A Former Scientologist Reviews 'After Earth' (Guest Column)
Ex-church member Marc Headley says Will Smith's latest contains language, concepts and imagery plucked directly from the L. Ron Hubbard playbook.
I grew up in Scientology and worked at their international Sea Organization headquarters for 15 years. In 2005, I managed a desperate escape, which only succeeded thanks to the local county authorities. I wrote about my experiences in my best-selling book,Blown For Good: Behind the Iron Curtain of Scientology.
Who better, then, to investigate the whole Scientology debate surrounding After Earth, the new sci-fi movie from M. Night Shyamalan starring Will and Jaden Smith, than a former Scientologist -- one who's received counseling from Tom Cruise himself? I am in no way “glib” on the subject; I’ve done the research.
I saw the movie After Earth and took notes on any parallels or “coincidental” similarities to Scientology teachings. While most of the movie involves following Jaden Smith’s character as he faces off against apes, a large, angry bird and a leech, (none of which have much to do with Scientology -- besides maybe the leech), most of the Scientology influences play out in the film’s dialogue.
“Fear is a choice.”
Will Smith’s character, Cypher Raige, tells his son, Kitai: “Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create. Now do not misunderstand me: Danger is very real. But fear is a choice”
L. Ron Hubbard’s teachings insist that emotions and fear are triggers and are part of the reactive mind. Through Scientology, one is supposed to “rid oneself of your fears.”
“Be in the present moment.”
Through Scientology training, one learns how to be in “present time,” or PT as it is commonly referred to by insiders. In order to operate as a higher being and be in control over one’s environment, it is considered key that a person exist in present time and not react to the past.
“What do you touch, see, feel, smell?”
While undergoing certain types of Scientology counseling, you are asked to recall what you see, hear, touch and smell. This is part of putting yourself in the moment and observing the moment with “full perceptions.”
Besides the film's dialogue and its direct similarities to Scientology teachings, there are also some other clues in After Earth that cannot be ignored.
Volcanoes
The movie’s climax takes place on a volcano that could have been ripped right off the cover of Dianetics, the look is so similar. In Scientology, the volcano is a common thread through many different teachings. This image was used not only on the cover ofDianetics, but has also been used in many of Scientology’s TV ads over the years.
Then you have the intergalactic overlord Xenu who, in cahoots with the psychiatrists of the universe, imprisoned millions of souls, froze them and then dumped them into -- you guessed it -- Earth’s volcanoes. Of all the places in the galaxy! This is part of the upper-level teachings of Scientology that members only find out about after they’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Scientology counseling.
Robotic Emotions
Will Smith’s character is pretty much devoid of all emotions for the entire movie. While this may be part of his character or something that was directed in the script, in Scientology, one goes through great amounts of training and counseling to control one’s emotions and “mis-emotion,” as described by Hubbard. Anyone who has done even the smallest amount of Scientology training will recall sitting and staring at a person for hours on end without being allowed to blink, smile or turn one’s head. Will Smith pretty much masters that for the entirety of this movie.
Few people know that Battlefield Earth, the film adaptation of Hubbard's novel produced by none other than famous Scientologist John Travolta, was meant to be a way to introduce Scientology to the masses. Even the story itself is a veiled reference to the story of Scientology versus the psychiatrists.
We all know how that turned out. Battlefield Earth is considered by many critics to be one of the worst films ever made. After watching After Earth, I would say that Battlefield Earth might have finally met its match.
Two Xenu thumbs down.
TAXES
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6/01/2013 @ 2:44AM |37 views
Tea Party Groups--And Others--Can Beat IRS By Self-Declaring Tax Exemption
To be recognized as tax-exempt, you askthe IRS, right? Many Tea Party groups—and perhaps pro-Israel groups too—were singled them out for extra scrutiny. The whole scandal would never have happened if there wasn’t an IRS application process. You apply, face the IRS gauntlet, and hope for the best.
But must you apply for a coveted IRS Determination Letter saying your group is tax-exempt? It seems downright heretical to go rogue without an IRS ruling. But, in some cases you can be exempt in operation without asking.
