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    Dave Carmen Llywelyn
    6/23/15 11:32am

    Why people LEAVE is easy, why people go in the first place I will never understand. Reading this I get a little bit, but damn.

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      Robb NunyaDave
      6/23/15 11:49am

      A lot of cults prey on the lost and the weak. I have a very good friend who temporarily got sucked in to one after his wife died at the age of 25. He got out of it, and was stronger for that. But when you’re lost, possibly homeless (like a runaway teen, for example), and looking for SOMETHING, a lot of these people seem to have answers.

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      germankiwigalDave
      6/23/15 12:14pm

      I kind of got it after watching “Going Clear” - Scientology seems to be extremely good at flattering your ego and telling you that you will be better than the rest of the human race when joining. That, coupled with emotional blackmail/manipulation is a very powerful thing. It’s what all cults work with - they draw in misfits with low self-esteem and make them feel accepted and special/better than those outside the cult. And since they use a few techniques from actual talk therapy, which DOES make people feel better about themselves, you probably think this shit is actually working/true in the beginning. And then at some stage it is too late to just leave.

      I watched a documentary on Jonestown when I was younger and thought “man, how crazy stupid were these people to join this obvious cult.” But now that I am a bit older and have gone through a series of depressive episodes I can understand the appeal of these cults far easier. The idea of being in control of your own destiny and your emotions must be so very appealing if you are vulnerable and lost in your life.

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    stacyinbeanCarmen Llywelyn
    6/23/15 11:34am

    Honestly, even when I was a Scientologist, I thought the Elfmans—Jenna and her husband, Bodhi, who married me and Jason—were cheesy people. They sent out a monthly newsletter in the mail to everyone they knew called “The Elfman Empire” listing all their Hollywood projects and Scientology work they were doing. It was funny.

    This is hilarious.

    I’m sorry you got sucked in to this crap, glad you made it out!

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      EvanrudeJohnsonstacyinbean
      6/23/15 11:42am

      Damn, people who send those kinds of things with their Christmas cards are horrible people, but doing that on a monthly basis should be illegal.

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      AssFault on the Highway to Hellstacyinbean
      6/23/15 12:56pm

      I’m imagining it in Comic Sans, even the logo, because you know that newsletter has a logo.

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    No RegertsCarmen Llywelyn
    6/23/15 11:29am

    This is amazing. I’m so happy for you Carmen. And for Xenu’s sake, why isn’t Scientology illegal? They destroy every life they come in contact with.

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      Robb NunyaNo Regerts
      6/23/15 11:40am

      It shouldn’t be illegal. It should be mocked. Repeatedly and loudly. Sadly, those bastard sue.

      (Obligatory SP photo)

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      SalTBagsNo Regerts
      6/23/15 11:52am

      Because of the 1st amendment. And a bunch of other exceptions brought forth by the IRS, which was total bullshit (assuming the HBO documentary was accurate).

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    DreadlockedMerkinCarmen Llywelyn
    6/23/15 11:48am

    Of all the crazies that are Scientologists I think Jason Lee makes me the saddest.

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      ibmagzDreadlockedMerkin
      6/23/15 11:55am

      Agreed! I’m morbidly fascinated with just how strange Scientology really is.. but somehow I missed his name on the celeb list. I don’t watch TV, and just binged My Name Is Earl last spring. I had a mad crush on Earl.. and named my new kitten after the character. Now I’m pouting, and my Earl crush just went pffft.

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      boobsmcgee223DreadlockedMerkin
      6/23/15 12:05pm

      For me it's Elisabeth Moss :(

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    Cherith CutestoryCarmen Llywelyn
    6/23/15 11:27am

    This was really interesting. Thank you for writing.

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      NefertittiesCherith Cutestory
      6/23/15 11:42am

      I agree that it was interesting, but I’d sell my soul for a copy of this:

      They sent out a monthly newsletter in the mail to everyone they knew called “The Elfman Empire” listing all their Hollywood projects and Scientology work they were doing.

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      Cherith CutestoryNefertitties
      6/23/15 11:44am

      Yes!!! How do I get on her mailing list while getting to keep all my thetans?

