S02.E10: Lifetime of Healing

[Guest]

Quote

In this very personal episode, Leah sits down with two of her childhood friends, Chantal Dodson and Sherry Ollins, for an emotional conversation.

[Maelstrom]

Another good episode. I liked hearing a story that was more personal to Leah (and Mike to a lesser degree). I remember in her book she spoke quite a bit about Sherry and how hard it was to toe the line between friendship and disconnection for so long. I’m so happy that they were able to reconnect and renew their friendship after so many years.

It’s still so hard for me to fathom just how much the CO$ warps people’s minds to make them willingly abandon them their children, friends, family members. It’s so sad that they’re allowed to continue damaging people’s lives with impunity. More power to Leah and Mike if they can be the ones to stop it.

So from the previews for next week it looks like the show was able to get through to Chantal’s mother. I’m also looking forward to hearing from past guests like Aaron Levin-Smith and the Headleys again.

[Sew Sumi]

They had a Hole for kids? OMFG. 

[dwarmed]

Amazing, when Chantal's parents are kicked out of the Sea Org for the crimes of getting sick/older/not able to work 24/7, does the organization for whom they sacrificed their whole lives step up to take care of them? No, their 'disappointment' of a daughter takes them in and cares for them, even though they never took care of her. They actually punished the mother with kitchen duty for getting health problems. You would think that would be a wake-up call, but they remained Scientologists and had the nerve to expect their daughter never to say a bad word about Scientology. I'm glad her mom actually gets it now.

[Inspectabecky]

WHOA. I just read about Stefan and Tanja in Inside Scientology and Rinder was very much the villain helping to keep them apart. Tanja describes one incident where he's spitting in anger bc she's refusing to sign divorce papers. Ive been very confused about MR and the story has me hating him. I then remind myself he was a child himself brought in, and he's sitting there now doing the show. I hope off-camera he's had the tough coversation about his role in Stefan's life. Its crazy both Leah and Mike have a direct link of awfulness in this one. My guess is Leah is clueless about Mikes involvment. 

[Ina123]

1 hour ago, Inspectabecky said:

 My guess is Leah is clueless about Mikes involvment. 

No one should be clueless about Mike or Leah's involvement in anything re belonging to Scientology. Everyone knows by now that despicable things happened. It's all about former indoctrination and being forgiven.

[SunnyBeBe]

Another great and hard hitting episode.  This show brings up so many memories of my childhood and the cult that my parents were in.  It's almost therapeutic for me to watch this.  All things are possible. 

There are so many people with means and government agencies who could go after the Sea Org. WHY are they not doing it? What about violations of Worker's Compensation laws?  If you work over a certain number of people, you have to pay in and they get paid if they get injured on the job.  But, they don't. They just send the injured back to their family with no money.  And what about the laws for providing employees health insurance?  New laws require it for full time employees AND there are hour and wage laws.  Are they paying in social security on these long time workers?  It doesn't sound like it.  How can the Sea Org get around thee laws involving workers?

Did anyone notice how the young girls in the old photos didn't look too much like the women we see today.  It was confusing.  I'm going to take it that they all have some facial work done.  Nothing wrong with that.  They all looked lovely. 

Edited November 1, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[LegalParrot81]

5 hours ago, Inspectabecky said:

My guess is Leah is clueless about Mikes involvment. 

I would bet he and Leah discussed all the gory details before they took on this project.  Also Mike's the first one to admit that he did horrendous things during his years as an exec.  Not to excuse any of it, but remember, he also had Miss Cabbage to tend with. For 25 years his choices were be awful to someone else or get a beating, or the hole, or whatever other sadistic thing Miss Cabbage might have up his sleeve.

I listened to Sherry, thinking no 15 year old should have to be figuring out how she'll make the rent or get a full time job or put food on the table.  The way this cult simply abandons their children if they don't "conform" is disgusting and no one seems to notice or more importantly, care.

Chantel's story was just as heartbreaking.  Thank goodness she survived.  Her reaction to seeing Mike again made me happy/sad.

Edited November 1, 2017 by LegalParrot81

[Absurda]

Leah and Mike have been very upfront and honest (from what I've seen) about what they did while in the "church". They've owned the awful things they've done and haven't been trying to hide anything.

I wonder if the "church" gets out of worker laws by calling them "interns" or "contractors" or "volunteers".

