Scientologist Rodger Clark, a blogger for the STAND (Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination) website, presents his take on the“artificial media version of Scientology,” and its resolution. Republished courtesy of the STAND website.
I have often seen confusion arise in the minds of people who hear snippets of the theatrical, artificial media version of Scientology. My own family, friends, and acquaintances know me as mostly “normal” and hardworking. A little wacky, a little funny, somewhat interesting, but just another guy. They can’t resolve certain things they’ve heard with what they see. My tax guy finally said, “You’re a good guy. That’s all I need to know.” (Isn’t that all anyone should need to know about the people in their lives?)
Well, in case that particular mystery has hit your own mind and failed to resolve itself, allow me to offer an explanation.
Everything from a good mystery novel to a good football game relies on missing information. In other words, it relies on mystery. “Whodunit?” “How will the game end?”
Nearly everyone has the capacity to make good conclusions, if and when all of the relevant facts are available. It’s the unpredictability provided by missing information that creates “drama” and “suspense.” And let’s face it, drama is entertaining and entertainment is the point of drama. Drama requires missing facts. It’s when we forget that the purpose of drama is entertainment—when we take it so seriously that we actually believe it—that the fun ends.
You yourself, see this with any dark drama playing out in your own life. “Is he cheating?” “Why is she acting that way?” “Why did they elect that guy?” “Can I trust that person?” “Should I marry him/her?” Missing information. Infinite drama. Not enough facts to resolve the problem. You’ll rarely, if ever, see worry, anger or argument when all the facts are known by everyone involved. But just as most lawyers will hide information that hurts their case, so it is when the tabloid media attack Scientology: they must hide the truth about it. It’s that simple. When complete facts are covered up, then drama, not truth, is the real intention. Drama can seem more interesting, more entertaining and far more profitable. Tabloid media workers rely on drama for their living and they must eliminate information in order to create it.
Most Scientologists have witnessed the “normal” TV/movie/booze-drug/money-and-popularity-is-everything/it’s-all-about-stuff/eat-drink-have-sex-’til-you-die/run-away from-what-you-can’t-handle culture, and found it to be unappealing. They want more out of life.
In Scientology, they found an alternative to the squirrel cage of drama. They found the missing information to the unwanted drama in their personal lives, and the unwanted dramas which plague us all. They then used the tools they learned to improve things—in themselves and others—to have a better life. They no longer need to follow the herd. They’ve made a conscious choice not to live life thinking “it’s no use,” “you only live once,” “might as well just give up,” “accept the way things are,” “you can’t do anything about it,” “I’ll get mine and to hell with everyone else.” They prefer a life where things can be done, they don’t give up, and they don’t accept the status quo as “good enough.” They know they can be better and do better. They care about and help other people and live a life they enjoy… and they have a right to.
This is also why Scientologists present such a difficulty to the typical grunt who works for the tabloid media, since his ultimate intention is to confuse, scare and intimidate, not only his audience, but Scientologists as well. He can only frighten people by withholding all the facts. But those who have studied, understood and used Scientology have complete information. They can’t be scared and intimidated with drama. They are far more interested in knowledge, competence and effectiveness.
Scientologists have enough information—both about the religion out of which others try to make drama and the drama of life itself—to make a good, well-reasoned judgment. Those trying to intimidate and scare us not only don’t have it, they don’t want it.
And when you understand that, well, there is no more mystery.