We want to thank the tipster who forwarded to us what they believe is the current “pledge” that any new Scientology staff member is asked to sign at your local “Ideal Org” like the ones that just opened up in Austin, and Chicago. (We figure the ones that opened in Mexico City and Paris are using documents in another language, eh?)
Can you imagine dropping by the food bank to pack boxes some afternoon, and being forced to sign this kind of garbage? Not how these things work in the real world. A volunteer is a volunteer, great to do to help others and no particular long-term commitment. Even the Salvation Army is better than this.
No benefits, nor even health care. I thought the Affordable Care Act outlawed this kind of thing. Literally signing your retirement savings away. As an old geezer, I can say with some confidence from experience: five years without retirement savings means a year or two living homeless in the streets after 70.
People live longer these days but can't necessarily work longer. If you can, more power to you. But realize that sh** happens and not only to a**holes. Spend a few five-year commitments like these in your "wealth accumulation" phase and you will certainly end up broke on the streets when you can't work anymore.
The young ones of today can't even hope for Social Security, especially if they don't make any money now. Your Social Security payments depend on what you earn, but even the highest rate is not enough to live on. Currently around $40,000 per year, but you only get that if you get paid above a certain amount for 10 years. Our "volunteers" won't qualify for that.
You'd have to be truly stupid or star-crossed to sign that contract, but I guess one is born every minute.
I was just thinking that if that was presented to me for my signature as a condition of employment, I would go elsewhere. I have been close friends with several people who were employed by the church that I was attending at that time and this is NOT how they functioned. Can it even be a legal contract? Requiring someone to study for a set amount of time daily and if they have a problem with something, their only course of action is decided by the organization that they have a disagreement with? That is not how arbitration works. Marc and Claire have a very good video on YouTube about this subject.
Very true. After I escaped from Gold I got a job repairing computers.
I visited the Poor Clares and the Sisters of Mercy convents to repair their PCs. If I lived like these "monastic religious workers" at Gold I never would have left. Each sister had their own two-bedroom apartment, lots of time off and social time. Don't know, but I am guessing that if they had a problem with their superiors that was not strictly religious in nature they would not hesitate to resort to the legal system.
Nobody does it Dave's way but Dave and maybe Stalin.
I am sure they get to read it, but try to pass it off as some kind of boilerplate language.
Like the "user agreement" you signed to download the last software you bought, or the many pages of legalese you clicked through when you bought a Windows PC. Remember any of that? Are you sure you understand the implications? Did you actually understand it? I'm sure I don't!
As I understand we all owe our very souls to Bill Gates and he is getting ready to collect.. News at 11.
I wish this contract was in force decades ago, I never would have joined staff!
To me, the winner of the WORST person causing Scientology more failure, has to be given to Legal Dept OSA Int and the lawyers who crafted this updated staff contract.
NEVER sign any Scientology legal agreements or releases, ever. Quit on the spot.
I especially found hilarious the part of the contract that says no pension, LOL!
At least this contract is only binding for this lifetime, and OSA Legal and the lawyers haven't figure out how to make it binding for a billion years, or for eternity.
Last comment. This contract has one slightly sneaky and diabolically genius bit to it. The whole release bit emphasizes it's all about any connection to the person being a member of staff. So, to someone not looking for it they might think "Okay, so this is JUST for my staff stuff, like a normal employment contract."
Oh no no no future staff member. Let me redirect you to the 3. POST item under the Pledge section that says: I also know that as part of my post responsibilities and pursuant to Church policy, I am expected to study a minimum of 12.5 hours a week to better carry out my religious duties and to advance myself up the Bridge to Total Freedom, both in religious training and auditing, to the benefit of all Dynamics." <-- This means they can now claim that any services (and the treatment and collection of data therein) you took while under this contract are not just you as a parishioner but also part of your commitment as a staff member. Therefore, even if there was a small possibility that any part of the contract for services could be voided or guided by the courts this will cover them in any disputes related to that. Props to their lawyers or whoever figured out that loophole (even if I hate that they did that).
