Scientology, in their zeal to sling mud and smear anyone they don’t agree with, have created a new whinesmear site about Pastor Willy Rice of the Clearwater Calvary Baptist church.

It is a typical scientology effort — long on adjectives and pejoratives, short on facts and dripping with hypocrisy.

Let’s address the most obvious point first. Pastor Rice’s stance on gays.

I do not agree with his position. I FULLY support the rights of everyone in the LBGTQA community to be treated as equals in all things.

But, to be honest, there are plenty of things I disagree with about teachings from the Bible. I can say with some certainty at this point that there are things I disagree with in every religion.

But that being said, it does not mean I cannot recognize the positive aspects of Pastor Rice and his ministry and laud and support them. His church does an enormous amount of charitable good work in this community — far outshadowing scientology. I admire Pastor Rice’s conviction and integrity – he stands by his beliefs and opinions and is willing to engage in conversation about them. He is a man of his word and truly a leader in the community.

I am proud to call Pastor Willy a friend. And how strange, unlike scientologists, I can be friends with people with whom I disagree, even on very fundamental issues. Because there are plenty of things I agree with him about. Having to be in “thought lockstep” is a sign of extremism.

Of course, this attack on Pastor Rice is simply another distraction — a way to deflect attention from the scientology abuses that are being exposed that they never address.

So, let’s take a look at the people in the glass buildings that dominate downtown Clearwater who are throwing stones.

Scientology claims to be pro-gay, but that is just a smokescreen because they are afraid to publicly announce or defend their true beliefs. Not just about their homophobia, but also their intolerance of other religions, their practices of disconnection and so much more.

Scientology is in fact homophobic (see my earlier post here). They think gayness is an indicator of “aberration” and can be “audited out.” They hide their true beliefs behind a PR facade (how ironic that by scientology definition that is 1.1 “covertly hostile”behavior). And now they are trying to make a big deal about how someone from another religion is homophobic.

Let’s not forget how scientology claims to be so “tolerant” of other religions. Another PR facade. One wonders how long the idea that you can be a scientologist and a member of any other religion would last if that “other religion” happened to be the Calvary Baptist church? We sure know the level of tolerance they have for anyone who is an “ex-scientologist” — zero. They are not merely intolerant, they are outright hostile.

Scientology doesn’t look too “tolerant” and “accepting” when they are attempting to smear Pastor Rice because he thinks and says what they don’t want to hear.

And, while Pastor Rice stands up and speaks for himself, scientology hides behind anonymously written websites. Why is scientology afraid to have an actual PERSON (let alone Miscavige) speak for it and engage in any debate? Why are they always hiding? Taking potshots from the shadows?

Now, here is some of what they say on their whine/website with my comments:

