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Erin Pavlina · 09-21-2009, 05:20 PM

Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Erin Pavlina's blog:

How I Accidentally Became a Scientology Fundraiser

Angela · 09-21-2009, 05:35 PM

That's funny! It's good to know what you're generating in your work, isn't it?

I had a boss order me to send body armor to Pakistan once. He told me to just order it and mark it "ceramics." This was in the beginning of September 2001 -- hmmm... Good thing I checked with the State Department first -- turns out it would have gotten me at least 20 years in federal prison!

spirit4711 · 09-21-2009, 05:58 PM

Great story Erin! Must have been some shock, being successful to convert people to religion

.

@Angela, 20 years?

I'm glad I'm not a USA citizen...

yuugen · 09-21-2009, 06:46 PM

amazing!

I was offered a fantastic temp-to-hire job this winter. Easy receptionist gig, more pay then I had ever made, and I had been jobless for several months...turned out to be for the advertising arm of the Dairy Council (I'm vegan)

my jaw dropped. God certainly has a sense of humor :-P

a few months later i got a job working for a religious university with a strong ethical base...glad i waited

jdbhouston · 09-21-2009, 07:16 PM

Hey Erin, loved the story! What a great reminder to live consciously. I admit, I have been very abrupt with telemarketing calls; I think I might be more cooperative if they had been as honest as you were. I wonder why your method isn't used more often!

The story brought up a couple of questions for me:

- Did your decision to be up front in your calls come as a sudden decision ("Hey, I'll just try this"), or did you think about it for a while, discuss with friends?

- When you were making the calls about dianetics, did you sense anything wrong with what you were doing? Did you feel anything intuitively one way or the other?

Angela · 09-21-2009, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spirit4711

@Angela, 20 years?

I'm glad I'm not a USA citizen...

Yeah, probably more, because it would have looked mighty like I was aiding and abetting terrorists a few days later on 9/11.

casperize · 09-21-2009, 07:35 PM

Erin, you would be surprised to know how many similarities there are between your writings about the afterlife and what Scientology teaches about it.

Guess what? I'm a Scientologist.

Erin Pavlina · 09-21-2009, 07:54 PM

Yeah, regarding scientology, I actually have no beef with it. Steve studied it for a while and thought it was interesting. He said the people there were some of the nicest people he's ever met and the children seemed very conscious and aware. At that age though, it just sounded creepy to me.

My decision to be up front with my callers stemmed from feeling empathically the hatred directed at me. I wanted to stem that tide of emotion, so I decided to just be honest and forthright. I didn't discuss it with anyone at all.

When I was making the dianetics calls I think I had a list of people who were already predisposed to it or something because most people were interested in making a donation or buying the book. I think they had a good list of prospects there. I didn't think anything of it. Oh, and I had remembered seeing the book on my brother's book shelf at home so I probably figured it was just fine (though I hadn't ever read it or looked at it)

casperize · 09-21-2009, 08:13 PM

Fair enough

spirit4711 · 09-21-2009, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

Yeah, regarding scientology, I actually have no beef with it. Steve studied it for a while and thought it was interesting. He said the people there were some of the nicest people he's ever met and the children seemed very conscious and aware. At that age though, it just sounded creepy to me.

...

You're not the only one: Fair Game (Scientology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

casperize · 09-21-2009, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spirit4711

You're not the only one: Fair Game (Scientology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Thank you for contributing your wikithought on this. Please don't forget to feed us with the galactic overlord, the aliens, slave labor camps and brainwashing as well.

spirit4711 · 09-21-2009, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casperize

Thank you for contributing your wikithought on this. Please don't forget to feed us with the galactic overlord, the aliens, slave labor camps and brainwashing as well.

Touchy, touchy...

It is only one example of what is written on Scientology on the internet. Moreover, note that you don't deny the content...

casperize · 09-21-2009, 09:02 PM

You're right, I don't deny anything. The Founder is himself responsible for whatever he wrote.

Erin Pavlina · 09-21-2009, 09:04 PM

People let's not turn this into a Scientology debate. There's really no need. To each his own.

casperize · 09-21-2009, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

(...) To each his own.

How true!

spirit4711 · 09-21-2009, 09:12 PM

And thank our different gods for different tastes!

JoeRad · 09-22-2009, 01:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

To each his own.

Except when "his own" starts to mess with my ability to "my own". Unlike what most people here with rose-colored glasses would like to think, there are some thing in this world that are hurtful to others.

But, I digress.

austere · 09-22-2009, 10:19 AM

When you were honest with people, its just amazing the replies you got.

