How bad are Scientologists in Clearwater? (Dunedin, Plant City: buy, live, dangerous)

[Kathleen1971]

Originally Posted by tilli

As long as you are not an ex-Scientologist, you should be fine. Just don't let them rope you into taking their "personality test".

So true. I fell for that about 14 years ago and I am STILL getting mail from them at least once a week wanting to know how I am and how they can help me, etc. They are incredibly obnoxious once they get your name.

I was at the Plant City Strawberry Festival a few years ago and they had a room set up for their stupid personality test. Now nowhere was there anything letting the people know they were the COS, so I took it upon myself to walk in there and announce at the top of my lungs that these were the same Scientologists that had Tom Cruise bouncing up and down on sofa's. You never saw so many people skedaddle at once. It was hysterical. At least until they tried, and failed, to have me arrested for public disturbance. Apparently the sheriffs dept thought they were as looney as I did.

[ferret111]

Originally Posted by d4g4m

How "BAD"??? are scientoligists?
How "BAD" are Catholics? I hear they construct big buildings with a cross on top. They have been seen congregating on Sunday mornings. Who knows what's going on in there!!
How "BAD" are the jews??? They've been know to get together on Saturdays in something called a synagogue. Suspicious activities??
How "BAD" are those Muslims!! They're constructing something called a 'mosque' everywhere. We know all about them, don't we.
How 'BAD" are those Christians? Watch out for them. They carry a book called a 'Bible" Be cautious, they may try to read a quote to you from that book. I hear they try to get their own kind into city hall.
How "BAD" are the Amish?? A threat to national security?? One of them was investigated by the federal FDA for selling milk.

Look, I'm hardly a religious guy at all, but most faiths have more credibility than Scientology. How many religions have regular membership fees as well as internal documents with "making money" as some of their top priorities? Also, how many modern religions (save for a few extreme fanatical branches of Islam) have policies and histories of harassing people who speak against it?

[sirrob]

I think Oprah, Will & Jada Smith and Jay-Z & Beyonce practice it too. I just can't picture them walking around like droids. LOL

[ferret111]

Originally Posted by sirrob

I think Oprah, Will & Jada Smith and Jay-Z & Beyonce practice it too. I just can't picture them walking around like droids. LOL

I didn't believe people actually did that kind of stuff either, but then I spent some time in Downtown Clearwater. They all dress in black and white and walk very quickly between Scientology buildings or to a Scientology shuttle bus stop. And, like at least one other poster mentioned, they will do whatever it takes to not interact with you, from deliberately looking away to pretending that you're not there. All very strange.

[Dallas Kitty]

This link may have all the info about COS. The institute searches and reports on cults.
Scientology.

Thanks for your post on Clearwater, avb3. Now I have a reason to not ever move there.

Now there's a new pot of tea brewing and I need to get back to my interesting book by Thomas Perry!

[deebin]

Why pick Clearwater of all places to establish a headquarters?

[Keeper]

Do they still wear the uniform? I worked downtown Clearwater years ago and at that time some of them wore a military type uniform. They did look like droids even back in the dark ages. Ironically I have seen them at the Flea Market and they did not look like the same.

They were just starting up in Clearwater back then. I believe the first east coast setup was in Clearwater.

[Wwanderer]

Originally Posted by ferret111

... Also, how many modern religions (... have policies and histories of harassing people who speak against it?

I think you've hit the nail on the head. They are dangerous, and I believe that's because they will harrass people and organizations to the extent of doing them real damage, to defend their so-called belief system.

[tilli]

Originally Posted by deebin

Why pick Clearwater of all places to establish a headquarters?

In Scientology, the goal is to get "clear" (of the alien spirits that are attached to you making you unhappy or whatever). Clearwater was chosen simply because it has the word "clear" in the name.

[ferret111]

By the 70s, L. Ron Hubbard (the creator of Scientology) had been kicked out of Rhodesia and spent most of his time floating around in international waters, going from port to port and trying to evade the dozens of governments who wanted to investigate him. This naval portion of Scientology is called the SeaOrg (Keeper, these are the guys with the fake military uniforms. You can still see them in Clearwater, but they're rarely out in full dress uniform). Hubbard drifted back towards the US and decided to start up a branch of the group in Florida. I know he stayed in Daytona for a little bit, then moved to Dunedin. At this point, the Fort Harrison Hotel was up for sale, so Hubbard created two fake companies to buy the property, knowing full well that if a blatantly Scientologist company bought the place, there would be massive outcry.

Well, they bought the building and turned it into the Scientology Flag building, which is the company's "spiritual headquarters;" I think their actual headquarters is still in Los Angeles. They've done a nice job with the Fort Harrison, but that doesn't make it any less creepy of a building, especially when you consider the three mysterious deaths that have occured in there since 1975. They've been building the Scientology Super Power Building across the street for over a decade.

I think the city hoped (or the Scientologists promised) that all the foot traffic would bring small businesses to Cleveland Street. Needless to say, it didn't. What finally killed Cleveland Street was the new Memorial Causeway, which routed people down Court and Chestnut Streets, rather than Cleveland, which was the mainland side of the old bridge.