Physician Heal Thyself

Guilt by association is never a good thing.

Whenever people are gathered there will be the propensity for both positive and negative behaviors. That there are sick, perverted Catholic priests does not make all Catholics terrible people. All Muslims are not terrorists nor does having an adulterer in one’s family make everyone related adulterers.

It is interesting that guilt by association only seems to go one way. Mother Theresa was a good, loving, tolerant woman but one never hears anyone look to her example and conclude all Catholics are saints.

There are good people in every walk of life, including Scientology.

Often when considering this cult the focus on all the lies and abuses by the leadership and OSA overshadows the fact that most public Scientologists, kept in the dark about the goings on of upper management, are well meaning people who are seeking and doing their best just like everyone else.

Scientology, as represented by Miscavige and OSA, never does anything altruistically. First and foremost is the directive to keep Scientology working and always, always create good PR.

In the case of Marisol Nichols however, while she should be given the benefit of the doubt in her activism to protect children and others from exploitation, there are some valid questions.

Her Foundation For A Slavery Free World, created a decade ago, works diligently to raise awareness and find solutions for the issues of modern day slavery that plague the global community.

The difficulty however is that Nichols is more than a public Scientologist and her dedication to protecting the victimized becomes clouded when seen against this backdrop.

Is this a case of guilt by association or something more?

Marisol Nichols is a public face, a celebrity and one who speaks out in support of her so-called “religion”. While it is unfair to lump all under one label of guilt, when one chooses to stand in the spotlight as a representative of an organization, one shoulders the mantle of responsibility for that entity.

Priests are more loudly condemned for their pedophilia because of what they represent and vow to stand for. They are supposed to be Christ’s representatives on Earth, leading their flock on the path of holiness. Discovering their perfidy doubles the hypocrisy and its accompanying rage.  Proffering oneself as the model for the highest of  standards and morals has the accompanying effect of being held to those same ethics above all. “Do as I say, not as I do” is unacceptable.

Scientology’s problem (one of so very many) is their insistence that they are Man’s only hope. That only they have all the answers and the tech to accomplish them.

Masters and enforcers of Ethics.

Where much is given, much is expected so it is completely reasonable for the Doubting Thomas’s of the Wog world to expect to see the fruits of such claims embodied by the members.

Marisol Nichols is not just another public Scientologist, quietly practicing her “faith”, unaware of her hierarchy’s actions. She has accepted the role of champion and therein lies the dilemma.

Her embrace of Scientology as a public persona creates a conundrum. Protecting and defending against egregious human rights violations is desperately needed. Exploitation and victimization of  children and adults through modern day slavery is an issue that must be addressed. Anything that can help educate, create new laws and ultimately save lives is a very good thing. However the caveat is that these same violations of human rights have been laid at Scientology’s door since its inception creating a clear case of “physician, heal thyself”.

Nichols fights to bring an end to modern day slavery and exploitation, yet in her own organization are accusations of human trafficking, child labor, rape, pedophilia, fraud and more. Marisol’s silence on the actions in her own backyard results in frustration at her hypocrisy and self imposed blindness. Here is another excellent example of the lack of cognitive dissonance found amongst all of Hubbard’s followers.

Marisol’s desire to make a difference in the world, to shine a light upon the shadowy world of slavery, is admirable but also sadly questionable.

The incredible pain on Miriam Francis’ face as she recounted being raped by her father then forced to forgive him is unforgettable.  Her devastating memory of being five years old wanting to kill herself brought heartache to anyone who heard her story.

Survivors of Canyon Oaks Ranch, of the Cadet Org, of all those forced to work to exhaustion and beyond in unsafe conditions, untrained teens ordered to “remember” skills learned in their past lives, children separated from their parents…

The list is incredibly long, stretching from Scientology’s beginning right through to today.  Where is the place in Marisol Nichols’ foundation for the fight against these exploitative, abusive conditions?

More importantly, why are the two extremely experienced non Scientologists on her foundation’s team not addressing any of these issues either? Are there degrees of slavery? Is religion a strong enough shield to protect the criminal perpetrators from attention? Does the First Amendment provide protection from justice to those who violate human rights? Nichols may be blinded by her convenient beliefs and policies, but what is the excuse for John Ryan or Tim Ballard?

Ryan is the former CEO for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. He is quoted as saying, “Defenseless children in this country need help, it’s unacceptable that the most vulnerable in our society have become victims and their innocence lost.”

Ballard is the founder and CEO of Operation Underground Railroad and is a former agent with the CIA as well as having been a Special Agent for Homeland Security assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task force.

Why do neither of these highly experienced, qualified men question the agonizing claims coming from Nichols’ own group?

Could this be another form of safepointing?

Exploitation and abuse on this level is global, horrendous and needs to be eradicated. However it is not so far reaching that one needs look across borders to find victims in crisis.

Legislation is desperately needed removing religious protections where crimes have been committed.

One guesses this is not something being taking under advisement by Marisol’s foundation.

Why not?