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Paulette Cooper
From "The
Scandal of Scientology" (link
http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~krasel/CoS/books/scandal/sos-13.html?scandal does not work anymore):
One famous, in fact infamous
person interested in Scientology that they do not boast about, talk
about, or probably even want is Charles Manson, the convicted
murderer [1] of Sharon Tate and her
friends. The New York Times stated that Manson first got interested
in Scientology while he was incarcerated in the McNeil Island
Penitentiary in Washington (Scientology has programs for prisons
[2]).
After his release, The Times
reported, he went to Los Angeles where he was said to have met local
Scientologists and attended several parties for movie stars,
possibly the July 18 dedication of the celebrity center
[3]. Scientology literature was also said to be found at the
ranch when Manson and his family were captured
[4]. But for reasons unknown, it is claimed that Manson may
have been made a "suppressive person" by the Scientologists
[5, and there have also been hints that he may have joined
the Process, the sex and satan group which originally broke away
from Scientology
[6].
Notes:
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Cooper is correct in stating that
Manson got interested in Scientology, but fails to make the
important distinction of his subsequent abandonment. On the
contrary, she relies on hearsay and unverifiable anecdotes to imply
that he continued his interest and involvement after he was
released.
From the
appendix (link
http://wpxx02.toxi.uni-wuerzburg.de/~krasel/CoS/books/scandal/sos-app.html?appendix does not work anymore) of the same book:
After I wrote this book I became
friendly with an advanced Scientologist who had gotten his "grades"
in Los Angeles allegedly at the time that Manson may have been
there. He claimed to have frequently seen Manson at the Org and he
also claimed that Manson had reached the level of PC IV in
Scientology (a high level but not yet clear). I don't know if this
information is at all accurate because some people phantasize about
the relationship of (and their relationships with) the infamous as
much as others do of the famous.
More hearsay, but at least, here,
Cooper recognizes these as such. Besides, if Manson had gone up to
PC IV (there is no such thing as PC IV, only level IV), it would
have taken him considerable time, and more people than just an
apostate would have seen him.
Dennis Erlich
From: dennis.l.erlich@support.com
Message-ID:
<9510252121.0U0BI04@support.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 95 21:21:40 -0700
[...]
OSA has a standard patter to answer the Manson
allegations.
Trouble is, it's not true.
Manson was a scieno. He took the Comm Course at LA Org in 67, I
believe it was. Before I got there. I remember hearing something
about it when the vetting occurred.
Apostate third hand account - Erlich
heard of something that happened before he got there. As for
"vetting", the CoS may very well have been worried about Manson
having been a Scientologist and checked their record for any trace.
It doesn't mean, however, there was anything or that any actual
vetting took place.
What is interesting to observe, though,
is how this more than ambiguous statement quickly becomes a "fact"
for anti's:
William Barwell:
Manson was a Scientologist and the cult, embarressed by
Manson's membership destroyed files that would prove that
purposefully, to hide that embarressment. Dennis Erlich was an
eyewitness to Scientology's efforts to destroy all such files when
that project was undertaken by Scientology.
Erlich was not an
"eyewitness to Scientology effort to destroy all such files". He
relayed some hearsay about Manson doing some course in the org, then
vaguely spoke about vetting. Nothing that warrants the allegation
that the CoS "destroyed files that would prove that purposefully".
More of the same:
Michael Reuss:
Dennis and others have reported that the L.A. orgs had a
document round-up and shredding party, targeting all information and
documents showing Charles Manson's past connections to Scientology.
PTSC:
Scientology critic here, Dennis Erlich, stated that he was
present when the orders went down in Scientology to shred Manson's
records in the cult.
Mike O'Connor
I myself believe the first hand reports posted
here that the cult eventually made sure to delete, remove, or shred
all documents concerning the man, on L. Ron Hubbard's orders.
All unwarranted
assumptions and allegations. These are however repeatedly uttered,
until they simply become a "well known fact" in the anti-Scientology
world:
Android Cat:
Co$ expunged any references to Charlie in their records
Dave Bird:
They shredded every document mentioning the actual
courses he did take at the
Org!
The same legend is to
be found in the critical book "A Piece of Blue Sky", written by Jon
Atack. Not only does Atack mentions this supposed "cover-up"
operation as if it really occurred, but Manson's involvement all of
a sudden became "considerable":
Piece of Blue Sky:
There was a cover-up by the Guardian's Office, which
successfully concealed the extent of Manson's considerable
involvement.