Just as A&E CEO Nancy Dubuc tried to distance herself from secret payments made to a KKK white supremacist group starring in her ill-fated reality show, she and her network are sweeping another hate-filled embarrassment under the rug. This one involves sitcom actress Leah Remini, excommunicated-Scientologist Mike Rinder and their reality show spreading incendiary hate and violence. Funny — this show has hardly been “swept under the rug.” This billboard currently displayed on the Sunset Strip is funded by A&E… And if by exposing the abuses of scientology you mean “spreading incendiary hate and violence” — guilty as charged. Public records reveal that A&E’s Slauson Productions aggressively sought to recruit for a hateful KKK-like “town hall,” the notoriously bigoted pastor Willy Rice of the Calvary Baptist Church in Florida. “Public records”? “Aggressively sought”? “Notoriously bigoted”? All just invented. And for accuracy’s sake, Slauson Productions is an independent production company that is not owned by A&E. Here is the truth about the “aggressive recruiting.” I met Willy Rice after he sent me a message on Facebook. He suggested at some point I might want to do a briefing to his congregation. I subsequently asked him what he thought about doing something as part of the show. He agreed. No “aggressive” seeking was involved. By anyone. At any time. All of it was to have been filmed for an episode of Remini’s A&E reality TV show and would have come in the wake of a number of recent violent and bigoted hate rallies, most recently the tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia. And had it actually occurred it would have been… How absurd is this? They had a hit piece written and ready to go. When plans changed they apparently didn’t want to let an opportunity to whinesmear a critic go by so they modified their statement into “OMG just imagine IF this had gone forward…” This is like saying “Had she murdered someone, it would have been terrible, just like Jack The Ripper.” But she didn’t, so it wasn’t. And as for bigoted hate rallies — the ONLY people with a history of parading as Nazis in Clearwater are… Remini and Rinder’s guy Rice has written that Islam is a “messed up religion.” He’s tweeted that “the answer to Islam” is Jesus Christ. Once again, the hypocrisy literally drips off the page. Scientology believes all other religions are “implants” embedded in people’s “reactive minds” as a way to control them. Scientologists also believe that the ONLY hope for mankind is scientology “technology.” Yet again, scientology is two-faced. They pretend to the world they are tolerant of other religions. They are not. They say you can be *anything* and ALSO be a scientologist. A lie that was exposed in their submission to the IRS seeking exempt status: “Although there is no policy or Scriptural mandate expressly requiring Scientologists to renounce other religious beliefs or membership in other churches, as a practical matter Scientologists are expected to and do become fully devoted to Scientology to the exclusion of other faiths. As Scientologists, they are required to look only to Scientology Scriptures for the answers to the fundamental questions of their existence and to seek enlightenment only from Scientology.” Ask any scientologist what the path to spiritual freedom is and they will proudly tell you it is the works of L. Ron Hubbard as laid out in the scientology “Bridge.” Ask them if this is the only path to true enlightenment and they will assert that as absolute truth. Ask them if you can attain full spiritual freedom by reading the Koran and they will laugh at you. Just as they would laugh at the idea that the Bible would be any better guide. Scientologists believe the ONLY path for everyone is scientology. They would have no problem saying the “answer to Islam” is scientology. Because as Hubbard said, scientology is the “answer to all of life.” In fact, L. Ron Hubbard has some rather less than complimentary things to say about Jesus Christ. These are not writings that scientology publishes on their websites or makes easily available to non-scientologists. But they are unalterable scripture of scientology: For a long while, some people have been cross with me for my lack of co-operation in believing in a Christian Heaven, God and Christ. I have never said I didn’t disbelieve in a Big Thetan but there was certainly something very corny about Heaven et al. Now I have to apologize. There was a Heaven. Not too unlike, in cruel betrayal, the heaven of the Assassins in the 12th Century who, like everyone else, dramatized the whole track implants – if a bit more so. The symbol of the crucified Christ is very apt indeed. It’s the symbol of a thetan betrayed. With rapidity and a Meter it can be shown that Heaven is a false dream and that the old religion was based on very painful lie, cynical betrayal. Religion… being basically a control mechanism used by those who have sent the preclear into a body. You will find the cross as a symbol all over the universe, and the Christ legend as implant in preclears a million years ago.” …we differ enormously from the Christian statements on the subject. They say, ‘you, son, must save your soul.’ The fellow says, ‘I don’t have one!’ So therefore, the christian religion cannot possibly be true… Hubbard states Christianity is part of the “R6 bank” ideas implanted into all humans by psychiatrists millions of years ago: The man on the cross. There was no Christ! The Roman Catholic Church, through watching the dramatizations of people picked up some little fragments of R6. Hubbard describes the Christian heaven as: …the product of two implants dating back more than 43 trillion years. Rice also regularly makes hate-filled statements and tweets hate about Scientologists, once issuing an ominous, violent warning that, “Someone has to pick up a rock and a slingshot and trust God with the results.” More astonishing hypocrisy. As Pastor Rice explained after scientology threw a hissy-fit over this comment, he was alluding to the story of David and Goliath in the Bible. This is what preachers do — reference the Bible. The story of David slaying Goliath with a slingshot is a parable. Did scientology really think that this was a directive for his followers to get slings and fire off stones at the Ft Harrison? Of course not, they just seized on this to whine victim. Scientology suffers the slings and arrows of its own conduct (now you need to watch out for flying arrows in addition to the stones from slings – take this as another “ominous, violent warning” if you like)… Here is an entry from Wikipedia concerning the L. Ron Hubbard “process” called R2-45, perhaps the most explicit directive to harming another individual one can find. Point a .45 caliber pistol at their head and pull the trigger. Literally. R2-45 is the name given by L. Ron Hubbard to what he described as “an enormously effective process for exteriorization but its use is frowned upon by this society at this time”. In Scientology doctrine, exteriorization refers to the separation of the thetan (soul) from the body, a phenomenon which Hubbard asserts can be achieved through Scientology auditing. R2-45 is said to be a process by which exteriorization could be produced by shooting a person in the head with a .45 pistol – a meaning acknowledged by the Church of Scientology. Now, of course scientology explains that this does NOT mean anyone should actually USE a .45 on someone else. And I do not believe that Hubbard really intended to direct anyone to commit murder with a .45. But the allusion to a rock and a slingshot is FAR less ominous and violent than what Hubbard proclaimed. Yet the scientologists try to make a meal out of it, calling it a an “ominous, violent warning.” What a joke. But what is NOT a joke are these quotes from Hubbard. These are NOT allegorical. They are dictates to be FOLLOWED:

Attackers against Scientology located and removed from their positions… These persons can always lose their jobs. This is A POINT OF VULNERABILITY.

If the person’s job is also not valuable to him or if he cannot be made to cost his job, something can be found which he is seeking to protect and it can be threatened.

When identified or even suspected as the instigator, draw up a project which includes at least three channels to cost him his job.

Draw up a second project at once to survey and discover what the person really is defending and threaten it effectively.

Essentially a covert operation is intended to embarrass, discredit or overthrow or remove an actual or possible opponent.

It is a small war carried on without its true source being disclosed.

It follows all the rules of war but uses propaganda, psychological effect, surprise, shock, etc., to achieve its ends.

We must ourselves fight on the basis of total attrition of the enemy. Just go all the way in and obliterate him.

When we need somebody haunted we investigate.

When we investigate we do so noisily always. And usually mere investigation damps out the trouble even when we discover no really pertinent facts.

Investigation to us in Scientology is a fine art.

