Discuss My Scientology Movie
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Not a great movie...but an important one.
posted by Daddie0STAFFMOD on March 14, 2017 at 4:43 AM
It seems to me that despite this film's many flaws, the more approaches that can be made to Scientology the better. The organization brings much of this scrutiny on themselves through their own secrecy and paranoia. I liked at the end of the film that the filmmaker suggests that it is likely more helpful to see adherents as "good people" rather than "monsters" as this helps us see the very human tendency to get caught up in one another's control.
Reply by AusFem
on March 14, 2017 at 2:57 PM
It's more a documentary than a movie. but fascinating none the less.
You should watch Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath... z real eye opener. An 8 episode series, featuring former members of the church. It can be viewed on Youtube.
(https://youtu.be/R6oYaMtJln0?list=PLri3QuAOhyWZmPuJrAihYxcUJJUlrpyoo)
Reply by Daddie0
on March 15, 2017 at 5:32 AM
Will do. I had heard about it and intended to, but then didn't get around to it. Thanks for the reminder. "Going Clear" was really good as well.
Reply by AusFem
on March 15, 2017 at 5:41 AM
Haven't heard of Going Clear, but I'll look for it. Thanks. I find the subject fascinating and scary too about what cults can do.
Reply by Daddie0
on March 17, 2017 at 7:15 AM
So I just finished binge watching Leah Remini's series over several days and I have to say it was both surprising and exhausting. The format almost by necessity being a weekly series seems redundant compared to films on the subject, but it also has a vitality to it because of their ability to respond in near real-time through things like Reddit AMA's.
The whole topic has piqued my curiosity not just about Scientology, but about cults, religions, anti-religions and the human condition. A worthy exercise, but again, daunting. Basically I just wanted to say again: thanks for the recommend.
Reply by AusFem
on March 17, 2017 at 12:08 PM
You're welcome Daddie0. Some of those stories are absolutely heartbreaking. I don't understand how Scientology can pass itself off as a church...
Also so glad Leah Remini put this on Youtube so everyone could get access to it.
Reply by AusFem
on March 18, 2017 at 9:56 PM
I watched Clear, so it turns out Hubbard was a crook just in it for the money and insane IMO.. I don't understand how people didn't see through him.
One question though... the people thrown overboard on his ships, were they pulled out of the water or were they left there to drown?
Reply by Daddie0
on March 18, 2017 at 11:33 PM
I'd have to watch it again, and TBH, I'm no expert, just a layman with interest. All that being said, as I see Hubbard from the outside, I can't help but think he was just a man of his times. There was so much "optimism" and "discovery" about the human condition in the 50's and 60's and I just think he found his thread and started to knit with it. I can't imagine even he could understand what would become of his "teachings."
I also find it interesting how someone can go through military training, see it for what it is, then exploit it for private enterprise. Everything he did with Sea Org was so obviously modeled after his time in the US Navy. To me this has two effects: first it affirms life-long concerns I have with any such indoctrination; and second, it points to the juvenile obsession with approval through medals, buttons, stickers and stripes.
Reply by AusFem
on March 19, 2017 at 2:27 AM
I think Tom Cruise loves the adoration. With all the evidence out there, with regards to physical and psychological abuse, separation of families, cheap labour, virtual imprisonment for the slightest offence etc... Also quite a bit of information on youtube, and probably books i'm shocked the Govt hasn't done something about this. It's obvious they are not a church, but an abusive cult.
Reply by lantzn
on March 19, 2017 at 2:54 AM
When Hubbard died who took the reins.
I saw this on ITunes and set it on my Watchlist.
Reply by AusFem
on March 19, 2017 at 11:24 PM
Wasn't it David Miscavige? There's some really interesting stuff on him in Wiki..
By the time members reach the level when they find out about the aliens, you would think that would raise a big red flag. I guess by that time they are well and truly brainwashed.
Reply by lmao7
on March 20, 2017 at 4:59 AM
I watched a Scientology documentary on Netflix last night and remembered someone posted here - I thought it was the same film. The one I watched: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief the ones telling the story are ex members who reached high level and left. And some bio on L Ron Hubbard - how he started, his marriage etc. Also has footage of their events like John Travolta etc.
Reply by AusFem
on March 20, 2017 at 5:01 AM
Yes I just watched that recently. I was a bit shocked what they did to Nichole Kidman although I shouldn't have been as I've watched a few doco's on Scientology.
Reply by Daddie0
on March 20, 2017 at 1:23 PM
Leah Remini offers some interesting insight here: she says that "you don't have to believe that stuff...nobody does." So to the best of my understanding it's like an 'Atheistic Jew' or 'Christian Humanist', interesting concepts that might surprise some to be categories of 'faith.' What offsets this is the underlying conviction Remini and others have that they are "saving the world."
As far as Miscavige, it seems this recent criticism of Scientology is centered around him. As a matter of fact, some of my research has shown that there are break-away groups of scientologists who didn't agree with the direction Miscavige was going. So one of the questions is whether such abuse was built into the "religion" or just manifestations of later personalities running it. It is quite an intriguing case study as it's a very modern religious development.
Reply by Daddie0
on March 20, 2017 at 1:35 PM
BTW, just read the wiki and it is indeed interesting....
Reply by AusFem
on March 20, 2017 at 7:48 PM
Yes, on reading wiki, I clicked a few links on it, which take you to other Scientology sources. Honestly you could read for hours.
This is really interesting: 5 Reasons Why "Scientology and the Aftermath" is More Important Than You Think http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDLftr9wIwo