[VioletMarx]

8 hours ago, Inspectabecky said:

WHOA. I just read about Stefan and Tanja in Inside Scientology and Rinder was very much the villain helping to keep them apart. Tanja describes one incident where he's spitting in anger bc she's refusing to sign divorce papers. Ive been very confused about MR and the story has me hating him. I then remind myself he was a child himself brought in, and he's sitting there now doing the show. I hope off-camera he's had the tough coversation about his role in Stefan's life. Its crazy both Leah and Mike have a direct link of awfulness in this one. My guess is Leah is clueless about Mikes involvment. 

I have no doubt that Leah has read Inside Scientology. There is nothing that the general public could know about Mike's past actions that she doesn't know. IMO Mike has been very upfront what he has done and seems appropriately horrified now.

[juliet73]

I'm curious to know why CPS or the police have never been called on these parents?  Aside from putting their kids in hellish behavior camps or working 12-14 hours doing manual labor, neglect and abuse, why are the parents (the Co$) able to cut these kids loose at age 13? 15? I highly doubt any of them were legally emancipated so wouldn't that be considered child abandonment?  

[Lyndy]

37 minutes ago, juliet73 said:

I'm curious to know why CPS or the police have never been called on these parents?  Aside from putting their kids in hellish behavior camps or working 12-14 hours doing manual labor, neglect and abuse, why are the parents (the Co$) able to cut these kids loose at age 13? 15? I highly doubt any of them were legally emancipated so wouldn't that be considered child abandonment?  

I wonder this too but I imagine there are several factors. First, who would that person be? Certainly ex-Scientologists would know about the abuses but couldn't claim firsthand knowledge of current abuses. Anyone still in the Sea Org, even if they disagree with the policies, would be too scared to speak up. And if CPS does show up, everyone would be on their best behaviour. "Nothing to see here!" If CPS in Florida or LA is anything like it is around my hometown, they are so understaffed and overworked, they wouldn't have resources for a truly comprehensive investigation. Social workers would probably know there was horrible shit going on and not be able to act on it.

[lovesnark]

4 hours ago, Absurda said:

Leah and Mike have been very upfront and honest (from what I've seen) about what they did while in the "church". They've owned the awful things they've done and haven't been trying to hide anything.

 

I wonder if the "church" gets out of worker laws by calling them "interns" or "contractors" or "volunteers".

That's what I was thinking. Lunatic Hubbard was very good at covering the bases in the mountains of paperwork he made people sign. If the billion year SeaOrg contract clearly states that you're volunteering your time in exchange for room and board and a small stipend, you're not an employee. 

[Mom2twoNonna2-3]

They also get around it by saying they are members of the clergy.

[Showthyme]

I think that the kids didn’t want Social Services called because they hung onto every laser hope that there parents would  choose them over Scientology. Everyone said that they believed everything was their fault and kids/teenagers believe this anyway.

[RichiesOlderBro]

11 hours ago, Absurda said:

wonder if the "church" gets out of worker laws by calling them "interns" or "contractors" or "volunteers".

They are ‘clergy’ and the buildings are all ‘churchs’. 

[2727]

I've been thinking what I would have done if my parents had kicked me out of the house at 13 and none of my relatives and friends would help.

Not knowing what municipal social services were available, I think I would have just gone to the police station and told them I had no money and nowhere to go. Not expecting them to prosecute my parents or anything, but just that they would know how to facilitate my entry into the care system. I can't see living on the streets ever being an option I would have taken (too timid).

But what if I had been indoctrinated to believe that all law enforcement is evil? Gah. These poor kids.

[Ruprecht]

I was incredibly moved when Mike and Chantal embraced at the beginning and she started to cry. I felt like I was watching actual healing take place. 

Leah continues to amaze me in that she completely owns her behavior while in the CO$ and gives herself no slack for cutting off communication with a life-long friend to stay in good-standing with the CO$. This was another great episode and it infuriates me that this is not fiction, this is fact. I'm so glad they are there for and support each other today. 

It was a weird transition at the end in that it shows a text message to Chantal from her mother and it says "to be continued" but the previews for next week do show her mother being interviewed which never would have happened for someone still in the CO$. I think I will need tissues handy. 

