What's life in a cult
Former member Sabrina tells 38 reasons why she will never join Scientology again.
1. Not allowed to see my mom but once a day when I
was six. Was only permitted to see her at dinner for
one hour.
2. My mom was made to work 12 hour days and was
only paid $50.00 a week and given room and board.
3. I was made to live in a dorm at the age of six,
separate from my mom or dad, with three other
girls my age.
4. I was made to believe from a very early age that
Scientologist were the better than other people, and
if you were not in it, you were not good enough.
5. I was told to only tell my grandparents good things
about myself when I visited, to not let on if I was
behind in school, but just make them think I am a
great student.
6. Scientologists constantly refers to people outside of
their "religion" as "Wogs". A derogatory term used
commonly by members in it.
7. I was made to join staff when I was 14. I had to
sign a billion year contract because of their beliefs in
reincarnation.
8. I had to stop attending school when I was 14, to
join staff. I could only attend school one day a week
on Sunday for about 10 hours.
9. I was made to live in a two-room apartment with
seven other women when I was 14. Overcrowding is
commonplace. I live like that for most of my seven
years on staff.
10. I had 30 minute lunches, breakfasts and dinners. If
I was late back to work I would get in trouble.
11. I was working 10 hour days, six days a week, from
the age of 16. I was not getting paid overtime. I
was only making $50.00 a week.
12. The only time I would have off, was every other
week, if my production was good enough.
Sometimes I would go a month without even one
day off.
13. When I joined, I would not see my mom for days at
a time. She lived in a different dorm than I did, and
had a different eating schedule than me.
14. At the age of 15 I was made to stay up until 12 pm
every Thursday and Friday to attend Scientology
meetings and clean their facilities with all the other
staff.
15. After Scientology events we were all assigned a
number of books or tapes we were suppose to sell
to the public. We had to make our quotas before we
were allowed to go home. I started selling books
when I was 15. Sometimes we had to call from lists
we were given to make our quotas. Most of these
lists were to Scientologist who were out of the state
or out of the country.
16. The staff was not allowed to eat the nice food put
out for public after events. It was only for the
public, we would get in trouble if we were caught
eating it.
17. The staff was not allowed to socialize with the public
after events, only to sell books, we could not join
them on the dance floor, or in the auditorium.
18. The Hacienda (apartment complex where the staff
live) is set up so that staff can not just get up and
leave when they want to. The Premises is
surrounded by a large gate and bushes so that
people cannot see in easily. There are several
cameras around the complex to keep an eye on the
staff. There is a security guard at the front gate at
all times to let people in and out. Staff may not
leave without first explaining where they are going
and what they are doing to the security guard.
19. Sea Org staff are not allowed to own televisions,
mine was confiscated when I was 14 or 15. Staff are
not allowed to watch TV ever. Movies are only
allowed on the weekend if you get approval to have
time off. Movies are not allowed on weekdays.
20. Most staff do not have cars or cell phones because it
costs to much money to own them. If you have a
car, you have to check with the security guard if you
want to leave, if he is suspicious he will not let you
leave.
21. The only days staff are allowed to celebrate and
dance together is the Christmas party and Beer and
Cheese party. Twice a year. Don't ask, neither of
these celebrations make much sense.
22. I was forced to cut all ties with my dad when I was
15. He was declared a Suppressive Person by
Scientology, and that meant I could no longer talk
or associate myself with him at all.
23. My mom died of cancer when I was 16. She was still
on staff at the time, and she wrote in her will she
 wanted my brother and I assigned the guardians of
Rusty and Linda Hilton, both on staff at Flag.
24. Once I joined staff I could no longer visit my
relatives or grandparents for even a weekend
without prior approval. At times my once a year
request was denied for whatever reason, or no one
had the time to look at it.
25. I was not allowed to socialize with anyone outside of
the staff. If I did I was reported on and pulled in for
questioning.
26. I was put on the e-meter once a week, along with
all the other staff, to see if I had a clean or dirty
needle. Clean meant I was OK, dirty meant I was
hiding something. If it was dirty I was pulled in for
questioning, and made to write up stuff I thought I
was hiding
27. After each live success story we were suppose to
stand up, clap, and say hip hip hooray three times
to LRHs picture. This was daily. After each course
completion in Scientology we had to tell everyone in
our class our successes, once we were done we had
to clap and say hip hooray to LRHs picture. His
pictures are everywhere in their buildings. It was
not optional you had to do it.
28. I had to get a divorce while I was in Scientology
because my husband wanted out, and I did not. I
was actually not told he was leaving until the day he
left. He didn't even tell me, I was told by someone
who knew him. It is against their rules to speak or
mention to anyone in Scientology you are leaving
staff. If you do, you can get kicked out and never be
able to talk to your friends in it again.
29. When I finally decided I wanted to leave because I
missed my ex husband too much, I was not allowed
to just go. They made me work in the galley
scrubbing pots and pans. They said I could not
mention to anyone I wanted to leave, but everyone
pretty much knew what I was doing. It took me
three months of being separated from the group, all
my friends, being put on the e-meter (lie detector)
for two weeks straight and asked if I intend to
contact my dad when I leave. I finally was allowed
to leave, but was told I was moving to New Mexico
to work for a Scientology school. I was told I could
not return to Clearwater at all.
30. They made me sign a 10,000.00 waiver, promising
that I would never talk out about my experiences
with Scientology. I had to sign it before they would
let me leave.
31. I was assigned handlers when I wanted to leave. I
could not leave any of the buildings or walk outside
without one of them. There are security guards
assigned to each building, video cameras at each
building entrance and exit, so if I wanted to leave
without my handler, they would know.
32. I returned to Clearwater about a year after they
sent me away. I was approached by one of their
security guards and asked what I was doing here. I
was on a public street on my lunch break. I just
ignored him and walked away. They still thought
they could control me, even though I was no longer
on staff.
33. When my brother found out I was talking to my dad
again, he refused to talk to me anymore. Now that I
have associate myself with my dad, I am also
declared, which means my brother can't talk to me.
34. Once I left, my "legal guardians' have never
contacted me or spoke to me, even before I was
declared.
35. I do not have one single friend I knew before I left
Scientology (2002). They have all chosen to write
me off because I no longer am a Scientologist. Once
I was declared, I was deleted from about 15 peoples
myspace page. I did not delete them, they deleted
me.
36. I am not allowed to talk to my Scientology school or
teachers. They will also no longer talk to me. Once I
left staff, they no longer thought it necessary to
associate themselves with me.
37. I did not have a High School diploma when I left in
2002. I was 20 years old. Once I was married, they
said I was now considered an adult and I no longer
needed to attend school. I was only 17 when I
married.
38. I never learned to drive, I now have a car, but
driving was something they did not think was
necessary.

Sabrina grew up in Scientology from the age of six and left at the age of 20 with no
education, no money, no friends. She is still healing from the experience.
She feel is her mission now to educate people on the dark side of this tax-exempt cult.

For additional info on the cult of Scientology visit the ex-scientologist message board: HTTP://forum.exscn.net