Two people of differing opinion, Aida Thomas and Robert Robinson, are well known critics against Scientology in its present form and past human rights abuses. Both have online blogs, critical of many Scientology practices.
Scientology bombards media about critics being disgruntled apostates, and specifically, “they are terrorists who protest in front of our buildings” with some wearing the familiar Guy Fawkes masks.
Although the mask wearing Anonymous group originated back in 2003 on the “imageboard 4chan”, the Anonymous collective became news headlines in 2008 following a Tom Cruise Scientology video. The group states “Anonymous has no leader or controlling party and relies on the collective power of its individual participants acting in such a way that the net effect benefits the group.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_(group)
On January 14, 2008, a video produced by the Church of Scientology featuring an interview with Tom Cruise was posted on YouTube and when Scientology attempted to have it removed, all hell broke loose.
On February 10, 2008, about 7,000 people protested in at least 100 cities worldwide. Participants were masked to maintain their anonymity and avoid possible retaliation from the Church of Scientology. Protesters were quoted as saying, "We believe in total freedom of belief. We have nothing against the people of Scientology; however the Church of Scientology has committed crimes….”
Today, on a Facebook page critical of Scientology abuses, Aida posted one of her past blogs from July 27, 2011: “Scientology: Are Protestors Terrorists?" http://tinyurl.com/a5z6a4z
“Here are various pictures I have taken at the several protests I have participated in against the abuses of David Miscavige and his Corporation. I have never seen or met a terrorist so far at any demonstrations, what I have seen is young idealist people, college students, families torn apart…”
(…)
“If it wasn’t for the group Anonymous, many of the above mentioned would not have dared to come and protest, they gave us the confidence and the feeling that we were not alone anymore against the CofS.”
Today I asked Aida if she still considered herself a Scientologist and she replied: “I refer myself as a Scientology practitioner...I am NOT part of the FZ, the Indie, the independent or any other groups....I believe in humans rights and freedom of speech and I will talk against those things.”
“I am also for freedom of religion...but I am not blind myself about the ‘outpoints’ of LRH and the rest of the gang who have taken over.”
So, I searched other postings on Aida Thomas blog:
http://aidathomas.wordpress.com/about/
"First, I want to clarify that I am no longer part of any Freezone or any “independent” group, new or old and that am not in favor or against those who choose to make changes to the original writings of Scientology. It is not my hat to decide who is ‘standard tech’ or who is not.”
“I consider that it is up to every individual to decide what is best for them and I strongly believe that spiritual freedom is a personal journey and each has to find what is true for them.”
Aida, a “Spanish Class VIII Auditor”, still practices Auditing and believes there are benefits to those being audited. On the other hand, Aida is a critic of the Scientology organization in its’ present form, led by dictator, David Miscavige, and abhors the human rights abuses.
On the phone today, Robert Robinson expressed his views about Scientology, which contrast those of Aida Thomas’s, but not enough to cause excess friction when commenting in online forums. He told me “I like Aida even though we disagree on some points.”
Robert began a blog about two years ago and has spoken ‘loud’ about the human rights abuses in Scientology, both past and present. On his blog today, Robert speaks about the high incidence of suicide of Scientology members.
“Scientology refers to death as "dropping the body" and suicide is called "ending cycle". How can an organization that calls itself a church be the cause of suicide? Believe it or not, you can find so many references of suicide directly related to Scientology that you would be reading for days and not get through them all.”
On a blog post March 4, 2013, Robert writes about “Scientology and PTSD.”
“Almost everyone I have known that has been in a cult has PTSD in some form or another. Just about everybody that has been in Scientology has told me about PTSD symptoms.”
Over the past three years, I too, have spoken to numerous people who have left Scientology and their Scientology drug rehab, Narconon, and found many cases of severe PTSD.
Robert said that “when Anonymous came on the scene in 2008, with thousands of protesters around the globe, I was tearfully happy. I didn’t feel alone anymore after so many years of feeling that way.”
Robert explained how he still suffers from the traumatic experience of ‘security checks’ while in Scientology. “I don’t know, after 18 years out, if I’ll ever be able to feel normal again”, he said. Thousands of Scientology victims suffer daily.
When one examines both sides of ‘Scientology vs. Critics’ the pendulum indeed points to Scientology as being the terrorists, not their ever increasing critics.
Nancy Many explains in this articles embedded video, how corrupt and threatening, Scientology really is.
David Edgar Love
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