This birthday was the result of a court case over an application for exemption from
National Service, on the grounds that this person was a "Minister of Religion"
of "The Church of Scientology".
The court case that decided the matter was held in a little suburban court house at a
Perth coastal suburb. I was in attendance as a "parishioner". I think Joan was
there too. We were probably the "happily married couple".
On the basis of the appeal from a small handful of us bright eyed devotees who
dominated the very small court-room, the few non Scientologist legal-eagles in the room
were moved on very emotional grounds to believe the sincerity of those present as
supporting without reservation the man who we claimed was our dear minister of religion.
Our "wish to have him exempted from national service; of not being sent off to
become a "trained murderer" for the military, but left with us to minister our
spiritual needs, had the court make the compassionate decision to spare this man from
national service.
This decision wrote into law the acknowledgement of him as a minister of a religion and
thus it was interpreted that in law, Scientology was, in Australia, a Religion.... a
gazetted religion... which means... legally capable of performing marriages, funerals and
other acts of sanctity any other religion was able to perform. Also this including
enjoying some tax advantages, and being protected from "government harassment"
as a LEGAL RELIGION... all because a guy wanted exemption from National Service.
Clever bit o'legal skulduggery I reckon Matey!
However. This exciting story moves on.... Due to the fact that I had fled a
staff position in England later in 1972, from that international management group called
the Sea Organisation (run on a naval/military model and at the time boasting several
sea-going vessels) (I feared for my life), I was unable to be married in
my church till I paid a "free-loader bill" of several thousand dollars.
I had signed a "Billion Year Contract" to the Sea Organisation. Leaving so
early was frowned upon... though I had worked myself silly for 12 months for the great
cause for around 15 pounds a week.. On leaving I was called a FREELOADER.
I think I was lucky to get back to Australia in one piece.
Still later, as the possibility of a church marriage ceremony dissolved during
the breakdown of my relationship with this beautiful, intelligent, woman, whom I still
thought of as a best friend for years, I was caught in a web of financial stupidity where
I was owing a Scientologist a large sum of money I had borrowed to pay for 100 hours of
scientology auditing (regarded as spiritual counselling). The purpose of this auditing was
to "straighten-out my case", and as far as I was concerned, my relationship with
Joan.
Well it did change my life. I did feel as though I was straightened out. But the state
did not last. I caved in after going to Melbourne to work for the man who had been so
generous with his money. I met his wife who was "having a very bad time on an
"upper level" called OT II".
It made no sense that someone on such a "lofty level" should have such a foul
attitude. My reality was severely disjointed by this.... and there I was away from Joan
and anyone I really knew, with no "brilliant state of case" of my own and a
little shy of the world at that age.
I thought I would be able me to work out my debt as the manager of the "private
enterprise" scientology franchise operation run by this guy delivering some basic
Scientology services tailored to business applications."
But it didn't work out.
My pay was $50 per week and 10% commission on any courses sold. I didn't realize that
meant personally sold.
The Centre made lots of money. People were handled by me left right and center, though
I didn't actually personally sell more than a couple of courses. I was really a sort of
minister at heart. I just fixed all the upsets that I could not control from happening on
the course run by the only other staff member. He was given higher status as he was a
close employee of "the man", and I was just a young untrained person from out of
town.
Joan separated from me and almost over night was going to marry a musician in Sydney,
and soon after, I just packed up and left Melbourne for Sydney with virtually none of the
auditing debt paid.
When I arrived back at Sydney I had a lot of sorting out to do.
I decided that I really liked dealing with people on a "personal help" level,
and I thought I would rekindle an old goal of becoming a professional auditor. It was the
technology of auditing that "sold" me on the idea of Scientology in the first
place, and I hastily signed a 5.5 year staff contract with the Sydney Organisation. I was
scheduled to commence professional auditor (staff auditor) training in a special tech unit
set up for that purpose within weeks.
