94 International Journal of Coercion, Abuse, and Manipulation ■ Vol. 2, 2021
jurisprudence in the religion of Scientology, and past decisions
have no bearing on future decisions. I described the committee as
follows:
Once a member is accused of breaching a “rule of ethics”
or a “law,” the local organisation’s “LRH
Communicator” convenes the Committee of Evidence,
which includes a chairman, a secretary, and two to five
members whose rank is higher than that of the “accused”
Within a two-week period, the committee is presented
the evidence. The accused is not represented by a lawyer
or a person fulfilling a substantially similar role. The
Committee then issues its “Findings and
Recommendations” document, which includes their
finding of guilt on each count (determined by majority
vote). The recommendations include punishment, in
keeping with L. Ron Hubbard policy. If the member is
dissatisfied with the outcome, they can request a new
Committee of Evidence, which reviews the
documentation and issues their own “Findings and
Recommendations.” The member may also petition for
cancellation of the Committee of Evidence. The
petition is reviewed by a high-ranking member or a full
Committee of Evidence, following the process detailed
previously (ibid).
It is worth mentioning that some may consider Scientology’s
recent rerelease of Scientology materials, following a quarter
century-long effort at purportedly correcting transcription and
other errors, an alteration or modernisation of Scientology
scripture see generally Tom Wagner, “Charisma, Authority, and
Innovation in Scientology's ‘Golden Age’ Narrative” (2020) 32:1,
Journal of Religion and Popular Culture 15. See also note xviii,
following, and accompanying text.
x On the use of the word employment, see note l, following, and
accompanying text.
xi On Scientology’s system of rules and “ethics,” see note xxxiii,
following, and accompanying text. While Sea Organisation
members are subject to more stringent rules of conduct, the basic
system of ethics is the same for all Scientologists.
xii Nancy Many, My Billion-Year Contract: Memoir of a Former
Scientologist (Pennsauken, NJ: Book Baby, 2009). This book is
self-published. The pages are not numbered.
xiii See, e.g., Jamie Lee Curtis Taete, “The Beach Party for Former
Religious Fundamentalists” (28 June 2018), Vice News (online at
www.vice.com/en_ca/article/mbkg3y/the-beach-party-for-former
religious fundamentalists) Tom Sykes, “Battlefield: Inside Tom
Cruise and John Travolta’s Scientology Feud” (18 April 2018),
The Daily Beast (online at www.thedailybeast.com/inside-
tomcruise-and-john-travoltas-scientology-feud) Donna Freydkin,
“Former Scientologist Shares His Story, Interactions with Tom
Cruise” (27 June 2018), Today (online at www.today.com/news/
former-scientologist-shares-his-story-interactions-tom-
cruiset131972).
xiv The television show has run on A&E channel since 2016. It
seeks to “giv[e] a voice to victims of the Church of Scientology
despite public attempts to discredit them” (“Leah Remini:
Scientology and the Aftermath: About,” A&E [online at
www.aetv.com/shows/leah-remini-scientology-and-theaftermath/
about]). The show notably covers physical abuses in the
Sea Organisation, disconnection from friends and family members,
and the handling of critics of the religion.
xv CNN anchor Anderson Cooper hosted on his show Anderson
Cooper 360 former victims of the Church, and also current Sea
Organisation members. The five-part series was titled Scientology:
A History of Violence and addressed allegations of physical abuse
in the Sea Organisation. It covered in other outlets (see, e.g., Joe
Nocera, “Scientology’s Chilling Effect” [24 February 2015], The
New York Times [online at www.nytimes.com/2015/02/24/opinion/
joe-nocera-scientologys-chilling-effect.html], and Gillian Grace,
“Anderson Cooper to Scientology's David Miscavige: ‘It’s On’”
(28 March 2010), The National Post [online at nationalpost.com/
news/anderson-cooper-to-scientologys-david-miscavige-its-on]).
xvi See A&E, supra note xiv.
xvii Lord, “Scientology’s Legal System,” supra note iii at 9—15.
xviii See, e.g., “The Basics,” Bridge Publications (online at
www.bridgepub.com/introduction/the-basics.html) and “David
Miscavige: Scientology Scripture Recovered and Restored in 25-
Year Program Completed in 2009,” Scientology (online at
www.scientology.org/david-miscavige/renaissance-forscientology/
completion-of-the-golden-age-of-knowledge.html).