"Since my relationship with the Church and my fellow staff members is strictly religious and based solely on my deeply-held spiritual commitment to the Scientology religion, I believe that any problem that may arise out of this relationship is also strictly religious in nature. Therefore, I agree that any problem between me and the Church of Scientology (whether the Church or any other Scientology Church or related organization) or any fellow staff member..." -- Read: We are learning what to say in this contract because of Jane Doe 1's lawsuit in the Gavin Potter lawsuit, from the Paris/Baxter SO abuse and trafficking lawsuits, from...
I signed one of these long ago. I didn't read the current version and probably didn't fully read the one I signed even though I was signing off on the next billion years of my life (lives). Signing one of these is the church is regarded with a spiritual, almost mystical significance. Some people sign several and never activate the contract. All the staff are informed if you sign one of these, it is a big deal. Strangely whether or not it can be enforced in the future is not discussed. Kind of like getting married, you get carried away in the moment.
"I recognize and acknowledge that the Church is not required to pay minimum wage or overtime to me."
I am also pretty sure that one is not legally allowed to waive their rights to things like minimum wage, but IANAL, so I might be wrong, and it might depend on the laws of the relevant jurisdiction.
"Since my relationship with the Church and my fellow staff members is strictly religious and based solely on my deeply-held spiritual commitment to the Scientology religion, I believe that any problem that may arise out of this relationship is also strictly religious in nature."
What if that deeply-held spiritual commitment should change? If this is the foundation for all that follows, then if that foundation changes (if someone no longer has a deeply-held spiritual commitment), all that follows no longer has a place to stand, no?
That 'release' gives the CO$ that ability to dodge any and every lawsuit for any reason. Any reason! $cientology, the 'religion' that tries to be immune to every crime. Can someone tell me where Gavin Potter is and others who have been sued but can't be found. There are a lot of rocks in the $cienoverse that need to be turned over.
"CLATMS"? The document not only sets out the terms of "service" but prescribes and proscribes attitudes, expectations, and behaviors toward the CoS. So much for "total freedom". All staff I know have either had spouses who support them or have had "side hustles" to make ends meet. Once upon a time, someone who couldn't afford services was urged to go on staff, and they'd get auditing as staff (which rarely was the case). This document makes it clear that staff shouldn't expect auditing... or anything...in return for 2.5-5 years of servitude. (see "incentives" below). "My desire, and my intention, is to serve my religion as a Church staff member pursuant to my personal religious commitment and conviction rather than for monetary gain or other financial benefits or incentives."
"1. I am a Scientologist and want to dedicate the next five years [ ] two and one-half years [ ] (check one)..." --- do you think they put the boxes in those places on purpose? Like to trick someone not totally paying attention to committing to 5 years of service instead of 2.5?
The Ex-husband signed one of these over thirty years ago. He was on staff every night, every weekend and all holidays for over thirty years. It caused the end of our marriage; as the cult told him to leave me after twenty-seven years of marriage when I asked him to stay home once in a while. NOW: He is dying of Stage four Colon cancer that has spread throughout his body. The cause of Colon cancer is usually due to a poor diet and lack of exercise. He would eat fast food (Burgers and fried chicken and greasy meats every night before going on staff as a "Registrar." That means he sat on a chair and spent every minute on the phone, on or person, talking people into buying "services." Lack of exercise also contributes to Colon cancer. He as had three surgeries in two months. It looks bleak. He thinks he will never die; because he is OT 8. NOT ONE Staff member has even visited him in the hospital ever. When he dies; they will keep all of the thousands of dollars he has "on account" at Flag. What a wasted life!
SCN's especially staff are not empathetic to illness or terminal illness. I used to hold the role of liaison between the staff and doctors. I visited the people who were confined to their rooms due to serious or terminal illnesses. It was shocking how their fellow staff would disappear when someone was going through something like this, no calls, no visits, etc.
I have to correct something- I found out that some scientologists did visit the dying ex-husband; and he gave them his phone whereas they then took money from his account to pay bills to help "Keep the Org. open."
I really wish that Scientology had this contract in force in 1975 when I joined.
Because I never would have joined staff!
This contract is sickeningly unbalanced against the staff member signing it.
NEVER join SCientology, never sign their contracts.
Skip the Xenu body-thetans exorcism Hubbard cult!
QUIT Scientology, the moment they try to slip their contracts and releases on you to sign!
