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A premeditated series of occurrences? - Scientology under attack or The ’80s conspiracy (?) (4)

Scientology: A ‘religion’ created just to make money off of it? (The claims and write-up of Don Lindsay thoroughly analyzed)

(to other Scientology pages)

1) G e n e r a l   o v e r v i e w / i n t r o d u c t i o n :   M i s s i o n   s t a t e m e n t ,   o v e r v i e w ,   r e s e a r c h   s p e c i f i c s I n t r o d u c t i o n   t o   S c i e n t o l o g y   a n d   L R H K e e p i n g   S c i e n t o l o g y   W o r k i n g ,   f u n d a m en t al s S c i e n t o l o g y   i n   m e d i a   a nd   I n t e r n e t   ( +   f o r u m s ,   W i k i p e d i a ) S c i e n t o l o g y :   I t s   t r u e   h i s t o r y   e x p o s e d ? S c i e n t o l o g y   Q & A   ( F A Q ) E x t e r n a l   l i n k s M a t e r i a l s   w a n t   l i s t R e c o m m e n d e d   l i s t   o f   m a t e r i a l s 2) R e s p o n s e s   ( w i t h   a n n o t a t i o n s ) : A p p r e c i a t i v e   r e s p o n s e s   t o   m y   p a g e s C r i t i q u e   r e c e i v e d   ( 1 )   f r o m   c h u r c h g o i n g   S c i e n t o l o g i s t s C r i t i q u e   r e c e i v e d   ( 2 )   f r o m   o u t - o f - c h u r c h   S c i e n t o l o g i s t s C r i t i q u e   r e c e i v e d    ( 3 )   f r o m   a n t i - S c i e n t o l o g i s t s 3) T o p i c s   o f   p a r t i c u l a r   i n t e r e s t : (a): G e n e r a l   t o p i c s H o l y   S c r i p t u r e s   v s   S c i e n t o l o g y L R H   v s   D i c t i o n a r i e s L R H   v s   t h e o r y   o f   e v o l u t i o n L R H ' s   w o r k s   o f   f i c t i o n (b): O r g a n i z a t i o n a l   t o p i c s A   p r i n t i n g   h i s t o r y   o f   t h e   m a t e r i a l s   o f   S c i e n t o l o g y S c i e n t o l o g y   M e m b e r s h i p :   H A S I   v s   I A S L R H   v s   p r i c i n g   p o l i c i e s T h e   c o p y r i g h t s   i s s u e   a n d   l i c e n s i n g (c): T e c h n i c a l   t o p i c s H i s t o r y   o f   G r a d e   C h a r t :   a )   G e n e r a l H i s t o r y   o f   G r a d e   C h a r t :   b )   D e t a i l e d ‘ C l e a r ’   d e f i n e d N E D   f o r   O T s T h e   ‘ P r i m a r y   R u n d o w n ’ 4) C o n t r o v e r s i a l   t o p i c s : M i s t a k e n   i d e a s   o f   ‘ E t h i c s ’   c l a r i f i e d T h e   F a i r    G a m e   L a w P r a c t i c e   o f   D i s c o n n e c t i o n S e c u r i t y   C h e c k i n g F r e e l o a d e r s   v s   E x - s t a f f   m e m b e r s T h e   ‘ R e h a b i l i t a t i o n   P r o j e c t   F o r c e ’   ( R P F ) 5) C h a n g e s   i n   t h e   f l o w   o f   ‘ i n f o r m a t i o n ’: (a): A l t e r a t i o n s   ( L R H   o r   n o n- L R H ? ) L R H   v s   A l t e r a t i o n s N o n - L R H   t u r n s   i n t o   L R H ?   &   P r o p o s a l   t o   s o l u t i o n T h e    ‘ C r a m m i n g   S e r i e s ’   -   L R H   o r   n o t   L R H ? B a s e d   o n   L R H   p u b l i c a t i o n s (b): G e n e r a l   o v e r v i e w L R H   v s   A   N e w   O r d e r   ( i n t r o d u c t i o n ) → A d m i n i s t r a t i v e   a n d    o r g a n i z a t i o n a l   m a t t e r s S e t u p   o f   t h e   p r i n t e d   m a t e r i a l s   ( 1 9 7 3 - 8 6 ) T h e   R T R C ,   t h e   u n i t   t h a t   w r o t e   L R H   i s s u e s   ( 1 9 7 3 - 8 2 ) T h e   d a w n i n g   o f   R T C   a n d   n e w   m a n a g e m e n t   ( 1 9 8 2 - 8 3 ) → T e c h n i c a l   m a t t e r s I n t r o d u c t i o n   t o   t h e   e v e n t   o f   l o s i n g   a   B r i d g e ) A n a l y s i s   o f   H C O B   “ T e c h   C o r r e c t i o n   R o u n d - u p ” L o s t   B r i d g e :   T e c h   c h a n g e s   d u r i n g   1 9 7 8 - 8 2 T h e   h i s t o r y   o f   t h e   o r i g i n a l   O T   V I I I ‘ G o l d e n   A g e   o f   T e c h ’   ( G A T )   a n a l y s i s D r i l l i n g   i n   S c i e n t o l o g y (c): T h e   m a t t e r   o f   D a v i d   M a y o S t o r y   o f   D a v i d   M a y o ‘ S O   E D   2 3 4 4   I n t’   a n a l y s i s T r a i n i n g   d r i l l s   ( T R s ) M a y o   r e f e r e n c e   l i s t 6) C o n s p i r a c i e s   -   I n   L .   R o n   H u b b a r d ' s   f o o t s t e p s S c i e n t o l o g y   v s   a   N e w   W o r l d   O r d e r → W h e r e   i s   L .   R o n   H u b b a r d ?   ( c h r o n o l o g y   o f   S c n   h i s t o r y ) W h e r e a b o u t s   o f   L .   R o n   H u b b a r d   c h r o n o l o g y T h e   e r a   o f   a d o r a t i o n ;   P r e s e n t a t i o n   o f   L .   R o n   H u b b a r d L .   R o n   H u b b a r d   i n t o   a r t i s t r y :   M u s i c   &   F i l m → W h e r e   i s   h i s   w i f e   a n d   f a m i l y ? S t o r y   o f   M a r y   S u e   H u b b a r d T h e   l a s t   s t a n d :   T h e   G u a r d i a n   O f f i c e 7) S c i e n t o l o g y   u n d e r   a t t a c k (a): A   p r e m e d i t a t e d   s e r i e s   o f   o c c u r r e n c e s ?   ( ’ 8 0 s   c o n s p i r a c y ) I n t r o d u c t i o n   &   R o n   D e W o l f G e r r y   A r m s t r o n g   ( ‘ a f f i r m a t i o n s ’ ) R u s s e l l   M i l l e r    ( ‘ B a r e - F a c e d   M e s s i a h ’ ) A   r e l i g i o n   c r e a t e d   f o r   t h e   m o n e y ? (b): B a t t l e s   f o u g h t   a n d   t h e   i n t e r n e t   ( 2 0 1 6 -   ) L e a h   R e m i n i :   S c i e n t o l o g y   a n d   t h e   A f t e r m a t h   ( T V   s h o w )

