The guardians, however, acted on policies written by Ron Hubbard -- policies that are now considered consecrated text. As the church's latest media guide puts it: "The writings and recorded spoken words of L. Ron Hubbard collectively constitute the scriptures of the religion."
Among the religious writings of Lafayette Ronald Hubbard:
"Don't ever defend. Always attack." (1960)
"Harass these persons in any possible way." (1965 campaign against splinter groups.)
"NEVER agree to an investigation of Scientology. ONLY agree to an investigation of the attackers.
"There has never yet been an attacker who was not reeking with crime. All we had to do was look for it and murder would come out." (1966 policy letter)
"They are declared Enemies of mankind, the planet and all life. They are fair game." (a 1968 "Ethics Order" covering a list of "suppressive persons.")
"The prize is 'public opinion' where press is concerned. The only safe public opinion to head for is they love us and are in a frenzy of hate against the enemy, this means standard wartime propaganda is what we are doing . . . .
"Never treat a war like a skirmish. Treat all skirmishes like wars. (1969, "Battle Tactics.")
Today, the war is carried on against the government of Germany, where authorities have concluded that Scientology is a business, not a religion; against journalists, including the author of a 1991 cover story in Time magazine; and against defectors like Lerma, who was a 17-year-old hippie with an aptitude for electronics when he began taking Scientology courses in Washington in 1968.
For seven years, Lerma would serve the Sea Organization -- whose members wore dark slacks, white shirts and nautical gold lanyards -- in positions in Los Angeles and New York. His pay, he says, was $10 a week, and he sometimes survived on peanut butter, but he enjoyed the camaraderie and earnestly believed that "processing" could "clear" his mind of stress and problems. Lerma never served on Hubbard's ship, the Apollo, but hoped someday to meet and impress the "Old Man," a charismatic and swashbuckling figure in those days.
Hubbard's seagoing operation secretly came ashore in Clearwater in 1975. Documents released by the court in connection with the "Scientology 11" proceedings would reveal a Hubbard-directed scheme to take control of the town's political, business and media institutions. Guardian Office files showed that Scientology planted spies in the Clearwater Sun and that its agents attempted to smear the mayor by staging a hit-and-run accident. Those are a few of the stories I reported on when I joined the Sun.