Thankyou OSA and Scientology lawyers for making Hubbard's cult even more sickeningly offensive to scare away ANYONE with half a brain to run from the Scientology Xenu body-thetans exorcism operation.
--------------------------
Tony, honestly, this coming year, I hope you put Scientology's lawyers and the OSA legal department on the final list of WHO is most ruining Scientology this year.
I wonder if secretly the Scientology lawyers are happy to be making Scientology such a distasteful unbalanced unfair staff career choice for newbie wannabe Scientology cult members.
(In 1975 a lady employee of a bookstore did try to explain OT 3 to me, but I just didn't get it, but had I understood that Scientology's exorcism steps would be such a big part of Scientology, where it is OT 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are the exorcism "levels" of Scientology, and take years to complete all this exorcism, that's another reason I'd NEVER have delusionally given such hope that the "secret" levels were of real value and that the Hubbard Scientology procedures produced supernatural soul status for those that did the procedures---they don't work, no one gets any supernatural soul powers, it's a scam---but I think it's always good to tell newbies the Xenu body-thetans exorcism procedures of OT 3, 4,5, 6 and 7 before any newbie gives the go ahead to do Scientology. Because is someone is good with this whole bunch of exorcism that Scientology has you do, then don't do official Scientology, go find a splinter Scientology practitioner to give you the pseudo-therapy and exorcism with no legal strings attached, and for cheap!)
I wish this contract was in force decades ago, I never would have joined staff!
To me, the winner of the WORST person causing Scientology more failure, has to be given to Legal Dept OSA Int and the lawyers who crafted this updated staff contract.
NEVER sign any Scientology legal agreements or releases, ever. Quit on the spot.
I especially found hilarious the part of the contract that says no pension, LOL!
At least this contract is only binding for this lifetime, and OSA Legal and the lawyers haven't figured out how to make it binding for a billion years, or for eternity.
Yet.
----------------------------
I hope Jeffrey Augustine does some spoof OT8isGreat contracts based on all these insane Scientology OSA/Lawyers ones.
I heard that in the voice of John Wayne!
Can't imagine how any of this is actually legal.
Can you imagine dropping by the food bank to pack boxes some afternoon, and being forced to sign this kind of garbage? Not how these things work in the real world. A volunteer is a volunteer, great to do to help others and no particular long-term commitment. Even the Salvation Army is better than this.
No benefits, nor even health care. I thought the Affordable Care Act outlawed this kind of thing. Literally signing your retirement savings away. As an old geezer, I can say with some confidence from experience: five years without retirement savings means a year or two living homeless in the streets after 70.
People live longer these days but can't necessarily work longer. If you can, more power to you. But realize that sh** happens and not only to a**holes. Spend a few five-year commitments like these in your "wealth accumulation" phase and you will certainly end up broke on the streets when you can't work anymore.
The young ones of today can't even hope for Social Security, especially if they don't make any money now. Your Social Security payments depend on what you earn, but even the highest rate is not enough to live on. Currently around $40,000 per year, but you only get that if you get paid above a certain amount for 10 years. Our "volunteers" won't qualify for that.
You'd have to be truly stupid or star-crossed to sign that contract, but I guess one is born every minute.
I was just thinking that if that was presented to me for my signature as a condition of employment, I would go elsewhere. I have been close friends with several people who were employed by the church that I was attending at that time and this is NOT how they functioned. Can it even be a legal contract? Requiring someone to study for a set amount of time daily and if they have a problem with something, their only course of action is decided by the organization that they have a disagreement with? That is not how arbitration works. Marc and Claire have a very good video on YouTube about this subject.
Very true. After I escaped from Gold I got a job repairing computers.
I visited the Poor Clares and the Sisters of Mercy convents to repair their PCs. If I lived like these "monastic religious workers" at Gold I never would have left. Each sister had their own two-bedroom apartment, lots of time off and social time. Don't know, but I am guessing that if they had a problem with their superiors that was not strictly religious in nature they would not hesitate to resort to the legal system.
Nobody does it Dave's way but Dave and maybe Stalin.
Do they even let anyone read it before signing?
I am sure they get to read it, but try to pass it off as some kind of boilerplate language.