The “basics books and lectures” are a collection of 18 books and
280 lectures. They constitute Scientology scripture but are not
considered advanced scripture.
xix It may be worth speculating on the intentionality of the
exclusion of information regarding the Sea Organisation and its
operations from Scientology scripture. As mentioned, Scientology
scripture is unusually comprehensive and encompasses many large
volumes, which can lead one to believe that relatively fundamental
information regarding the organisation can only be voluntarily
excluded. The effect of excluding information on the Sea
Organisation is to hide some aspects of it from even the most loyal
public Scientologists, further drawing a divide between Sea
Organisation members and public members.
xx “Is It True That People in the Sea Org Sign a Billion-Year
Contract?” Scientology (online at www.scientology.ca/faq/
churchmanagement/is-it-true-that-people-in-the-sea-org-sign-a-
billionyear-
contract.html).
xxi There are countless examples of such inaccuracies. As an
example, on its website, Scientology claims that one can be both a
Scientologist and a member of another religion (see, e.g., “Does
Scientology Have a Concept of God?” Scientology [online at
www.scientology.ca/faq/scientology-beliefs/what-is-the-conceptof-
god-in-scientology.html]), which is simply inaccurate. Former
Scientologists support this view (see. e.g., “What Christians Need
to Know about Scientology” (1991), Carnegie Mellon Scientology
Archive [online at www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/wakefield/
christians.html] and “Can Scientologists be Christians or Jews
Too?” [31 December 2016], Something Can Be Done About It:
Mike Rinder’s Blog [online at www.mikerindersblog.org/
canscientologists-be-christians-or-jews-too/]). The Church also
denies that it shuns (or even mandates disconnection from) former
members (“What Is Disconnection?” Scientology [online at
www.scientology.ca/faq/scientology-attitudes-and-
practices/whatis-disconnection.html]), which is similarly inaccurate
(see Roy Wallis, The Road to Total Freedom: A Sociological
Analysis of Scientology (New York: Columbia University Press,
1977) at 144–45, and “Cancellation of Fair Game,” Hubbard
Communications Office Policy Letter, 21 October 1968.)
xxii “What Is the Sea Organization?” Scientology (online at
www.scientology.ca/faq/church-management/what-is-the-
seaorganization.
html).
xxiii Ibid.
xxiv Ibid.
xxv The Church does not provide documentation for this claim. It is
worth noting that the Freewinds faced some safety issues over the
past decades, such as contamination with asbestos and a case of
measles see “Curacao Dry Dock Company: Scientology’s Cruise
jurisprudence in the religion of Scientology, and past decisions
have no bearing on future decisions. I described the committee as
follows:
Once a member is accused of breaching a “rule of ethics”
or a “law,” the local organisation’s “LRH
Communicator” convenes the Committee of Evidence,
which includes a chairman, a secretary, and two to five
members whose rank is higher than that of the “accused”
Within a two-week period, the committee is presented
the evidence. The accused is not represented by a lawyer
or a person fulfilling a substantially similar role. The
Committee then issues its “Findings and
Recommendations” document, which includes their
finding of guilt on each count (determined by majority
vote). The recommendations include punishment, in
keeping with L. Ron Hubbard policy. If the member is
dissatisfied with the outcome, they can request a new
Committee of Evidence, which reviews the
documentation and issues their own “Findings and
Recommendations.” The member may also petition for
cancellation of the Committee of Evidence. The
petition is reviewed by a high-ranking member or a full
Committee of Evidence, following the process detailed
previously (ibid).
It is worth mentioning that some may consider Scientology’s
recent rerelease of Scientology materials, following a quarter
century-long effort at purportedly correcting transcription and
other errors, an alteration or modernisation of Scientology
scripture see generally Tom Wagner, “Charisma, Authority, and
Innovation in Scientology's ‘Golden Age’ Narrative” (2020) 32:1,
Journal of Religion and Popular Culture 15. See also note xviii,
following, and accompanying text.
x On the use of the word employment, see note l, following, and
accompanying text.
xi On Scientology’s system of rules and “ethics,” see note xxxiii,
following, and accompanying text. While Sea Organisation
members are subject to more stringent rules of conduct, the basic
system of ethics is the same for all Scientologists.
xii Nancy Many, My Billion-Year Contract: Memoir of a Former
Scientologist (Pennsauken, NJ: Book Baby, 2009). This book is
self-published. The pages are not numbered.