Overt investigation of someone or something attacking us by an outside detective agency should be done more often and hang the expense. It’s very effective. Often investigation by a private detective has alone closed up an entheta source or a squirrel organisation. In fact at this writing I can’t remember a time when it hasn’t!

Hire a private detective of a national-type firm to investigate the writer, not the magazine, and get any criminal or Communist background the man has.

…he’ll sure shudder into silence.

The only way to defend anything is to ATTACK…

The law can be used very easily to harass, and enough harassment on somebody who is simply on the thin edge anyway… will generally be sufficient to cause his professional decease. If possible, of course, ruin him utterly.

Only attacks resolve threats.

If attacked on some vulnerable point by anyone or anything or any organization, always find or manufacture enough threat against them to cause them to sue for peace.

Don’t ever defend. Always attack. Don’t ever do nothing. Unexpected attacks in the rear of the enemy’s front ranks work best.

…bring the government and hostile philosophies or societies into a state of complete compliance with the goals of Scientology. This is done by high-level ability to control and in its absence by low-level ability to overwhelm. Introvert such agencies. Control such agencies.

For a full description, see this earlier article on my blog: Dealing with Critics of Scientology – The L. Ron Hubbard Playbook

So, just who are scientologists to be squealing about “threats”?

That is why Leah Remini and Mike Rinder love their bigoted friend whose beliefs happen to mirror many of those held by the white supremacist groups whose rallies are triggering violence. Rice is only too glad to foward Remini and Rinder’s agenda of inciting hate and violence toward Scientologists—500 such threats have been leveled at Church leadership, parishioners and their children since Remini’s A&E show began airing. Yeah, lame as all hell. The ones with the beliefs that mirror white supremacist groups is scientology. They believe in destroying those who oppose them by any means necessary. They believe they are a “superior race.” L. Ron Hubbard wrote the following in his book Science of Survival, wherein he delineates an arbitrary scale of acceptable and “survival” behavior characteristics (homosexuals are very low on this scale, well below 2.0). He said, (and to scientologists, his words are unalterable and MUST be accepted as truth) among many other things: …any person from 2.0 down on the Tone Scale should not have, in any thinking society, any civil rights of any kind, because by abusing those rights he brings into being arduous and strenuous laws which are oppressive to those who need no such restraints. There are only two answers for the handling of people from 2.0 down on the Tone Scale, neither one of which has anything to do with reasoning with them or listening to their justification of their acts. The first is to raise them on the Tone Scale by un-enturbulating some of their theta by any one of the three valid processes. The other is to dispose of them quietly and without sorrow. The sudden and abrupt deletion of all individuals occupying the lower bands of the Tone Scale from the social order would result in an almost instant rise in the cultural tone… A Venezuelan dictator once decided to stop leprosy. He saw that most lepers in his country were also beggars. By the simple expedient of collecting and destroying all the beggars in Venezuela an end was put to leprosy in that country. One would be hard pressed to find more explicit statements about eradicating the “lesser” people in society in the Daily Stormer today or Der Sturmer in the 1930’s. As for the “500 threats” of course there are no specifics. When they first uttered this doozie, Jezebel took them to task as they cited two rather vague incidents:

It should be noted that both of the cited crimes occurred before Aftermath began airing—Andre Barkanov started making his threats in July 2015, and Erin McMurtry drove her car into the lobby of the Scientology building in December of 2015. However, Remini announced she left the church in 2013, and her memoir Troublemaker, in which she details her life in and after Scientology, was released November 2015. The only sources I could find positing Remini’s potential influence on Barkanov are on Scientologist-run sites, while McMurtry did indeed write about Remini a few times on her Facebook page. Still, if the church wants to argue that Remini’s show is doing damage to its members, they should probably update their examples. They apparently have 500 to choose from.

Slauson Productions, A&E and Nancy Dubuc are so blinded by bigotry and a desire for cash that they actually stooped so low as to allow hate-filled Remini and Rinder to aggressively court a relationship with someone like Rice, an incendiary bigot who uses his pulpit to disparage other religions and groups he doesn’t like. For the record, nobody from Slauson, A&E nor Nancy Dubuc (who I have never met) “allowed” me to “aggressively court a relationship” — they had absolutely nothing to do with my meeting or becoming friends with Willy Rice. I am perfectly capable of making my own friends. And as for Pastor rice being an “incendiary bigot” I could not think of a less apt description of the man. The people writing this drivel obviously have never met him nor do they have any sense of what he is like as a person. Intelligent, caring, polite to a fault, he stands as the anti-stereotype of an incendiary bigot. He is a man who has the conviction of his beliefs and is unafraid to express them or carry himself in accordance with them. A man who is accessible and engaging. A valued member of the community. And finally, Willy Rice is NOT a hypocrite. He stands behind what he believes in and speaks his truth with dignity and courage. Everything his counterpart in scientology is not. At what point do A&E and Nancy Dubuc say ENOUGH?! Well, finally something that is easy to respond to. A: When scientology stops abusing people, destroying families and fraudulently taking money based on promises they don’t deliver. The ball is in your court scientology. The first step is to even admit anything wrong has been done.