Moving On Up a Little Higher

I am sorry I have not answered each of the comments on the Anonymous/Marty controversy individually – but I read them all and considered them all and decided it best to answer in one single post. First, I appreciate all the comments. They made me reflect on what is going on from a number of different perspectives. I never intended to start a blog in the first place.  A friend (a very unlikely one that I did not even consider necessarily even friendly up to that point) seeing what a dog’s breakfast I had made of my original website volunteered to reorganize all my material in a neater format.  Within hours this blog spot was created. I thought the blog feature was great and started using it to impart information that I recognized was not critical for ongoing investigations  the media is pursuing, or might not appear in the media because under pressure from C of S the media requires me to come up with serious corroboration for everything that is printed or broadcast. I also post to create certain effects on a number of ongoing handlings/investigations/rescues, etc.

I recognize my own fault in creating a lot of the warring going on and I apologize for that. I wasn’t really blogging. I was not really reading or listening or thinking people considered I was expected to answer them. That may have helped create perceptions of  arrogance, egoism and abusiveness.

I am not sitting on my hands. I am working on a number of major fronts to end ongoing abuses within DM’s kingdom.  Though few reading this have any real experience that would lead them to believe this, but there is a method to the psychotic lunatic’s madness. Much of it requires I keep information and cards to my chest for now.  That is doubly so since DM seems to think if he knocks me out of the running everything goes away; and however mistaken that notion is,  I am consequently encountering a lot of flak (some of which I’ve made public on the blog).  So, my temper is not always where it ought to be and I am sure that has helped engender some antagonism too.

Because every word I utter is fair game for DA packs and lawyer letters and is exploited to the hilt, I am not inclined to use this forum – where emotion and passion sometimes reign –  for cross examination of me.

But I will say a couple things that might assuage some common concerns. I have no intention of ever going back to the Church of Scientology – in any capacity whatsoever. I believe it has been so thoroughly rotted to the core that it is a lost cause.  Having the benefit of a lot of hindsight, I doubt whether organized religion of any kind is very workable.  I deplore and would never even consider practicing fair game, disconnection, SP declares, RPF and a plethora of other abusive tricks the current C of S practices.

A lot of information (the type that I am continually pressed for and accused of being an unrepentant criminal for allegedly not disclosing) is coming down the pike. It is coming in the forums that it is coming in because I think it is important all actors involved in the conduct should be questioned publicly and have a chance to be heard. I think that having  neutral reporters of facts trained and experienced in judging credibility investigate and impart that information gives it the most authority and longest life and greatest circulation. And ultimately the most effectiveness. It is not an easy process to go through sometimes as Amy, or Tom, or Mike or a number of others would confirm. But it is the best means of ensuring the information will have the most impact on creating changes I believe we all want to see occur.

I have also been criticized for erasing any comments that don’t fit my point of view. That is not exactly true. I generally try not to allow the blog to be bogged down in personal piss fights.  I’ve cancelled a number of  comments by folk who wholehearedly agree with a lot of my views but who scathingly cut down somebody who disagrees. I’ve allowed a number comments critical of me to stand. The ones that are purely uninformed (like the many that name call for alleged omissions that in fact have been covered in posts, the site, or taped interviews available on the net) I lose because they are misleading and unproductive.  There are plenty of boards that encourage that kind of communication.  I consider this an alternative forum for folks who find the other message boards a downer on anything positive they may have taken with them from Scientology.  I don’t think I can make my position on Scientology any clearer than in the 31 Factors, my other web page articles, the SP Times video interviews – and as supplamented above; except to the extent I update as I evolve.  There are quite a few people who generally agree with a lot of those viewpoints and they find this spot useful and re-assuring that others support them.  Many very connections have been made here that are developing into new vectors of pressure to end C of S abuses as well help people move on feeling empowered and re-energized after leaving the C of S.  And a lot of people are willing to look here to begin the education process outside the bubble – people who would or have discounted the anti-Scientology boards after reading a single thread because of the intolerance often communicated.

