Why people do nothing about Scientology

"When Did You Last Get Through The Morning Without A Good Rationalization?"
-- Monty Python movie

The following are rationalizations I have heard repeatedly from individuals or organizations who know firsthand of Scientology's abuses yet do little or nothing effective to stop them.

I'm tired.

• I already gave too much of my life to dealing with Scientology. I've endured lost and upset family relations, staff contracts, loan repayments, lost years, lost education, etc. I just want to put Scientology behind me and get on with my life."

• I'm burned out on Scientology. Let someone else bring Scientology to justice. I'm just one tired victim or victim's family member that wants a little joy back in my life."

• "I did my part to collectively bring the Scientology bully to justice, I would have to deal with old buried issues and finally deal with and heal them. I 'm not ready for that." Scientology relies on silence and inactivity to keep abusing new victims and families.

It's hopeless.

• "I can't (won't) do anything against their cash rich intelligence agency (GO/OSA) litigation and harassment machine. They are fanatics."
  
  This one usually comes from former fanatically active GO, OSA or staff members. In general, I have found the more fanatical the individual was in committing crimes and outrageous activities while in Scientology, the more embarrassed, cowardly, inactive, and non-supportive these individuals are when they get out.
  
  Their own denial prevents them from disciplining the organization that manipulated them into fanaticism. They desperately deny their co-responsibility to correct the damage of their own past fanaticism. Some fear their criminal or other unethical acts while in Scientology will be exposed in the present. In fact, if they don't help correct the wrongdoing, their esteem will continue to suffer and they may be exposed anyway as more is exposed about Scientology's dirty past. The only logical thing is to stand up and be at least as active in bringing Scientology to justice as they were in serving it. The statute of limitations has long since past for most, and no one is interested in prosecuting former victims who are now bringing Scientology to justice.
  

• "Nobody who goes against them lives a successful life. They just die, get cancer, or go insane."
  
  ...or some other false Scientology implanted phobia or PR story that convinces you exactly what they want their victims to believe.
  
  No one can stand up to them. Go find a hole and hide somewhere and try to recover but never, never think Scientology techniques were the cause of or aggravated your problems or that you can successfully challenge Scientology.

I'm done.

• "I already did my piece. I'm done."
  
  In hindsight, we can see how Germans could have prevented the coming holocaust when the Nazi party was still small enough to be contained. In the same way, ex-scientologists can see better than most people what kind of world will be created if Scientology's human rights abuse becomes accepted and "legitimate." In fact, the more any individual knows about the actual nature and activities of Scientology, the greater their responsibility to be active to change Scientology.
  
  This rationalization is often also used by media people and lawyers who are very active for a little while they are profiting from exposing Scientology. They profess they are working for justice but only if they get paid for it. The Scientology abuse problem is beyond just getting paid to do this work. Individuals who have benefitted financially in any way from attempts to bring Scientology to justice are under the strongest of moral imperatives financially to support the ongoing process to bring Scientology to justice.
  

• "I lost tens (hundreds) of thousands of dollars in Scientology. I am done."
  
  The individuals who were taken for the most money generally contribute the least. They don't want to have to think about how they were deceived, burned, or intimidated. They refuse to recognize that not realistically supporting realistic efforts and a network to bring Scientology to justice is only allowing Scientology to do the same to some other family, business, or young adult. In their minds, collectively supporting bringing Scientology to justice erroneously equates to throwing good money after bad.

Scientology's not so bad.

• "I got some good out of it"
  ...while ignoring and passing on the greater harms and other related personal and financial losses the organization and the technology will cause to those who come behind you.
  

• Scientology wasn't really so bad. I could have made better decisions but I wasn't really hurt. This might be true, or the person who uses this rationalization may be in fairly serious personal danger. Denial results in people going on through life considering their condition "normal" when in fact no awareness (which comes after denial) or recovery has taken place.
  

• "The organization was bad but the tech has some good. If I admit Scientology tech was dangerous and caused me some damage I would get old aches and pains back. It's got to be all or nothing." Most people don't realize that Scientology techniques are laced with covert hypnosis and covert trance induction. The gains were at best the placebo effect and the power of suggestion.
  

• "If I really admitted to myself that I was harmed or deceived, I would feel like such a fool. How could I trust myself again after I gave so much to Scientology and was so certain?"
  
  It takes a courageous person to step beyond their pride and ego and admit they have been completely taken and deceived, but it is also the beginning of real healing.

What happened to me in Scientology was my fault.

• I am totally responsible for the harm and loss that happened to me in Scientology." ...while Scientology has no responsibility.
  

• It happened to me because I had "overts." I was SP."
  
  ...or some other false Scientology blame-the-victim introversion.

I'm afraid.

• "Scientology is a scary bunch of fanatics. They will never leave you alone until you stop opposing them."
  
  We need to use our fears to confirm the seriousness of the Scientology problem not be paralyzed into inaction by them. 50 million people died in WW II because people were afraid to stand up to the Nazi's when they were beginning to gain power.
  

• "As long as I don't think of Scientology I don't get flashbacks, get angry, feel my losses or feel burned."

I made a deal with Scientology for my kids or for money.

• Some family members say as long as they don't make waves for Scientology, Scientology lets the kids see them and write them. Other former members have been paid cash for silence.
  
  Such deals allow Scientology to control you by controlling your kids or your fears. It's like car companies finding it cheaper to pay off victims instead of making safe cars. Other victims are left to start over from the beginning. (Through anonymous donations to FACTNet, you can break this grip and help bring justice to Scientology without jeopardizing your deal.)

I'm doing it myself.

• "I am going to work on my own and do what I can in secret. I don't trust anyone and I might be compromised."
  
  This rationalization plays right into what Scientology most wants: isolated, easily handled, minimal and ineffective pockets of resistance that are unable to change or really threaten it.
  
  These individuals are often the "hit and run" specialists -- the ones who most often come in like sprinters and then quit. These "do it aloners" are the ones who usually make secret deals with Scientology that cash them out but seal critical information needed by everyone behind them.

If you find yourself angry or still having flashbacks, get online with FACTNet and find others who can understand and help. Two books which may help you are:

Captive Hearts, Captive Minds -- Freedom and Recovery from Cults and Abusive Relationships, by Madeline Landau Tobias and Janja Lalich.

A Piece of Blue Sky -- Scientology, Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard Exposed, by Jon Atack.