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Wolf  
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 More options May 30 1998, 3:00 am
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
From: Wolf <wolft...@micron.net>
Date: 1998/05/30
Subject: Re: Is it true?

Bernie wrote:

> On Sat, 30 May 1998 01:21:30 -0600, , Wolf <wolft...@micron.net> wrote:

> >>  Flattery will get you everywhere, Wolf.

> >I noticed that a long time ago. Now if I just just figure out how the
> >hell to flatter Dave Bird......

> Tell him he is a "poet", that he is *not* nuts, that he is very effective
> in countering Scn, that he has a nice doggy, and that he looks absolutely
> gorgeous in his suit of ping pong balls. That should do the trick. Of
> course, none of the above is true, but that isn't the point of flattery, is
> it?

I dunno Bernie, I already told Dave he has a great beard and a cute
doggie. He still yells at me and uses curse words. You think it's
something I did or is he just angry at his mother?

Wolf


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Discussion subject changed to "Humor vs. Joking & Degrading" by Wolf
Wolf  
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 More options May 30 1998, 3:00 am
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
From: Wolf <wolft...@micron.net>
Date: 1998/05/30
Subject: Re: Humor vs. Joking & Degrading

WHIPPERSNAPPER wrote:
> It's this *dark* form of humor that is "joking and degrading."  It is
> usually easily recognizable.  Does it add more obscurity, or does it
> enlighten?  Is it a subtle sort of moral or spiritual violence without
> clear intent?  Or does it sweep aside a curtain and show us something --
> something we really knew, didn't we -- all along?

> - Whippersnapper

> "Hey, look what THAT monkey's doing!"  -- Calvin

Well done Whip. While I don't share the exact same feeling of clarity
you do by using Hubbard's *rejection* theory of humor, I still think you
did a good job in general.

As for dark humor being J&D'ing... here I'll disagree. To some extent
all humor is J&D. Be it shaggy dog stories or Henny Youngman one-liners.
Humor points up the rideculous, the pompous, the stupid, the
self-serving and the host of other traits we find easily in others and
disregard in ourselves. I'm fairly sure that's what Hubbard meant by
stating that laughter is 'rejection'. But I don't buy it as anything
even close to an absolute.

Humor is also a mixture of suprise, joy, genuine happiness and even the
process of an exceptionally sharp mind. Where's the rejection in that?

More to the point though, ARS'ers are perfect targets for J&D because
they tend to fall quickly into the patter of condescending humor and
terms that degrade Scn. The nice thing about humor and sarcasm is that
once a person commits themselves to that method of attacking an
opponent, they're wide open for counter-humor. I think anyone still
calling Scn's clams is mere fish bait and are showing more their own
lack of humor and intelligence than any real wit. You'd think if the
ARS-snobs were really bright, they'd have come up with a new joke by
now...

Wolf


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Discussion subject changed to "What's true for you...." by Wolf
Wolf  
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 More options May 30 1998, 3:00 am
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
From: Wolf <wolft...@micron.net>
Date: 1998/05/30
Subject: What's true for you....

Ydrrisil wrote:

> >>  Ask yourself this Wolf, or Bernie, - have you ever seen any encouragement
> >for
> >>scientologists to check what they are actually learning?

> >Of course. What is true for you is what you have observed yourself to be
> >true.

> ah yes - the words. So how many graduations or course rooms have you been in
> where someone stood up and said "Hey, I have checked this out - its totally
> wrong"?

Not a one. Not in any school, Scn or otherwise. The reason why is fairly
obvious.

>   I would love to hear your stories about this. I have spent a lot of time in
> courserooms and not once have I ever seen it, yet there are things that are
> demonstrably wrong.

Hubbard built a firewall against your sort with his 'what's true for
you' cornerstone.

>   A case in point - the condition of Power - I have no idea whether you
> remember this or not - but for years it was "a straight line up" - remember?
> For years everyone went through word clearing etc about it because it was utter
> crap.

Not that I can recall. But then I was in Power almost non-stop and it's
hard to see that line from such heighth....

>   I ended up in ethics trouble for saying precisely that.
>   Then along comes a "new" hcopl and definition saying that everyone got it all
> wrong.

Here's my theory about that. I never had ethics trouble because I kept
my own counsel on such matters. While you seem to think that the only
way to be a Scn is to agree with everything or word-clear and do ethics
cycles until you do. At least that's how you come across. That
perception of Scn exists in only two places I know of -> the Sea Org and
ARS. That the Opinion Leaders of ARS are primarily ex-SO may be telling
in why that perception exists here. It's no secret how much time I spent
being a Scn. During that time I had literally thousands of conversations
with Scn who _did_ disagree or doubt the workablility of one or another
aspect of the tech. So what? If it was a strong enough disagreement,
they moved on. If not, it wasn't an issue.

