Thursday, February 28, 2008

What is "Fair Game"?

I could have sworn I had answered a question about this but I can't find it anywhere. Someone else has done a good job of answering it for me, so I'll just refer you to that article.

Once Again the Myths and Fables about Scientology (No Virginia, there is no Fair Game)

Other data:
What does the term “fair game” refer to?
What is Fair Game?

3 comments:

Grahame said...

Flowers accused me of lying about "Fair Game":

"Fair Game, may have been canceled, however this does not apply to enemies of the Church, or SPs as you like to label anyone that is critical of the practices of the Cult of Scientology."

How do you answer someone who is a fanatic? No matter what you say they aren't going to believe you. However, for the benefit of anyone who is reading this to find data, here is a personal story for you about "Fair Game".

In the early 1980s I was expelled from the Church of Scientology. Yup, that's right, poor little, innocent me, in whose mouth butter wouldn't melt. I messed up big time and did something that, when I look back upon it, makes me cringe, and quite rightly I was expelled and "declared" a suppressive person. So, if "Fair Game" existed, according to the fanatics I should have been attacked, spat upon, harassed, etc., etc. So what really happened? Absolutely nothing, zip, zilch, nada. Kinda boring, but that's what happened.

It took me some time, but I handled it and did the necessary steps (there are only 5 of them) to get back in good standing with the Church.

Anyone can screw up so there needs to be a way to make up for the damage and get back in good standing with your community. In the world outside Scientology you get thrown in jail and you do your time and then you are allowed back into society. In Scientology if you screw up you get tons of chances to make good the damage and change your ways, and if you don't you will eventually (after lots of chances) be kicked out. If you do get kicked out then there are ways to get back in and it isn't hard. But that is all there is to it.

There is no "Fair Game", Flowers. I know you aren't going to believe me but that's your problem not mine.

Mety said...

Hi Grahame!

Well okay I must admit I'm not neutral on this, I do have a bad opinion on some parts of scientology, one of those is the "fair game" policy.

I believe you when you say you were not subject to it. I think most SPs are not subject to it.

but I do think it still exists, for two reasons:

People say they have been a victim of it, and your "apostate" argument doesn't really prove anything. I've read a few interviews and stories about it. They are not lying.

Secondly, why not completely canceling it? LRH didn't:
May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.
And in the canceling of it:
This P/L does not cancel any policy on the treatment or handling
of an SP.

If Scientology really wants to get rid of the critics, why not canceling it completely?

And for why you weren't subject to it? I guess you didn't reveal any secrets of Scientology (about the OT Levels) You weren't a key member criticizing it. I don't know all of the reasons they would do it.

But of course they do it pretty rarely.
Rerely is too much.

PS. I just reread myself... Actually I'm not THAT negative about Scientology, not until the OT-Levels (and, like you clearly see, the fair game policies :D)

Grahame said...

In reply to Kwizi:

Someone sent me a link to the "policy" you quote: May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed..

My response is this:
1) the policy letter looks fake to me because if you read the entire thing it lists the lower "ethics conditions" in the wrong order. That makes me think that whoever wrote it didn't know what the ethics conditions really were.
2) This single quote is the sole source of the allegations that this is what "fair game" means. Do you honestly think if this policy existed the only reference to it would be two sentences in one policy letter of questionable origins?
3) I have the full set of the Organization Executive Course volumes. These volumes contain all existing Scientology Church policy. The policy letter that is the alleged source of "fair game" is not in there. I also have an old OEC volume from the 1960's, a first edition and it doesn't contain such a policy either.

So my conclusion is that it's a fake.

On the quote "This P/L does not cancel any policy on the treatment or handling of an SP." first of all, "fair game" was never what the critics claim it was. It simply meant that someone declared "fair game" was no longer protected by Scientology Ethics and Justice procedures. It meant nothing else. Second the quote is meaningless to anyone who doesn't know what the existing policies are about the handling of an SP. If you do know what they are (as I do because I have the entire set of policies) then you will realize that there is nothing wrong with them. They are broadly available for anyone to see and there is nothing illegal, damaging or otherwise about them. I'm not going to go into what they are but if you are interested then buy the Introduction to Scientology Ethics book and you'll see all policies on the handling of SPs there.

My other posts on this subject can be seen here: Fair Game