I'm glad you followed your gut feel- not many would, I think.

With that slaughterhouse comment, I was reminded of the tale of the valiant King Harishchandra and the time he spent as a funeral-pyre lighter, the most menial of jobs...

cacheborn · 09-22-2009, 05:06 PM

Interesting post. perhaps I should take up a temp job to get rid of my phone-phobia. I also liked the main message : be honest and straightforward! that resonates with me.

TheAndySan · 10-17-2009, 12:21 AM

I haven't read your blog in awhile, but I'm glad I read it today!

Yeah, I definitely recall the tedium of being an over-the-phone tech support guy. It was my best paying job to date and it helped me communicate better, but it got really old really fast. I got so fed up with it that I would often dread taking calls and would browse around the internet when I wasn't taking a call.

I got fired only a month and a half into the job because I wasn't "getting it." Because I was improperly trained on how to handle customers and that the supervisors weren't willing to work with me to help me learn, I was able to claim unemployment and was looking around for work for 3 months and couldn't find anything.

I had at that point saved up enough to move out and find work elsewhere. When I moved, I managed to find a job in less than a month and was making it all on my own. After staying there for three months, I found out that my subleasing agreement was invalid due to my lack of a guarantor so I was evicted and moved back home, back to square 1 basically.

Since I haven't found a new job yet, I've been creating a lot of blog posts and vlogs to help me generate more income. So far, I'm making a tad under $40 a month and although I love what I'm doing, the income that I'm generating from it right now isn't enough to live off of. I've been really depressed about it as well as not being out on my own again.

aggie · 10-17-2009, 01:52 AM

i am going to be good and stay away from a debate about scientology and just answer the question.

yes, i know who i work for...i know exactly what is going on, exactly what i am doing and why.

i am fortunate to be in a position where i do not feel like i have sold my soul.

most of the time. i am in a position where i work for my employer and the client in a way...and usually i don't have to compromise myself to keep everyone happy.

but ya know, i will be honest....with my husband being laid off twice in four months....and an invalid mother to be responsible for.... a job is a job....unless it was something really heinous.

my husband did telemarketing at one time....before i met him and i had been "sucked" in a number of times, until he smartened me up....

i have no problem with surveys....but asking for money is another story.

he also tried scientology a long time ago, in california, and got out rather quckly...but i am sure it offers something for a certain type of person...i guess there is nothing wrong with that, all a matter of personal taste

09-21-2009, 05:20 PM	#1 (permalink)
Erin Pavlina Administrator Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 4,593	How I Accidentally Became a Scientology Fundraiser (Blog) Use this thread to discuss the following entry from Erin Pavlina's blog: How I Accidentally Became a Scientology Fundraiser

09-21-2009, 07:35 PM	#7 (permalink)
casperize Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Italy Posts: 5	Erin, you would be surprised to know how many similarities there are between your writings about the afterlife and what Scientology teaches about it. Guess what? I'm a Scientologist. Last edited by casperize; 09-21-2009 at 07:43 PM. Reason: Some spelling corrected

09-21-2009, 07:54 PM	#8 (permalink)
Erin Pavlina Administrator Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 4,593	Yeah, regarding scientology, I actually have no beef with it. Steve studied it for a while and thought it was interesting. He said the people there were some of the nicest people he's ever met and the children seemed very conscious and aware. At that age though, it just sounded creepy to me. My decision to be up front with my callers stemmed from feeling empathically the hatred directed at me. I wanted to stem that tide of emotion, so I decided to just be honest and forthright. I didn't discuss it with anyone at all. When I was making the dianetics calls I think I had a list of people who were already predisposed to it or something because most people were interested in making a donation or buying the book. I think they had a good list of prospects there. I didn't think anything of it. Oh, and I had remembered seeing the book on my brother's book shelf at home so I probably figured it was just fine (though I hadn't ever read it or looked at it) __________________ Erin Pavlina, Intuitive Counselor Connect with me on: Facebook

09-21-2009, 09:04 PM	#14 (permalink)
Erin Pavlina Administrator Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 4,593	People let's not turn this into a Scientology debate. There's really no need. To each his own. __________________ Erin Pavlina, Intuitive Counselor Connect with me on: Facebook

09-22-2009, 10:19 AM	#18 (permalink)
austere Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 7	Gutfeel When you were honest with people, its just amazing the replies you got. I'm glad you followed your gut feel- not many would, I think. With that slaughterhouse comment, I was reminded of the tale of the valiant King Harishchandra and the time he spent as a funeral-pyre lighter, the most menial of jobs...

