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. |
To Life and Death of Lisa McPherson