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Please note that words with an asterisk (*) are defined at the bottom of this page! Only first appearances are indicated.

	“... but I have always thought there might be a lot of cash in starting a new religion, and we'll talk it over some time ...”
	George Orwell
	(from a letter send to Jack Common in 1938, later published in ‘Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters, Vol. 1: An Age Like This, 1920-1940’ (1971))

A premeditated series of occurrences? - Scientology: The ’80s conspiracy (?)  (4)

Go to “Scientology under attack or The ’80s conspiracy (?)” index page

 
Index:

		Foreword
	The write-up
		The Don Lindsay write-up
		The Don Lindsay write-up analyzed
			- A first few notices - Reference to Robert Vaughn Young - (1) Summary of the witnesses as forwarded in Don Lindsay's write-up - (2) Reference made to ‘Bare-Faced Messiah’ (Russell Miller) - Final notices regarding the write-up
	Not too often considered conceptions clarified
		Religion or science?
		Was it costly from its first inception?
		‘The work was free. Keep it so.’
	Aftermath
		What is the verdict?
		Science versus Pseudoscience  or  Who is Don Lindsay?
		Follow-up: Don Lindsay ...

 
Foreword

This is a persistent rumour that is going around. It would seem that it established itself firmly since about the mid-’80s. Investigated are the sources, if these would be reliable, and any other information that would shed some light into this matter.

“‘Hubbard is a science fiction writer.’ (This is not too bad as people respect science fiction writers. But it is false. Hubbard only wrote 1,000,000 words of science fiction over a short period and wrote 14,000,000 words on other things. They plug ‘fiction’ to connect it to Scientology. Subtly clever.)”          LRH (from HCO PL 9 Jun 75 “The Enemy Line”)

It is a rather commonly proposed view, as if these subjects of Dianetics and Scientology were thought up solely as a means to make money. You have to look where these views are coming from, and the prime advocate for them are those individuals that are opposed to these subjects of Dianetics and Scientology. This is entirely regardless if actually they would know/understand anything about these subjects themselves. My general experiences are that they can not actually discuss the subject. When you encounter this then you should be alarmed, as you will not learn about the subject itself from them. The question however is if the claim that is being made here has any truth contained within it? And if this would not be true, then what arguments can be hold up against the claim made? But first a case has to be presented by those that make the claim.

The Don Lindsay write-up

Don Lindsay (from his website)

Out on the Internet we find a fairly brief write-up circling around that has been copied to a variety of websites. It has a quasi investigative approach. I say quasi because it does not actually go very much into depth about the matter. It also fails to give all the sources for what it states. Then it makes some conclusions that are not particularly justified by the data that it is forwarding. Still this is a lot better than what we find elsewhere in the media, and out on the Internet. Most of the other overviews and utterances that we find do not invite any investigative mind at all. At least here we find a full assemblage of the arguments that are going around, and we get a list of names. The writer of the little write-up listens to the name Don Lindsay.

