I’m honestly a little bit afraid to write this review, having learned what I learned by reading Going Clear.
I don’t want to crap out and not write a review. Other Cannonballers have been brave.
What am I so afraid of?
An aggressively, violently litigious organization with enormous reach that picks legal and physical fights with anyone who questions their legitimacy.
A for-profit company that practically bankrupted the US Treasury in their fight for IRS-recognized status as a religion.
An abusive institution that uses its legal status as a religion to commit systematic, egregious human rights violations.
A cult based on completely incomprehensible doctrine that is equal parts derivitive, unoriginal, defensive, self-protective, accusatory, incomplete, and at conflict with itself. Maybe it doesn’t make sense to me because the doctrine itself is mostly still shrouded in secrecy, but I think it’s probably just that it’s utterly bonkers.
Obviously, I learned a lot that I didn’t even know that I didn’t know. This was an eye-opening, hard read. I caught myself constantly dropping my jaw and leaning forward toward my screen while reading on the subway.
It could be accused of being heavily biased against Scientology, but I think Wright addresses that nicely in his epilogue, in which he reminds the “church” leadership that if they wanted their side represented, they could have answered his questions. But closing ranks is a standard move for them, in keeping with their practice of isolation, detaching, and shuttering.
I can’t even get into the details, because I don’t want to highlight any one thing over another. I simply highly recommend it, especially if you like despair mixed with schadenfreude. And now I’m off to watch the HBO documentary, because I need to know if I missed anything.