Sea Org (Sea Organization)
«Code of a Sea Org
Member: I promise through my actions to increase the power of
the Sea Org and decrease the power of any enemy.» —
Hubbard, "The Code of a Sea Org Member", 1978. |
Ex-Scientology
Kids (2008): "The Sea Org / Cadet Org"
The Sea Org, short for "The Sea Organization", is
Scientology's parish (for lack of a better word).
Not all Scientologists are in the Sea Org, but the
most dedicated ones usually are. The current leader
of Scientology, David Miscavige, is also in command
of the Sea Org.
The Sea Org's organizational
structure is an odd mixture of military and
corporate management styles, with staff members
living in army-like conditions, receiving boot-camp
type punishments for misdeeds, and holding
militaristic titles within the organization.
When a Scientologist joins the Sea Org, he signs
a contract agreeing to serve for 1 billion years (no
typo - 1,000,000,000 years). Because Scientologists
believe in re-incarnation, the Sea Org member is
expected to return and serve again in his or her
next life. [...]
Radar (March 17, 2008): "Cult Friction" by John Cook
[
...]
In Clearwater,
Sea Org recruits sign a contract promising one billion years of
service to the organization; in the event of death,
inductees are allowed 20 years to "grow the body"
after they are reincarnated, at which point they are
expected to report for duty. They are also required
to fill out an exhaustive questionnaire bearing this
quote from Hubbard: "You can't be shot for what you
have done, you can only be shot for what you haven't
told us." The Church asks whether applicants have
ever been affiliated with the CIA or Mossad or have
ever held a security clearance, and requires them to
fill out a detailed sexual history, including "any
perversions" and "who, what was done, and how
often—be as complete as you can." [
...]
Operation Clambake
present: The Sea Organization
The Sea
Organization is the actual nexus that controls the scientology
empire. Sea Organization personnel are authorized to take
over and control scientology organizations and to demote
personnel, move bank accounts and run the corporation as if
the SO personnel were employees or representatives of that
corporation but they are not.
Jon Atack: "Scientology, Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard: The Total
Freedom Trap"
Sea Org members have restricted access to
their children, usually only being allowed to see them for
an hour or two each week. Children are kept in the "Cadet
Org," with the specified intention of making them into Sea
Org members. Indeed, Sea Org children can start working for
the organization by the age of twelve, sometimes securing
high positions before their fifteenth birthdays. Children as
young as eight have acted as auditors, taking the
confessions of adults.
The Scandal of Scientology - Chapter 7: The Sea Org
When one of the Sea Org ships was docked in
Corfu, the
London Times reported that a number of people
on shore had seen a female Scientologist and her two children
attempt to run off the boat -- screaming -- and they then saw
her dragged back in by uniformed Scientologists on the ship
before she could reach the roadway.
{28}
The harbor master in Corfu, a friend of Scientology, said he saw
"no reason for an investigation."
Bare-Faced Messiah - Chapter 16: Launching the Sea Org
Such incidents inevitably led to the offenders
being assigned a 'lower condition', the penalties for which were
by then routinely formalized. The least serious was 'emergency'
followed by 'liability', in which hapless state the miscreant
forfeited pay, was confined to 'org premises' and had to wear
the infamous dirty grey rag on one arm. In a condition of
'treason', all uniforms and insignia were removed and the rag
was replaced by a black mark on the left check. In 'doubt', the
offender was fined, barred from the org and could not be
communicated with. Lastly came the dreaded 'enemy' - 'May be
deprived of property or injured by any means by any
Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May
be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.'
Wikipedia: Sea Org
The Sea Org was founded by
Scientology leader
L. Ron Hubbard in
1968,
purportedly as an organization for implementing Scientology
technology around the world through a
fleet
of ships.
[1] In practice, throughout the
1970s
the Sea Org provided a means for Scientology management to avoid
legal entanglements by being able to remain at sea outside of
the jurisdiction of countries seeking to serve legal action.
[2]In 1967,
Hubbard further distanced himself from the controversy attached
to Scientology by resigning as executive director of the church
and appointing himself "Commodore"
of a small fleet of Scientologist-crewed ships that spent the
next eight years cruising the
Mediterranean Sea. Here, Hubbard formed the para-military
group known as the "Sea Organization," or "Sea
Org." With titles
and uniforms of Hubbard's design, the Sea Org subsequently
became the controlling group within Hubbard's Scientology
empire.
Affidavit of Jesse Prince (20 August 1999)
8. I first became involved with Scientology
in September, 1976, in San Francisco. In late 1976, I joined
the elite Scientology paramilitary organization known as the Sea
Organization, also known as the "Sea Org" or the acronym "SO".
Sea Organization personnel are authorized to take over and
control Scientology organizations and to demote or promote
personnel including chief executives, move bank accounts, and
run the corporation as if SO personnel were employees or
representatives of that corporation. The power of the SO is
not only over the purported religious Scientology organizations
but also prevails over the secular organizations such as WISE or
Bridge Publications. The Sea Org's pervasive authority is
possible because the only personnel allowed into executive
positions in these organizations are those who are in full
agreement that the Sea Organization is the commanding
organization.
Affidavit of Jesse Prince (27 July 1998)
I first became involved with Scientology in
September 1976, in San Francisco. In late 1976 I joined the
elite Scientology paramilitary organization known as the Sea
Organization, also known as the "Sea Org" or the acronym
"SO." The Sea Organization is the actual nexus that controls
the Scientology empire. Sea Organization personnel are
authorized to take over and control Scientology
organizations and to demote personnel, move bank accounts
and run the corporation as if the SO personnel were
employees or representatives of that corporation but they
are not. This is true if the organization was part of the
"Church of Scientology" or one of the secular areas such as
Bridge Publications. This is possible because the only
personnel allowed into executive positions in these
organization are those who are in full agreement that the
Sea Organization is the commanding organization. This
weeding out process guarantees there will be no executives
who will resist or protect their corporate integrity. This
is how the Sea Organization can operate with impunity, and
continue to claim that it is merely a "fraternal
organization." The Sea Organization is a "fraternal
organization" the way the Cosa Nostra is.
Declaration of Jonathan Caven-Atack (9 April 1995)
40. Hubbard asserted that the Sea Org is "fabian",
and redefined that word to mean "using stratagem and delay to
wear out an opponent"
[JCA-84]. Hubbard wanted the Sea Org to be seen as "a determined but elusive and sometimes
frightening group". He also asserted that the Sea Org has " tough
discipline", and that "Only those members who are not used
heavily aboard [ship] or on mission seem to go slack."
[JCA-85].
Understanding Scientology — Chapter 9: The Sea Org — "For the
Next Billion Years..."
Students and crew were lined up on deck in the
early hours every morning. They waited to hear whether they were
on the day's list of miscreants. Those who knew they were would
remove their shoes, jackets and wristwatches in anticipation.
The drop was between fifteen and forty feet, depending upon
which deck was used. Sometimes people were blindfolded first,
and either their feet or hands loosely tied. Non-swimmers were
tied to a rope. Being hurled such a distance, blindfolded and
restrained, into cold sea water, must have been terrifying.
Worst of all was the fear that you would hit the side of the
ship as you fell, your flesh ripped open by the barnacles.
Overboarding was a very traumatic experience.
(2)
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