The write-up seems to be from 1999 (it carries a last revised notice from 14 January 1999). A Google search performed 13 years later (Sept 2012) of the title of this particular write-up ‘The way to make a million dollars is to start a religion.’, gave 33,800 hits. This write-up sure got to places. Further you will find that Scientology and/or the name L. Ron Hubbard pops up all over the place when scanning through all these hits. I then searched for this phrase + ‘Hubbard’, that gave 30,400 hits. Followingly I searched for this phrase + ‘Scientology’, giving 26,800 hits. This is all rather interesting. Now, why is this like that? Obviously this write-up or at least this topic appears to be a hot potato for some reason. We find it all over the place, copied to newsgroups, forums, personal websites, and so on. When looking a bit closer we do find that the bulk of these reactions are rather unfavourable in regards to the person L. Ron Hubbard and the subject of Scientology. It really does seem to work as a means of propaganda. I thus thought that this was a good reason to look into this matter.

• A first few notices
• Reference to Robert Vaughn Young
• (1) Summary of the witnesses as forwarded in Don Lindsay's write-up
• (2) Reference made to ‘Bare-Faced Messiah’ (Russell Miller)
• Final notices regarding the write-up

 
A first few notices

In its 1st paragraph Don Lindsay already notes: “For some reason, this is often mentioned on Usenet.”. Indeed this appears to be the case, but he doesn't go into explaining why this is. The Usenet newsgroup he undoubtedly refers to is a particular meeting place of primarily (not to say only) anti-Scientologists. It is here that they like to pat each other on the shoulder, it is basically their domain, and of course they will thus use this argument as often as they can. Does it bear any significance what they say? None in particular actually.

Also in its 1st paragraph he already offers a conclusion. I do not find this a very serious approach though. Anyhow he writes: “Evidence is discussed below, but the short answer is that it's almost certainly true.”. The talks about “evidence”, well, we'll see how solid that “‘evidence’” would turn out to be. Then followed with “it's almost certainly true”. Again, we'll see about that. Does Don Lindsay try to form our opinion about this matter at forehand, i.e. before he has presented his “‘evidence’”?

The 2nd paragraph reads: “The Church of Scientology has actually taken German publishers to court for printing this story. Stern won (see below).”. Now, why does he write that here? Is Don Lindsay trying to say something to us? You see, a court is not a fact finding entity. Al it does is making decisions alongside the paragraphs of text that are found in the US law. Be assured that it has many restrictions and loopholes. Just because some court decided something that is not in favour of the Church of Scientology (or whomever) really doesn't say very much at all.

 
Reference to Robert Vaughn Young

In its 5th paragraph it mentions something interesting. It makes mention of George Orwell having written something like that. The data at hand is that we do find in ‘Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters, Vol. 1: An Age Like This, 1920-1940’ (issued 1971), a letter that George Orwell (pen name of Eric Blair) had send to Jack Common in 1938 where he wrote: “... but I have always thought there might be a lot of cash in starting a new religion, and we'll talk it over some time ...”.

Then we have these statements from Robert Vaughn Young. He was a member of the Church of Scientology during 1969-89 (and not a spokesman for this whole time period as Don Lindsay states in his write-up). Now, according to the Don Lindsay write-up this Robert Vaughn Young had claimed that L. Ron Hubbard had learned about the Orwell quotation from him. Don Lindsay however fails to give a source for that. Either way this in turn would be rather interesting as the publication that contained the letter was not published earlier than 1971, meaning it was not available to the public prior to that.

	“Q: Part of your legend is the story of a speech you allegedly gave to a bunch of science fiction writers where you supposedly told them if they really wanted to make money they should start a religion. What's the true story surrounding this frequently spun tale?”
	“A: I'm afraid you've gotten me confused with another writer — George Orwell, author of ‘1984,’ ‘Animal Farm.’ It was he that made that remark in 1938. I've got a reverse one for you. The other day I heard whole passages from Scientology materials being attributed to Buddha!”

Don Lindsay further relates that “Young further states that he met three people who could remember Hubbard saying more-or-less the famous quote.”. This indeed is rather vague as it gives no details about when this would have been, recently or during the ’40s; we get no names; and we can't base very much on the expression “more-or-less” that is used here. Don Lindsay also here fails to give a source for this.

 
(1) Summary of the witnesses as forwarded in Don Lindsay's write-up

Don Lindsay writes: “To summarize: we have nine witnesses:”

Note: In a 4th paragraph of his write-up Don Lindsay writes: “Another variant is that Hubbard talked of starting a religion to avoid taxes. Jay Kay Klein reports that Hubbard said this in 1947.”. We may safely assume here that he retracts this from his list due to Jay Kay Klein writing this affidavit in May 1993. Don Lindsay also fails once again to give a source for the original claim made in this 4th paragraph.

	“I have heard various versions of this meme and was tempted to quote it in a comment on another thread. [This website] appears to do a fairly decent job of investigating the claim but leaves the conclusion based at best on anecdotal evidence that is disputed.
	The closest thing the author of the site has to evidence is someone who said they were there years ago and heard it, or something like it said. Is there any evidence that Hubbard said this?” (source, external link) (last checked: 17 Sept 2023)

I would agree with the above poster. Don Lindsay does not give very much to go on. Far too many years have past after persons coming forward. That one would remember such details after that many years (30-40-50 years) of some convention, that is just not very plausible at all!

As a comparison. Do you know about the story in where you line up 10 persons. You pass over some verbal data to the first person, just tell a short story, he will then pass it over verbally to the second person, and so on. When it has reached the last person, that data will have changed, and you will have a different story. Try it out, you will be amazed. We used to do this at school.

