Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:07 am by Tru2form
Oh wow, good point, Walker.
It's true, I've noticed the same thing. When I first left, I picked only the absolute worst of it to disagree with. The rest of it was "cool, but not for me".
It took a very, very long time to sort out fact from fiction, and to get my mind into a place where I could say, "Okay, I might believe such-and-such is true, but that doesn't mean it is, it just means I believe it. If someone can prove me wrong, I should be open to hearing what they have to say." I wasn't a rational thinker when I left, I was an absolutist. "I just know," I would say, "I don't need proof".
Over the years, the little bits I still believed in were chipped away by a series of friends, realizations, strange circumstances and my own mistakes. A lot of the Scientology mindsets (not necessarily things that were in the tech) disappeared as well, such as:
- I'm going to suffer in screaming misery through this unbelievable period pain / headache / joint ache because Tylenol and mild medications are bad, and you should avoid them. It's better to be miserable than to take a pill.
How I figured it out: I used to get seasickness every time I got on a boat, and when I was in Thailand, I had to take a long-distance bus every month to the border. I used to barf every trip. I told one of the other guys at the camp about it, and he said, "So dramamine doesn't work on you?" I didn't even know there was such a thing as motion sickness medication. I was like, "you're telling me I felt like shit on EVERY whale watching trip I ever went on as a kid, and there's a pill I can take for that?" I took half of a dramamine on my next bus ride, and OH MY GOD. It worked. I felt GREAT. I couldn't BELEIVE it. I went the whole ride without having to sit there thinking, "Don'tthrowupdon'tthrowupdon'tthrowup". I enjoyed the trip! Later I thought to myself, "Huh. Well, maybe *some* medication can be good."
I then found out that all I have to do is take a Tylenol when my period starts, and instead of laying in bed screaming for a day and missing work, I can function like a normal human being. ALL DAY. I don't hurt at ALL. Things changed a bit after that.
- I will date someone who drinks way too much alcohol every week, because alcohol isn't really a "drug", but I won't date someone who smokes a joint once a year. In fact, I'll kick someone to the curb in seconds, stop being their friend, or yell at them if I find out they've ever even looked at pot.
What I learned: Though Scientologist youth go out drinking with no problem, and their parents regularly enjoy cocktails and a glass of wine like everyone else, the mere mention of pot will have a Scientology kid flipping out on you in seconds.
Sorry guys, but the scientific evidence from the last 50 years all supports the fact that pot is nowhere near as harmful a substance as alcohol. I used to refuse to believe this. But after dating first a pothead (unkowningly - I broke up with him the minute I found out, poor guy) and then a pretty rabid alcoholic, I have to say I prefer the former.
I also no longer start sobbing and leave when someone ACROSS THE ROOM at a party that I DON'T EVEN KNOW lights a joint. Funny, even though everyone was drinking, that didn't bother me in the slightest.
- All people on psych drugs should be lectured and "saved" from themselves, and failing that, treated with condescention, disdain and a little fear. After all, they're ticking time bombs likely to stab me to death any second.
What I learned: No matter what your stance on psych drugs, absolutely no one in the entire universe benefits from being looked down upon, preached at, lectured to, or treated like a freak. And you know what? Most of the time, it is none of anyone else's business how they choose to deal with their own issues.
- If I go through a car accident or take a fall, it's because I must have been doing something bad recently. I'm guilty of something horrible, even if I can't think of what. If I can't think of anything, it's probably because it happened last lifetime.
What I learned: An accident is, um, an accident. A screw-up. A mistake. Not some cosmic retribution for me forgetting to call someone back.
- Keeping secrets, any secret, is bad. You should write down everything you know about friends, relatives, and yourself and tell someone / show an ethics officer.
What I learned: People have a right to keep their secrets. If someone is uncomfortable talking about a problem they're having, you're not "being a friend" when you run off and tell the ethics officer (or anyone) after promising not to discuss it, you're being an asshole, and you're making that person feel unsafe.
And I do not need to feel guilty because I don't want to tell someone something. Keeping myself to myself does not mean I have crimes - it's just a basic right and a basic choice.
And you know, my life has been a whole, whole lot better since I kicked those ideas to the curb. But it took a phenomenally long time.
Scientology does have some common sense in it, and those are the bits I still believe. Yeah, just about 5-10%. I wouldn't say I use it, but I definitely do acknowledge that it's useful.