I moved into the flat in Paddington that Joan and I had shared as it was for rent. So I
was moving back into the old location. I started working as a gardener again, for a crust,
and prepared to start auditor training at the local org.
But I realised even before I started I had made some grave mistakes.
- I shouldn't have moved back into the place I had lived with Joan.
- I shouldn't have signed that staff contract. I might be able to feel ok and
forgive and forget, but it seems certain cult members can't.
So I promptly went quite PTS.... and my car was repossessed the same week. Good
management Dave!
I was rescued from myself by a friend who carted me off to live in the country. I had
to cool down. The dogs were at my heels one way or another, and I needed to
"de-stimulate".
For the next 3 or 4 months, with nothing but trouble from the Sydney organisation over
my ex sea-organisation history and unpaid debt to "the man in Melbourne" and my
flirt with yet another staff contract, I was savaged by the "Commanding
Officer", Mrs Phil S------, till I was sure I would never go near the Sydney org
again.
I just refused to be pushed around by her any more. She was the CO of the Sydney
organisation before I went to New Zealand in 1969 for training on the Hubbard Standard
Dianetics Course. I was one of only three students from Australia to go.
Suddenly Phil S was my CO in New Zealand. Then when I got to England a year an a
half later, to join the Sea Organisation, she was surprisingly enough the C.O.of the FOLO
(Flag Office Liaison Office or something) in England too.... and now she was back in
Sydney haunting me again after I had escaped back to Australia..
Well after a year or so I returned to Sydney, from my rest in the country, to
"start my life over again"... to "rejoin the world".
I met Janine, Claire's future Mother.
I returned to gardening for a crust again... when I met Janine. She was the
"maid" in the household I was working at once a week. She was unattached and I
thought a little detached, at least from me at first. I had the impression she was looking
for "a solicitor boyfriend", or a doctor or a banker..... She told me so
later.
But Sorry. I was a gardener.
And I decided she would be the mother of my children.
She was 6 years younger than me. I thought she he was very beautiful, and of course I
was handsome.... and I discovered she was anorexic. At the time I thought anything could
be handled with auditing and I had already committed my heart to her anyway.
We had a child she named Claire. I added Davina as my dad's name was David like-a-me..
So she was called Claire-Davina Broughton. She was born on 3rd October 1977.
So in 1977, I had found what all men treasure more than money and their own
lives; something as spiritual as any "system of faith"... if they have not lost
their soul... A child.
Claire was the beginning of my life. I was fulfilled. The woman who gave herself to
bare this child was a goddess in my eyes, and I would to this day remember every detail of
the birth and her courage and bravery in those long hours of labour and difficult
breach-birth.
But it was a deep wound I carried knowing that I had not married Janine though I loved
her dearly.
I had only had a registry office "wedding" with Joan and we had never gotten
around to a "proper wedding" in the church. So it was my earnest desire to marry
Janine with the blessing of my church.
But "the church"... i.e. the C.O. Phil S------, refused permission for me to
marry, as she claimed I still owed HER money. She had made a deal with "the man in
Melbourne". As he owed her money the debt was transferred to me owing her the money
instead of him. This was some sort of control arrangement on her part that I didn't like
nor agreed to. So our child was born out of wedlock.
It just seemed like yet another insult for the many years of service and dedication to
the cause.
But when Claire over next few years, turned out to be one of the rare children without
woe or tears, I became aware of many flows of jealousy over my parental skills and
apparently model marriage. Envious, covetous and even lustful eyes sought to take Janine
away from me. And she was oblivious to it all as she lapped up the attention... and gave
me none.
I was over 30 and in very good health. So the kettle boiled and I went astray.
I regret these events, but there were forces set in motion from the series of strange
run-ins with Phil S------, and the day I left the Sea Org... and from the day I decided
Janine would bare my child.
I didn't know how or why the cluster of guns was loaded.....
And further more, I never have dreamed of what would happen at the hands of those I
trusted and believed in with every fibre of my being. My Scientology "Church".
Return to previous passage