 
(2) Reference made to ‘Bare-Faced Messiah’ (Russell Miller)

“Now, there is a story that L. Ron Hubbard told one of his friends, that, you know, the fast way to make a lot of money would be to start a religion, shortly before he started Scientology. Did you, were you able to track down the truth regarding that story?”

“I was not, no, I confess I was not. I mean, I put it in the book as being something that allegedly [somebody once said], that he said, but, I couldn't, I was never able to find the source of that.”

Sound snippet

Russell Miller seems to have forgotten all about the things he had written about, or did he make it all up? Well, at least he must have gone over it very quickly while ‘researching’ for his book, i.e. his meticulous research. An annotation has to be forwarded here that for this Sam Merwin, with whom Russell Miller reportedly had an interview (source ref.: “Interview Merwin, Los Angeles, August 1986”). We nonetheless find only one entry from this person in his book per the source referencing, and it is about this. I find this noteworthy, partly because Russell Miller doesn't appear to remember anything.

 
Final notices regarding the write-up

“The Church of Scientology has actually taken German publishers to court for printing this story. Stern won (see below).”

	“Now, there is a problem with the three Moskowitz reports. Specifically, the Church obtained affidavits in 1993 from David A. Kyle and Jay Kay Klein. Both names are well-known in science fiction, and both say that they went to the 7 Nov 1948 talk by Hubbard. Both say that they didn't hear any such statement. Puzzling.
	I believe that these dueling affidavits have met in court. Stern, a German magazine, was sued by the Church, and the suit was thrown out of court after they obtained the Moskowitz affidavit.”

“And the Church's official disclaimer is now reportedly a flat lie.”

Well, Don Lindsay doesn't explain very much, now does he! His text overall is here confusing and unclear. I would assume here though that this final adjudication of Don Lindsay finds its base in that the affidavits provided by David A. Kyle and Jay Kay Klein clashed with an affidavit provided by Moskowitz in a German court of law and that the case was dismissed when the Moskowitz affidavit made its entry in court. Or it would seem that Don Lindsay finds that his forwarded ‘evidence’ is so overwhelming that he only can make one final conclusion, and that is that Church must have lied. Well, something like that. I fear that this is all rather thin though. It seems so that he deems that David A. Kyle and Jay Kay Klein also would have been liars. And Moskowitz? He is of course telling the truth, simply because we like his version of the tale better! Now, but wait a minute here! Didn't Don Lindsay write in the fore last paragraph in his write-up “There is some confusion and doubt about one of them (Sam Moskowitz).”? Ah, well, I guess the story is getting better and better!

Well, let Don Lindsay for starters give a verified source for that “Jay Kay Klein reports that Hubbard ... in 1947 ... talked of starting a religion to avoid taxes.”!  Then we'll take it from there.

Religion or science?

Dianetics

Scientology

We find the following text in the ‘Foreword’ of the little publication ‘Scientology: 8-80’ (Nov 1952):

It still all had this focus on ‘science’ ...

And thus the claims that L. Ron Hubbard would have uttered these phrases about starting a religion to make a million at some instances in time varying from 1945 to 1949. Well, it all start to look a bit ridiculous, now doesn't it? Not to mention the coincidence that all these tales date to this particular time frame, directly prior to the publication of the book ‘Dianetics’ in May 1950. Isn't that something? You see, it was the SCIENCE objective that started it all, and NOT a religious one! This science in turn however, because it was addressing man as a spiritual being, and was aiming at to better the condition of man, of course this had a religious tenet.

This religious aspect however did not came really in vogue until so about 1954. One had applied for a religious status, and hoped to get its obvious benefits. However before one was being granted this status it had to make a suitable religious appearance. I have spoken with Scientology old-timers about this matter, and they tell me that suddenly there was attention on this religious aspect, and certain phrases in books had to reflect the religiousness. We suddenly got ministers and such things. Mind however that, as per its tenets, these subjects of Dianetics and Scientology are and have always been religious! But it had a scientific way of how to go about matters, that's all.

	“(a)Cheap, broad services for everyone.
	(b)Personal services at a much higher (but cheaper than any other field) price.”          LRH (from HCO PL 23 Sept 64 “Policies: Dissemination and Programs”)

“As financial planning sees that pricing of everything sold is not too high to discourage the public and not too low to make the org insolvent.”          LRH (from HCO PL 20 Nov 65 “Promotional Actions of an Organization”)

But you could even get it cheaper than that. This by means of just buying your training (do a course), and then work together with another person that is doing the same thing. Next you run the processes that you both have learned on each other. It all could become rather inexpensive.

Next to that you could start your own group and deliver these techniques to others as a so-called Field Auditor. You could just even earn of living from it. No tithe was asked for if you did not invite help from the organization. You were free to do like this during the first 30 years from its inception. And of course if you could not deliver results as a Field Auditor, you would soon lose out on your customers.

