Scientology is a dark, angry, negative cult with no redeeming characteristics. Founded by a paranoid liar unable to discern the line between fantasy and reality, who abused and neglected his family and who had no concept of Relationship.
This was the worst of all of L. Ron Hubbard’s many legacies; the tearing apart of family.
The destruction of love and trust leaving broken, battered, betrayed, pain filled children struggling to make sense of the senseless.
Nowhere has this terrible struggle been more apparent than recently on Twitter with Taryn Teutsch and her sad campaign against her father Mike Rinder.
Scientology’s Disconnection Policy rips at the heart of families. Pitting spouse against spouse, sibling against sibling, parent against child, COS prohibits the interaction between those still in and those labeled as Suppressive Persons.
Thanks to Leah Remini and Mike Rinder’s show Scientology; The Aftermath, the world is becoming more familiar with this Policy.
However there is another type of Disconnection that is less realized.
The disconnection between parent and child that occurs within the highest Corps of Scientology’s ranks, the SeaOrg.
For those in the SeaOrg there is nothing more important than their duty to Scientology and Clearing the Planet. To that end children are detrimental to focusing on the job at hand. Considered adult souls in small bodies, children are second to duty and are relegated to nurseries, schools and for many the CadetOrg.
In the custody decision concerning the minor children B and G, Delivered in the High Court (family Division), London, 23 July 1984 several witnesses gave evidence under oath highlighting COS’s view of duty before family;
“A catch phrase constantly recurring is “the greatest good for the greatest number of Dynamics”. The step-father and his first wife were ordered to leave their little daughter full time with a baby-minder so as to put in maximum hours to “clear the planet”, this being “for the greatest good for the greatest number of Dynamics”. For several months they saw their daughter only on weekends. When he insisted on leaving earlier to bring the child home during the weekdays he was threatened with “Ethics Condition”, that is to say, disciplinary action. On another occasion in 1976 his wife received special permission to visit a doctor because of a recurring abdominal complaint. She telephoned to say she had to go to hospital immediately. He asked if he could leave to see her. He was told “get your stats up and you can leave at 4.30 not before”. When he protested he was reminded of the policy “keep Scientology working”. [“Get your stats up” means “meet your performance or productivity quota”.]
Scientology must come first before family or friends. Much evidence has been given and not disputed of how it leads to alienation of one spouse from another, of alienation from children and from friends.
Another witness, Mrs. B, was a Scientologist from 1972 and rose quickly in the Organisation. She had a three-year-old daughter. Nonetheless, for a period of months she was required to work from 8.30 am to I am. She was allowed only 15 minutes daily to put her daughter to bed. On one occasion when the child broke her arm and she took her to the doctor she was directed to work all night as a penalty.
In January 1982, Mrs. B was made Commanding Officer of the Organisation, Saint Hill UK Foundation. At around this time the Commodore’s Messenger’s Org (Top Management) in the United States were originating an increasing number of international directives which seemed to her to be wrong and bad. She wrote a report addressing it to L. Ron Hubbard. Eight days later in November 1982, she was removed from her post and assigned to the “RPF” (Rehabilitation Project Force). She was refused counseling, required to do at least 12 hours physical work a day (shifting bricks, emptying bins etc.) and to communicate with no-one, except to receive orders. The work aggravated a chronic back condition. When she protested she was threatened with being declared a “Suppressive Person” (a High Crime – see below). Her time with her children was limited to one half hour per day.
Another witness worked at Flag and became an “L. Ron Hubbard Public Relations Officer”, one of only three in the world and a high appointment. In 1977 she declined to undertake a mission that would cause her to leave her young daughter for at least 2 months. She was shouted at and abused because she put the care of her child first. She was subjected to a Committee of Evidence (disciplinary tribunal). She left Flag.
Those are a few of many illustrations, proved in evidence, of the ruthless and inhuman disciplinary measures.”
Families in the SeaOrg are rarely together. Spouses are often kept separated as much as possible with varying schedules leaving them ships passing in the night. Children fare no better than their parents, being consigned to nurseries, schools run by Scientologists and then for many, into the Cadet Org. Their days are filled with a lack of stability, safety, nurturing and love.
In Season 2 of The Aftermath, at one point Mike Rinder admitted; “I was a terrible parent! I was a SeaOrg father.”
Which brings us to Taryn Teutsch.
Claiming he was an absent father, she has dedicated herself to trying to get her father fired from the show. Watching her videos one sees the face of the Scientology SeaOrg Child. Rage and pain radiate from her eyes as she attempts to convince her audience that her motivations are justice and doing the right thing.
Moving past her words, one sees the angry, pain filled cry of a little girl caught in an impossible situation. With a parent in both worlds and a religion that does not tolerate compromise, she is trapped in a no win situation. No matter what she does she will lose a parent but no matter the circumstances, she still wants her father.
Complicating this emotional morass is her dedication to her mother and the organization she grew up in. The disconnection between Mike and his ex has been discussed on The Aftermath. As in many contentious divorces there is the abusive practice of parental alienation. One parent demeans and bad mouths the other to the child caught in the middle. If the behaviors seen publicly on the show are any indication it would not be much of a stretch to imagine how Mike was portrayed to Taryn by her mother after he blew. This is a reasonable conjecture, though only a conjecture.
When a child is abandoned by a parent there settles in a fear of abandonment along with an unhealthy self analysis; “what is wrong with me that my father did not want to be with me?”
In a cult that prides itself on auditing out the “reactive mind” leaving the person with forced stoicism the fact that Taryn is so publicly reacting to her emotions, even though they are hidden behind the more acceptable guise of defending her mother and Scientology, these feelings must also be terribly confusing for her. Perhaps easier to coat them in the gilding of defense of COS during the auditing process than to face them directly and admit the process is not working.
In watching The Aftermath one immediately understands that Mike Rinder is filled with pain and guilt over the fact that he put his children in Scientology and that they are now estranged from him. He has publicly acknowledged his role in the cult, the things he did and how they affected his family. There is no doubt in the watcher’s mind that given the chance he would give anything for a reconciliation with his children. Watching his demeanor during the stories told by ex Scientology members one catches glimpses of his heart. He wants his lost children back as badly as Taryn wants and needs her father.
Sadly Taryn is caught up in exactly the same thing that she is angry at her father for.
Scientology.
She lashes out at Mike because he was an absent father.
He was absent from her formative years because he was a dedicated and loyal Scientologist SeaOrg member.
Taryn cannot acknowledge this truth because of her dedication and loyalty to Scientology and her Scientologist mother.
Because he is declared an S.P. Taryn is not permitted to sit down with him and attempt to reconnect and heal. If she does, she risks losing all she’s ever known including her other parent.
Trapped on this treadmill with no relief the anger grows and consumes as it is misdirected at her father when it more accurately should be directed towards Scientology.
Scientology created this entire mess and it continues to perpetuate it.
Sadly. Tragically, these two broken hearts stand on either sides of a canyon unable to reach out and embrace each other. Unable to love or heal, unable to start again.
Scientology ensures there are no second chances, no forgiveness or gentleness.
The heart breaks for both Taryn and Mike. They need each other. Mike is more than willing to reach out and pull her into his life and heart. But Scientology is the wall of thorns between them.
And so she looks into the camera with eyes filled with pain and convinces herself that she is on an honest crusade all the while burying the truth because it cannot be fixed without loss.
Once again this is the world of Scientology.
The most ethical religion on the planet.
The only hope for mankind.
Confront And Shatter 