You can emulate Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. She always had the power to go back to Kansas. She just clicked her ruby slippers three times saying, “there’s no place like home.” Tax exemption can follow Dorothy’s lead.
Rather than applying to the IRS you just operate as exempt. If you are audited, be prepared to prove it. It sounds offbeat, but is looking more attractive these days in some cases.
The bad news? This “self-declaration” isn’t for everyone and is risky. No organization (budding or old) should try it without talking to a tax lawyer with exempt organization experience. More bad news?
The IRS knows that organizations are doing this, and the IRS is asking questions. As explained in a Self-Declarers Questionnaire, the IRS is looking into organizations claiming tax-exempt status without being recognized by the IRS. The IRS has asked over 1,000 self-declared section (c)(4), (c)(5) and (c)(6) organizations to participate. IRS checking 1300 ‘self-declared’ tax-exempt groups.
The Tea Party fracas was over 501(c)(4) organizations, but there are many types of exemptions. The “best” are public charities exempt under 501(c)(3). See IRS Requirements for Exemption. That includes churches. Comparing the tax perks of exempt organizations, church status is the crème de la crème.
But do you need a coveted IRS determination letter for a church? All the major religions have them and many small ones too. See Christian Crusade For Tax Benefits. Historically, some of the toughest ruling fights have involved churches. For example, the IRS denied that Scientology was a church for decades.
Then in 1993, the IRS abruptly reversed course and ruled that Scientology is a church after all, settling litigation. The New York Times cried foul. Now, 20 years later, some claim the IRS should examine Scientology anew. See IRS vs. Scientology: Here We Go Again.
So is self-declaring viable? It depends on the type of organization and on circumstances, but sometimes yes. Still, most organizations are best advised to seek a ruling. The IRS maintains a list of charities. To check particular organizations, use the IRS Exempt Organizations Select Check online search tool.
You can reach me at Wood@WoodLLP.com. This discussion is not intended as legal advice, and cannot be relied upon for any purpose without the services of a qualified professional.
Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Tuesday, Doug is joined by Pulitzer prize-winning author Lawrence Wright whose latest book investigates the Church of Scientology. Wright says that he's fascinated by why people would be drawn to what he's called "the most stigmatized religion in America." Over the course of three years, Wright sat down with more than 200 current and former members to get at that question. The result is an exhaustive look at the history and the inner workings of Scientology. His book is called Going Clear. (Rebroadcast)
Lawrence Wright is an author, screenwriter, playwright, and a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine. His books include "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief" [ Amazon / Indiebound ] and "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11" [ Amazon /Indiebound ], which earned him the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.
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For more than 25 years, the IRS denied tax-exemption to the Church of Scientology. The long-running policy flowed from an IRS determination in 1967 that Scientology was in fact a commercial entity operated solely for the benefit of founder L. Ron Hubbard.
In 1993, seven years after Hubbard's death, the IRS made a puzzling and highly suspicious reversal. It settled its tax bill with Scientology for just $12.5 million and conferred on it the title of tax-exempt "religion." Both the Wall Street Journal and New York Times later broke important ground with respective reports on the secret meetings that led to the agreement, and details of Scientology's harassment of IRS officials.
Hubbard has been gone for nearly a quarter century, but the questionable practices of extracting huge fees from members, paying lip service to informed consent and employing violence, threats and unfair labor tactics to protect its interests continue today under Scientology leader David Miscavige.
And of course its roster of celebrity ambassadors -- Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley and others -- continues a mission of mainstreaming the fringe thinking behind the Scientology phenomenon.
All charitable organizations are subject to regular examination and review by the IRS to ensure they are still entitled to tax exempt status. Both the IRS and the US Department of Justice have more than ample grounds to conduct respective probes of the organization's non-charitable profiteering and other abuses. Emerging stories of violence, abuse and control occurring at Scientology facilities should be enough to get the attention of Attorney General Eric Holder.
They are getting the attention of the public. On a recent CNN program, former high-ranking Scientologists Marty Rathbun and Amy Scobee detailed how Miscavige used beatings and other acts of violence to intimidate subordinates. In her recent memoir, My Billion Year Contract, Nancy Many recounts how she became near-psychotic during her 27 years as a high-level Scientologist.