	“THE COST OF A CERTIFICATE COURSE MAY NOT BE LESS THAN ONE MONTH'S AVERAGE PAY FOR THE AREA IN WHICH IT IS GIVEN AND MUST BE IN CASH.
	By average pay is meant the average upper lower class or lower middle class pay scale. (Example guesses: U.K. about £50. U.S. about $500. Australia about $75. South Africa about £80.) ...
	ONE WEEK'S PROCESS (25 HOURS) SHOULD COST AN AVERAGE MONTH'S PAY (AS IN TRAINING).”          LRH (from HCO PL 23 Sept 64 “Policies: Dissemination and Programs”)

It may seem odd however that till this very day this reference remains a valid reference.

Then, you may ask, what about those confidential levels and the sums of money they are asking for these? Well, these too at some point, some decennia's ago now, would also have had very affordable pricings. Although it should be mentioned that since the early ’80s we have New OT levels. See, they are actually something else and have also turned lenghty, something which the original levels were not.

Now, if Dianetics and Scientology and all that would have been created all for the sake of procuring money quickly. Then naturally you intend to get these earnings rather quickly, after all you want to get a result of your nice idea. This is why you thought it up in the first place. Now, how long would you be willing to wait till the big money would be rolling in? Well, would you wait till the early ’80s? By which time you would have reached the respectable age of 70 years? I doesn't all make very much sense to do so, wouldn't you think!

	“I have been at work for seven years to produce a series of techniques which any well trained auditor can use to clear people. We now have them.
	I am truly sorry that this took seven years. Actually, it took more than twenty-five.
	Under other ‘systems of research’ it could not have been done. It was financed at first by my writings and expeditions. Some 15,000,000 words of fact and fiction articles ranging from political articles to western were consumed in a large part by this research - - but it was free to act if not free from sweat.”          LRH (from “Introduction” of ‘Scientology: Clear Procedure - Issue One’ (1957))

Here we learn about the flip side of the coin. We are forwarded an opposing tale. Here the tale tells us that these subjects of Dianetics and Scientology have not being created for the sake of making money, instead it had cost money to be able to actually perform the research for these subjects! We hear here that for this purpose fact and fiction articles/stories were written 1932-50, then as soon as the subjects turned self-sustaining this fiction story writing was put to an end very abruptly. Now, this view would change things around a bit. The output of this fiction writing part of this legacy can be reviewed here (separate window).

	“No bullying dictator wanted it for his mass slaveries as happened to poor misguided Pavlov. No big corporation wanted it for a better Madison Avenue approach to advertizing - - another kind of slavery. No big RESEARCH FOUNDATION like Ford was here to interject their ‘America First’ philosophy. These had not paid for it; therefore they didn't own it. The work stayed free. Thus it prospered. It did not wither in support of some aberrated ‘cause’. It bloomed.
	But the violence of protecting this work while continuing it took a toll nevertheless. Special interests believed it must be evil if they did not own it. Between 1950 and 1956, 2,000,000 traceable dollars were spent to halt this work. Newspaper articles, radio ads (as in Seattle from the University of Washington) bribed ‘patrons’, financed ‘patients’ all cost money.”          LRH (from ‘Scientology: Clear Procedure, Issue One’, “Introduction” (1957))

This thus would oppose the claim as if L. Ron Hubbard would have thought up a religion of some sort for the sole purpose to generate finances in abundance just for personal profit. Then where is the evidence for the claims made that L. Ron Hubbard would have taken funds from the organization, as well where is the proof for the claims that he lead an extravagance life in luxury? These are the questions that are avoided getting an answer to, from those that oppose to these subjects of Dianetics and Scientology! So, ask them, and then see what happens! It will make them uncomfortable as they have no answer, they will either change the topic or come with another claim which they can not support, but you will not get a direct verifiable answer to your question. I know this, because I have repeatedly forwarded these questions to them!

Per this it would thus seem that the primary income of L. Ron Hubbard were his book royalties and indeed none from any income supposedly received or taken from the Church of Scientology.

The audit performed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that took several years and that culminated in a declaration being issued on 1 Oct ’93, may have proven in essense that Scientology was not for profit per Internal Revenue Code 501(C)(3). This meant that no individual benefited and all funds went to support and fund the social benefit programs as assisted by and originated through the Church of Scientology. This decision resulted in, according the scientology.org website, that “On that day the IRS issued letters recognizing the Church of Scientology International and its related Churches and organizations—all 150 of them—as tax-exempt”. For more information about this go here (external link) (last checked: 10 Apr 2013).

So, whether L. Ron Hubbard said the phrase or not becomes irrelevant since today, and in an official capacity, we are looking att that it is rather well documented by the US government that it just wasn't so. There are some things to say about this though, but the core of the matter here is that the anti-Scientologist has to explain it, and thus far they have failed to address this. Instead they have found it more convenient to just ignore it.

