Scientology: The Ex-Files
Former rugby star Joe Reaiche was recruited into Scientology when he was just 19 years of age. He was hungry for any opportunity to realize his full potential, and found himself seduced by the religion's promise to deliver on that desire. Reaiche dedicated himself fully to the religion, and eventually married and raised a family within the church. Intensely driven, he quickly climbed the ranks of the organization, but his ascension came at a profound cost, both literally and figuratively.
Reaiche began to question the church to which he had paid nearly a half a million dollars since first becoming a member. As a result, he was deemed a suppressive presence and quickly expelled. The most profound injury would occur shortly thereafter when the church prevented Reaiche from indulging in any form of communication with his own children. This is just one of the harrowing accounts depicted in Scientology: The Ex-Files, a revealing look behind the curtain of the religious organization that has courted unprecedented controversy in recent times.
Underneath its appealing facade of self-empowerment and celebrity endorsements, the film argues that Scientology actually represents a troubling culture of painstaking indoctrination, brainwash tactics and physical and psychological abuse. These sentiments are echoed by several of the film's compelling subjects, including Hana Eltringham Whitfield, one of the organization's earliest high ranking members, and Claire Headley, a former follower who has filed a lawsuit accusing the church of indulging in human trafficking, violating labor laws, and coercing forced abortions within its membership.
At the center of this controversy lies L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology who passed away in 1986. The enigmatic Hubbard is viewed by many as a mythological figure of salvation, yet others regard him as the ultimate cult-like conman. "The one man in the world who never believes he's mad is a madman," Hubbard sneers in an archived clip which opens the film. As portrayed in Scientology: The Ex-Files, the ever-resourceful Hubbard was likely the benefactor of a world gone mad and in search of meaning and stability. Whether he managed to father his religious empire through a genuine sense of enlightenment or sheerly by crooked imagination and moxie, Scientology unquestionably remains one of the most provocative and scandal-ridden religions in the world today.
how people can be dumb enough to get tangled up with this ridiculous cult is beyond me.
a fruitcake organisation established by a lunatic, run by another lunatic. just how much are people going to put up with before governments take steps to thoroughly investigate this cult, with a view to totally banning it
Documentary : Scientology, the Ex-Files
Filmed by Four Corners, Australian Broadcasting Channel
When I first decided to watch a documentary on Scientology, I didn't know anything about it, like its beliefs, philosophy, and other core aspects. I only knew that they had a god called Lord Xenu, and Tom Cruise was a member. I also didn't know what their religion was about, and what were its activities in the day to day life. So, I just expected to see how Scientology was run and managed from "behind-the-scenes" and also, I expected to learn more about Scientology.
This documentary focuses on the dark side of Scientology. They touch here and there on the philisophy and history of Scientology, but this documentary is mainly interviews with people, talking about their dark past in Scientology. The documentary talks about how Scientology broke families apart and how they abused people. The events go in chronological order. So, the movie starts with the abuse that was happening during L. Ron Hubbard's time, and then later it talks about how today, people are suing Scientology for what it has done to them.
The actual filming was good, but the resolution was not as clear as it could have been. The narrator was excellent, speaking well and not faltering. They used more of a interview style of documenting the film, and had lots of mini interviews joined up. For example, there was an interview on a woman who accused Scientology for having forced abortions. Then, there is a following mini-interview with a spokesperson for Scientology, stating his reply. The entire film goes back and forth from one interview to another. I feel that this was a great way to display information and organize the film.
After watching the documentary, I was shocked to see and hear that Scientology is not actually what it is. Despite having a religous philisophy, the Church is strictly business. For example, Scientology charged the famous rugby player Joe Reaiche stated that he and his wife spent a total of $500,000 just to go clear. After he got clear, they asked him to do a further course on getting rid of your thetans, which are spirits which inhabit your body. A course on that is around $1000. This is an unbelievable eamount just to participate in a religion. I learned that Scientology uses a lot of abusive techniques on their followers, does not pay its staff members minimum wage. For example, one ex-member said that she would work 16 hours a day for seven days a week. She was so exhausted at one point, she fell asleep at the job. She was later then forced to clean out a dumpster with a tooth-brush. Also, a woman had a baby while with Scientology's Sea Organization. She accussed Scientology for forcing her to have an abortion. Also, according to Joe Reaiche, he was paid only $20 a week, way below minimum wage considering the hours one had to put in. However, I this documentary is a bit biased, and king of puts Scientology in too much of a bad light. However, I feel that the documentary would be very enlightening, and I would recommend it for people who are interested in learning, and also who are above the age of 12. So, after watching this documentary, I think it deserves a 9/10.
😂😂😂 The WHOLE point of this documentary, was about people who have LEFT Scientology.....hence the title, 'EX-Files' 🙈 If you want a Scientology-friendly documentary, then you will have to watch the crazy propaganda videos that they show their freaks.....because nobody really has anything positive to say about this dangerous and corrupt CULT, VERY simple. In my opinion, there IS NO good in something if it is breaking families apart, spying on followers AND critics, harming people (which is by NO means simply having a "dark past", wake up, this still happens!), and ALL the other ways that they use force, intimidation, and brain-washing methods. You sound like a VERY gullible person.....which would fit perfectly into Scientology. The majority of people wouldn't wish to know more after hearing of all the awful and crazy things that people have to go through in this cult, while you seem to wish that they would leave all those "bad" things out so you can hear about the "nice" things. There is a reason why there are pretty much only negative things in all the docus, books, articles, etc.....because there IS nothing good that comes out of being a scientologist. They are disgusting and lying scammers that target the lost, weak, young, and any other person or group in search of help and understanding.