I continue to encourage people who have a personal beef with me to email me. I have answered everyone who has approached me with civility on specific matters they truly want resolved.

I received the following comment from someone identifying him/herself as Anonymous UK:

http://forums.whyweprotest.net

I did receive a phone call from a blocked id caller last week. The caller identified himself  as Anonymous. I asked his name since he knew mine. He refused to identify himself, but assured me he was a WWP/Anonymous veteran.  He made no mention of anyone else participating in the call as Anonymous UK said he did. He implied he was appointed to find out some things about me for Anonymous.  I was not in a swamp. I was walking on a street with my wife and a friend.  The friend had spent three days with me to sort out his 35 year experience with Scientology. He had been living in silent, desperate confusion for more than a decade. My friend was summing up how he’d gotten his life in better order in the past three days than he ever imagined he could ever get it.  The cycle involved some use of Scientology. The Anonymous fellow was arrogant, rude, and threatening to me. He said Anonymous would probably need to deal with me since it was clear that I still practiced Scientology. I asked whether it offended him that I applied some principals while doing everything within my power to rectify abusive practices within Scientology. Anonymous told me that Anonymous might have to come after me if I believed in any corner of Scientology.  I asked him if he felt it was ok that anyone  practice Christianity. He said no. I said I thought that was very odd, because I thought that after listening to a lot of Mahalia Jackson I got the notion that Christianity – if properly practiced in the way she found how to – seemed like a good thing, certainly not harmful. He had no clue who Mahalia Jackson was, and would make no concession for even her. I asked if he felt it was ok for people to practice Islam if they did so in a positive fashion. He said that would not be ok too. I told him the only group I knew of that covertly threatened people for peacefully practicing a religion or philosophy – and who took great pains to not identify themselves – was the KKK.  I told Mr. Anonymous I thought it ironic that I was being interrogated, with implied threats, while I was taking an attack from Miscavige that by conservative estimate has cost him a cool three million to date. He saw no irony in that fact.  I told him if there is one thing I took away from my experience in Scientology it was a firm decision that no one – ever – would order me again, particularly in matters of conscience, and that if he was trying to state that if I did not denounce everything about Scientology Anonymous would come after me – so be it.  In four years since leaving the Church I had never had a conversation so resembling the many thousands I’d had with Miscavige that I’d left to be free of.

While logged on and reviewing that message as well as several quite apparently forged in the name of Billy Lindstein (which Anonymous – we are legion – acknowledged he created on WWP ultimately – yet still denounces me as an “asshole” and much worse for not answering poor, non-existant Billy), and another two emails from people identifying themselves as Anonymous affiliated my computer contracted spyware and crashed.

If you renegades (more people identifying themselves as part of Anonymous have been civil to me than have not) only knew how badly you were harming your own cause and helping mine. Keep up the splendid work fellas.

Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP

August 7, 2009

Marty Rathbun

PO Box 269

Ingleside, Texas 78362

Dear Mr. Rathbun:

I represent Tom Cruise. Apparently you have repeatedly announced to the public that you were Tom’s “auditor” at the Church of Scientology, and you have used that announcement, including Tom’s name, on your website to promote your business or profession.

This is not only a serious invasion of Tom’s privacy and a violation of the priest-penitent relationship, it is the unauthorized use of Tom’s name to promote a business or professional venture, which is a clear violation of Tom’s common law and statutory rights.

Just imagine a Catholic Priest leaving the Church and then trying to drum up business as a lay-therapist by advertising that he had been Frank Sinatra’s confessor. Most people would consider that disgusting and reprehensible. Yet, what you are doing is exactly the same.

It just shouldn’t be done Mr. Rathbun. So please stop.

Sincerely,

Bertram Fields

As I walk through valley of  the shadow of death

I know that I ain’t got much time left

And they don’t really want to see the good in me

Ain’t satisfied until they see the fool in me

And I know my business, so my sin is great

And I thank the hood for all the love they gave

And I forgive ’em all, they did they best to hate

Oh, let there be light

Nas (chorus by Tre Williams)