A Scientologist Reflects on a Decade Writing About His Religion

A Scientologist Reflects on a Decade Writing About His Religion was originally published on the website of STAND (Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination) and is published with their permission.

A Scientologist Reflects on a Decade Writing About His Religion

This month, I celebrate 10 years of baring my soul on the internet as the editor of the Scientology Parent site. I’ve been sharing all my experiences of being a Scientology parent to people I’ve never met. And it’s been a crazy journey so far. A journey of coming to understand my religion’s true importance to my family. As well as what it takes to bridge the gap when it comes to people’s knowledge of a new faith in a social media world.

A New Daddy

Ten years ago, I was a new daddy. With a year-old daughter and my wife and me expecting our second. I was simultaneously in love with this new job of “dad.” And I was utterly fascinated by how this parenting experience was shifting my understanding of my religion.

See, Scientology as a subject is all about helping people improve conditions they face in life. And who’s got more problems than a new parent? I had first shared my faith online back in 1996 when I made my first webpage. So sharing my family experience seemed a natural extension.

The fake-news machine

However, there was something else brewing in the world at the same time I was enjoying my new little ones. Right around when I was thinking about starting a site, a number of high-profile Scientologists were also expecting or were living with new babies. As a result, the fake-news machine was in complete overdrive about Scientology and babies. It was Scientology and parenting, what “weird rituals” Scientologists do during childbirth.  And “weird rules Scientologists have.” Or “crazy things you didn’t know!” about how Scientologists can’t do this or MUST do that. For the sleazy tabloid writers of the world, it was a great time to be alive. Because when “nobody knows” what Scientologists actually do, it’s easy to just make it up. (Nobody will know the difference!)

My first effort to get the facts out there

As a result, my first effort was to get the facts out there. About what Scientologists believe. And about what they really do. This way, I’d make it so ridiculously easy to Google it that sleaze reporters couldn’t feign ignorance. That continues to be a daunting task to this day. Because, as we all know, alarming rumors spread WAY faster than what can seem like “boring” truth. And hordes of social media addicts are always ready and waiting to share the next great “scandal.”

So, no, I don’t see this job going away any time soon.

The task of writing about Scientology.

or

“You should write a book,” my mom

But there was another facet to this task of writing about Scientology. And it’s one I felt just as strongly about as the task of bashing the fake rumors.

You see, in contrast to many other philosophies and faiths which offer something to believe in, Scientology, by contrast, is something you DO. Scientology as a religion is positively brimming with solutions. And there is inspiration for handling life’s problems. But solutions only work if they’re actually applied.

I’d seen on a few occasions folks who had applied Scientology principles to themselves or to their work life or volunteer work with massive success. But when immersed in the very new struggles of being a parent, they lost sight of how to apply that same technology to these new problems.

Twofold Mission

Therefore I found I had a twofold mission in writing about my faith:

• To inform and enlighten the world on the beliefs and practices of Scientology parents and Scientology families. And to dispel and correct rumor and gossip. To ensure as many people as possible have an accurate understanding of my religion.
• To inspire as many people as possible to understand and use Scientology technology with their children. And use it with their families. So they can make themselves better parents, better spouses. And happier and more successful individuals.

Still fully dedicated to that mission

And now here I am, 10 years later. Still fully dedicated to that mission.

I figured it might be a fun side project when I first started.  But at this writing, 371 articles and 193,533 words later, I guess I nearly already have written a book. (There you go, mom!)

What Scientologists believe about chidbirth

When I first started the site, there was so much rumor about “Scientology birth rituals” that most of my articles were “nope, here’s what we actually do…” And “nope, here’s again what we actually do.”

Scientologists tend to have a very pragmatic attitude toward birth. And they say repeatedly how much their Church has helped them with a stress-free pregnancy. And the birth process. (This article on Scientology pregnancy assist programs was one of the most popular and referred to on the subject.)

Student questions about Scientology

But as the site got more traction, I started fielding more and more questions from students about Scientology. A few well-funded smear campaigns had the happy side effect of producing a wave of eager students choosing to do research projects on Scientology. Thanks—I guess? Students are generally a DELIGHT to be interviewed by.  They aren’t looking for “an angle.” And they don’t already have a storyline they have to fit whatever you tell them into. They just want to understand things. So from a series of questions I fielded from a student in Alabama to a conversation with a research group in Holland, to a pair of video interviews I recently gave to students in Virginia and Florida, it’s been a real pleasure to allow their earnest curiosity to prompt answers to some pretty personal questions.

Why I find a need to keep writing

But that sort of brings it back to why I find a need to keep writing. Religion is a deeply personal thing. Raising children is also a deeply personal thing. And there is no authoritative “right” way to do it. But if I have helped some folks be happier and more successful parents, helped them raise some great kids, and increased the general understanding of my religion, that’s all the motivation I need to carry me through the next decade.