Like the "user agreement" you signed to download the last software you bought, or the many pages of legalese you clicked through when you bought a Windows PC. Remember any of that? Are you sure you understand the implications? Did you actually understand it? I'm sure I don't!
As I understand we all owe our very souls to Bill Gates and he is getting ready to collect.. News at 11.
I wish this contract was in force decades ago, I never would have joined staff!
To me, the winner of the WORST person causing Scientology more failure, has to be given to Legal Dept OSA Int and the lawyers who crafted this updated staff contract.
NEVER sign any Scientology legal agreements or releases, ever. Quit on the spot.
I especially found hilarious the part of the contract that says no pension, LOL!
At least this contract is only binding for this lifetime, and OSA Legal and the lawyers haven't figure out how to make it binding for a billion years, or for eternity.
Yet.
Last comment. This contract has one slightly sneaky and diabolically genius bit to it. The whole release bit emphasizes it's all about any connection to the person being a member of staff. So, to someone not looking for it they might think "Okay, so this is JUST for my staff stuff, like a normal employment contract."
Oh no no no future staff member. Let me redirect you to the 3. POST item under the Pledge section that says: I also know that as part of my post responsibilities and pursuant to Church policy, I am expected to study a minimum of 12.5 hours a week to better carry out my religious duties and to advance myself up the Bridge to Total Freedom, both in religious training and auditing, to the benefit of all Dynamics." <-- This means they can now claim that any services (and the treatment and collection of data therein) you took while under this contract are not just you as a parishioner but also part of your commitment as a staff member. Therefore, even if there was a small possibility that any part of the contract for services could be voided or guided by the courts this will cover them in any disputes related to that. Props to their lawyers or whoever figured out that loophole (even if I hate that they did that).
"Since my relationship with the Church and my fellow staff members is strictly religious and based solely on my deeply-held spiritual commitment to the Scientology religion, I believe that any problem that may arise out of this relationship is also strictly religious in nature. Therefore, I agree that any problem between me and the Church of Scientology (whether the Church or any other Scientology Church or related organization) or any fellow staff member..." -- Read: We are learning what to say in this contract because of Jane Doe 1's lawsuit in the Gavin Potter lawsuit, from the Paris/Baxter SO abuse and trafficking lawsuits, from...
I signed one of these long ago. I didn't read the current version and probably didn't fully read the one I signed even though I was signing off on the next billion years of my life (lives). Signing one of these is the church is regarded with a spiritual, almost mystical significance. Some people sign several and never activate the contract. All the staff are informed if you sign one of these, it is a big deal. Strangely whether or not it can be enforced in the future is not discussed. Kind of like getting married, you get carried away in the moment.
"I recognize and acknowledge that the Church is not required to pay minimum wage or overtime to me."
I am also pretty sure that one is not legally allowed to waive their rights to things like minimum wage, but IANAL, so I might be wrong, and it might depend on the laws of the relevant jurisdiction.
It boggles my mind
"Since my relationship with the Church and my fellow staff members is strictly religious and based solely on my deeply-held spiritual commitment to the Scientology religion, I believe that any problem that may arise out of this relationship is also strictly religious in nature."
What if that deeply-held spiritual commitment should change? If this is the foundation for all that follows, then if that foundation changes (if someone no longer has a deeply-held spiritual commitment), all that follows no longer has a place to stand, no?
That 'release' gives the CO$ that ability to dodge any and every lawsuit for any reason. Any reason! $cientology, the 'religion' that tries to be immune to every crime. Can someone tell me where Gavin Potter is and others who have been sued but can't be found. There are a lot of rocks in the $cienoverse that need to be turned over.
"CLATMS"? The document not only sets out the terms of "service" but prescribes and proscribes attitudes, expectations, and behaviors toward the CoS. So much for "total freedom". All staff I know have either had spouses who support them or have had "side hustles" to make ends meet. Once upon a time, someone who couldn't afford services was urged to go on staff, and they'd get auditing as staff (which rarely was the case). This document makes it clear that staff shouldn't expect auditing... or anything...in return for 2.5-5 years of servitude. (see "incentives" below). "My desire, and my intention, is to serve my religion as a Church staff member pursuant to my personal religious commitment and conviction rather than for monetary gain or other financial benefits or incentives."