Of course, this kind of allegation is
of the typical self-feeding conspiracy type. The fact that there are
no evidences to be found become proof that they were expunged, which
in turn become the proof that Manson did take the alleged courses
within the CoS. The lack of proof itself is proof that the hearsays
are true!!!!!
Old timer
Another source strikes a better
balance, but is "answered" by more hearsay and, again, by the
confusion between checking the record and any actual vetting:
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nobody@flame.alias.net (Anonymous) wrote:
>In article
<46ppt5$1v8@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, DWTripp <dwtripp@aol.com> wrote:
>>I was on
ASHO staff at the time. I did hold a tech post. My knowledge
regarding GO actions in the wake of Manson's arrest came from my
attendence at regular Friday night poker games where the presence of
Henning Heldt, Martin Greenberg and other GO people was consistent.
Yes, they did talk shop. The "claim" made at the time (I believe it
was Martin) was that LA Org records had shown that Manson had
possibly done a Communications Course and bought some books. No
refernce was ever made regarding any purge of records and if such
was done, it was likely initiated by LA Org Execs. Possibly even
Erlich.
>This is
bullshit. This is the GO trying to MINIMIZE Manson's
Not bullshit.
>involvement. Using the word "possibly" is trying to avoid an
outright lie (Manson wasn't involved) to a fellow Scientologist.
>You all
have the WRONG slant on this. I'm not saying Charles Manson
Correction, mostly all wrong.
Too much speculation, too few facts.
Charles Manson was a
Scientologist. "Possibly" is correct re Comm Course at LA Day. In
addition to auditing when he was in jail, Charles Manson was "being
handled" as a "clandestine op" off org lines. (If you don't know
what this means, ask Dennis - or Henning or Moxon or McShane or DM
if you can.)
When the news of the murders
reached MSH and LRH on the ship they immediately sent an encoded
telex to D/G US to cancel the msn and vet all records. A GO
"assessment" was done to evaluate the risk to LRH (not Scn) if info
re the Manson connection was discovered. (ONLY Henning, the ops and
the missionaire should have known and certainly this would NOT have
been poker party chat.) Years later, when Manson's name came up
again LRH ordered another "assessment" done. This time the order
travelled thru the CMO and was seen to by none other than ________ .
Be ye able to fill in the blank,
Andy, boy? Tak' th' high road and ask aboot yoor own hoose, me
laddy.
Rocks be a' slammin'
Old Timer
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FBI proof
Another myth is that the FBI
proved critics assertions through documents seized during the 1977
raid. This is "substantiated" in the following manner:
- FACTNET document
The following list of documents were siezed by the FBI on its
authorized search of Scientology's headquarters in LA and Washington
DC. They are all obtainable using the freedom of Information act,
request procedures. Complete sets have also been sent to the three
anti cult organizations mentioned near the end of this document.
[...]
12. June 22, 1970. Compliance
Report Regarding Charles Manson, Bruce Davis. (Manson went a bit
wild on Auditing.) [...]
Quoted alone, in the context of a
discussion involving Manson's participation in the Church of
Scientology, it would seem to prove that something mysterious went
on that the CoS needed to hide about Manson. This "compliance
report", however, is the one quoted above and doesn't prove anything
else than the fact Manson received auditing on a private basis while
in prison, an experience that eventually failed.
Piece of Blue Sky
Finally, let's look at the Piece of
Blue Sky excerpt:
The last straw for McMaster had
been the brutal murder of three teenagers in Los Angeles. Two had
been Scientologists, the third was disfigured beyond identification.
The mutilated bodies were left a hundred yards away from a house
where Scientologists lived. McMaster felt that this was an act of
retribution for Scientology's duplicity.
A few weeks later, The New York
Times revealed that Charles Manson had been involved in Scientology.
Internal Scientology documents show that Manson had actually
received about 150 hours of auditing while in prison. There was a
cover-up by the Guardian's Office, which successfully concealed the
extent of Manson's considerable involvement.
The triple murder is linked by
inference to support the later mention that Manson was a
Scientologist, while avoiding the complete picture, and suggesting a
direct link between Scientology and the whole Manson story. An
"internal Scientology document" is used as further evidence,
omitting the facts contained in the very
SAME document that the auditing was of a private nature and was ultimately a
failure. Finally, the whole thing is implicitly "substantiated" by
the conspiracy theory that all evidences have been vetted out.
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