BTW, the real secret to getting the most out of Scn is to never join the
SO.

Wolf


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Discussion subject changed to "Humor vs. Joking & Degrading" by Dave Bird---St Hippo of Augustine
Dave Bird---St Hippo of Augustine  
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 More options May 30 1998, 3:00 am
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
From: Dave Bird---St Hippo of Augustine <d...@xemu.demon.co.uk>
Date: 1998/05/30
Subject: Re: Humor vs. Joking & Degrading

 So, how would Ron analyse a situation where someone, knowing the phrase
"can I sell you a bridge" means taking the person addressed for a total
 mug, perpetrates a vast moneymaking con on his followers which he calls
"the bridge to total freedom"?

--
  <__"-$      <__"    <__"         <__"
   :_          :      :            :_
 ''''''''._____'-_....'"...-------''''''_    <__'
           '.    $CIENTOLOGY:       ..''---   :.
             ;            _  . . . - '''
              .     . '                            ': ':  ':
              :  .'   the bridge to               .~~>~~>:~~>:
              :.'     total madness                     ~~> ~~>
              '


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Enzo Piccone  
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 More options May 31 1998, 3:00 am
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
From: Enzo Piccone <e...@ermes.it>
Date: 1998/05/31
Subject: Re: Humor vs. Joking & Degrading

WHIPPERSNAPPER wrote:

A *wonderful* short essay, Whipper.  :)

E


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Ralph Hilton  
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 More options May 31 1998, 3:00 am
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
From: ra...@atnet.at (Ralph Hilton)
Date: 1998/05/31
Subject: Re: Humor vs. Joking & Degrading

On Sun, 31 May 1998 00:23:22 +0100, Enzo Piccone <e...@ermes.it> wrote:
>WHIPPERSNAPPER wrote:
>> It's this *dark* form of humor that is "joking and degrading."  It is
>> usually easily recognizable.  Does it add more obscurity, or does it
>> enlighten?  Is it a subtle sort of moral or spiritual violence without
>> clear intent?  Or does it sweep aside a curtain and show us something --
>> something we really knew, didn't we -- all along?

>> - Whippersnapper

There is also a dark side to this classification. Humor can be used to point out
illogic in many ways. This can involve pointing out the ridiculousness of
something that some take too seriously. It can involve ridiculing a person or
organization which takes itself too seriously.

Scientology management refuses to accept outside criticism and is thus sometimes
the butt of sharp humor. They call this joking and degrading and label it as
destructive. It is only destructive when it contain lies and misdirection. Not
when it correctly indicated the ridiculousness of an untenable position.

Thus the labelling of humor as joking and degrading can be used to evade
responsibility for actual wrongs done.

--

Ralph Hilton
http://Ralph.Hilton.org


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spbill  
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 More options May 31 1998, 3:00 am
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
From: b...@ietc.ca (spbill)
Date: 1998/05/31
Subject: Re: Humor vs. Joking & Degrading

In article <35c48664.120951...@news.ping.be>,
   b...@arcadis.be (Bernie) wrote:

>On 30 May 1998 15:09:10 EDT, , Whips...@cris.com (WHIPPERSNAPPER)
>wrote:
>>[the essay on humor]
>Nice essay, Whip.

I also thought it was very well done.  Thanks for posting it Whip.

Whippersnapper seems to be the only Scientologist in good standing who
can post something helpful to this newsgroup without needing to use it
in some perverse way to degrade critics.

spbill

The best way to reform CoS is to run it out.


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Discussion subject changed to "Is it true?" by David Gerard
David Gerard  
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 More options May 31 1998, 3:00 am
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
From: f...@thingy.apana.org.au (David Gerard)
Date: 1998/05/31
Subject: Re: Is it true?

On Fri, 29 May 1998 11:29:12 -0600, Wolf <wolft...@micron.net> wrote:

:Going back to the value of ARS... if my additions to this ng can bring
:even one critic to focus their criticism on not only what should be
:changed about CofS, but what *can* be changed, then I think it's time
:well spent. If enough criticism is brought to bear on focal points that
:Scn cannot withstand, then Scn will be forced to alter it's internal
:policies.

I suspect that the CoS will break rather than bend. Or simply run out of
money.

I'd *love* your thoughts on the following. (It's webbed at

   http://thingy.apana.org.au/~fun/scn/demo/howto/follow-the-money.txt ).

