Trapped In The Closet came out in 2005 so the internet wasn’t as vast in information yet or as available. Not even most Scientologists knew the truths of their teachings. So how did Matt and Trey get such in-depth info on the subject?

  • trevorgoodchyld@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    The Space Opera backstory of Scientology became part of the public record during a court proceeding about some church shenanigans or other. This was several decades ago. It had been written and talked about previously before Scientology gained greater public scrutiny in the last couple decades. Church members didn’t know because they are trained to avoid information like that.

  • shahsnow@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Because they’re rich white men that’s the prime demographic. They probably got pamphlets in the mail or just walked into a center

  • GrodanHej@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    It was well known at the time. There were anti-Scientology websites like Operation Clambake and the Lisa McPherson Trust and XenuTV that had a lot of info. There were lots of legal documents IIRC. The Church of Scientology always publicly denied the Xenu story but IIRC they had had to admit it under oath in some trial that it was an authentic teaching.

    They definitely did not learn it from Isaac Hayes. I don’t know what OT level he was on but if he was OT3 (where they learn the Xenu story) or higher he would definitely not tell anybody about it. That would be a major ethics violation. LRH even said people could get so shocked hearing about it they could get sick or even die of they learned about it before reaching OT3.

    And that’s the thing about the Xenu story. All scientologists will deny it. Most probably because they genuinely don’t know about it, and those who do know about it will deny it because they have to.

  • Fluid-Use3726@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    He couldn’t come up with a better name then Xenu? A part of me hopes it turns out to be true just for the irony lol 😂

  • Cjchio@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    I saw it when it came out and used the internet to learn more about scientology. It was all online. I’m not sure where the idea came from that 2005 internet wouldn’t have that info, but there was definitely access to that information.

  • mooseyjew@alien.top
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    1 year ago

    Operation clambake probably. They had almost every single internal scientology document available online by that time. I think you can still go there and read everything from their vault.

  • LordXenu12@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    Dude I was a high schooler writing papers about how they’re a danger to society in 05, i don’t think it was a secret

  • StaySafePovertyGhost@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    The Xenu story has been floating around forever. It’s not a huge secret. Although Scientology protects it fiercely because it’s their most sacred “truth” and deep down I think even some of them know how absurd it is if they were to make this public. Plus since it’s the highest OT level you can get to currently, if they just released the info you learn at that level now, Scientologists have no reason to pay for it later.

    The reason many stay in Scientology after learning the Xenu nonsense is as Leah Remini described - by that time you’ve invested years of your life and tens of thousands of dollars or more for you to get the “truth” of the universe as brainwashed aliens souls in DC-8’s and a galactic warlord. You think “there HAS to be more than this” so you stay in it because you don’t want the shame of believing you wasted all that time and money.