Blog: Alexander Jentzsch: A Scientology Tragedy in 3 Acts - 2017-07-03

Alexander Jentzsch: A Scientology Tragedy in 3 Acts July 3, 2017, Chris Shelton, Critical Thinker at Large

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Five years ago today, on July 3, 2012, a Scientologist was found dead. Whatever ideas come to your mind when I say the word Scientologist, I want you to clear them out of the way because those aren't significant in deciding how to think about the death of this young man. He was not some nameless, faceless religious zealot. He was not some low IQ idiot who deserved what he got because he was stupid enough to join a destructive cult. In fact, objectively speaking, none of these extremist labels apply to him. Just the opposite actually. He never was asked whether or not he wanted to be a Scientologist. At the time of his death, he was a former Sea Org member, he was a son, he was a husband and he was my friend. His name was Alexander Jentzsch and this is his tragic story.

People come into this world and leave it every single day. Some of them are remembered but most are forgotten in the mists of time. This life and death was special. It was special to those who were lucky enough to know him and as we are going to talk about in this video, it was special to so many more people who never got a chance to meet him. I am making this video because I don't want Alex to ever be forgotten. This is my memorial to him. It is a tragedy in three acts.

Act One - Growing Up in Scientology