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[SocialTransparency]

 An interesting discussion is developing on another blog site referring as to "Are we in an end game" in referring to organized scientology being a viable entity.

 I agree we are in this "End game" so to speak from a financial perspective. Aging public and staff cannot bear the financial brunt of future church expenditures. Simple mathematics come into play here really.

 Once the activist community comes to this realization, focus CAN be brought unto the last financial resources left for this so called religious organization.

 Narconon being one of these entities @ the forefront of this financial scheme. Coupled with the exposure of what ABLE and WISE are to this so called church and I feel the public @ large will avoid said entities en-mass.

 This takes away another "Cash cow" from the so called church.

 So... An aging public and staff coupled with a general publics distain for products offered by this so called religion and we have in fact entered the "End game". If your product is not bought by the public @ large, then your business model is doomed to fail!

 Economics and monetary input. The mechanisms that helm the sci machine. Mechanisms it can no longer control in the 21st century!

[mefree]

The front groups have kept the money flowing and can always use more attention. Do we know about all of the tentacles? I'm not certain we do.

[ethercat]

First, I think we'd have to define "the end".  Is it when the tax exemption is lost in the US?  Is it when Davy Miscavige runs off, or gets carted off to prison?  Is it when there are no more members?  Is it when people quit practicing scientology altogether?  What definition would you use?

I think a lot of people don't realize how much money there is in various pots, even if what is being brought in presently has slowed.  The amount of existing money and the interest and/or dividends flowing from it are enough (IMO) to keep up the appearance of there being something "there" even once there is nothing actually "there" in the way of members.  Many of the Sea Org members who have nothing to call their own and no one on the outside are likely to stay until they are offloaded, furthering that appearance.  How can you have a church with no members? 

I would like to have more proof (although I know proof is hard to come by) than a chorus of critics saying "The end is near."  I have been hearing this for a long time.

Any efforts of the activist and/or critic community to take away the narconon cash cow along with the other cash cows would certainly be welcomed, however.  Every little bit helps in the long run.  In addition to helping deprive the depraved cult of money, it would help the innocent public* to keep from being scammed and robbed of their money. 

A bit off topic, but this is as good a place as any to include it, I suppose:

I have concluded (rightly or wrongly, and if wrongly, hope someone can point out the error) that the purchase of the Ideal Orgs is a way to maintain the tax exemption.  A non-profit cannot show a profit, correct?  Transfers of funds have been under greater scrutiny since 2001 as a result of the terrorist attacks, correct?  Putting this money into the buildings, while claiming they need to purchase them to keep the "religion" going and membership growing, would be a good way to avoid showing a profit, no?  Additionally, the empty buildings are deteriorating, and will need repairs and renovations, which will use some of the profits.  It will also cost money to keep the electricity on.

When the real estate economy improves, the buildings will be in good shape after their renovations for a tidy profit from selling them off.  The question is, what will happen to leftover money at the "end"?  Will there be any leftover money at the end?  Or will Davy and the Sea Org be on the streets hawking flowers or incense toward the end?   

^* The general public, not the scientology public.

[SocialTransparency]

When the real estate economy improves, the buildings will be in good shape after their renovations for a tidy profit from selling them off.

  Your breath, Please do not hold it.

 Let me present to you a local "hypothetical" situation if I may. Say we take a group of aging  wack-a doodles and someones says, Hey guise! Lets by this big assed building.

 Small group of local wack-a doodles go, MKay sounds like a plan.

 Lets take our hard earned cash monies and buy say a 30+ thousand sq ft building! Cool now we haz this big assed building but no cash monies to make it in our image and likeness .

 Many years go by and wack-a-doodles no occupy big assed building. (No cash monies to makes it super ideal!) Then wack-a-doodles ask big gov for big assed favor(zoning vari).

 Local big assed gov says you wants wut? OK kinda. Wack-a-doodles whine moar and hire big assed lawyer to bwaah about big assed gov be hating on wack-a-doodles.

 Big assed lawyer banks large wack-a-doodle dollars. Wack-a-Doodles still not in ideal big assed building. Building nao in sad sad state o disrepair!

 Wack-a-doodles say we are only a few of us! No can haz big cash for fixer upper stuff! Why? Cuzz they getting old and haz bad monies situations.

 So wack-a-doodles say Hey Guise, lets leave old lodgings for new cool assed rented lodgings, but leave old assed lodgings owner all butt hurt and stuffz!

 Wack-a-Doodles say Hip Hip Hurray for idea. Noa lawyer man and wack-a-doodles all happy n stuff. BUT,BUT Oh wait! We still haz big assed unoccupied building! So wack-a-doodles spend spend spend. Sill no happy fun time.

 How are 20 ofs us aging wack-a-doodles going to pay electric and gas man $40+ thousand a year for comfort and joy whilst in big assed building?

 Head wack-a-dooble sayz No prob my peeps! We follow dear leeders ideal ideas. Gets lots of raw meats in the doors of big assed building to pay and pay.

