Title: Scientology’s Use of PC Folder Information (reformatted)
Date: 9 Sep 1998 15:22:37 GMT

[This is article <6t64ln$nvd$1@news-2.news.gte.net> by Jesse Prince
(jesse.prince@gte.net) reformatted to fix the line length.]

What does it really mean in Scientology when they create a file folder
which contains a written account of confessions, fears, doubts, and
the secrets of the souls of its parishioners? What is written on
these file folders is “Confessional Formulary.” Let’s take a look at
this.

Confessional is not a brilliant new form of spiritual counseling that
L Ron Hubbard bestowed upon the world. On the contrary, confessional
as a way of spiritual healing has been practiced by religions
throughout the ages. The idea of a person talking to another in
confidence and “baring my soul,” “really saying how I feel,” or “Swear
you’ll never tell? OK, this is what I know” is the way we live in
peace with each other and help each other stay honest. Trust and
respect is an automatic consequence of such a relationship.

There is some form of confessional in most all religions that believe
in a god. The common denominator in these religions is that there is
an underlying faith in the goodness of the heart. I call this the Good
Faith principle.

In no other church that I know of besides “Scientology” are
confessions that are given in confidence ever written down. I dont
know of any other instance in which a written record is kept of
confessional counseling.

The only profession that does anything close to this is the field of
psychotherapy, in which I also include the fields of psychology and
psychiatry. Scientology, like psychology and psychiatry, keeps notes
of the therapy for use as a reminder in later sessions if need
be. Counselors in each of these fields psychology, psychiatry and
Scientology have an ethical duty never, under any circumstances, to
divulge information given in a counseling session. In fact, there are
laws in the United States that protect the patients privacy under
these circumstances, no matter the content of the information. As a
matter of fact, no police or government agency can demand information
given in confidence by a patient to a practitioner. These laws exist
to protect the privacy of each and every individual in the United
States.

Of course, there is always the oddball group or individual that will
violate this basic human right of confidentiality (Linda Tripp, David
Miscavige). For the most part, no matter what the reason may be for
the person who is the tattle-tale, he or she is looked upon with
disdain. No one in their right mind would continue to talk to someone
who would violate such a fundamental trust. That is the bottom
line. Sometimes good relationships are utterly destroyed after one
person violates the others right to privacy, especially when
information is given in confidence.

Now I want to give you some specific examples of how Scientology uses
information given in confidence by its parishioners to entrap and
control its members. Scientology is not a religion at all. Scientology
is a private intelligence group masquerading as a church.

In August of this year, 1998, I sat in deposition as a witness in a
case brought by Scientology against FACTNet. The cause of action has
to do with allegations of copyright violations by FACTNet against
Scientology.

Yet during this deposition, I found myself looking at over a foot of
information carefully culled and copied from my “confessional
formulary” files that are still in Scientologys possession. Of course,
they had culled my most intimate confessions which I had confessed in
confidence to them and which they then had me authenticate, mostly in
my own hand.

This is standard operating proceedure for Scientology to do to its
critics, because critics are “fair game.” To be fair game means that a
person can be tricked, cheated, decieved and lied to without any
punishment of the Scientologist who does these things.

So here is this lawyer named Sandy Rosen, the Scientology attorney who
is interrogating me in this deposition, asking me to authenticate
records which contain information given in confidence to what I
thought at the time was a religious institution for spiritual relief
and growth. Never in my wildest dreams during my early days in
Scientology did I think as I confessed this information that it would
ever fall into the hands of persons other than certified professionals
within my then-faith, Scientology. I really don’t think my trust was
outrageously naive or legally incorrect. Lets face it; there are
privacy laws in this country. As a matter of fact, as a minister in
Scientology I took an oath never to divulge information given in
confidence from any patient I counseled, no matter the reason.

I must say the experience of that deposition was painful and
degrading. I’m no angel. I was born a human man, not a god or a
demi-god. Just a man. I have made mistakes and have done things that I
am not proud of, as have many of us humans. For the things I have done
wrong, in the same measure I have worked to improve in areas where I
had problems in the past.

Yes, it is my past that they want to use against me. No, I have not
murdered anyone, nor was I ever a party or witness to murder. I broke
some other rules, and what they are bringing to light for the most
part are childhood confessions of 20 to 30 years ago. I have no
criminal record at all, but the deposition was psychological torture
for me all the same. Their intention was to hurt me and get me to back
off. I’d be lying if I said they didn’t hurt me with this cheap trick
of bringing out information from my pc folders, but in no way did it
back me down.

Also, I have to tell you the truth that I am no innocent in this. I
have been on the other side of this coin. I have contributed to and
helped in similar heinous acts against others. Unfortunately, it is
standard policy in Scientology to attack its enemies in any and every
way, and when I was in there, I did it too.

In 1979, I worked on a project with Sue Price, Bernadette OConnell and
Cirrus Sleven for many months, going through the counseling files of
every staff member in every organization located in the LA Scientology
complex. I had to go through every auditing file of each and every
staff member and cull out any embarrassing sexual exploit or business
crimes or any crimes, government connections, etc. It was just another
failed “plant sweep” in reality. At the time it was my belief that I
was doing the right thing in some way, helping the organization ,
still oh-so-blind to the truth. When this happened I truly did this
work in innocence, but I lost even that innocence once I became a
senior executive in Scientology.

Later I actively participated in other criminal activities, some of
which are documented in the declaration submitted to the courts in
Denver. The declaration is also posted on the FACTNet web page. I
guess in a way you could say I got or am getting what I deserve. I
can’t and won’t argue the point, but what I will say is the practice
of divulging personal and private information of a church parishoner,
past or present, is illegal. What they are doing is not right. What I
have done concerning the same act was wrong as well.

The first line of attack David Miscavige will have used against me is
to try to utterly and totally destroy my character by using
information given in confidence and expose it as broadly as
possible. Ive got news for you, David. You won’t have my auditing
files for long, so cull fast. The law is going to make sure you give
me my files. You have proven you are not worthy of trust, not only to
me but even to your current members. I say come on with it. I want you
to go ahead and pull out that big shot gun so I can watch you shoot
yourself and your cult in the foot.

I’m standing up and I’m not alone. I don’t care what you do. As a
matter of principle and law I am going to make sure you never have a
chance to spiritually desecrate another human being again.

Respectfully submitted,

Jesse Prince

Notes