The nursery rhyme goes something as follows: • So “nine witnesses” it is. Well, technically he actually still had ten to start with. The person that allegedly would have said these things, we are however unable to have his take on it. And so “and then there were ...”.
	•  Three of these we can with a fling put behind us, as all we learned about them is that they are “the three unnamed witnesses of Robert Vaughn Young.”. Thus “and then there were ...”.
•	Here we have the two remaining sources of Russell Miller that reportedly would have had a grudge of some sort. Of one of them, Nieson Himmel this should be rather obvious when we see that Russell Miller amongst other writes on page 117 of his ‘biography’ about “Himmel's distrust” and “Himmel, who was himself in love with Betty, was furious she had been seduced by Hubbard. ...”. Then Sam Merwin of whom we find only one single entry in Miller's book. This gets us to “and then there were ...”.
•	Then Don Lindsay relates that “There is some confusion and doubt about one of them”, this being Sam Moskowitz (or Moscowitz). Accordingly “and then there were ...”. •  Then we have Harlan Ellison of whom Don Lindsay relates: “In a 1999 telephone interview” that“In 1950, when he was 15, Ellison attended meetings of the Hydra Club.”. But Harlan Ellison “did not claim to have remembered it word-for-word after 49 years”. Then Don Lindsay also accredits Harlan Ellsion with “I was there the night L. Ron Hubbard invented [Dianetics]”. In reality this had been an ongoing process that had started before he even was born. And so here we come to “and then there were ...”.
•	Next we have Theodore Sturgeon. This source forwarded by Mike Jittlov that in 1994 relates about a conversation with this person. Note that this is actually a second hand source! The assurance of Don Lindsay that “He had an extremely accurate memory, and I'd trust Sturgeon over anyone else's account.”, doesn't change very much here. As the source (Mike Jittlov) is not the person accredited in Don Lindsay's write-up with “an extremely accurate memory”. And thus “and then there was ...”.
•	Finally we come to Lloyd Arthur Eshbach. Here the source is an autobiography from this person that we find published in 1983 carrying the title ‘Over My Shoulder: Reflections of the Science Fiction Era’. Still the incident dates to 44-45 years back in time, about ... a dinner meeting and a hotel room. Here again we get an assurance from Don Lindsay that “Eshbach based his autobiography on detailed records and dated diary entries, and is therefore likely to be quite accurate on this point.”. Well, it would depend on whom you are talking about. Diaries do tend to contain wishful thinking. More importantly Lloyd Arthur Eshbach writes: “The incident is stamped indelibly in my mind because of one statement that Ron Hubbard made.”, alright then. But here it comes: “What led him to say what he did I can't recall”. By his own admittance he is thus enable to relate about the actual context in where this would have been said! Even if it was said this would make up for a vital ingredient of how to interpret it. Well, there may be a particular reason why it was “stamped indelibly” in Lloyd Arthur Eshbach's “mind” as the phrase he recollects is: “I'd like to start a religion. That's where the money is!”. For all we know is that this is the concept that this Lloyd Arthur Eshbach himself came up with, and possibly played with. Do also mind my comment about “diary entries” here above. And so we can close this of with “and then there were ...”.

The final adjudication on this matter by Don Lindsay: “Conclusion: He definitely said it more than once.”, turns being rather ridiculous. He does not subject it to any scientific approach nor to a proportionate evaluation. This is surprising because if one goes to his website we find that he would be familiar with scientific and investigative methods of how to go about matters. Because he does not follow up on any scientific approaches, the question now surfaces why he wrote the article? So, what was actually his purpose?

Are there any witnesses that came forward prior to 1971 claiming that L. Ron Hubbard said that, thus before the year in which the letter written in 1938 by George Orwell was published? None thus far have come forward. Doesn't that strike anyone as being a bit odd? And why does anyone care today about a phrase that some persons claim has been uttered 40-50-60 years ago? Right, because it can be used for a particular purpose, which is to defame a subject matter through discrediting its founder.

Just suppose that if George Orwell could come to that conclusion, then would it be so impossible that L. Ron Hubbard or any other also could have come to a similar conclusion? Now, let's put it like this, if George Orwell (a person that just as L. Ron Hubbard wrote some science fiction) would have started a religion himself, would one then have accused him of having started that only as an attempt to make a fortune for himself? Yes, probably. Do mind that he did write ‘Animal Farm’ and ‘1984’ that aim to expose human nature (the aberrative sort). Are people being crucified because they tell a truth? As this is what it then amounts to! You see, telling a truth does not also mean that one is guilty of taking advantage of that truth. These are two things.

I guess we have too many may be's and if's here. What you have to look for is results, results, and results. One should regard this technique of Dianetics that has been presented, does it deliver, or does it not deliver! All the distraction around it is just not very interesting. If it be L. Ron Hubbard, Woody Woodpecker, George Orwell, Piccadilly Jim or Queen Victoria that would have phrased that line. Then does it carry any weight at all?

Who is this Don Lindsay? Per his website “After 17 years around universities, and even more years in the computer industry, I am both a scientist and an engineer.”. From this index page of his website we also learn “My long-time Web hobbies are debating Creation/Evolution, Scientology and UFO/psychic stuff.”. (source, external link) (last checked: 20 Aug 2019)

I will focus here on the Scientology topic, although he does not make clear why he is so interested in that particular topic. After all we have many choices we can make in this area. We can assume here that it is the scientific aspect, or rather the pseudoscientific aspect according to how Don Lindsay takes this. I think he likes to expose or sorts. A page on his website folds out his view on it rather clearly. He gave the little essay the title “Hubbard said it was science”, but the banner title reads: “Quack ‘Religious Technology’”, you can consult that page here (external link) (last checked: 20 Aug 2019). (Notice: If the link here above doesn't work anymore, a copy can be consulted here, pop-up window)