09-21-2009, 05:35 PM	#2 (permalink)
Angela Banned Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 22,520	That's funny! It's good to know what you're generating in your work, isn't it? I had a boss order me to send body armor to Pakistan once. He told me to just order it and mark it "ceramics." This was in the beginning of September 2001 -- hmmm... Good thing I checked with the State Department first -- turns out it would have gotten me at least 20 years in federal prison!

09-21-2009, 05:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
spirit4711 Family Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Nong Seng Posts: 3,975	Great story Erin! Must have been some shock, being successful to convert people to religion . @Angela, 20 years? I'm glad I'm not a USA citizen...

09-21-2009, 06:46 PM	#4 (permalink)
yuugen Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Chicago Posts: 9	amazing! I was offered a fantastic temp-to-hire job this winter. Easy receptionist gig, more pay then I had ever made, and I had been jobless for several months...turned out to be for the advertising arm of the Dairy Council (I'm vegan) my jaw dropped. God certainly has a sense of humor :-P a few months later i got a job working for a religious university with a strong ethical base...glad i waited

09-21-2009, 07:16 PM	#5 (permalink)
jdbhouston Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 17	Hey Erin, loved the story! What a great reminder to live consciously. I admit, I have been very abrupt with telemarketing calls; I think I might be more cooperative if they had been as honest as you were. I wonder why your method isn't used more often! The story brought up a couple of questions for me: - Did your decision to be up front in your calls come as a sudden decision ("Hey, I'll just try this"), or did you think about it for a while, discuss with friends? - When you were making the calls about dianetics, did you sense anything wrong with what you were doing? Did you feel anything intuitively one way or the other?

09-21-2009, 08:13 PM	#9 (permalink)
casperize Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Italy Posts: 5	Fair enough

09-21-2009, 09:02 PM	#13 (permalink)
casperize Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Italy Posts: 5	You're right, I don't deny anything. The Founder is himself responsible for whatever he wrote.

09-21-2009, 09:12 PM	#16 (permalink)
spirit4711 Family Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Nong Seng Posts: 3,975	And thank our different gods for different tastes!

09-22-2009, 05:06 PM	#19 (permalink)
cacheborn Family Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 6,439	Interesting post. perhaps I should take up a temp job to get rid of my phone-phobia. I also liked the main message : be honest and straightforward! that resonates with me.

10-17-2009, 12:21 AM	#20 (permalink)
TheAndySan Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Celina, Ohio Posts: 86	I haven't read your blog in awhile, but I'm glad I read it today! Yeah, I definitely recall the tedium of being an over-the-phone tech support guy. It was my best paying job to date and it helped me communicate better, but it got really old really fast. I got so fed up with it that I would often dread taking calls and would browse around the internet when I wasn't taking a call. I got fired only a month and a half into the job because I wasn't "getting it." Because I was improperly trained on how to handle customers and that the supervisors weren't willing to work with me to help me learn, I was able to claim unemployment and was looking around for work for 3 months and couldn't find anything. I had at that point saved up enough to move out and find work elsewhere. When I moved, I managed to find a job in less than a month and was making it all on my own. After staying there for three months, I found out that my subleasing agreement was invalid due to my lack of a guarantor so I was evicted and moved back home, back to square 1 basically. Since I haven't found a new job yet, I've been creating a lot of blog posts and vlogs to help me generate more income. So far, I'm making a tad under $40 a month and although I love what I'm doing, the income that I'm generating from it right now isn't enough to live off of. I've been really depressed about it as well as not being out on my own again.

10-17-2009, 01:52 AM	#21 (permalink)
aggie Family Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,235	i am going to be good and stay away from a debate about scientology and just answer the question. yes, i know who i work for...i know exactly what is going on, exactly what i am doing and why. i am fortunate to be in a position where i do not feel like i have sold my soul. most of the time. i am in a position where i work for my employer and the client in a way...and usually i don't have to compromise myself to keep everyone happy. but ya know, i will be honest....with my husband being laid off twice in four months....and an invalid mother to be responsible for.... a job is a job....unless it was something really heinous. my husband did telemarketing at one time....before i met him and i had been "sucked" in a number of times, until he smartened me up.... i have no problem with surveys....but asking for money is another story. he also tried scientology a long time ago, in california, and got out rather quckly...but i am sure it offers something for a certain type of person...i guess there is nothing wrong with that, all a matter of personal taste Last edited by aggie; 10-17-2009 at 01:55 AM.

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