end” (deontology). Interestingly, CoS, Inc. alternates between the two such that the results are always skewed to support CoS, Inc. — a third dynamic entity. I find this interesting because only consequentialism is explicitly voiced as the ethical system _but_ deontology is heavily woven throughout (for example, “… and your own destiny for the next endless trillions of years depends on what you do here and now with and in Scientology …” — while that is in a way a call to the greatest good, it is even more so a call to duty — which is deontology).
By failing to educate Scientologists on ethical systems, CoS, Inc. is thereby able to inculcate duty to the church as the highest ethical standard masquerading as the greatest good for the greatest number. Since this is a fundamental alter-is of the field of ethics, it persists as ethical confusion, the misapplication of ethical solutions, and the failure of people to put ethics in on the church itself. That’s because the hidden deontology thread (duty to the church) trumps everything else. The apparent analysis is that “disloyalty” to the church is de facto unethical because such disloyalty cannot be the greatest good for the greatest number (of dynamics). The real analysis is that disloyalty do the church is unethical because of a failure of duty to an authoritarian third dynamic entity.
In the end, this sleight of hand only hurts the church as people realize that (a) it is not ethical to support an unethical organization; and (b) consequentialism and deontology are both valid threads of ethical consideration that benefit from mindful and open discussion rather than blanket application; (c) performing duty in the work of an unethical cause is not ethical and such duty may in fact not be in the interest of the greatest good for the greatest number.
Maybe too weighty of a topic for January 1! Suffice it to say that “the most ethical group on the planet” clearly has an ethical problem!
Carcha, I agree that the discussions include (and should!) observations and experiences. But there has also been plenty of “LRH said” without giving an actual quote and reference. And there has also been lots of interpretation as to what LRH meant by what he said, whether it was quoted or not.
Obviously, the purpose behind the no verbal tech policy is to prevent the spread of incorrect tech and false data. But my experience with “verbal tech”, on this and other blogs and forums, has led me to believe that a lot can be learned by exchanging understandings and viewpoints, especially if you keep in mind that what you’re hearing IS “verbal”. And it just may be that when such is commonplace, you get grooved in to be on the lookout for it and get better at spotting it.
Auditors and word clearers, for example, hear people’s interpretations all the time, as that is allowed in those circumstances, I don’t think it has a particularly detrimental effect on them as they are aware of it as such and prepared for it. Besides, with them and with everybody else, FDS’ing and other correction can be done as needed. Basically, I believe the benefits have to be weighed against the potential harm.
It just seems to me that the policy of no verbal tech effectively keeps one from communicating about the philosophy and tech of Scientology! That is dire, IMO. But I’m open to discussion. 🙂
Martin,
I know one person who attended this years event and definately sneeks peeks and Is now complaining about foot problems. Seems one is in hot water while the other is in cold!
Another who has a 2d on VII ( who returned all materials to Flag) is not attending events or making any comments negative to the CO$ but DOES frequent this blog.
Both are not regulars to this site but do visit. The trend is clear……people are leaving in droves. The Orgs have had to ‘clean up their acts’ and put on the nice guy valence despite pressure from above just to keep the long time Kool Aide addicts on course at the Orgs doing their Basics.
Orgs staffs know this………….get hard line with the public and they are gone!!!!!
I think we may have a ‘shadow’ stat in the making here. I have noticed that very theta uptone comments like Jans’ have been getting ‘thumbs down’ ratings. As this uptrend continues I think it may be an indicator as to how many OSA bots are also now regulars to this blog.
Good job on the group auditing stats Marty!
Well done on a successful year.
How about including Ex Scientologist Message Board on the BLOGROLL as resource for readers?
You are right, SS.
Just because someone does not post a comment everyday does NOT mean they are staying away. Far from it…
Thank you for your insights.
Why?
We’re not *EX* Scientologists here. Perhaps you are in the wrong venue ?
Michael A. Hobson
Independent Scientologist
Indie 500 #99
It’s nice to see the top 10 list as each one of those postings was really good. Nice job Marty for having affluent numbers of people seeking truth here on your blog in year 2012. Happy New Year to all.
Submitted without comment. None needed.
our lives are as good as we make of them.
There are many ex Scientologists who post on Marty’s Blog, including myself.
If you visit ESMB, you’ll find OT 8s, OT 7s, Class 12s, Class 8s, Class 7s (Power Processing), many Class 6s, plus many more who are Class V.
Quite a few of these worked directly with LRH. A few as far back as the 1950s. Some worked with LRH on the ship in the 60s and 70s.