► The 1st paragraph starts with: “He said it very clearly, and on many occasions. He compared his ‘tech’ with physics and chemistry, and said it was just as precise.” Which actually can be deemed to be correct. It was all about working towards getting a predicted result and that can be repeated. (see further my response at Paragraph 2)

► The 1st paragraph continues with: “He said he was a nuclear physicist. He said he'd done experiments and had evidence. He put an equation in ‘Dianetics, the modern Science of Mental Health’.” This too would be correct. Some disputes however have been raised though about the accredited title of “nuclear physicist”. We find it in ‘All About Radiation’ (1957), it is on its title page. Further we find on the inside of its dust wrapper: “L. Ron Hubbard, who was one of the first nuclear physicists in the United States”. Elsewhere we may find: “L. Ron Hubbard, who was one of the first students of nuclear physics in the United States.”, the latter which may be a more correct designation. Although honorary titles may or may not have been given for the attendance. Either way, saying the former would add credibility to the writing. We don't know either who decided on this, but the designation stayed with the book, for a while at least..

► The 1st paragraph ends with: “He put an equation in ‘Dianetics, the modern Science of Mental Health’”. Indeed an “equation” which would be a scientific approach, no? Although Don Lindsay may be thinks differently as he stressed (as in irony?) the word Science in the title of the book, but he fails to elaborate that here.

The 2nd paragraph in full then reads: “Hubbard did not know the first thing about science. Chapter one of Dianetics is total proof of that, to a real scientist. (Nor is that ‘equation’ actually an equation - it just looks like one.) His science fiction has terrible lapses of knowledge and logic. He did study to be a mechanical engineer, but flunked out half way through. He got ‘F’ in Nuclear Physics.”. Don lindsay makes quite some statements here, but ... what does he show for it? He doesn't clarify anything at all actually! No verifiable examples or anything!

► So “Hubbard did not know the first thing about science.”? Well, L. Ron Hubbard uses the simple theory and result criterion. Meaning that if a predicted result, as per the proposed theory, does come through, and can be repeated. Well, then what you got here is applied science. I do intend to keep things very basic here, but this is the main outset of the scientific approach. Don Lindsay doesn't explain his judgment, and he seems to have missed what I tell in the above (or something). This makes me think that Don Lindsay is a theorist. You see, these days the so-called science package comes with a whole list of rules.

The scientific method can be said to consist of: (1) Ask a question;   (2) Do background research;   (3) Construct a hypothesis;   (4) Test your hypothesis by doing an experiment;   (5) Analyze your data and draw a conclusion, and;   (6) Communicate your results.

Or as per the ‘Oxford English Dictionary’ that says at ‘scientific’: “a method or procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses.”. And this can be found to have been followed by L. Ron Hubbard in the book ‘Dianetics’. The approach is very acceptable for a science that aims at application. After all, that you want is the replication of a predicted result.

But today we have these new ways that place additional demands before science can be called science:

Amongst other this involves that other people with a particular renowned expertise (often acknowledged by a Ph.D. title of sorts), need to go over it and sort of go along with it. This is referred to as so-called peer review. Then when this is over some official academic sort of journal needs to be willing to publish it.

Now isn't this interesting, you need to get it published in some Academic Journal before your practical findings can receive a science status. With other words if you control these magazines then you control the direction of science itself, or what officially will be recognized and referred to as being science. Are you unwilling to subject your research to these lines of operation, this outer interference, then what you got is a pseudoscience. See how this one goes? The reality of the matter is that these peer review systems and and all that which followed with it, subjects your line of research to demands that need to be accommodated with. If they say, change this and that, you have to comply. If you don't want to waste your time with all that, then again what you got will be deemed being pseudoscience. Another thing that followed with a refusal to subject oneself to this is that you basically would end up on a black list of sorts. If your research is pending funding by the government or something you will simply not get your application for funding approved. You see, present-day people of the likes of Nicolaus Copernicus and Galileo Galilei are still restricted and controlled till this day. You submit to the demand, or else... The only thing that changed is the method, they don't torture you, burn you, or throw you in jail anymore. It all has become a little more subtle...

Now, is it so surprising that L. Ron Hubbard wasn't particularly keen to subject his research to all of that. Subjecting it to outer control? The reality here is that if he would have, we would today never have had the technology that he had organized.

► A 2nd sentence in this paragraph says “Chapter one of Dianetics is total proof of that, to a real scientist.”. Thus “total proof of” that “Hubbard did not know the first thing about science.”. Ah, ah, okay then ... So, Don Lindsay talks about a “real scientist”? Now what exactly does he mean by that? He fails to explain. “total proof of”? Well, keep in mind my comparison of the official take of science and pseudoscience in the foregoing. You tell me if Don Lindsay himself follows the steps of the scientific method!!!

(I skip Don Lindsay's comment in parenthesis (3th sentence), that is referring back to paragraph 1.)

► In the 4th sentence he writes “His science fiction has terrible lapses of knowledge and logic.”. Oh, “science fiction”, placed here? So, what is Don Lindsay trying to say here? Making a deliberate association as if the book ‘Dianetics’ would be itself science fiction? I fear Don Lindsay is a bit too transparent here! He doesn't investigate anything, he simply tells us! [and places this phrase in our mind this early on] Again, please mind, he only states, he explains or elaborates nothing!