Marc Headley, once an elite member, earned a paltry 39 cents an hour when he was assigned to Scientology's multimedia operation. He earned more in his first year outside of Scientology than during the 15 years he was a member.
These brave folks are not the first to tell the truth about Scientology.
Ex-Scientologist and Hubbard biography researcher Gerry Armstrong was harassed and persecuted for more than 25 years for speaking out about the organization. Among the various positions Armstrong held during his dozen years as a Scientologist was that of intelligence and public relations officer for the Sea Organization, Scientology's "elite" pseudo-military management group. In 1982, Scientology sued him. Ironically, it was this lawsuit that exposed the "church" for what it really is.
"Scientology is nothing in reality but a vast enterprise to extract the maximum amount of money from its adepts by pseudo scientific theories ... and to exercise a kind of blackmail against persons who do not wish to continue with their sect," wrote California Superior Court Judge Paul G. Breckenridge, Jr.
"In addition to violating and abusing its own members' civil rights, the organization over the years ... has harassed and abused those persons not in [Scientology] whom it perceives as enemies. The organization clearly is schizophrenic and paranoid, and this bizarre combination seems to be a reflection of its founder."
On civil rights alone Scientology's track record is abysmal, having long ago met the threshold for violation of federal "Title 18" statutes.
A legitimate religious organization does not use physical, mental, emotional and financial abuse to maintain membership. Nor does it function as a conspiracy to threaten and intimidate others. A valid religion informs people of church doctrine and beliefs before they make a commitment to join. A religious group with even the most basic ethics does not use its constituents as slave labor to reproduce and perpetuate its teachings.
It's pretty simple. American tax codes are wrongly benefiting and empowering the unethical, potentially illegal, and most assuredly uncharitable activities of an organization using "religion" as a cloak.
Follow Steven Hassan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cultexpert
Is After Earth Really Scientology Propaganda in Disguise?
Crtics of new Shyamalan/Smith sci-fi film claim it is.
MAY 31, 2013
Many film critics are claiming that the new sci-fi movie After Earth -- directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Will and Jaden Smith -- is really propaganda for the controversial religion Scientology.
The Hollywood Reporter rounded up observations made by numerous media outlets, from New York Times to Wall Street Journal, who claim to see unsubtle Scientology references, imagery and messaging in the movie.
In After Earth, controlling one's emotions, particularly fear, is the key to the survival of this futuristic society, behavior which many critics see as a nod to some of the tenets of Scientology. (Although he's never openly said he was a member, rumors have swirled for sometime now that Will Smith was a Scientologist.)
THR points out this passage in Manohla Dargis' review at the NY Times: "Casual students of Scientology may find their ears pricking up at those maxims because fear and its overcoming receive a lot of play in Dianetics, a foundational text by the creator of Scientology, the pulp science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard."
Likewise, The Wall Street Journal's Joe Morgenstern labeled After Earth a "sermon" on Scientology: "Is that the production's subtext, or are there reasons yet to be uncovered why humor and humanity have been essentially banished; why everyone looks pained; why the very notion of entertainment has been banished in favor of grinding didacticism, and why Mr. Smith, who has been such a brilliant entertainer over the years and decades, looks as if he has undergone a radical charismaectomy?"
Morgenstern even went so far as to link the film to Scientology's greatest big screen misfire: Battlefield Earth, starring Scientologist John Travolta. Another recent film that some have claimed is a veiled homage to Scientology? Oblivion, starring Tom Cruise, who is perhaps the religion's most famous member.
'Parenting is experimental': Will Smith admits he has 'deep uncertainty' as a father as he promotes After Earth with son Jaden
By HEIDI SMART
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The father and son duo continue to woo crowds as they tour the world to promote their new movie, After Earth.
Will Smith and his 14-year-old son Jaden Smith had New York City's Good Morning America studio audience in hysterics on Friday as they bounced off one another other with familiar comedic ease.
Among other anecdotes, the 44-year-old father and veteran actor explained that he needed to teach his son how to run in a movie star appropriate manner.
Like father like son: Will Smith and Jaden Smith were guests on Good Morning America on Friday, filmed in New York City, wooing crowds with the hilarious and familiar way they bounce off one another
But things also took a serious turn as Will opened up about the trials of parenthood.