You know, I've watched a few of these Scientology docs and after starting in, stopped at 5 mins into this one. Listen carefully to what they are saying. NOTHING. IF people want to work for free/give their hard earned away/believe in fairies, there's the Catholic Church for starters. Why do they keep picking on this one? A rat I do smell ..
Catholics are not FORCED to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for bibles and church🤷♀️ It's called being EXPOSED, and has nothing to do with "picking on" anyone or anything. By the way, the Catholics ARE called out, exposed, and condemned.....for raping little boys, where have you been? And, ALL Scientology clowns have NOTHING of relevance to say, kinda like that ridiculous comment of yours.
So you are joining soon as I can see!!!
I have no love for scientology(or any religion for that matter) but all of these people never once mentioned getting physical with these scientology people. If someone drove me to an abortion clinic and I didnt want to do it , trust that it wouldnt happen. That person who drove me would end up "dissapearing".THESE PEOPLE CHOSE TO KILL THEIR UNBORN KIDS! its not scientology's fault they are morons...
Good luck finding a pay phone btw.
Founded by a lunatic, currently run by a lunatic. How long are we going to put up with this CULT?
...fascinating... I found it interesting in learning about the methods used to enforce "compliance" and how similar, if not identical, they are, to what the US government and other authoritarian (and illegitimate) power structures employ....classic stuff...and now I'm curious about the operation in Hemet, California...did not know about that.....
It's amazing how much people will put up with for an ideology. P.T. Barnum was an amateur compared to religion.
Scientology is a sectarian criminal organisation under investigation for tax evasion, racketeering and human trafficking even and is already prohibited in a lot of EU countries. Why is it that retardnes like that is considered "just another religion" in redneck country? It sure explains a lot of the other idiocy that goes on there.
retardnes?
We know how stupid it really is, but once it became a "religion" it's been kind of hard to prosecute. Anyone who speaks out against them will be harassed. Just be grateful you don't have them in your country.
It was fun watching Scientology's spokesman, Tommy Davis. When he would say no, he'd nod his head up and down. When he'd say yes, he'd shake his head back and forth. Classic deception give aways. And my favorite was at 40:52 when he was asked if Scientology hired a private investigator to follow them, he starts to say "I wouldn't tell you", then catches himself and says "I have no knowledge of that", then smirks and nods his head yes. Psychologists call that "duping delight", because he thinks he just pulled a fast one.
In fairness to Tommy, it's really hard being a good liar. That's why he was kicked out of Scientology by it's dictator Miscavige, and the "church" hasn't had a spokesperson for years.
like all things everything has its good and its bad side, if person is smart enough (like me, ah ah) then it takes good things from scientology and goes home a happy man, a i can seriously tell that some of procedures and auditing and session and courses HELPED ME A LOT, i was contemplating to stay as a staff, but when i saw the church (and i hate that word but sadly it is just that) i mean the central european church with crosses and stuff i said -this is not Scient or ology, this is brainwashing for fools, none the less some techniques used are really superb and quite advanced from anything the modern medicine or alternative medicine offers today, so like with anything else, it's really up to you to think with your head and to let go (cause you cant receive a proper session if your cognitive part of the brain is on) only when you see something is good for you... with a 'little' moderation i think scientology would have a great potential, but it is not for fools, so 'dont try that at home' ahahahahaha
. Scientologists are not allowed to even watch such documentaries or see anything critical. Notice how Lex capitalizes the "helped me a lot" part while feigning criticism of Scientology to appear like a skeptic. He (or she) even manages a "don't try this at home" comment, which is a reference to the growing number of former Scientologists that are leaving the extreme control of the official church and practicing Scientology on their own.
Don't be fooled, Scientology is an extreme cult that puts extreme pressure on people for money and obedience, and has destroyed thousands of families with their policy of disconnection.
all true! and i dont feel sorry for those families, au contraire... but your psycho analysis of my capital letters is so superb, that i am properly stunned. you totally see thru me...
regarding my 'secret agent' status (which is obviously edited somewhere along the way) i'll just say that i live in a country that is completely scientology free, so -good luck with that!
over and out
The Nazi party initially did some good in Germany. Do you also propose we only look at the 'good' parts and ignore the 'bad' of that ideology too?
You knew it was BS yet contemplated becoming staff?
Your statement about needing to 'turn off the cognitive part of the brain' says it all.
if you fail to see the good side of nazism than we have nothing else to discus, you are lesser life form to me... and scientology is not bs but people who interpret it are bs, like you , and like nazis and like all other things with humans, you cant blame the theory for poor applying of it by men...as far as your quote is concerned- i was talking about the sessions, clearly you don't have any idea what that is, so shut up
No, I don't have to shut up because a pompous ass like you says so, up yours mate.
Good side of Nazism? What, do you mean the job, infrastructure and economic growth that initially occurred under Hitler?
If so, have those same things happened under different ideologies too, or only Nazism?
If not, if you're talking about the racist aspect of Nazism, then you're correct, you are not worth talking to anymore.
Yes, Scientology is BS, you inferred as much yourself in your conclusion of them. It just took you much, much longer then the average person to work that out. AS you said, they're a Church, and Churches are BS... And you think you're "smart enough", some sort of 'superior life form'. You're a fckwit mate, that's slower on the uptake then the average of our species.
Whatever helped you is destroyed by sociopath Miscavage.
Mmmm, this actually sounds like a replica in miniature of current government policies from around the world...
the 'crux' of scientology lies within it's 'birth':l.ron.'bluebirds' motive derives from his sci-fi author years where he pondered with a like-minded soul how to create money with the utmost tax-free sensation.....et voila:religion!...................the rest is history!
f+ck off in (shredded) peace,me says!
I would opine that the spokesman who appears on the video for Scientology is nothing short of a liar. There are just too many ex members of that questionable organization that would refute everything that he says in defense of Scientology.