Dave Sweetland's Story

11 November 2003

November 11, 2003 
Veteran's Day 

My name is Dave Sweetland.  I was a member of the COS from October
1969 until August 2000 when I  resigned.  I was declared a Suppressive
Person in Sept 5,  2000.

My introduction to Scientology was from  Robert  "Vaughn" Young  who
was teaching philosophy at the University of California - Davis in
spring of 1969.   Vaughn, his wife Toby, and their infant son David
and I shared an apartment then a house in Davis in 1970 and 1971.  My
condolences to his family and friends.  We spent a day together in
late September early October 2001.

I was the tenth staff member in Martin Samuel's "Davis Mission" which
grew throughout the 70s to have Missions in Davis,  Sacramento,
Portland, San Francisco as well as founding the Delphia "Foundation"
which became the Delphi School in Sheridan, Oregon.  I was a Class IV
auditor (literally thousands of hours "in the chair") as well as
Course Supervisor; and many knew me for the thousands of introductory
lectures I gave. I completed OTIII in 1978 while working for "Artists
International" Chic Corea's management group with Martin & Diana
Samuels, Paolo Lioni, Bruce Wiseman, Kevin Burke.   I  possibly
remebrer some guy hangung around called Slatkin, but I may be
mistaken.  Heber Jentch (or however he spells it) was not a happy
camper at having Martin Samuels invade his turf!! When I left LA to
return to my wifge and baby daughter in Portland the Julie
Christoferson case was just getting going.  MArtin Samuels had written
to Hubbard imporing him to please allow us (COSMOD -- COS Mission of
Davis) to justallow us to refund Christofferson her money.  The appeal
was denied with orders from Hubbard to follow the orders of the
Guardian's Office. My understanding was that she had made her request
for refund outside the 90 day window and the COS did not want to set a
precedent of refunding donations more than 90 days after competion of
a service.

My relationship to Scientology was ambivalent throughout the 1980s,
butI did try to get reinvolved in the early and mid 1990s.

I went to the Freewinds in February of 1996 to seek help to "resolve
my hypocrissy as a Scientologist."  I was no longer "aboard on the
same terms" as I used to be.  "Win or die in the attempt" was not the
way I viewed Scientology.  An instructor ith the attitude that "we
would rather see you dead than incapable"  seemed a bit over the top
to me.   After a week aboard the Freewinds and refusal to discuss my
concerns I submitted my resignation from the COS while aboard the
Freewinds.  This was greeted with the threat of SP declaration, which
I unforuantely feared.  Our daghter was about to graduate from High
Scholl.  Our son was turning 16 in a week... I took being declared
very seriously.  My wife worked for a Scientology company too. 
Unfortunately I tacitly retracted my resignation as part of a "plea
bargain" in which I agreed to sign a legal document which I first had
to read into a video camera.  It took years to get a copy of that
document and video and then another number of months to get it
nullified, which I did.

From 1996 until 2000 the COS steadily demanded that I submit to Sec
Check which I refused to do.  Finally I was Comm Eved in July of 2000.

Fast forward............
I have been silent  these past three years (with the exception of two
posting I made to "bernie.cnc.family" and which I asked him to remove
one year ago which he did.  I will request that he repost them.  The
reason for my silence is that I have not wanted to further alienate my
adult children (and their mother).  How much more alienated can they
be?

Lauren Elizabeth Sweetland, my daugter,  a Sea Org member at the
Celebrity Centre in Hollywood for five years; and my son E. Reilly
Sweetland a former staff member at the Los Gatos Org have complied
with the moral code of the COS and have "disavowed and disconnected"
from me since August 2000 (prior to the SP declare) .

I will defend to my death their right to hate me; to shun me; to
remain disconnected from me.  They are adults and have the freedom to
choose. Many of you disagree with that premise insisting that they
have been "brainwashed".  While I do not argue with the fact that
Scientology greatly reduces the critical thinking skills of an adult
and tends to revert one to a more childlaike, accpeting, and maleable
state,  I still insist that all adults are responsible for their
choices.  (Unless declared legally incompetent mentally.) The
exception to this is the literal "gun to the head" scenario.

I am posting here on ARS in order to make my "story" known.  My adult
children may dedicate the rest of their lives to L. Ron Huibbard and
to Scientology.  That is their right.
But .... I also have the right (and even the duty) to speak out
publicly about my thirty years of experiences in Scientology.  My wife
of 28 years Susan Sweetland (now ex-wife for over three) mother of
Lauren and Reilly is also a devout and dedicated Scientologist.  She
too, in compliance with L. Ron Hubbard's code of ethics has "disavowed
and disconnected" from me for these past three years. She too is
exercising religious freedom.

I do not say this out of a sense of any "political correctness".  I
say it out of a deep seated conviction that protecting the rights of
the marginalized, protecting the rights of the odd balls; the
"weirdos"; the "freaks"; such as the KKK; the neo-Nazis; Communists;
Catholics;
etc.;etc... is necessary in a truly free society.  Nobody has the
right to murder, torture, rape, murder, harass. kidnap, intimidate,
racially discriminate, practice medicine or bigamy or pedophilia or
human sacrifice in the name of religion.  There are adequate laws on
the books to prosecute violators.

Enough for now.... My attempts to communicate with officails within
the COS has been fruitless.  They too have the right to their silence
.. cowardly though it is.

On this Veterans Day when we celebrate and acknowledge the courage and
sacrifce of men and women (glorious "human beings") made in order to
fight for freedom --- or at least what they though was freedom ---
let's put religious squabbles into the appropriate perspective.  I
thank God my children and their mother are alive!! Also .... they may
be right!!!! L. Ron Hubbard MAY be right (that the whole agonized
future of this planet, every man, woman, and child on it depend[s]
upon Scientology. "  I don't think it is true because Scientology
prohibits aopen discussion, debate, dialog, disagreement (all of my D
words).  To seperate the intellect out and insist on blind acceptance
and compliance is repulsive to me.

More later.

Peace ----


Dave Sweetland 
P.O. Box 940397
Simi Valley, CA 93094

popsweetland@earthlink.net

P.S.  There will be delays bewteen postings. I won't get a chance to
even look at ARS for days.  as Arnold says ...... "I'll be back."

P.P.S. Tory is right.  There is a growing number of Scientologists who
are fed up with David Miscavige (the TTK - temper tantrum kid) his
team; his oppulent lifestyle; his incompetence as a leader; and his
fundamentalist interpretations of Hubbard.  While I am NOT a
Scientologist (I am a practicing Roman Catholic  --- nothing in
Scientology is quite as weird as Christianity in general and RC
specifically).... I respect the religous choices of those who are
Scientologists (which is essentially a modern form of Gnosticism). 
The Scientology schism is under way and picking up speed.  Truth does
eventually win.... it always does..... it's a question as to how many
have to go to the metaphorical or literal ovens before the truth does
conquer.


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