Host Robin Roberts brought up a photo of Jaden when he was first born, cradled in a confused-looking Will's arms.
'Every time I look at the picture, I was looking like, what am I going to do with this thing? You know. And it's like - parenting is hit or miss.' Will said of the old photo.
'And it's experimental,' he added, in front of his son, 'So for me, it's a deep uncertainty, that I carry around, with my kids. I just try to teach them everything that I know and love them as hard as I can love them. And hope for the best.
'If you don't look like when you're running...': Will joked that there's an art to running on set in a way that makes it 'seem like you can save the world'
Despite the striking family resemblance, Will and Jaden clearly have their own styles when it comes to dress code.
The Men In Black star keep things smart-casual in jeans and a navy blue polo shirt with a white collar.
His son Jaden, on the other hand, seems to be experimenting a little more with fashion - he does, after all, already have his own fashion label.
Proud Dad: 14-year-old son Jaden spoke in a very mature tone about what it has been like for him to forge his own unique career, and his famous father looked well and truly proud
The teen donned a black and white button-up collared shirt and skinny jeans, wearing a cap atop his high-styled hair.
As Robin interviewed the pair, a sense of family support and love was clearly evident between the father and son.
Will hilariously explained that he had to teach his son how to run like a movie star: 'If you run the wrong way, if you don't look right when you're running, it [doesn't] seem like you can save the world!'
Perks of the job! Will and Jaden also went up on stage to greet Pitbull who was gearing up to perform on the show
Meeting and greeting: Jaden looked rather thrilled to meet Pitbull... or perhaps that smile was reserved for the adoring fans below
The I Am Legend star went on to joke that they 'worked really hard' to 'get that Usain Bolt look.'
Speaking about what it's like to work opposite his father, Jaden said: 'He's kind of the same as we are at home, when he's on the set.'
When his notoriously witty father was quick to interject, with: 'Loving and caring, right?', Jaden proved to be just as quick on the uptake, adding, 'And smart, too.'
'Thanks you. Thanks, son,' Will added, leaving the Good Morning America crowd in hysterics.
Oh the charisma: the 44-year-old actor consistently proves that he's still got it, impressing any crowd with his antics
Reppin' his own style: Jaden has taken an early interest in style, and even has his own fashion label already
Will explained that what he really loved about the script is that it's a 'father and son story; it's a parenting story.'
On the topic of having famous parents but also forging his own unique career, Jaden had a few rather mature words to say.
'I really try to do me and really what I want to do and please myself instead of trying to please other people. I feel people will gravitate toward you once you are truthful with your art and you aren't doing it just to get noticed,' the teen said, no doubt impressing his father with the quip.
Used to the limelight: Charismatic Will knows how to handle the camera, having been in front of it since 1990
As for the emancipation rumors that have dogged just about every interview he has done on this press tour since Tokyo, Smith repeats what he and his son have been saying the whole time.
'Yeah, that was a joke! I made a joke. He is definitely not going anywhere; he is so scared of being out on his own,' he says. 'Willow is probably going to be emancipated before Jaden!'
'See, here's the thing that you need to understand: I'm not going anywhere,' Jaden recently said, confirming that the rumours were untrue.
He Is Legend: Will's legacy is well and truly being passed down through the bloodline via his children
The charismatic father and son joked that while Will teaches Jaden slick dance moves, he is hesitant to take on his son's tips.
'What's that one you do?' Will joked to his son, making a shrugging move with his shoulders, before asserting 'I'm not messing with that one!'
After Earth, in which the pair play a father and son team sent back to Earth a thousand years after humanity fled the planet due to numerous environmental catastrophes, opened in cinemas on Friday 31st May.
