/r/ Demande de traduction

Est-ce que quelqu'un pourrait traduire ce texte de l'anglais au français?Merci,

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"Where do I get the latest news?"

News related to Operation Clambake is available on the Latest News page, while the best source for general news related to the Scientology controversy is available on the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology, OCMB or one of the many other web based discussion boards.


"I'm doing a research about Scientology/CoS for school/the press, can you help me?"

I will do my best to help you find the information you are seeking or help you get in touch with people that might assist you further. But since I get a lot of these requests I must, because of time pressure, urge you to first spend some time reading through Operation Clambake since most of the information you probably seek is already easily available here.

If you can verify that you are a journalist or doing a serious research into CoS I also have access to a lot of information that is not easily available (or have contacts that have them) and might very well be able to help you getting hold of them if you can specify what you are looking for. But first you need to study the information already made available.

"A friend/family member has joined Scientology, I'm worried and don't know what to do! Please help."

Look at CIC's page for advise on what you should, and should not, do. I also recommend reading the book "Releasing The Bonds: Empowering People To Think For Themselves" by Steve Hassan. Do this before you do anything!

There are also several support groups that might be of help. Let me know where you live and I will try to help you find one close to you. Do not contact the Cult Awareness Network (CAN)! CAN is now operated by CoS.

"I want to tell my story from inside the cult, but I am too afraid to post it using my real name. What should I do?"

If you send it to me I can post it on the Internet for you. At your request I will keep your name and your e-mail address confidential (I encrypt every e-mail I receive). If the story is very important and brings new valuable information I might also offer to host it on Operation Clambake.

"The cult got my name and keeps calling me, are they dangerous and how do I make them stop?"

They will not hurt you. You should however never underestimate their ability to slowly reel you in.
The repeated calls is a known problem. Arguing with them only seem to make them think there is an opening - by appying enough pressure they expect you to give in. My advice would be not to argue with them, refuse whatever attempts they make. And don't ever be angry, showing emotions makes them think they have something going.

The passive method is to just hang up and it is likely they eventually will stop if you refuse to listen and they can't tell if you have any reactions to it. Be aware that they can be very persistent! If you want to be more direct you should ignore totally what they say and - with authority in your voice - tell them with as few words as possible that this is illegal harassment and you will report them to the police. Be prepared by writing a little script of what you plan to say. Then hang up without slamming it in their ear.

You can also go further by (again totally ignoring what they say and use authority in your voice) starting to talk about OT 3 and the galactic overlord Xenu who Hubbard writes about there. The caller is most likely not authorized to listen to it. Tell them that if they don't stop calling you immediately, you are considering printing up leaflets about Xenu and OT 3, and distributing them outside their "church".

But don't threaten with something you don't intend to actually do. And never threaten with anything illegal or violent, they are sure to report you to the police. Be firm in your voice whatever you say, never irritated or angry. Try to understand how the cult present critics out in the real world as crazy people out of control, don't live up to their expectations. Remember that the person calling you is a victim.

"How can I protect my identity from the cult when using the Internet?"

Check out the page How to post and e-mail anonymously.

"Is CoS a cult or a religion?"

There are many types of cults. Some are religious cults and others are not; the first term does not rule out the other. I define a cult as any group having all of the following five characteristics:
0. It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members.
0. It forms an elitist totalitarian society.
0. Its founder/leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma.
0. It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds and recruit people.
0. Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.

It is my opinion that CoS fits this definition of a cult. Many critics and former members of CoS also describe CoS as a bait and switch racket or the mafia of religion.


"May I ask your opinion on Juliet Lewis, Nancy Cartwright, John Travolta, Tom Cruise and Chick Corea all successful Scientologists?"

All depends on what you mean by "successful". CoS has always given special attention to celebrities because of their enormous marketing value. For this they have Celebrity Centers where celebrities receive special attention, and where potential rising stars are recruited into the cult. Are these people personally more successful in life than ordinary people? I guess that depends on what you treasure in life and how you measure success.

There is no doubt that Scientology has techniques that attract some people, with their method of psychotherapy and group thinking. Most Scientologists know little about the dark side of CoS. This especially applies to the celebrities who only see the glamorous side. In the case of the names mentioned I will try to avoid speculations about their personal reasons to stay in CoS; one can only assume they believe what they profess. But having talent in an art or being successful in a craft does not imply they have to be smart or are less likely to become victims of fraud. Things like talent, good looks and circumstances play an important role in why some become celebrities, especially in Hollywood. I do not believe Scientology celebrities are happier or personally more successful than most ordinary people, even though they might have achieved some level of public recognition. It seems to me that they struggle with the same problems as everybody else.
Celebrities are under a great deal of stress and public pressure, and often have a good deal of money to hand. Scientology may be to them what gangs are to poor inner-city youths: a way to find someone that cares about them. Scientology Celebrity Centers etc. give them a closed world where they can relax and find someone to talk to. The expensive courses don't hurt them much, and Hubbard even said that celebrities should not be charged but only asked to donate what they wanted to donate. They might sample it just for the heck of it, and stay in. After all, they can easily afford to do so. There have also been speculations about tax benefits for celebrities who remain members of CoS, implying the possibility of economic motives.

In addition, the cult has huge files on members with all their most personal confessions from auditing sessions. CoS has a history of using these files against defectors to either force them back or into silence. Many may not be in a situation where they can quit.

I personally do not know any CoS celebrities, but I do know a lot of people whose lives were ruined by CoS. One ruined life is not justified by another saved. Operation Clambake is in honor of these victims and is my attempt to prevent new ones.