Scientology in The New Yorker: Lawrence Wright Buries L. Ron Hubbard For Good

Lawrence Wright highlights a type of social pathology that, far from being confined to Scientologists, is a ubiquitous feature of many contemporary so-called “religious” or “spiritual” organizations. Yet public discourse about the relative merits of any particular such group usually seems oblivious to this pathology. Why?

Though this is a phenomenon endemic to groups that use mystical traditions and founding myths to justify their authority over individual members, each time they produce results consistent with their authoritarian blueprints there is public outrage—AFTER a lot of people have gotten hurt and their bizarre ordeals have become the object of gawking and controversy.

American Guru, my book about the organization EnlightenNext and its founder Andrew Cohen, tracks the history and development of this phenomenon in yet another such “idealistic” group. To demonstrate how much EnlightenNext has in common with the Church of Scientology, I've written an article showing parallels which these two groups have in common, and which in fact a great number of authoritarian spiritual groups share.

You will find the article here: http://americanguru.net/news-a...

Celebrities are the perfect prey for cult recruiters. They're rich (no payoff recruiting the poor the staff the peon-pool). They are also deeply, profoundly committed to make-believe. That is what entertainers do for those big bucks he rest of us realists throw their way in our gratitude for being taken on a little vacation from reality every now and then. If one's life is devoted to make-believe, then crazy shit like Scientology just might not seem that crazy. Celebrities are convinced that what they say, think, or do is brilliant simply by virtue of themselves having said, thought or done fill-in-the-blank. If a given celebrity takes to Scientology, the life-lessons that have taught the rest of us to be somewhat more critical about the appeal of whatever might seem compelling at one time or another, aren't in operation.

Finally, celebrities are OK with being outrageous. In fact, being outrageous tends to draw attention, which is both the lifeblood and defining essence of celebrity.

And it will never, EVER matter to any religiot how ignominiously, or how brutally laid bare their favorite brand of mumbo-jumbo is. That's why they call believers in the unsubstantiated and unsubstantiable "religiots".

Until there is a exposee re. the institutionalized rape of little children, or Scientology leaders are found to be carrying on sordid double-lives as often as the clergy of more conventional religions, who gives a crap what religiots want to believe?

If you actually Google the first sentence of Louanne, it delivers a laughable amount of results.Rice and beans for dinner again, Louanne?

Reading this Wright article was a spiritual experience for me too. I nearly spontaneously combusted while going exterior with full perception.

I don't like the title, not applicable. LRH has been dead for a number of years so it is a little after the fact for Lawrence Wright to "bury" him. He isn't the correct targe to bury.

Dead men can't stand up for themselves.

Otherwise the article is ok and informative. I hope the FBI does catch and convict David Miscavige for something. I hear the "Hall" a place in Flag in Clearwater where dissenting executives are placed has been dismantled. I hoped the Church was turning over a new leaf, but then I discovered the FBI was investigating so naturally they are going to remove anything that could get Miscavige in serious trouble.

By the way, don't think I am anti-Scientology, I'm not. I'm a practicing Scientologist, but with no connection to the Church. Hey, their members disconnect from me.:)

It's perfectly clear that Tommy Davis is not telling the truth, but I'm not sure if he's technically "lying". It brings to mind the Seinfeld episode where Jerry denies watching Melrose Place and is trying to figure out how to beat the lie detector, and George offers some advice..."just remember Jerry, it's not a lie if you believe it"

Still no mention, anywhere, of Jack Parsons and Marjorie Cameron?tsktsk

Interesting. I never really liked Haggis’ work and was surprised to hear he was a Scientologist. He never particularly promoted being a Scientologist until he left. I don’t believe he is being straight (oops, maybe that’s the wrong word to use in this case) about his resigning because the Church didn’t come out against Prop 8. It’s far-fetched and pathetic for him to claim that, as far as I’m concerned. I am not at all convinced. I can’t believe Wright bought it, frankly.

I just love this summary of the NYer article! Great job, Tony! We need some humor in all this. Readers, Scientology is worse than you think. It's a dangerous cult but it's going down, down, down......

Lawrence Wright did a great job with that New Yorker article. I can't wait for the book.

I almost went blind reading it, it was so good. Almost as funny as the military medals debunking, was the part where Tommy said that Hubbard's association with Jack Parsons, Satanist, was done while he was on an undercover intelligence mission for the Navy.

Here's a recording of Hubbard, talking about his "very good friend" Aleister Crowley (Satanist and self-proclaimed Beast 666, and Parsons' mentor) where Hubbard is recommending Crowley's book THE MASTER THERION to his followers. Hubbard still trying to keep up his cover, of being genuinely interested in Satanism?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Scientology was the first fastest growing religion to do oceanographic research together, in a bathysphere, for The National Geographic, and Harvard University.

Surprise! Louanne Lee's interests on Facebook: Church of Scientology of Celebrity Centre Nashville, CCHR International, KNIGHT AND DAY (2010): TOM CRUISE ROCKS!, Dianetics, L. Ron Hubbard, Meet a Scientologist, Church of Scientology, Photos by Misou, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, Volunteer Ministers, Scientology, Church of Scientology & Celebrity Centre Las Vegas, The New Yorker, Scientology, Official Church of Scientology

@Louanne: You must realize that you are one of the cinder blocks tied to Scientology's feet as it tries to swim across this ocean of exposes.

Louanne Lee the Tommy Davis of the internet.

My views on this so-called article by Lawrence Wright is it’s a crime to have killed the trees it took to print the 28 pages.

I have this image of Tommy (Mom always liked you best) Davis sitting off in a corner, smoking some weed, wondering if the Rastafarians need a new spokesman. He's young. He can still find honest work.

This article is another thinly veiled tabloid piece repeating old and new rumors from people with an axe to grind with the Church of Scientology. The New Yorker author Lawrence Wright could not come up with a single line that has not been discarded as the work of fanatic anti-religionists a long time ago. This piece actually sheds a new light on him as a researcher and writer. How much does his obvious hate against religion taint his judgment? This piece has been written by someone with a deep-set hatred against religion and spirituality. Just like the Hollywood dude Haggis, who openly confesses that he makes a living putting his personal life traumata in movie scripts, Lawrence Wright lives his anti-religious hatred in writing one-track minded articles and books. The New Yorker, putting on tabloid colors for a moment, has allowed him to air his therapy sessions and that is their choice but one really has to ask: I don't really want to waste my time reading something like this.