Leah Remini is not done talking about Scientology–not by a long shot. Last season she opened up about her experiences both when she was growing up as a Scientologist and after her well-publicized escape in 2013. She has a story to tell, and she feels compelled to give other Scientologists a platform to talk about their experiences. Her show “Scientology And The Aftermath” takes an up-close look at the lives of people who dared to leave and speak out against what she and many claims is a cult.
On August 8th, a week before the Season 2 of “Scientology and the Aftermath” premiere, a show called “Scientology and the Aftermath: The Conversation Continues” will be broadcast on A&E. This episode is aptly titled “Merchants of Fear”. The program will feature an in depth look at the tactics that the Chruch of Scientology uses to silence their critics.
“Scientology and the Aftermath: The Conversation Continues” is an enhanced version of Season 1 Episode 9 titled “Merchants of Fear”. This phrase “Merchants of Fear” was coined by Scientologist founder L. Ron Hubbard in his policy manual describing anyone who is critical of his church. The policies are clear. If anyone is an enemy of the Church of Scientology, then “Fair Game’ rules apply. If you can’t discredit an agency such as the IRS or a publishing firm, it’s okay to attempt to destroy the people who work for such firms.
Reporters like Janet Reitman were featured in the initial episode. It’s scary that Mike Ridner knew Janet wasn’t getting on a plane when she said she was and everyone she talked to during her visit to Clearwater back in 2005. The Office of Special Affairs takes a dim view of journalists and for good reason. Many of them have exposed some unflattering secrets that the church does not want to be publicized. Mike admits how he monitored and subverted reporters as it was policy. Now he’s sitting on a couch across from this journalist and telling her she was basically stalked. Tom Cruise even called Reitman’s editor at Rolling Stone to kill the story. They accused Reitman of being a liar and tried to damage her career.
So when the conversation continues we can bet there will be more revelations, more confrontations and more dirty laundry hung out for the public to digest. To be fair to Ridner, he was doing his job. He was indoctrinated that those who oppose Scientology are trying to stop the church from healing the world. Their job at the Office of Special Affairs was to obliterate any stories about the church and if they have to destroy a reporter’s career as collateral damage. Ridner and Reitman recall a “tour” of the LA Center that Reitman describes as “Disneyland as Prison”. Reitman went further than merely an article, she wrote a book, “Inside Scientology”. You can see the discomfort on the journalist’s faces when Ridner tells them the awful truth about how far these personal attacks can go in the name of church policy.
It just goes to show the more you try to silence someone the more they will continue the conversation. Despite being followed, threatened and maligned, Leah Remini and Mike Ridner are not backing down. It’s harder or Mike as Leah constantly reminds him that he has to say “I did this” and not “The Church did this” so if he can brave the truth we can too. This show is important viewing for anyone who has been in the COS, knows a Scientologist, or wants to know how such an organization can still exist in the free world.
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