Christine;
I will state again what I have in the past, I found value in auditing, ironically it was fundamental for me to unravel my own encounter with the Mandato and mind control (the Mandato used the same, though more subtle tactics that LRH used).
Seeing the uselessness of fighting that belief, for built in to it is the forged idea that anyone who challenges El-Ron or the Tech is in Xenu's camp and seen as an enemy. My only real choice was to leave the scene, claim myself as sovereign and gratefully take what I learned.
Generally, I avoid threads on scientology. In fact I run like hell. What makes me hesitant is that most of my feelings on the subject are very personal, therefor subjective. While It makes them easily challenged, it doesn't mean they aren't true.
I have two friends who had dealings with them.
One is a friend of 20 years. He joined up back "in the old days", when LRH was still "on planet". Hardly a day goes by that he doesn't quote Hubbard. Yet you couldn't get him involved with what it's become with a club, and hot pointy things. He too still thinks auditing is a clean, accurate process, but one that requires the person on the other end have no dog in the hunt. "Aye, there's the rub".
He had completed his training as an auditor, but one thing or another "came up" which prevented him from advancing. Long story short, he could do the work, he "wouldn't play the game". 6 months from then he resigned. Silence (which is rare)
He even went back, demanding he be labelled "a supressive". Said he would consider it his "Diploma" for being honest. More silence.
My other friend's tale is more delicate.Steve was the kindest man I have met on this planet. He endured what would now be labelled a "very typical scientology story", that can't possibly cover the events. Admittedly I am very subjective, on the matter, but I can find no other truth to it. He was my friend.
The coroner called his death a "suicide". What else could he do? Ask me, or anyone else who knew Steve,
Scientology murdered him.
if you find that unbelievable, fine. I can only say,
1) You don know who you're dealing with.
2)That's ok, just don't look for me to change my story.
Fred