The feeling, by many, over at ESMB, towards Marty and his Blog, is becoming more and more positive.
Why not, at least, make connection?
When in doubt, communicate.
Can’t take personal credit for that one. Just reposting.
Good submission, Tom. Great happy way to end the New Year’s Day posts.
Now let’s get on with 2013! Gotta be even more interesting!
Gern, don’t paint all of us Anons or those from ESMB with the same brush. You know the principle of the squeaky wheel getting the grease? The same goes for message board posts. The Antis make the most strident posts, therefore they get the most attention. There are a lot of Anons and Exes out there, probably the majority of Anons and a significant number of Exes, who have no problem with Indies. Remember, we protest the practices, not the Tech. There is a subset who ridicule the beliefs, but it’s not Green On White for Anon. There is no such thing for Anon. We’re a herd of cats.
If I can be so presumptuous to continue to use Scn argot, there is Affinity in the goals that Indies, Anons, Exes, Old Guard, Rodeo members, etc., are trying to achieve. There is the Reality that we all face, that the abuses of Corporate Scientology cannot continue. Don’t we want Communication between the sides on commonalities that we can agree upon? Any differences can be handled by rational discourse and an “agree to disagree” calming of the waters. If we bring ourselves into ARC, Corporate Scientology can’t stand up to us. They can’t win. They won’t win. What all of us need to do is explain ourselves a little better and keep open minds, and keep the dialogue going, even if it gets heated on occasion.
What I’m hoping for 2013 is that we can all reach our goals, and that Marty, Mosey, Mike, the Steves, everyone at Dror, Les, Gern, all of the wonderful posters here, and in particular my home-thetans the Fagens (and I apologize for any enturbulations I might have caused you in 2008-9) have the best of possible years. And my greatest desire is for Karen to have a year with no trauma and a great deal of success. No one deserves the 2012 she had.
If they’re not “handling” Colorado, what can they do in Washington state? They’ve got legal pot and gay marriage. The Seattle Ideal Org might as well just throw their hands into the air and give up.
An excerpt from “The Way Ron Works” by Mary Sue Hubbard
“…To me, the most important foundation upon which Dianetics and Scientology is built was stated in the First Book, that is, “Man is basically good.” I know of no one who believes this as strongly as Ron does. It is my feeling that this alone in times of contemptuous press, financial difficulties, the betrayal of friends, times when it seemed that all he had built was crumbling to pieces, kept him going, kept him persisting to his goal of helping MAN.
In Phoenix after the fall of Wichita, a producer with whom Ron had worked in Hollywood came to see us at our small apartment. He was offering Ron what would seem to the ordinary man like ice cream and cake for eternity. After picturing this dream in the clouds, he said to Ron, “Now, really, do you think this Dianetics, this research of yours, is worth it?” Ron sat for a very long time silent, his eyes closed. Finally after what had seemed like hours he opened his eyes, and said, “Yes! Yes I do.” After his producer friend left, I asked him why he had taken so long to answer. He replied, “I was watching pass before me a parade of all the people I had helped, their expression one of hope and faith in the goodness of the future. Nothing can be worth more to me than that.”
And that’s the way he is. His belief in the innate goodness of Man, in being able to bring this and Man’s abilities to the fore continues him in his research. It enables him to communicate to anyone despite their physical disability to do so, or any language barrier…”
Happy New Year to Ron & Mary Sue too! Thank you.
Marty, just a few years ago you appeared as this little light in the
end of a seemingly endless and arduous tunnel. Now
you have become a shining beacon, a star, that is making
traveling the route with so much less effort. Thanks for your
strength and perseverance. And Monique, you should have
a special thanks too. Both of you have INTEGRITY that is
so admirable.
Have a great continuation on this new year!
It would be so easy to forget a very real value of Marty’s blog and related activities last year.
We routed people through the Underground railroad, co-audited, audited friends and clients, and established Scientology delivery in Texas and some other things you’ll probably find out about later…
…unmolested.
We engaged in the free practice of our ‘religious beliefs’ – (and even shed some of them!)
All that would not have been possible in years past.
So Thanks, Marty.
Obviously not my blog, so not my call who is qualified to post, but would say that a number of us share common experiences regardless of any label.
Personally, I think there’s a creature such as a ‘cultural Scientologist’ where certain habits and reactions are inherent in one’s behaviour, such as the judgment trait covered previously.