The previous post being responded to is one from 'Jane Doe', who seems not
to be posting at present. I don't recall the post being followed up here.

From: F...@vm.tamu.edu (H Alan Montgomery)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: How Upsetting. There is No Way to Cause Co$ to Change. NOTs.
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 98 10:57:17 CST
Organization: Texas A&M University
Lines: 39
Message-ID: <17F1D9A0DS86.FHD@vm.tamu.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: tamvm1.tamu.edu
NNTP-Posting-Date: 18 Mar 1998 16:58:53 GMT

Jan Doe's arguments are real interesting. Basically she is saying that
pickets are a waste of time, because the Co$ canNOT negotiate. The Co$
feels that to negotiate would be the first step to the  end  of  their
belief system.

The second segment of her argument is the REALLY interesting. The  Co$
cannot be destroyed because the reorganization of the 1980's split off
too many shell corporations that can be the source of a new Co$ should
the old one be destroyed (admittedly she did not say this explicitly).

I find myself with a sense of deja vu.  I remember reading  as  a  kid
thirty years ago where they  said  the  same  thing  about  Communism.
"Communism has taken over seventy countries and NEVER has one  country
come back to freedom." Then what happened? The  Communist  system  ran
out of  money.   They  just  went  broke.   There  was  no  negotiated
settlement, Russia and all the other Communist HAD to  change  because
they were on the verge of collapse.  Admittedly  Cuba  and  China  and
North Korea are holding on,  but they are not  sending  out  too  many
"armies of liberation" anymore.

The only way to cause the Co$ to change is cut off its  cash  flow. No
other tactic will work. Picketing is cutting the line of PC's  queuing
up to squander their lives and money.  Picketing will have  a  limited
effect. WISE, ABLE, Narconon, Crimonon, etc. will have to  have  their
cash flows decreased as well, before the Co$ changes.

At the present moment I do not see anyway to resolve  our  differences
with Co$.  The idea has come to me that we will have  to  start  being
more active in hunting their source of funds. FOLLOW THE MONEY.

Okay.  I will lay out a set of steps you might want to do  that  soon.
The information is out there to choke off their cash flow from illicit
or semi-illicit sources. The information is in OUR backyard. The  only
real task is to figure out where we  put  the  digging  implements  to
unearth them. The states have started putting all manner of  corporate
records online. The FDIC has bunches of information about directors of
banks. The SEC has that data base of filings for  IPO's. From  what  I
hear the Canadian  (Vancouver)  Stock  Exchange  filing  are  *REALLY*
_SPECIAL_. The hunt will begin soon.

From: eldonb...@aol.com (EldonB123)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: Re: How Upsetting. There is No Way to Cause Co$ to Change. NOTs.
Date: 18 Mar 1998 18:33:19 GMT
Lines: 27
Message-ID: <1998031818331901.NAA12...@ladder03.news.aol.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: ladder03.news.aol.com
X-Admin: n...@aol.com
Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com
References: <17F1D9A0DS86....@vm.tamu.edu>

>The idea has come to me that we will have  to  start  being
>more active in hunting their source of funds. FOLLOW THE MONEY.

Yes, this is correct. Money is what it's about, and that is what will bring
them down, just as it did the Soviet Union. It disintegrated for mostly
economic reasons. Ideology had little if anything to do with it.

 A few suggestions:
1. Bitch, moan and whine repeatedly at your congesspeople and the IRS about
the secret settlement--in violation of a Supreme Court decision that
auditing is NOT tax exempt. This does not compute.
2. Boycott Scientology celebrity movies and TV shows, and make it loudly
known to the producers and sponsors. This is what Germans have been doing
voluntarily out of respect for their government. Joke about and degrade
John, Tom, Priscilla and the others mercilessly.  
3. Make life expensive for them. What's going on with that $190 million
default in LA? How can you mercilessly chew up their lawyers' time at a few
hundred bucks an hour? Moxon's fruitless trip to Norway recently was a real
win. Probably $20,000 or more down the tubes right there--for nothing!
Promulgate wild goose chases and snipe hunts by Cof$ shysters and PIs--just
because they're so expensive.

To paraphrase the wisdom of LRH:
MAKE THEM SPEND MONEY!  MAKE THEM SPEND MORE MONEY!  MAKE OTHERS MAKE THEM
SPEND MONEY!

--
http://thingy.apana.org.au/~fun/    AGSF Unit 0|4    http://suburbia.net/~fun/
Stop JUNK EMAIL Boycott AMAZON.COM http://mickc.home.mindspring.com/index1.htm
"The only way to ensure that spamming doesn't become 'legitimized' is if
*every* company that sticks their toe in the water draws back a bloody stump"
- Tom Lane


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Bernie  
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 More options May 31 1998, 3:00 am
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
From: b...@arcadis.be (Bernie)
Date: 1998/05/31
Subject: Re: Is it true?

