Scientology blogger Melissa Butz wrote a blog post for Scientology’s STAND League website entitled What is an “Agenda?”—A Classroom Play. It was originally posted in 2017 but was tweeted as something important to read recently on Twitter by Edward Parkin.
This short piece is probably the most disturbing glimpse into the teaching of young children by Scientology seen to date.
Understood that the piece is a fictional representation of a typical day in a middle school Scientology classroom, but it is a representation nonetheless.
Melissa calls it a “classroom play” which is misleading from the start.
It is written as a discussion between a teacher and her junior high (7-9th grade) class. She poses questions about what an agenda is and how to know if someone else has one.
The first flag goes up when the teacher is asking for examples of someone with an agenda.
“Jack: You could say a benign illness is actually harmful if you had an agenda to sell a drug to treat it.
Teacher: Very good.”
Here Scientology’s anti psychiatric medication agenda is being reinforced to a class of children. Another generation of young people already conditioned to believe that mental health medication, which helps so many people live happier, more productive lives, is bad.
What kind of life will Jack have if he begins struggling with depression?
L. Ron Hubbard had the ability to reach out to the Veteran’s Administration and beg for help with his depression and suicidal thoughts. His followers don’t have that ability and must struggle silently or end up thought of as a Suppressive Person. Hubbard wrote “All characteristics classified as those of the “suppressive person” are in fact those of an insane person.” —HCO BULLETIN OF 28 NOVEMBER 1970, Psychosis
From this discussion between Jack and his teacher, one can see that by middle school Scientology children already have a mistrust in the very place they might, in the future, need to turn to for help.
From Jack’s example the teacher then hears from Katie:
“Katie: So you say you have a reason for doing something, but it’s not the real reason. You have an agenda?
Teacher: Correct. Now how do you determine whether or not someone has an agenda?
Many students: Investigate, do your research.”
How does one go about researching another person’s motivations? If Jack asks Katie out on a date and the whole time he’s thinking about getting her in the backseat of his car, what research does Katie do to learn of his agenda?
Only life can teach us the tools we need to listen to our intuition. Experience teaches us to be wary, to trust our inner voice when something doesn’t feel right. Even then we can be betrayed or scammed. There is no research that will keep one completely safe from falling prey to another’s agenda.
Scientology’s auditing process teaches it’s followers not to think for themselves. Not to question the things that sound wrong or that make one uncomfortable. The Scientologist’s ability to trust his own intuition is handicapped and weakened both by the auditing process as well as the “us verses them” environment. What kind of investigation or research can be done to make Katie aware of the negative agendas of others?
“Teacher: Exactly. Now let’s take this a step further. Say there’s a situation that you have no direct contact with and you have no time to adequately investigate. Do you rely on someone else’s judgment as to whether or not someone involved has an agenda?
(Students shrug, reluctant to answer)
Unless you have a verifiable source of information that can be trusted, what do you do?
Teacher: Maybe your parents, or perhaps a friend of yours?
Many students: Maybe.”
Maybe your parents? With no life experiences to draw from aren’t you supposed to be able to turn to the adults in your life to support and protect you? Shouldn’t the right lesson here be that if you are feeling uncomfortable or confused about a situation you find yourself in your parents, teachers and other trusted adults are there for you?
This teacher seems to be casting doubt on trusting those who should be the first line of defense between a child and the vagaries of the world.
Maybe.
“Teacher: (Long pause) How about the news media?
(Students start to laugh)
Many students: The news media!!! Haha!!!
Katie: The media! Aren’t they fake?
Jenny: They wouldn’t know an agenda from a hole in the ground!
(More laughter)
Teacher: Interesting. (Brief smile but no laughter) What if the people you trusted to expose an agenda… were part of that agenda? What if they had that agenda themselves?
(Silence)
Teacher: What if the group commonly tasked by society to question things and find out the truth about them had itself gone bad?
(More silence, some frowning)
Jimmy: Unless you have a verifiable source of information that can be trusted, what do you do?
Teacher: Indeed. What do you do? (long pause) How about “Think for yourself?”
What DO you do?
This message to these children is to trust NO one.
How can children this age be stripped of anywhere to turn for help and support and told they must rely on themselves?
With a foundation of suspicion towards trusting anyone, those around you potentially waiting to write a Knowledge Report on you, taught to abhor and turn away from therapists and the help they could provide and taught that anything bad that happens is because you “pulled it in”; is it any wonder the young people of Scientology commit suicide?
Nothing breeds anxiety, fear and depression more in a child than being raised in chaos and fear. There is no stability for these children. No security in knowing that the adults around them will protect them and guide them.
Trust no one and nothing.
Not even yourself.
Does someone have an evil agenda? Research it!
But wait, you cannot trust the media, stay off the internet.
Where does one research? Can one trust anyone or anything?
The only thing you can trust, children, are the scriptural writings of our Source, LRH.
The man who wrote:
“The first axiom is of interest to the auditor in his work because with it he can clearly establish whether or not he is confronting a rational reaction. The seven-year-old girl who shudders because a man kisses her is not computing; she is reacting to an engram since at seven she should see nothing wrong in a kiss, not even a passionate one. There must have been an earlier experience, possibly prenatal, which made men or kissing very bad.”—Dianetics, Book 3 Chapter 9
Which brings me to the last and terrible paragraph in this dark window into the world of a Scientologist Child.
“(Students nod, Sarah raises her hand)
Teacher: Yes, Sarah?
Sarah: If someone has crimes they are hiding, they often attack groups that might find out about them. They dream up all kinds of reasons to attack, but the real one—their agenda—is to not get found out.
Teacher: Wow. Good one.
Jimmy: Is that really happening?
Sarah: (long pause, looking down at the desk) Yep.”
Melissa’s agenda here is to show how Scientology is being attacked by the rest of the world. However one cannot help but wonder about these few sentences.
“Hidden crimes”
“To not get found out”
Upon first reading one cannot help but immediately think of those who have appeared on The Aftermath and told their Truths about being molested and raped.
Sarah could very well be Mirriam or Saina or Alexander Jentzsch or any of the others who endured someone else’s agenda of kindness masking abuse.
As she sits there staring down at her desk, what is really going through her mind?
Is she seeing a particular face reflected in the desktop whispering to her “it’s your fault you know…”
Does she already understand very well the agenda of those around her?
Scientology is never without an agenda of it’s own. Nothing is ever done or said without ultimately benefiting the corporation.
These fictional children are representative of the conditioning and control Scientology uses as it raises the next generation worker bees.
This is, ultimately, the real agenda of Scientology. To ensure the survival of Scientology at any cost and that means ripping away the ability to trust in oneself and then the ability to trust in anyone else.
Trust no one, the rest of the world is a bad and fearful place. Assume that everyone has an agenda of malice. If something happens to you it’s on you. You pulled it in because you did something wrong.
It doesn’t matter that you were not allowed to live as children.
Not allowed the safety and freedom to make and learn from your mistakes. Not allowed the family dynamic of support and love and guidance all children need to develop their own skills and abilities needed in life.
This blog post exposes exactly the thinking that is expected of middle school age children in Scientology.
It also exposes however unwittingly Scientology’s process of forming, or more correctly de-forming, the psyche of it’s youngest members.
“If someone has crimes they are hiding, they often attack groups that might find out about them. They dream up all kinds of reasons to attack, but the real one—their agenda—is to not get found out.”
You’re right Melissa.
You’re absolutely right.
Confront And Shatter 