An illustration of how cultural habits are so ingrained: a Jewish friend of mine was at my house a few weeks ago. We were discussing something or other, and rather haphazardly, I ended up making her a bacon bagel. She doesn’t go to temple nor does she keep kosher, but the bacon bagel was wrong on so many levels, that we just laughed…
I recognise a number of the traits mentioned, and like the bacon bagel, rightly or wrongly, difficult to get out of the mind set…
If you do the math on what this kind of expansion means over just the next 5 years, it’s pretty amazing. The future looks bright for Independent Scientology. Not the same for DM and the Co$.
So as not to create confusion with any other Paul that comments here, from now on I’ll be signing as Paul J.
I think the “no verbal tech” rule applies particularly to any Courseroom and in general to any supposedly “authoritative” statement by anyone that “this is what Hubbard meant” or “Hubbard said that….” asserted as fact, without reference.
Show me the reference and let me figure out what it says!
Otherwise, these simply amount to evaluation, which is not where I think we are going with Scientology. Not me, at least.
Miscavige is all about verbal tech, and represents himself as having a special data line to LRH and of course that’s total b.s. In fact he conveys the idea that he has a line to some special Source beyond LRH, which allows him to edit and “correct” LRH’s published and recorded works.
Verbal tech is not you and me and Joe discussing Scientology by saying “Well I think l thus and such…..” Because we will eventually have to seek out the references we have in mind, just to get on the same page!
Gern it looks like the hornet’s nest took your comment as a bit of a kick, judging by the number of thumbs down you received! 🙂
Tony’s blog is very full of spectators. I find it interesting that sometimes after posting some j&d, someone will post a factual request for information such as “Does Tom Cruise still receive auditing? What does a person do, when he has reached a high level? Does he continue to get auditing?”
All this demonstrates an interest and attempts to create data comm lines and get some factual info.
One would need/want a Drug Rundown to handle and free one’s self from one’s compulsive drug taking.
My operating basis, since the 1960s/1970s has been that any state induced by a drug could be had by rehabbing a person’s ability to reach that state without ingesting a drug. They(states) are naturally available if one knows how to achieve them.
Why not just take a drug? Because any drug also has a downside, such as a depressive rebound when you take a drug that gets you high, or rebound congestion after taking decongestants. They incrementally do mess up your body’s functions, which I believe are homeostatic.
I do think drugs should be decriminalized. But that’s a whole ‘nother discussion.
🙂
Thanks for everything Marty and Mosey.
Have a wonderful New Year everyone xxx
Happy New Year Marty and Mosey!
Thanky you very much for your work 🙂 🙂
The church of scientology continues to have its anchor points knocked out and is in siege mode. Heading over its own fiscal cliff as new public and old donors dry up. Its burns all its bridges along the route of retreat. This Blog is a lifeline for scientology practitioners now and into the future. If scientology has any meaningful future that benefits man, it will be owed in large part to forums like this that shed light on the subject and put it in a healthy perspective. .
Thank you for the stats Marty.
Yes, I have learned allot also. Your and your friends posts have changed my viewpoints. It feels really good to be learning again about the world around me…. No one around to tell me “That’s entheta”, “That’s other practices”, Write KRs on me, force me to go to COB events (I was sec checked every time I ducked out of one), I may even be able to spot tone levels without thinking “He is a wog, how could he be uptone?”. Your articles have explained pretty much all the nasty ‘ethics and justice’ in the 19 years there (Starting with the RS/dirty needles 5 man meter checks/RPF 15 Nov 1982) and why my husband kept coming home telling me he was ordered to get a divorcee (after I left in 96 and we remained together 11 years while he was on staff at CLO/CMO). I can keep a friend now that takes anti-depressants. I have a freedom I never would have gotten in the church and my wins from my processing are coming back. I’m getting to the point I can again help others.
Your Communicate and Solve it with Scientology tactics are working for many. There is a confusion that blows off but I’ve always been for putting in order so it’s been confrontable.
So all has been good on this end Marty. Thank you for being there and I wish a most wonderful future for you and yours also.
Cece
I can’t thank you enough… Love and looking forward to 2013 being the “best year ever” 🙂
This is right, Espi, about the strident ones on ESMB. They are a minority who try to push ESMB in a certain direction, like the street corner soapbox preachers who predict the end times, day after day, week after week. They are not interested in multiple, diverse viewpoints.
Well, is there a link to Marty’s blog there, on ESMB?
I feel those who are interested, will find their way to Marty’s blog anyway, especially as Marty is made “controversial” over there by some. I think that makes folks curious to see for themselves what Marty’s blog is all about.
Looks like you are onto the embedding trick….. 🙂
Tip of the iceberg syndrome
And to you and yours!