On Sat, 30 May 1998 21:52:48 -0600, , Wolf <wolft...@micron.net>
wrote:

>Bernie wrote:
>> On Sat, 30 May 1998 01:21:30 -0600, , Wolf <wolft...@micron.net> wrote:
>> >I noticed that a long time ago. Now if I just just figure out how the
>> >hell to flatter Dave Bird......
>> Tell him he is a "poet", that he is *not* nuts, that he is very effective
>> in countering Scn, that he has a nice doggy, and that he looks absolutely
>> gorgeous in his suit of ping pong balls. That should do the trick. Of
>> course, none of the above is true, but that isn't the point of flattery, is
>> it?
>I dunno Bernie, I already told Dave he has a great beard and a cute
>doggie. He still yells at me and uses curse words.

        A perfect candidate for twitfiling, quietly and without sorrow
;-)

>You think it's
>something I did or is he just angry at his mother?

        I think Dave deeply feels for the "cause" he is defending and
views any critic who doesn't share his obfuscation for what he
*thinks* Scientology is (a "bunch of extortionate killers"), but who
uses a reasonable, more realist and compassionate approach, as "trying
to obscure the reality of manslaughter". In other word, he is a
cultist, an extremist for whom the means justify the end, and for whom
any critic successfully pointing out to failings on the critic side
(yourself, Diane Richardson, Judy Stein, my humble self) are dangerous
(and/or insane):

===============================================
Message-ID: <USdBaHAfOXj0EwDm@xemu.demon.co.uk>

I have rather less respect for Diane Richardson and Bernie (Gabor
Barna) as apologists for that cause.  [...] These, too (sic), could do
real damage and deserve to be met with hostility and derision.
===============================================
(I leave my supposedly real name in to show one of the tactics he uses
in common with the CoS).

        He is dead frighten of open and free communication with those who
don't toe the invisible party line, and both he and his side-kick
Rashleigh-double-barrel have openly advised disconnection with them:

===============================================
<33EF9DA8.7...@netcomuk.co.uk>

It is my belief that Bernie is mentally ill. In a sense he is worse
than Koos. [...] It would be better not to communicate with this
person.

<33EC3BD4.5...@netcomuk.co.uk>

Be aware of the dangers of communication with someone like Diane
Richardson. [...] Better still, *plonk* the bitch.  
===============================================

        Between the two of them, they managed to display many of the
qualities for which they excoriate the scientologists, this includes
using private information against dissidents and trying to drown their
voice in noise:

===============================================
<$ytLSLBE2Hl0E...@xemu.demon.co.uk>

Paper Tiger:

>  You know what?  I've really little idea of what Diane DID have to
>  say, because whatever it was got drowned out in flame wars

Dave Bird:
Then you fell for my (openly stated) strategy. Tell people it's a load
of crap and they should killfile her, all you get is arguments who are
you to say that.  Pile in and oppose her hard generating a lot of
noise, people killfile the noise.  Obviously it worked.
===============================================

        You get the picture...

        Nobody else better fulfil the definition of a bigot:

===============================================
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary:

A person who regards his own faith and views in matters of religion as
unquestionably right, and any belief or opinion opposed to or
differing from them as unreasonable or wicked. In an extended sense, a
person who is intolerant of opinions which conflict with his own, as
in politics or morals; one obstinately and blindly devoted to his own
church, party, belief, or opinion.
===============================================

        Finally, I always found that the following excerpt, dug out by
Diane, gave the best explanation for the behavior of this type of
"critic":

===============================================
Message-ID:   <51lagh$...@clark.zippo.com>

The book is _Satanic Panic: The Creation of a Contemporary Legend_, by
Jeffrey S. Victor (Open Court, 1993).  He writes:

        People who are activists in moral crusades tend to be
impatient with skeptics and often intolerant toward outright critics.
They often regard the expression of skepticism by critics as
equivalent to giving aid and comfort to the evil they are fighting.
When moral crusaders and their opponents hold very different ways of
framing the problem, discourse between them is likely to be nearly
impossible.  Because they don't share the same frame of reference,
their discourse easily degenerates into a kind of dialogue of the
deaf.  Miscommunication and misunderstanding can be expected as
skeptics and believers attribute ulterior motives to each other.
===============================================

Bernie
--
If you really mean to reform Scn and it's mngmnt
you won't accomplish it with charges of brainwashing,
fools and a dead man's ego (Wolf)


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