The luxury cruise ship Freewinds with about 300 passengers on board has been quarantined in port of St. Lucia after a crew member or passenger (the reports are contradictory) was diagnosed with measles. That news would not be funny – however, it gets positively hilarious when we learn that the ship is linked to the Church of Scientology (CoS) and currently packed with its members.
Scientology is legally recognized as a tax-exempt religion in the US and other countries. The CoS emphasizes the harmful effects of drugs, toxins and chemicals that, according to the CoS, lodge in the body and create a biochemical barrier to spiritual well-being. Many scientologists are anti-vaccination, and some prominent opponents of vaccinations, including Kirstie Alley and Jenna Elfman, are Scientologists.
The CoS’s also promotes the “Purification Rundown” (“Purif” for short) and the closely related Narconon detox programmes. They consist of regular exercise, sauna and nutrition, with industrial doses of vitamins and minerals added for good measure. Both programmes were developed by L Ron Hubbard (1911-1986). He taught his followers that, at their core, humans contain a “thetan”. After creating the universe, thetans accidentally became trapped in physical bodies and, through scientology, we can restore the immortal, omnipotent, god-like powers of the “thetan” within us.
The Freewinds plays an important spiritual role for Scientologists, according to the CoS. Passengers receive training in the CoS’s spiritual practice. The ship is staffed by members of the CoS’s Sea Organization. The Sea Organization is a religious order for the Scientology religion and is composed of the singularly most dedicated Scientologists individuals who have committed their lives to the volunteer service of their religion. The Sea Organization is a fraternal religious order and is not incorporated. Members of the Sea Organization are therefore wholly responsible to the Church of Scientology to which they are assigned and are responsible, as are all other staff, to officers and directors of that Church.
To a member of the CoS, boarding the Freewinds for New OT VIII is the pinnacle of a deeply spiritual journey. Years of training and auditing have brought him to this ultimate point. It is the most significant spiritual accomplishment of his lifetime and brings with it the full realization of his immortality, the CoS’s website says.
The ship doctor has now vaccinated all previously non-vaccinated crew and passengers and is currently monitoring the situation.
Is this a case of social Darwinism or just plain old biological Darwinism?
(with the caveat that I hope there is no lasting damage to anyone on board).
“(with the caveat that I hope there is no lasting damage to anyone on board)”
It’s a floating toilet of grifters and rubes. That ship has long since sailed.
Having read some of L. Ron Hubbard’s entertaining fiction I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he invented Scientology as a joke, or maybe as a way of getting rich. I wonder how he would feel about the sinister organisation it has now become.
I don’t quite see your point, Dr. Ernst.
Do you mean the ship doctor (who may, or may not, be a Scientology religion adherent) is acting against Scientology religion rules? And Hurray! he did so?
not at all!
my point is that there seems to be a shipload of scientologists who tend to be anti-vaxxers caught out because of a measles case.
Sorry, that is not at all clear-as-water to me, reading your blog. I think the story is confusing as to what your point is. Normally I would ask you to make exactly to-the-point clear to me where in your blog you support your claim.
But well, I’ll leave it here. I hope you have better arguments next blogs.
The doctor is almost certainly a Scientologist. The Freewinds is about as close to a sacred temple as they get.
Scientologists aren’t prohibited from vaccination but they come from a sort of crunchy granola world.
Scientologists are taught that thetans/souls have complete control over matter, which obviously includes our earthly bodies. We are currently trapped by having been brainwashed.
In order to get onto the Freewinds you have to have reached a level where you supposedly can cure your illnesses with your mind.
Hubbard makes the statement in Dianetics that with it, you will never get sick! Not even a cold! The claims are still in the book as no word can be changed from the original. As far as a CoS Dr giving vaccines, their normal treatment is vitamins, going through the purif again, excerise, etc, but usually not much else. So it is a BIG deal to have the Freewinds crew call out for vaccine and give it. But you can be sure that all who got it will be required to pay to go through the purif again otherwise they will not reach their spiritual enlightenment. So it will be a win on the backside for CoS.
IF they actually DID give the inoculations. Wonder if any local/govt medical authorities witnessed them being given after the vaccine arrived…
Keep in mind that there is no current evidence that the person charged with possibly infecting the cruise ship was previously vaccinated or not. A measles vax is about 93% effective at suppressing measles virus. The obvious and simple assumption is always to blame the un-vaccinated…. not always the case, time will tell.
“blame the un-vaccinated”
This could, of course, be the person that he got it from
Do you know something about this pages? they seem to be related to antivaxx more or less? I can’t find them in Psiram or in other critical journals only a few journals made critical reviews of single articles:
https://www.impfkritik.de/pressespiegel/2018042001.html
http://vaccineimpact.com/about-us/
http://vaccineimpact.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/01/VAERS-Measles-Vaccine-Deaths.jpg
http://healthimpactnews.com/
https://www.nvic.org/vaccines-and-diseases/measles/measles-vaccine-injury-death.aspx
Journal with critical reviews about the quoted journals:
https://healthfeedback.org/evaluation/new-scientist-article-accurately-summarises-pcos-research-but-overstates-significance-of-animal-studies-alice-klein/