The Church of Scientology’s Policies

Fair Game

Critics of Scientology are targets of the Church of Scientology’s policy of “fair game,” whereby Scientologists are permitted (and encouraged) by the organisation to cause the critic harm.

The perpetrators of illegal actions and underhanded tactics used to silence critics of the Church of Scientology are not subject to any punishment from within the organisation; this is because these actions are sanctioned by the Church.

“SP Order. Fair game. 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.” - Founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard 1

A “Suppressive Person” (SP) is somebody who engages in “suppressive acts”;

“Suppressive acts are clearly those covert or overt acts knowingly calculated to reduce or destroy the influence or activities of Scientology” - Founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard 2

To phrase these statements differently; a person who engages in “covert or overt acts knowingly calculated to reduce or destroy the influence or activities of Scientology” is considered “fair game”, meaning that they “may be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist”. They may also be “tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed”.

It is often argued by Scientologists that the policy of fair game was cancelled decades ago;

“The practice of declaring people FAIR GAME will cease.
FAIR GAME may not appear on any Ethics Order. It causes bad public relations.
This P/L does not cancel any policy on the treatment or handling of an SP.” - Founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard 3

So although the practice of declaring people as “fair game” has ceased, the practice of declaring people as “suppressive” has not; and those who are declared “suppressive” are still “fair game”.

Disconnection

Scientology forces its members to cease contact with family or friends who are critical of the organisation - this policy is called “disconnection”.

If a Scientologist is connected with somebody who is labelled “suppressive”, the Scientologist will be considered a “potential trouble source” (PTS) until such a time as they “disconnect” from the person.

“A Scientologist can become PTS by reason of being connected to someone that is antagonistic to Scientology or its tenets. In order to resolve the PTS condition, he either HANDLES the other person’s antagonism (as covered in the materials on PTS handling) or, as a last resort when all attempts to handle have failed, he disconnects from the person.” - Founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard 4

“Any PTS who fails to either handle or disconnect from the SP who is making him or her a PTS is, by failing to do so, guilty of a Suppressive Act.” - Founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard 5

A further explanation of the disconnection policy can be found at http://www.exscientologykids.com/disconnection.html.

Jenna Miscaviage Hill is a former Scientologist and the neice of the current leader of Scientology, David Miscavige (Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Centre). Jenna’s story of disconnection can be found at http://www.factnet.org/?p=255.

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footnotes
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  1. HCO Policy Letter of 18 October 1967, Issue IV. ↩
  2. HCO Policy Letter of 23 December 1965. ↩
  3. HCO Policy Letter of 21 October 1968. ↩
  4. HCO Policy Letter of 10 September 1983. ↩
  5. HCO Policy Letter of 23 December 1965. ↩