SCI
page 3 / 4
commission basis to provide a constant supply of paying public to the
organization? How many churches offer "rebates" on the services
purchased by parishioners?
In Scientology, salespersons called FSMs (Field Staff Members) are
trained to recruit people for Scientology services. The FSMs earn a
10-15% commission on everyone they "select" for a Scientology service,
depending on the type of service.
FSMs are drilled on the "dissemination drill," in which they learn
to locate a person's "ruin." The dissemination drill is a four step
drill, consisting of the steps: 1. contact; 2. handle; 3. salvage; and
4. bring to understanding.
The FSM contacts a potential recruit in any of a variety of ways,
"handles" any objections the person might have about Scientology, then
probes through conversation to discover the person's "ruin," the one
thing in his life he will pay almost anything to overcome. Once the
"ruin" is discovered, the person can be "brought to understanding" by
being told: "Scientology handles that (problem)."
Once the new person is on the Communication Course, he will be
shepherded onto subsequent courses by the FSM, who will receive
commissions for everything his selectee does in Scientology.
FSMs go through an intensive training course, on which they are
given tips on how to increase their commissions. They are trained in the
use of "Come-on" dissemination, in which they learn to create some
"mystery" to attract the new person into Scientology. They are taught to
use books, primarily the Dianetics book, to lure people into
Scientology. They learn a technique called the "casualty contact," in
which they go as "ministers" into a hospital and recruit people to
Scientology.
FSMs are taught that their purpose is to "help LRH (Hubbard)
contact, handle, salvage and bring to understanding the individuals and
thus the peoples of earth." (4)
For successful FSMs, there is even the "FSM of the Year Award," at
which the FSM with the "highest statistics" for the year is awarded a
silver cup.
When a new person begins a course in Scientology, he is told that if
he doesn't like the course, he can get a full refund. What he is not
told is to what lengths he will have to go to get the promised refund. A
dissatisfied person applying for a refund in Scientology is first
subjected to an extensive "routing form," requiring him to go around the
organization and be interviewed by at least a dozen people as to the
reason he is requesting a refund. Even after completing this tortuous
procedure, there is no guarantee that he will ever receive his refund.
He may find that letters and even repeated phone calls will go
unanswered indefinitely, until he will finally require the services of
an attorney to recover the promised refund.
Another Scientology policy is the "freeloader's bill." A person who
signs on as "staff" in a Scientology organization by signing either a
2-1/2 year, five-year or billion-year contract of employment is
technically entitled to free services (auditing or training). However,
if the person becomes dissatisfied and decides to leave staff, he will
immediately receive a "freeloader's bill," in which he will be billed
for all services received as a staff member, but at full rates.
Since the charges for auditing range from $300 to $1000 per hour,
this bill can be quite intimidating to the staff person, particularly
since they are often threatened with expulsion
from Scientology or a "lower condition" unless they pay the bill. Since
most Scientologists believe that their spiritual survival for the "next
endless trillions of years" is dependent on Scientology, the threat of
being expelled or having their relationship with Scientology jeopardized
is no small matter.
There is an even more ominous policy in Scientology having to do
with defectors from the organization. The person in Scientology
undergoing auditing is continually told that his auditing file is
confidential. This is so he will feel comfortable divulging the most
personal things to the auditor. Yet, unbeknownst to the person being
audited, there is a policy in the organization, GO Order 121669, which
explicitly orders the culling of confessional folders for information to
use against people who are "security risks."
In one such case, a letter is written by a Scientologist to a member
who is obviously disaffected, informing him that: "the review (of his
folder) shows that you actually make more money than you report to the
IRS and that you are skimming around $2500 off the top prior to
reports," and threatening to make this information public should the
person not come into line.
One judge who looked into Scientology called it: "the world's
largest organization of unqualified persons engaged in the practice of
dangerous techniques which masquerade as mental therapy." (5)
Is Scientology a religion?
Or is it a business masquerading as a religion?
Let the reader judge for himself.
Notes
- Miller, p. 144
- Corydon, p. 200
- Ibid, p. 199
- Hubbard policy of 9 May 1965, "Field Auditors Become Staff"