GREG & DEBRA BARNES

1st Person Accounts

Stories of abuse, deception and fraud in Scientology

After relocating from Texas to Scientology's Mecca in Clearwater, Florida, they began running a business that employed Scientologists, applying Scientology administrative "technology" as their one and only management philosophy and turning over a very large portion of their earnings from the business to Scientology for training, auditing and books. Their child attended a Scientology owned and operated school, where he was taught to apply Hubbard's "Study Tech." Their friends were all Scientologists.

By all accounts, the Barnes' were ideal Scientologists. Yet, in a bizarre series of events, because they understood Hubbard's writings so well, the Barnes' were thrown out of Scientology after challenging some changes that were being implemented by the organization's management - changes that contradicted Hubbard's own policies regarding auditing on the upper "OT levels." As a result of their battle to apply Scientology technology correctly, they were ex-communicated from Scientology, or in other words, they were declared by the organization to be "Suppressive Persons" - at the time, a devastating and unexpected blow for them.

As a result, all of their Scientology connections were severed; their business took a big hit from losing their Scientology-related clients and staff and even their son was forced to leave the Scientology run school he attended.

After researching Scientology from other perspectives - and doing a lot of soul searching - the Barnes eventually left Scientology of their own accord, then began to speak out publicly against the sect. The LMT has documented their story with copies of letters they wrote which were successful toward obtaining a large refund from the International Association of Scientologists (the "IAS") a video interview wherein they describe how they traversed the bridge to ex-communication, TV interviews they've participated in as well as copies of internal reports written while they attempted to resolve the problem that ultimately led to their declare.

We think you'll enjoy meeting this intriguing couple as much as we have.

Stacy Brooks introduced the Barnes story on the LMT website in the fall of 2000 by posting a series of letters they wrote which were successful in obtaining a large refund from the IAS.

The Barnes' tell their story in a video interview, "Speaking Freely" made shortly after their decision to leave Scientology.

Greg and Debra got together with other "OT VII's" to discuss "Moving up the Bridge to Total Freedom" in Scientology. Watch the OTVII panel video.

Greg Barnes paired up with LMT's president, Stacy Brooks, to refute claims made by the leader of one of Scientology's Clearwater front groups -Mary Demoss of the cult's "Foundation for Religious Tolerance" ("FaRT".) This excellent program aired locally on PBS in September of 2000. Although we are not able to show the program on our website, you can click here for further information.

DOCUMENTATION:*

 Background: In a nutshell, the Barnes discovered that someone was re-writing Hubbard bulletins and they they were excommunicated for making that discovery. Read more about this here.

 Internal "Knowledge Reports" exchanged in the organization in accordance with Scientology's "Ethics" procedures while the Barnes' fought to clear their names and to get Hubbard's technology applied correctly during the upper OT levels.

May 10, 1999 At the time, Greg didn't understand that he was intentionally being "reverse audited" at Clearwater's Flag Service Organization so wrote this "Things That Shouldn't be Report" .

May 10, 1999 letter to Scientology's International Justice Chief (IJC)requesting help

May 19, 1999 list of their contributions to Scientology

June 17, 1999 "Knowledge report" about misapplication of Scientology policy

July, 1999 "Knowledge Report" about the public Ethics Officer

  July 5, 19, 1999 Letter to Scientology's Director of the Office of Special Affairs, Ben Shaw