There is one more thing to consider here. Which is the outset of this book ‘Dianetics’ that was published in 1950 with the aim to lay out the basic techniques and its possibilites. The definition of Clear as circumscribed in that book is simply the final product where one had set its aim. It is this one intended to finaly arrive at! A goal setting. Remember this scientific method and its step: ‘(3) Construct a hypothesis’? Well, here you have your hypothesis, further research was still ongoing. So, then why do we have this Don Lindsay complaining here about this then, if it did follow the steps of the scientific method? Why does Don Lindsay takes it for granted that one would have a perfect working technique from the very start??? Science doesn't work that way, it is a continuous process of developing, testing, evaluation, and so on. This until such time that one achieves a very high rate of confirmed predictability of near perfect results that are lasting. See, you are dealing here with changing people, the mechanics may be the same, but each individuals' experiences are still different. Don Lindsay seems to have forgotten about all these aspects and the scientific process here. May be he thinks that psychoterapy, psychology and psychiatry have a better record of actual research with predictability and repeated results?

In paragraph 6, 7 and 8 Don Lindsay basically talks about himself:

► In the 6th paragraph Don Lindsay then states: “Who am I, to say such things?”. Well, indeed, “Who are you?”. Or should I ask “Who do you think that you are?”

In the 7th paragraph he then addresses one angle: “The important thing is, can I back up what I said? Can I produce, say, biochemistry texts contradicting Hubbard's claims about the Purification Rundown? The answer is yes.”. Good for you! Ah, “biochemistry texts”? “texts”? I fear that I am only interested in observed results, and I did see such things in regards to this. Many years ago I worked for a brief period as a volunteer with Narconon in the Netherlands. That you can show papers that would tell some theory is wrong doesn't say very much, as long as particular results and improvements can be gotten. I am also unclear regarding in which degree L. Ron Hubbard researched this himself. Does this exposes Don Lindsay as being a theorist, once again? Decide for yourself.

Then in the final 8th paragraph don Lindsay writes: “But if you insist on credentials: I have a Bachelors in Engineering Physics, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science.”. Well, I fear I am not very interested in your “credentials”, after all these only tell that you have performed particular studies at some place and provided the answers that the examiners wanted to hear. These papers do not tell a thing about who YOU are! The only thing that the reader should look for if this Don Lindsay actually applies knowledge to topics discussed here and now! I find that he fails to deliver, that he is a theorist, and that he miserably fails to actually enforce the scientific method onto this subject matter! On top of that Don Lindsay attacks a person who actually did apply it, but offers virtually nothing that would support this adjudication.

Now is this what a “real scientist” is composed of? Well, hell no, not to me it isn't!

I have given Don Lindsay the opportunity to respond to my own write-up. Is he still holding track of responses to these matters? I don't know really. However, there has been recent activity on his website. His index page has a last modified indication that gives us 16 August 2012. Some other pages I saw had a May 2012 indication.

My email message that was send to him 22 Sept 2012 read:

	“Hi,
	I released the following:
	Scientology: A religion created for the sake of making money? http://www.wiseoldgoat.com/papers-scientology/hubbard_vs_nwo1-d.html
	You may if you wish comment on it.
	I will say however that your write-up on the matter is really not adequate and has significant flaws contained within it. Besides that you have failed to address the complete story. You used no scientific basis at all. My wondering is why you wrote it if you had to treat this so light-heartedly?
	Kind regards, Michel”

We'll see what happens, but I do not have particular high hopes. This for obvious reasons. But then, may be I am in for a surprise.

5 July 2014:  A good 2 years have passed now since I posted this, no response from this Don Lindsay has been received, and this is all pretty much as expected. A few appreciative reponses have been received, but the members of the anti-Scientology (religious) community seems to avoid it like the plague. And this too is as expected... after all, what else could they do?

I may hope that I've given you something you'd like to contemplate about... I have done my best to put together relevant information. If you find that I am in error or figure that you have some information that should be included, then please contact me about that.

Vocabulary:

     audit, auditing, auditor:
The application of Scientology processes and procedures to someone by a trained auditor (listener). The goal of the auditor is to make the receiver of the auditing look at incidents and reduce the mental charge which may lay upon them. The auditor may not evaluate and has to adhere to the Auditor's code.
    HCO PL:
‘Hubbard Communication Office Policy Letter’. Color flash–green ink on white paper. Written by LRH only, but only so starting from January 1974. These are the organizational and administrative issue line. For more information go here (separate window).
     LRH:
An usual abbreviation for ‘L. Ron Hubbard’.
     LRH ED:
‘L. Ron Hubbard Executive Directive’. Earlier called SEC EDs (Secretarial EDs). These are issued by LRH to various areas. They are not valid longer than one year if fully complied with when they are automatically retired. They otherwise remain valid until fully complied with or until amended or cancelled by another LRH ED. They carry current line, projects, programs, immediate orders and directions. They are numbered for area and sequence for the area and are sent to staffs or specific posts in orgs. They are blue ink on white paper with a special heading. (HCO PL 24 Sept 70R)
    P/L or PL:
‘HCO PL’. See at that entry in vocabulary.