Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:44 am by James McGuigan
Below is the text of the speech I gave outside the Church of Scientology on Tottenham Court Road on 12th April 2008. Wrote the speech on Thursday, and I gave it twice over two different PA systems. There was a tiny bit of on the spot improvisation, but I mostly stuck to the text.
Feel free to repost/link to this speech as you see fit
As for confront, I never saved anything for the swim back.
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Hello, I am James McGuigan. I was born and grew up in Church of Scientology. I have studied many Scientology courses, including the Key to Life. My parents where long time Scientologists, and have both reached to one of the highest possible levels within Scientology, OT7.
Three years ago my mother was declared a suppressive person and excommunicated from the Church of Scientology. Her crime? It was when she came to divorce my father, she chose the legal courts over Scientology adjudication, I know my mother well, and can attest that she is neither evil nor suppressive.
I was given a choice, on the one hand I could disconnect from her, my own mother and never speak to her again, or I could leave Scientology and that my father and my sister would choose to disconnect from me.
This was a question that required me to do an enormous amount of soul-searching, and to question everything I had previously held as true. But in the end, it came down to deciding what my principals where, and who's moral code I would choose to follow.
I realized first and foremost, I would not allow anybody else to tell me who I could I could or could not speak to, that I must be free to communicate with anybody on any subject, even those deemed anathema by the church. And that only I am capable of determining my own truth for myself. If other people wish to disconnect from me because of that, then that is their choice, not mine.
Of all the things Scientology has taught me, the most valuable thing is the ability to be totally open and honest with myself. To not run away from my own thoughts or inhibitions, but to confront them head on. I learnt to speak my truth, with compassion and to be as open and honest with others as I am with myself.
So this is why I am here today, to speak my truth, to all those who choose to listen. I am not an enemy, but simply somebody who sees the world in a different light.
David Miscavage recently talked about getting back to the basics of Scientology, and this is really what this is all about, the basics. And what is more basic than ARC and KRC. On the one hand, Affinity, Reality, Communication and the other Knowledge, Responsibility, Control. These two triangles make up the very symbol of Scientology.
As an organization, the Church has excelled at KRC, Knowledge, Responsibility and Control. Indeed the Church has become very strong and powerful because of it. The problem is that this has been done at the expense of ARC, Affinity, Reality and Communication.
Look across the street and what do you see? There are several hundred people here to protest against the Church of Scientology. But what is your first thought?
Is it that these people are enemies, that you have a responsibility to control and handle them, to find out their crimes and to silence them?
Or was your first thought that communication is the universal solvent, that you needed to go over to the other side of the road and openly and honestly communicate with these people. To truly understand their reality, and to share with them your reality on what Scientology really means to you. To find a way of raising affinity with someone you first saw as an enemy.
This is the difference between KRC and ARC. In using KRC to the exclusion of ARC, you have created an ARC break of epic proportions. These thousands of people protesting worldwide are not just a bunch of crazy SPs, this is your ARC broken field trying to communicate with you.
In my own personal view, the Church of Scientology as an international organization has placed itself in an ethics condition of liability. Once this is openly acknowledged, the formula can be applied and the situation handled.
Take a long deep look at this for yourself. Ask yourself; What have I allowed or permitted through action or inaction? What is my responsibility? And what can I do to genuinely handle this situation and any danger in it?
I asked myself these questions. Its not enough to simply say the church has done this, or the church has done that. As the question still remains. What have I done personally to handle my current situation.
Two weeks ago, I personally went down St Hill, to try an speak with my sister who is now in the Sea Org. I did not know if I would succeed, but I had to go, if only to say that I had tried. I was spotted by St Hill security and they grilled for over half an hour, but I simply spoke my truth without fear, anger or appeasement. In the end they allowed me to speak with my sister, alone. It was the first time in over three years.
I explained to her all my concerns about the Church and Scientology, and the way I currently see the world, and to her credit she listened. And in return, she shared with me, her reality, and I also listened. The situation is far from completely handled, but for me at least, its a big first step in the right direction.
Though when OSA found out I was planning to give a speech today, they sent her down on a mission last night in order to try and handle me, to convince me to remain silent.
So thank you Anonymous for giving me the courage to confront this issue in my life, and for giving me the kick up the arse I needed to actually go and do something about it.
My advise to the Church of Scientology, would be to declare a general amnesty, and to cancel the disconnection policy. Scientology should be all about communication, so why can't we tear down this arbitrary barrier to communication and focus on getting everybody back in perfect communication.
And my advise to those of you out there who been disconnected from old friends or family, is to try and look at the situation in a new unit of time, and see if it is possible to openly and honestly handle any outstanding ARC breaks you might have, rather than simply maintain a silent disconnection. Communication is the universal solvent, so reconnect.
Peace love and light, to everybody.
Thank you.
Freedom is a choice. Choose to be yourself, choose to speak your truth and do so with compassion. And above all else, choose to be not afraid. If I can't dance, its not my revolution.