A family affair: Pictured here (L-R) are Jaden Smith, Willow Smith, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Trey Smith, when they attended the After Earth premiere in New York City on Saturday
She doesn't want in: Willow Smith, pictured here with her mother Jada, has recently said she would like to just live a normal life without the fame
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2334439/Will-Smith-admits-deep-uncertainty-father-promotes-After-Earth-son-Jaden.html#ixzz2V22R589U
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After Earth: Six burning questions
Here are some issues you might want to know ahead of the sci-fi film’s release
- By John Horn, Los Angeles Times
- Published: 21:00 June 1, 2013
- Image Credit: AP
- This film publicity image released by Sony - Columbia Pictures shows Will Smith, left, and Jaden Smith in a scene from “After Earth.” (AP Photo/Sony, Columbia Pictures)
Will Smith produced, co-starred and wrote the story for this weekend’s new sci-fi adventure After Earth.
Because the film was not shown to journalists until Wednesday night, specific information about its plot and its prospects have been elusive.
What’s clear is that despite advertising suggesting the contrary, the film’s real star is the actor’s teenage son, Jaden. But there are other questions.
Here’s a primer on six issues the movie raises.
Does it really feel like the story is about Scientology?
Some Internet banter has noted the similarities between the movie’s plot, dialogue and imagery with the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard’s Scientology. At one point in the movie, Will Smith’s character says, “Fear is not real. It is a product of thoughts you create.” Human characters in After Earth are detected by alien creatures by the fear they exhibit and can survive only by relaxing. Some of that plot mirrors Hubbard’s teachings, which focus on overcoming fear. In his book “Dianetics: The Original Thesis,” Hubbard writes, “A Clear is relaxed in a fully conscious state, untroubled by aberrated fears.” An iconic image in “Dianetics” is an erupting volcano, which also plays a prominent part in the conclusion of After Earth. Said Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers: “After Earthmerits comparison with 2000’s Battlefield Earth, John Travolta’s godawful film tribute to the sci-fi novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.”
How much is Will Smith in the movie?
The movie’s trailer suggests that Will Smith and his 14-year-old son, Jaden, share equal screen time. That’s not actually the case. The film’s action is precipitated by the crash of a spaceship on Earth, a millennium after the planet became uninhabitable. Cypher Raige (Will Smith) and Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) are the only survivors of the accident, but Cypher has two broken legs. So Kitai must travel 100 kilometers to recover a homing device that will ensure their rescue. The elder Smith’s character is in constant contact with his son, but the movie is very much about Kitai’s journey; Cypher doesn’t even leave the spaceship while they are on Earth. Even though Will Smith is in the movie frequently, Jaden Smith is its star.
Will audiences recognise it as an M Night Shyamalan film?
There are no major plot twists, as there was in Shyamalan’s The Sixth Senseand because the film stars a 14-year-old, the acting isn’t likely to attract comparisons to the filmmaker’s best-known works. Although the director’s films sometimes feature sci-fi twists (The Last Airbender, Signs), After Earth is more of a genre film than anything he’s made before. The critics, who have been excoriating the film, say the director’s touch is nowhere to be seen in After Earth. Reviewing the film in Variety, Scott Foundas said, “Though he shares screenplay credit with Gary Whitta, Shyamalan is clearly a director-for-hire here, his dis-interest palpable from first frame to last. Nowhere in evidence is the giftedSixth Sense director who once brought intricately crafted set pieces and cinematic sleight-of-hand to even the least of his own movies.”
Will it lose to the second weekend of Fast & Furious 6 at the box office?
Though some box-office prognosticators say After Earth should win the weekend, the odds favour Vin Diesel and his muscle cars, which should gross about $40 million (Dh 146.8 million) in their second weekend of release. Sony is hopeful that its After Earth could sell as much as $38 million worth of tickets, which is a poor start for a $135-million movie with Will Smith, but other estimates say After Earth could barely surpass $30 million. After Earth isn’t the only new movie likely to be outpaced by Fast & Furious 6. Jesse Eisenberg’s crime-magic thriller Now You See Me also is expected to debut poorly, with estimated ticket sales of just $17 million.
Sequels? Prequels?
Sony and Smith’s production company Overbrook Entertainment would certainly hope to have that option, and there is a listing for After Earth 2 on IMDB.com. Even though the film’s ending sets up a possible follow-up, if the movie tanks at the box office, a sequel would be a long shot at best. Unless Jaden Smith can’t get hired anywhere else.
What’s with Will and Jaden Smith’s accents?
We have no idea.
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