xiii See, e.g., Jamie Lee Curtis Taete, “The Beach Party for Former
Religious Fundamentalists” (28 June 2018), Vice News (online at
www.vice.com/en_ca/article/mbkg3y/the-beach-party-for-former
religious fundamentalists) Tom Sykes, “Battlefield: Inside Tom
Cruise and John Travolta’s Scientology Feud” (18 April 2018),
The Daily Beast (online at www.thedailybeast.com/inside-
tomcruise-and-john-travoltas-scientology-feud) Donna Freydkin,
“Former Scientologist Shares His Story, Interactions with Tom
Cruise” (27 June 2018), Today (online at www.today.com/news/
former-scientologist-shares-his-story-interactions-tom-
cruiset131972).
xiv The television show has run on A&E channel since 2016. It
seeks to “giv[e] a voice to victims of the Church of Scientology
despite public attempts to discredit them” (“Leah Remini:
Scientology and the Aftermath: About,” A&E [online at
www.aetv.com/shows/leah-remini-scientology-and-theaftermath/
about]). The show notably covers physical abuses in the
Sea Organisation, disconnection from friends and family members,
and the handling of critics of the religion.
xv CNN anchor Anderson Cooper hosted on his show Anderson
Cooper 360 former victims of the Church, and also current Sea
Organisation members. The five-part series was titled Scientology:
A History of Violence and addressed allegations of physical abuse
in the Sea Organisation. It covered in other outlets (see, e.g., Joe
Nocera, “Scientology’s Chilling Effect” [24 February 2015], The
New York Times [online at www.nytimes.com/2015/02/24/opinion/
joe-nocera-scientologys-chilling-effect.html], and Gillian Grace,
“Anderson Cooper to Scientology's David Miscavige: ‘It’s On’”
(28 March 2010), The National Post [online at nationalpost.com/
news/anderson-cooper-to-scientologys-david-miscavige-its-on]).
xvi See A&E, supra note xiv.
xvii Lord, “Scientology’s Legal System,” supra note iii at 9—15.
xviii See, e.g., “The Basics,” Bridge Publications (online at
www.bridgepub.com/introduction/the-basics.html) and “David
Miscavige: Scientology Scripture Recovered and Restored in 25-
Year Program Completed in 2009,” Scientology (online at
www.scientology.org/david-miscavige/renaissance-forscientology/
completion-of-the-golden-age-of-knowledge.html).
The “basics books and lectures” are a collection of 18 books and
280 lectures. They constitute Scientology scripture but are not
considered advanced scripture.
xix It may be worth speculating on the intentionality of the
exclusion of information regarding the Sea Organisation and its
operations from Scientology scripture. As mentioned, Scientology
scripture is unusually comprehensive and encompasses many large
volumes, which can lead one to believe that relatively fundamental
information regarding the organisation can only be voluntarily
excluded. The effect of excluding information on the Sea
Organisation is to hide some aspects of it from even the most loyal
public Scientologists, further drawing a divide between Sea
Organisation members and public members.
xx “Is It True That People in the Sea Org Sign a Billion-Year
Contract?” Scientology (online at www.scientology.ca/faq/
churchmanagement/is-it-true-that-people-in-the-sea-org-sign-a-
billionyear-
contract.html).
xxi There are countless examples of such inaccuracies. As an
example, on its website, Scientology claims that one can be both a
Scientologist and a member of another religion (see, e.g., “Does
Scientology Have a Concept of God?” Scientology [online at
www.scientology.ca/faq/scientology-beliefs/what-is-the-conceptof-
god-in-scientology.html]), which is simply inaccurate. Former
Scientologists support this view (see. e.g., “What Christians Need
to Know about Scientology” (1991), Carnegie Mellon Scientology
Archive [online at www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/wakefield/
christians.html] and “Can Scientologists be Christians or Jews
Too?” [31 December 2016], Something Can Be Done About It:
Mike Rinder’s Blog [online at www.mikerindersblog.org/
canscientologists-be-christians-or-jews-too/]). The Church also
denies that it shuns (or even mandates disconnection from) former
members (“What Is Disconnection?” Scientology [online at
www.scientology.ca/faq/scientology-attitudes-and-
practices/whatis-disconnection.html]), which is similarly inaccurate
(see Roy Wallis, The Road to Total Freedom: A Sociological
Analysis of Scientology (New York: Columbia University Press,
1977) at 144–45, and “Cancellation of Fair Game,” Hubbard
Communications Office Policy Letter, 21 October 1968.)
xxii “What Is the Sea Organization?” Scientology (online at
www.scientology.ca/faq/church-management/what-is-the-
seaorganization.
html).
xxiii Ibid.
xxiv Ibid.
xxv The Church does not provide documentation for this claim. It is
worth noting that the Freewinds faced some safety issues over the
past decades, such as contamination with asbestos and a case of
measles see “Curacao Dry Dock Company: Scientology’s Cruise