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    The ever-present football-player rapistCarmen Llywelyn
    6/23/15 11:22am

    I came into this thinking all “how the hell do you get into Scientology and not know what a scam it is from the beginning? What was this, like early ‘90s when the internet was still...” Oh.

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      traitorThe ever-present football-player rapist
      6/23/15 12:04pm

      Well, but... I was in high school in the ‘80s and I don’t remember it being a secret even then. There were 20/20’s and 60 minutes hit pieces every few years or so. Me and my friends had a morbid fascination with Scientology. We’d call each other SP’s as a goof. My best friend laid out the entire mythology for me with Xenu and everything on a long car trip. I think he read about it in - gasp! - a book! Y’know, the kind of book you might want to read before joining a cult? (I’m not judging though, we all wound up getting into plenty of other stupid crap that we’d all had plenty of warning about.)

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      BlondieRock13The ever-present football-player rapist
      6/23/15 1:06pm

      It still happens because they prey on young actors trying to make it in Hollywood. They just tell them it's all lies.

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    golddiggersof2033Carmen Llywelyn
    6/23/15 11:19am

    I haven’t gotten past the 1st paragraph yet but I already want to say thank you for speaking out and talking about your experiences in the church!

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      amyceegolddiggersof2033
      6/23/15 12:57pm

      Seconded. This is a brave and a bold step - I am sure they will react to your having talked about your experiences like this. But it’s important to add to the chorus of voices decrying what a monstrous organization this is.

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      KeevaSgolddiggersof2033
      6/23/15 2:24pm

      It is not a church. It is a massive scam designed to extract money from victims while protecting the leaders at the expense of everyone else. Take away the false trappings of religion - like calling it a church - and you have a cult that is more organized crime than anything else.

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    PhotoFinishForTheWinCarmen Llywelyn
    6/23/15 11:43am

    I was at L.A. Fashion Week in 2008 when Marissa Ribisi debuted her (probably terrible but I can’t recall) fashion line. The entire front row on one side was filled with celeb Scientologists: Kirstie Alley, Giovanni Ribisi, Beck, Danny Masterson. It was like they’d erected some creepy forcefield around themselves — the exclusionary, elitist vibe they projected was palpable. I can’t even listen to Beck — whose music I adore — without thinking, Ew, Scientologist.

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      BoodibaPhotoFinishForTheWin
      6/23/15 11:59am

      I’m disappointed in the Beck involvement too.

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      anniegawker2-electricboogalooPhotoFinishForTheWin
      6/23/15 12:05pm

      In the book Going Clear, Paul Haggis talks about how he became skeptical of Scientology after a few years, but by that time practically his entire family had joined, he had made friends in the cult and got career breaks thanks to it, so he felt like he couldn’t say anything.

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    AardymusVarkCarmen Llywelyn
    6/23/15 11:20am

    I am more interested in how someone comes into a cult like that as opposed to how they escape but in this case I get a head-shaking attack with the idea that the author is interested in exploring other religions and their respective sky-fairy myths. How about learning one’s lesson and staying out of the snake pit altogether?

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      Medieval KnievelAardymusVark
      6/23/15 11:23am

      You can study cancer without a plan to get it.

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      Robb NunyaAardymusVark
      6/23/15 11:47am

      I realize that it’s currently very trendy to hate on all religions. That being said, if you’re not in a church, synagogue, mosque, or temple that’s uplifting, you aren’t in the right place. There are plenty of religious institutions that are very good for you to attend. Just like everything else in life, you have to separate the wheat from the chaff.

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    BrtStlndCarmen Llywelyn
    6/23/15 11:30am

    How is it honestly possible that Scientology has avoided a FIFA-style FBI or DOJ raid? Are first hand accounts of physical and emotional abuse not enough evidence?

    At this point, we’re all aware that the church is a major violator of human rights, and their process for harassing people that leave the church is highly illegal and well-publicized. What does it take?

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      vailima750BrtStlnd
      6/23/15 11:32am

      They did beat the IRS. They got more lawyers than Monsanto, and a lot of people in their pocket on purpose.

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      BrtStlndvailima750
      6/23/15 11:34am

      That was the tax issue. I’m asking about a criminal investigation/racketeering charges.

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