 Wack-a-doodles say but john q public no want. Leeder says Oh yaz they do's. I will make it go right. Now wack-a-doodles put heads back in sand as evah thing gonna be all right.

 Meanwhile big assed lawyer man cashin them bwah checks and life goes on!

[ethercat]

Oh, lawd, now he's talking like Anonymous.   

I think that is the most smileys I've seen used in a post here, to date.  You would post something that funny when I've come from the dentist with a mouthful of novocaine and can barely keep the coffee in my mouth as it is - coffee has left the mouth.

Kudos for the hilarious synopsis of Scientology in Georgia.

[mefree]

LOL! That is perfect, ST.

[SocialTransparency]

Oh, lawd, now he's talking like Anonymous.   

 Anonymous? No such thing I,m told . Least I digress here, let me get back to the merit of the thread. I should think a little more when starting a thread as this particular one should be taken on a location by location basis.

 Why may you ask should we do this? Well, here in Ga we have a scenario evolving as I type this. I.E. Scientology of Georgia and its ongoing legal fight to occupy a large building as they see fit within the city of Sandy Springs.

 From what I have observed within the public sector here in Ga over the last 3 years relates to what I see as a very finite aging collection of those whom adhere to the teaching of L Ron Hubbard.

 If I avoid outside influences, I.E perceived financial input from the mother church within its relationship with the C of S of Ga and my limited understand of that relationship, I come to see that C of S of Ga is from a financial pov on its own. If we look @ this from a historical angle this is most definitely the case.

 For 30+ years a core group of adherents has been the driving force in its attempts @ growth. That growth has been stagnant if looked @ from a new membership pov. Now this finite core group of adherents has been the financial backbone of this so-called church during this time frame. Those adherents ability from a financial pov peaked with the purchase of the current church property in Sandy Springs Ga.

 Peak income and the ability to generate that income historically fades as the core group of adherents ages if gauged by other social indicators such as aging individuals nationally and finances within the context of peak income earning ability.

 Couple this with the lack of new membership, one is hard pressed to see the organization here in Ga as having an ability to meet future financial obligations not pertaining to it's non profit status here in Ga when speaking of the day to day, month to month operation of and sustaining of a 35,000+ SQ FT building which meets the local communities codes and laws for said operation!

 Staff wages have no bearing here as historically it is not a financial burden because of so called religious worker status and the pay scale by which they are categorized. It is an accepted norm within this sect and does not play a major role financially here in Ga.

 If say an upswing from an economic pov does occur during this finite aging core groups lifetime, how can it impact the current financial situation. Fact of the matter is it cannot. No matter what, once the peak financial plateau was reached 7-8 years ago another is not on the horizon,especially here within the state of Georgia.

 On the back side of this financial peak, this slow downward financial spiral is unavoidable. What were once venues of investment income, I.E property and other physical assets are no longer the safe haven we all historically have come to know. This is a reality both the so called churches membership faces as well as the greater population of the USA!

 Though slow, the economic downturn is the "Achilles heel" which will marginalize this so-called religion here in Ga. It is just a matter of time and money.

  Yes, Time and money neither of which C of S of Ga is capable of controlling. They currently have the legal right to occupy its Sandy Springs property. They do not have the financial depth to sustain that occupation! Economic,s dictate the health and growth of any organization. If the brand or organization can not obtain a sustainable source of income, that entity is doomed to fail.

 Economic collapse is unavoidable when viewed within the business model currently being used by this group here in Ga. It is unsustainable.

[ethercat]

For 30+ years a core group of adherents has been the driving force in its attempts @ growth. That growth has been stagnant if looked @ from a new membership pov. Now this finite core group of adherents has been the financial backbone of this so-called church during this time frame. Those adherents ability from a financial pov peaked with the purchase of the current church property in Sandy Springs Ga.

 Peak income and the ability to generate that income historically fades as the core group of adherents ages if gauged by other social indicators such as aging individuals nationally and finances within the context of peak income earning ability.

Especially seeing as how many of the aging adherents tapped their retirement savings and investments, along with any borrowed money (credit cards, bank and personal loans, etc.) they could get, to contribute to the purchase of the building. 

Another factor is the businesses of scientologists which are so interwoven  - in the greater US population, there are still people with enough money to keep the economy going to some extent; whereas the local Ga. scientologists, having already spent past their abilities in order to purchase the building, do not have the money now to pass around to other scientology businesses, which would then in turn, hand the money over to the "church".  They are having to try to get more money from the general population via the efforts of Narconon and other front groups.

I gather that you are saying that the end time is indeed here for the Church of Scientology of Georgia, and I would agree with you, if that's what you're saying.  I have trouble seeing how they can recover from what they have going on (Sandy Springs RLUIPA lawsuits, Waterford Park lawsuit, garnishments, etc.), at least without help from the mother "church".  I do, however, think we will see a rise in efforts made by the front groups before the final "death throes" kick in.