"1. I am a Scientologist and want to dedicate the next five years [ ] two and one-half years [ ] (check one)..." --- do you think they put the boxes in those places on purpose? Like to trick someone not totally paying attention to committing to 5 years of service instead of 2.5?
Does “Application for Religious Service” mean this has to be signed before paying for or receiving auditing?
This is the staff employment contract, but similar language exists in the services contract.
The Ex-husband signed one of these over thirty years ago. He was on staff every night, every weekend and all holidays for over thirty years. It caused the end of our marriage; as the cult told him to leave me after twenty-seven years of marriage when I asked him to stay home once in a while. NOW: He is dying of Stage four Colon cancer that has spread throughout his body. The cause of Colon cancer is usually due to a poor diet and lack of exercise. He would eat fast food (Burgers and fried chicken and greasy meats every night before going on staff as a "Registrar." That means he sat on a chair and spent every minute on the phone, on or person, talking people into buying "services." Lack of exercise also contributes to Colon cancer. He as had three surgeries in two months. It looks bleak. He thinks he will never die; because he is OT 8. NOT ONE Staff member has even visited him in the hospital ever. When he dies; they will keep all of the thousands of dollars he has "on account" at Flag. What a wasted life!
SCN's especially staff are not empathetic to illness or terminal illness. I used to hold the role of liaison between the staff and doctors. I visited the people who were confined to their rooms due to serious or terminal illnesses. It was shocking how their fellow staff would disappear when someone was going through something like this, no calls, no visits, etc.
I joked that unless the patient has their credit card or cash in the sick bed ! Then they might get a visit from the Scientologists
Probably a call at best ... or an offer to transfer the money they have on account to books to donate these to a good cause.
I have to correct something- I found out that some scientologists did visit the dying ex-husband; and he gave them his phone whereas they then took money from his account to pay bills to help "Keep the Org. open."
WOW.
I really wish that Scientology had this contract in force in 1975 when I joined.
Because I never would have joined staff!
This contract is sickeningly unbalanced against the staff member signing it.
NEVER join SCientology, never sign their contracts.
Skip the Xenu body-thetans exorcism Hubbard cult!
QUIT Scientology, the moment they try to slip their contracts and releases on you to sign!
Thankyou OSA and Scientology lawyers for making Hubbard's cult even more sickeningly offensive to scare away ANYONE with half a brain to run from the Scientology Xenu body-thetans exorcism operation.
--------------------------
Tony, honestly, this coming year, I hope you put Scientology's lawyers and the OSA legal department on the final list of WHO is most ruining Scientology this year.
I wonder if secretly the Scientology lawyers are happy to be making Scientology such a distasteful unbalanced unfair staff career choice for newbie wannabe Scientology cult members.
(In 1975 a lady employee of a bookstore did try to explain OT 3 to me, but I just didn't get it, but had I understood that Scientology's exorcism steps would be such a big part of Scientology, where it is OT 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are the exorcism "levels" of Scientology, and take years to complete all this exorcism, that's another reason I'd NEVER have delusionally given such hope that the "secret" levels were of real value and that the Hubbard Scientology procedures produced supernatural soul status for those that did the procedures---they don't work, no one gets any supernatural soul powers, it's a scam---but I think it's always good to tell newbies the Xenu body-thetans exorcism procedures of OT 3, 4,5, 6 and 7 before any newbie gives the go ahead to do Scientology. Because is someone is good with this whole bunch of exorcism that Scientology has you do, then don't do official Scientology, go find a splinter Scientology practitioner to give you the pseudo-therapy and exorcism with no legal strings attached, and for cheap!)
I wish this contract was in force decades ago, I never would have joined staff!
To me, the winner of the WORST person causing Scientology more failure, has to be given to Legal Dept OSA Int and the lawyers who crafted this updated staff contract.
NEVER sign any Scientology legal agreements or releases, ever. Quit on the spot.
I especially found hilarious the part of the contract that says no pension, LOL!
At least this contract is only binding for this lifetime, and OSA Legal and the lawyers haven't figured out how to make it binding for a billion years, or for eternity.
Yet.
----------------------------
I hope Jeffrey Augustine does some spoof OT8isGreat contracts based on all these insane Scientology OSA/Lawyers ones.