Beyond Belief Read Online Free PDF Page B

Scientologists had to use a basic Scientology principle called The Dynamics of Existence to determine exactly who and what any decision would benefit. There were eight dynamics of supposedly equal importance:
1.  Self
2.  Family, children, and sex
3.  Group
4.  Mankind
5.  Plants and animals
6.  MEST Universe, MEST being Matter, Energy, Space, and Time; the physical universe
7.  The Spirit
8.  God or Supreme Being
    When my parents reenlisted in the Sea Org, they knew their service would mean focusing on dynamics three, four, six, seven, and eight. They believed their work would serve each of those areas. Had they chosen their family, they would only have satisfied the first and second dynamics. As a result, because the Sea Org satisfied five dynamics and their family satisfied only two, it meant joining the Sea Org was the right decision. It offered the greatest good for the greatest number of dynamics.
    In truth, this dynamic system meant that families and children were usually unable to compete with the Church’s larger mission. In most religions, families and children were a central part of the religion’s quest; in Scientology, they were subjugated by it. Similarly, the long hours and low wages of Sea Org employees were for the greater good of Scientology, and as long as the greatest number of dynamics was served, then it was right, even if children and families became collateral fallout.
    Being four years old, I wasn’t sure how to deal with the idea that Mom and Dad were no longer living with us. They had already moved to the International Management Headquarters, also referred to as “Int,” the “Int Base,” or the “Gold Base.” The only thing I knew about it was that Uncle Dave and Aunt Shelly lived and worked there. Located in Hemet, California, about two and a half hours east of L.A., the Int Base was shrouded in mystery to the point that its actual location was kept secret even from family members of those who worked there. Only people who received special clearances were allowed to go there.
    The Church said the security and secrecy were to protect the Int Base from any outside enemies who might try to hurt Scientology. They said that these “suppressive persons” hated that we helped others, so they had to keep it confidential. In actuality, I think it added a sense of superiority to those who were important enough to know its location. Also, with the intrigue, there was an air of importance to the subject matter of Scientology.
    Mom and Dad told me they had their own quarters in an apartment complex near the Base for the time they lived there during the week. On Saturday nights, my parents would drive back to L.A. to visit. They’d only stay until Sunday morning, because they had to leave around eleven for their drive back to Hemet. Every week, I would be upset to see them go, although I tried hard not to show it. Justin never cried, so I tried to behave like him.
    My mother used her executive clout to arrange for a regular guardian for me. Her name was Pat, and she was a member of the Sea Org. A lot of kids with parents at Int stayed in the after-school nursery overnight, but because I had Pat, I was allowed to sleep at the apartment. During the day, Pat worked at the Manor Hotel on Franklin Avenue, which was part of Scientology’s Celebrity Centre.
    With Mom, Dad, and Cathy and Mike Rinder no longer home on a daily basis, our schedule changed a bit. B. J. and I still took the bus to and from the nursery every day, but we didn’t go straight to our apartment in the afternoon. Instead, our teachers would take us to another apartment two doors down from ours that served as an after-school nursery. Eventually, my brother or Taryn would pick us up when they got home from the ATA to take us to our apartment. The roving nanny was still on duty, so there was an adult available to us, if we needed anything. Pat would arrive there sometime after seven and spend the night with the four of