ExScn_Shelby

No. I've been out since 2009 and no one has ever threatened my safety. I attribute that in large part to my mom's original badassery when we left. She said if anyone tried to contact me from the church, she would tell her story to the media. Someone did contact me and we have been telling all ever since.

Absolutely. I completely believed everything I read and heard. It's all I knew growing up. I like to think I'm a bit more of a critical thinker nowadays.

The day of a Scientologist is essentially the same except your thoughts about daily events are very different. Also, much more of your week is spent at church than in almost any other religion.

A person who really thinks Scientology's story is true is often someone who is both searching for answers and not truly looking at what they learn critically. In Scientology, they like to tell you you're thinking critically while at the same time telling you you can't continue to the next step until you've accepted everything you've read as true.

Also, I've never been threatened by the church. They did try to get me to move in with a church staffer to get me away from my family when they left.

I'm glad you asked! This is one of the main things that grinds my gears about Scientology reporting. There's never any reporting on Scientology that doesn't mention Xenu even though most people only hear about it once they're on OTIII. Obviously, it's a crazy story, but I would hardly call it a core belief of Scientology as most Scientologists have never heard of it. Honestly, you probably know as much about Xenu as I do. :p

I'm an atheist. There were a good few years where I would have considered myself agnostic for the pure fact that I just couldn't fathom trying to sort that question out for a while, but when I started searching again I discovered I'm an atheist.