[Rlb8031]

14 hours ago, Showthyme said:

I think that the kids didn’t want Social Services called because they hung onto every laser hope that there parents would  choose them over Scientology. Everyone said that they believed everything was their fault and kids/teenagers believe this anyway.

Also, remember at that age and during that time, a lot of what you knew about how the adult world operated came from 1) friends and 2) tv and movies. So for many kids raised in Scientology in Scientology heavy cities, I'm not sure that they would even have been aware of what Social Services was, except that they feared "government" generally. They would not have sought out help from the government, because they were the bad guys. Imagine living in a world where you've been cut off from all of your friends and raised to believe everyone else was an enemy. The only people they would have considered trusting was others like themselves, ex-Co$ or Co$ members that were on the fringe who would not go back and KR them or try to actively bring them back into the fold.

[TaxNerd]

1 hour ago, Ruprecht said:

It was a weird transition at the end in that it shows a text message to Chantal from her mother and it says "to be continued" but the previews for next week do show her mother being interviewed which never would have happened for someone still in the CO$. I think I will need tissues handy. 

Yep, way to go A&E on the spoilers!  

[Quilt Fairy]

22 hours ago, lovesnark said:

That's what I was thinking. Lunatic Hubbard was very good at covering the bases in the mountains of paperwork he made people sign. If the billion year SeaOrg contract clearly states that you're volunteering your time in exchange for room and board and a small stipend, you're not an employee. 

One of the ways Hubbard got around a lot of laws was buying a ship (creating the original Sea Org, I suppose) and keeping it in international waters where no government could get at him.

[HunterHunted]

On 11/1/2017 at 1:27 PM, juliet73 said:

I'm curious to know why CPS or the police have never been called on these parents?  Aside from putting their kids in hellish behavior camps or working 12-14 hours doing manual labor, neglect and abuse, why are the parents (the Co$) able to cut these kids loose at age 13? 15? I highly doubt any of them were legally emancipated so wouldn't that be considered child abandonment?

On 11/1/2017 at 2:09 PM, Lyndy said:

I wonder this too but I imagine there are several factors. First, who would that person be? Certainly ex-Scientologists would know about the abuses but couldn't claim firsthand knowledge of current abuses. Anyone still in the Sea Org, even if they disagree with the policies, would be too scared to speak up. And if CPS does show up, everyone would be on their best behaviour. "Nothing to see here!" If CPS in Florida or LA is anything like it is around my hometown, they are so understaffed and overworked, they wouldn't have resources for a truly comprehensive investigation. Social workers would probably know there was horrible shit going on and not be able to act on it.

 

There's all of those things and the US Supreme Court decision in Wisconsin vs. Yoder (1972), which granted the Amish and other religious minorities the right to remove their children from schooling after eighth grade for religious reasons.

[Rlb8031]

Also, remember how CPS gets involved usually its referrals from 1) schools - none of these kids are in public schools 2) neighbors/public- they are living in Co$ facilities and with other members ; 3) police- Co$ have made it a "sin" to call the cops on one another; 4) court system- I haven't heard of any cases where non-Co$ parents are suing for custody; 5) Doctors/dentists: most of them are being seen by Co$ chiropractors and dentists so no reports from them either. Then there is the other elephant in the room which is that the majority of these kids were white with seemingly well-spoken parents. They aren't pinging radars for the social work types in places like LA or FL where the vast majority of kids in the system are minorities. 

[laurakaye]

On 11/6/2017 at 6:44 PM, Rlb8031 said:

Also, remember how CPS gets involved usually its referrals from 1) schools - none of these kids are in public schools 2) neighbors/public- they are living in Co$ facilities and with other members ; 3) police- Co$ have made it a "sin" to call the cops on one another; 4) court system- I haven't heard of any cases where non-Co$ parents are suing for custody; 5) Doctors/dentists: most of them are being seen by Co$ chiropractors and dentists so no reports from them either. Then there is the other elephant in the room which is that the majority of these kids were white with seemingly well-spoken parents. They aren't pinging radars for the social work types in places like LA or FL where the vast majority of kids in the system are minorities. 

Great post...it's important to remember that the CO$ is a whole world unto itself, so the adults that could spot neglect or abuse in kids are indoctrinated to turn a blind eye and them blame the victim.  It's such a vile, horrible bubble and I continue to stand amazed that Leah and Rindar are doing everything in their power to bring it all to light.