Affidavit of scientologist Mary DeMoss

21 December 2002


AFFIDAVIT OF MARY DEMOSS


I, Mary DeMoss, being duly sworn, do hereby state:


1.          I am over 18 years of age and I have personal knowledge of the
matters set forth in this affidavit. If  I were called as a witness, I
would be competent, willing and able to testify to what I state herein
without reservation.


2.          I graduated from New York University in 1988 with a Bachelor
of Fine Arts degree. I was an award-winning actress and was involved in
the theater world of Broadway for many years. During that time I
experienced the pressures all artists are subjected to, including the
immoral pressures pushed by those in positions to make or break you.
Unwilling to succumb to that degradation, I left New York in a state of
confusion about life, humanity and my own abilities. I was really
scattered when my mother  called me in the fall of 1990. She asked me to
come to her church and speak with the Chaplain there.


3.          I took my mother's suggestion and met with a minister of the
Church of Scientology and began to read some of the basic tenets of the
church. I slowly studied the books,  received counseling and began to find
sanity in my life. I found out what had happened to me spiritually and how
that had affected my ability to survive. I learned how to make myself
spiritually stronger so those things would not recur in my life. Most
importantly, I was able to find respect for myself and for my fellow man.
I am extremely grateful to L. Ron Hubbard for his contribution to my life
and for giving me the ability to contribute something more to mankind.


4.          The confusions and uncertainties that led me to Scientology in
1990 were resolved long ago. In the ensuing years I have experienced
countless further gains including the cure of   several chronic physical
conditions. Prior to Scientology, I would have severe full-time upper back
and neck pain which would cause me to have very bad headaches. Through
Scientology spiritual counseling, the pain disappeared completely.


5.          I feel that if the State tried to force me to abandon the
Creed of the Church of Scientology because they felt that some illnesses
do not have spiritual origins, it would completely compromise my right to
practice my religion without government interference. If spiritual
counseling had to be interrupted for a medical examination when a preclear
exhibited some form of physical distress or discomfort, it would
completely deny what that auditing program was intended to do. The
practice of Scientology spiritual counseling would not be able to be
continued.


6.           If I were to begin exhibiting insane behavior, I would want
someone to help me find out what occurred by using auditing to get to the
root cause of the situation. There is no way I would want to be treated in
any other manner, especially with any form of psychiatric treatment. If I
were dramatizing some physical ailments in the course of Scientology I
would trust that my Case Supervisor would not immediately order me to a
doctor, particularly if that: included a danger of psychiatric treatment.
Instead I would expect my C/S to continue with the auditing so that I
would return to sanity.


7.          I would not expect my case supervisor or auditor to make a
medical diagnosis of my situation as I do not go to them for medical help
but spiritual assistance.

Consequently, I would consider it obscene to have my case supervisor
threatened with medical negligence no matter what occurred while I was in
his spiritual care. Such a legal threat would put any case supervisor in
an untenable position - he would be "safer" to alter  his religious
decisions “just in case" someone later brought medical charges. This would
change our religion, not because Scientologists want it this way, but,
apparently, because the court does not understand Scientology. This would
be wrong and unacceptable. People do not have to practice Scientology. I
choose to, and I choose to practice Scientology according to my
understanding of the scriptures as written by L. Ron Hubbard. I do not
need anyone's help to understand Scientology, and I do not need the
government's protection from my religion. Furthermore, my commitment to my
religion would not change if I happened to become unconscious or
irrational. I would not want to return to consciousness to find out that
some authority had decided "on my behalf' to overrule the decisions of my
case supervisor. I would consider such an action an assault.

Mary DeMoss

STATE OF FLORIDA
COUNTY OF PINELLAS

The foregoing instrument was sworn to (or affirmed) and subscribed before
me this 21st day of December 2002 by Mary demons, who is personally known
to me or produced the following identification:

Public Notary

SARAH H. HELLER
Notary Public - State of Florida
My Commission Expires Oct 29, 2006
Commission # DD161974
Bonded By National Notary Assn.





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