A new ex-Scientologist memoir provides a journey through extortion in the rank-and-file - 2018-04-28

A new ex-Scientologist memoir provides a journey through extortion in the rank-and-file April 28, 2018, Tony Ortega, Underground Bunker

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Books by ex-Scientologists keep arriving, and we received one this week that we didn't even know was coming at all, from an ex-Scientologist we hadn't spoken to before. So yes, forgive us if we were a little skeptical about whether we'd enjoy Chris Shugart's Fractured Journey: A Personal Account of 30 Outrageous Years in the Church of Scientology.

But right away, we liked how Chris presented his book, and the humble way he positioned it. No, he wasn't a celebrity in the church. He'd never been in the inner hardcore of the organization, the Sea Org. He didn't have any stories like you would find in Marc Headley's Blown for Good or Jefferson Hawkins's Counterfeit Dreams with outrageous stories about David Miscavige's treatment of people.

But on the other hand, what we often hear from the religious studies professors is that they want accounts not about the famous names in the church but from the rank and file, the average Joes and Janes who move up the "Bridge" of Scientology courses, go to church events, and keep the place going in their own way.

Wikipedia cite:

{{cite news | author = Tony Ortega | title = A new ex-Scientologist memoir provides a journey through extortion in the rank-and-file | url = https://tonyortega.org/2018/04/28/a-new-ex-scientologist-memoir-provides-a-journey-through-extortion-in-the-rank-and-file/ | work = Underground Bunker | date = April 28, 2018 | accessdate = April 28, 2018 }}