There is a national media storm surrounding the Church of Scientology. Celebrity members have said Scientology saved their lives. Celebrity ex-member Jason Beghe spoke out against Scientology in a series of YouTube videos. There has been widespread criticism and debate among Scientology proponents and adversaries.
Tiger Weekly's own Web site was submerged in one such debate in response to an article published April 23, "I visited the Scientology Center of Baton Rouge and lived to write about it."
Local ex-Scientologist Rhett Westerman recently shared his opinions and experiences with Scientology with Tiger Weekly. Westerman said he grew up in the Church of Scientology.
"My parents were involved [with Scientology] when I was little," he said.
Westerman added that he was a Scientologist his "whole life, up until a few years ago."
Westerman said he became a Class 8 Auditor while involved in the Church of Scientology. He said he has spent between $400,000 and $500,000 on the Church of Scientology during the course of a decade.
Westerman does not think all Scientologists are evil people, merely ignorant to the corruption within the Church.
"I think the people that work in [the Baton Rouge Mission] are all good people; there's nothing wrong with them. They really, truly believe they're doing the right thing. I think they don't really understand what's going on behind the scenes. I bet if they did know what went on behind the scenes, they'd be out in a heartbeat."
Westerman decided to leave Scientology when "I saw all the corruption that was going on and I didn't want to be a part of it."
Westerman claimed there is widespread corruption in Scientology, even in the smaller branches, including the Baton Rouge Mission. Westerman said he found out about the "behind the scenes" corruption firsthand when he became "one of only a few people to reach the highest public training levels in Scientology" while residing in California.
Westerman acknowledged that he "got a lot out of Scientology," until a different group of people gained control of the church in the early '80s. He said Scientology "is not the same anymore."
Westerman said this new group, "including [Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center] David Miscavige and his cronies," implemented new rules and policies when they took control of Scientology.
When Westerman saw the corruption within Scientology, he said he decided to leave the Church but consequently lost contact with members of his own family.
"What happens in Scientology is if you decide you don't want to have anything to do with it and say that to anybody, they declare you what's called a 'suppressive person'; they basically kick you out."
Once declared a "suppressive person," an individual is not allowed to have contact with anyone still involved with Scientology, including family members. Westerman said he has not spoken to his own father in years.
"I have family here that won't communicate with me," Westerman said. He said his stepmother threatened his father with divorce if he kept contact with Rhett, for fear of being kicked out of the Church of Scientology if found out.
Westerman said his father and stepmother "don't want anyone to know they refuse to speak to my sister and I because of Scientology. They don't want people to know that they don't talk to their grandchildren: my kids or my sister's kids."
Westerman said that he has an 11-year-old son that his parents haven't seen in years "because of Scientology."
Although accounts and information discrediting Scientology exist on the Internet, Westerman said that "Scientologists aren't allowed to read that. If [the Church of Scientology] finds out that you're reading that, they kick you out."
The ultimate goal of Scientology is going "clear." Westerman said going clear "absolutely made a big difference. But you can't get that today in Scientology; that was years ago. Now, if you spent $400,000 on it, you would walk out $400,000 later without that end product [being clear]."
Westerman said that being "clear" is a continual state of mind and that he is still clear. When an individual is "clear," he has control of the portion of his mind responsible for mental anguish and illness.
Westerman said that the Xenu story exists in Scientology, "but it's not what you read in newspapers and on the Internet. You'd have to look at a more detailed "account of the story in order to understand it. He said the Xenu story made sense and he believed it while studying Scientology.
Westerman said The Church of Scientology "has tons and tons of money and a huge legal machine. Anybody that ever speaks up against them is attacked pretty viciously." He said he has been attacked, but doesn't "really care."
According to Westerman, Scientologists called his friends to tell them lies about him and things they say he's done.
"They've done it on numerous occasions. They tried to slander me so people would think I was just some scumbag," and disregard what he says about the Church of Scientology.
"They would take you [as a member] no matter how much money you made - but you would never be able to pay for the services to go clear," which is the end goal of Scientology, Westerman said. In pursuing becoming clear, Scientologists undergo extensive auditing sessions - Scientology's form of counseling or therapy.
Westerman claimed that that auditing sessions "are all on video and audio tapes that [the Church of Scientology] keeps as a record. When people leave Scientology, they use what was said in confidence against them later, to get back at them" and deter people from leaving or speaking out against Scientology.
"I think Scientology is going to go away before too long. It's kind of sad, because, originally, Scientology worked, but now everything's going to be gone. What they have now is definitely not working."
"I think the momentum's building and a lot of people are leaving," Westerman said.
