[Guest post from Arthur who was in Portland for the “Grand Opening”.]
I dropped by the “Grand Opening” of Scientology’s latest “Ideal Org” in Portland, Oregon. It was nothing much. I guess that’s typical of these events. Only a couple of hundred Scientologists showed up.
As much as it was nothing much, a few things struck me about the event and how Scientology “welcomed itself” into the community.
The overwhelming image and attitude of Scientology in that neighborhood and in that community was, “We don’t like you, we don’t trust you. Keep out.” There were tons of security all over the place plus rented off-duty police. The police were polite, the Scientologists were most definitely not. At one point I saw one Scientology “security” person hassling a non-uniformed Scientology security person because he didn’t recognize him. That was funny.
If you were not a known Scientologist, you were most unwelcome. Even if you were just curious and only wanted to know what was going on — you were not welcome.
As Bill likes to say, compare Scientology with how a normal organization or a normal church would carry out their Grand Opening. The whole community would be invited. Everyone would be welcome. A normal organization or church would want everyone to show up, participate and feel welcome.
Scientology demands that “All you people stay the hell out of our building.”
And that is why these “Grand Openings”, and all the empty days following them, are such failures. If you welcome yourself “into the community” by erecting barricades, keeping the community out and harassing those who are curious, you are sending a message that the community is not welcome at the Church of Scientology. And it’s true! Go to any Scientology organization and see what their attitude is. It is, “We don’t like you, we don’t trust you. If you try hard, you might be welcome here, but we doubt it.”
It’s called a “Bunker Mentality”. (It has nothing to do with Mark Bunker — a “bunker” is a fortified place to hide.) That’s Scientology in a nutshell.
You could blame it all on Anonymous, making the problems of Scientology so visible — and that’s true in a superficial way. Certainly Anonymous was there at Portland’s Grand Opening, but they were small in number and pretty polite, considering.
Anonymous was the spark, but the fuel was there in abundance. The endless Scientology tricks and lies, the horrible abuses and the crimes were all there. The Scientology survivors and the witnesses were all there in large numbers. The continuing crimes, so carefully covered up, were all there.
Scientology has been creating their victims and, consequently, their enemies for over 60 years. Thanks to Anonymous, it finally became safe to talk about it, document it and finally, finally, bring Scientology to the attention of the law and the courts.
The Church of Scientology is very, very frightened. That was never more apparent than today, at Scientology’s small “grand” opening of their latest fortress against justice, truth and the very community they claim they want to help.
Arthur
Ask the Scientologist 
“The overwhelming image and attitude of Scientology in that neighborhood and in that community was, “We don’t like you, we don’t trust you. Keep out.”
A few hundred heavily regged adherents came out to hear their leader’s same old, same old. Meanwhile, down the road in Portland, the Dalai Lama, who I understand is the leader of an actual fast-growing religion 😉 was welcomed by over 10,000 people who probably paid for a ticket to attend.
Scientology is all about image. Miscavige demanded that Scientologists from around the world must show up for the Portland event. Why? Because he knew there were virtually no Scientologists left in Portland and he needed a “large audience” for his video. Image not truth.
Scientology took out a filming license so they could legally prevent any non-Scientologists from entering a six block area around the event. Why? Because Miscavige didn’t want his image to be sullied by the reality that Scientology is not so welcome. Image, not truth.
Truth? For Scientology, the truth is to be ignored if possible. If it can’t be ignored, the proper steps will be taken to cover up the truth.
Bill
Great article, Bill. Thanks very much to Arthur and Mark Bunker for his coverage, too.
When I first saw the pics of the Portland event with all the barricades, excessive police and security, my first thought was it reminded me of photos from KKK rallies. Like this one:
The Midget realized Scn is so unpopular, he is so hated, he probably thought he’d be shot or worse in a riot.
I’ve a strong suspicion DM won’t be running COS much longer. Once he’s gone, game over.
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold (Yates)
Unbelievable, no, believable that the press releases they gave out said they had 2500 people attending, when public photo’s at the same time, show the true count as in around 400. The cult has this habit of lying only to impress other members, who won’t see the truth.
Not to nitpick, but the Church of Scientology is not very very frightened. David Miscaviage is very very frightened. Just as was L. Ron Hubbard in the final days of his life (if not before those final days). The question is whether or not Scientology can be salvaged by an individual with the intellectual and emotional prowess to separate it’s potential future from its horrific past.
Larry
Well, sure. Things don’t have emotions. However, the image of the Church of Scientology reflects the leadership — and that’s all about fear, withdrawal, distrust, hiding.
The Church of Scientology cannot be saved. David Miscavige has made very sure that he can never be replaced. Ownership and control of everything in Scientology ultimately is under his control, personally, not as “COB”.
As for the belief system of Scientology, pieces of it will undoubtedly survive for many years. But Scientology outside of the CoS will never come under the leadership of only one person. Won’t happen. Can’t happen.
Bill
Am curious: “Ownership and control of everything in Scientology ultimately is under his control, personally, not as “COB”. What? I thought LRH left the copyrights to RTC. And BTW, how strange is that that the “Church” copyrights everything. Is the Torah copyrighted or the Bible or the Koran? Weird.
Well, I was speaking of the money and control, not the copyrights. By the way, according to what I’ve heard, the copyrights for much of the Scientology materials were lost quite a few years ago because someone failed to renew them in time. Apparently, that is one of the primary reasons so much of the material was “corrected” and then the revisions re-registered by the church.
Interesting. Thank you for the clarification. BTW, love your post.
Reblogged this on Shouts from the Abyss.
We just want them out of Clearwater.