Kay Rowe - Over the Edge: A Pawn in the Scientology Money Machine

Over the Edge

A Pawn in the Scientology Money Machine

Kay Rowe

Copyright 2017 by Embrace Life Enterprises, LLC

Cover art: 2017 by Embrace Life Enterprises, LLC

All Rights Reserved.

ISBN-13: 978-1977547170

ISBN-10: 1977547176

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Quotes from the printed works of L. Ron Hubbard are used herein for the purpose of criticism and comment. We believe this constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted materials as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law.

Formal Apology and Dedication

B efore I get rolling on the rather long list of people Im dedicating this book to, I wish to make a formal apology. It is addressed to those whose lives have been adversely affected by my actions and inactions, throughout my life. While I have long since patched up many relationships affected by my years of involvement in Scientology, I have not covered all bases.

If you dont understand my reasoning here, I am confident you will once you dive into the chapters that follow. No need to belabor; Ill make this short and sweet.

I sincerely apologize to anyone, anywhere, at any time, whose life Ive adversely affected. Sure, I could come up with all kinds of excuses, like I was young and naive, I didnt know any better, I thought I was doing the right thing and that is was all for the greater good, I was brainwashed, etc. However, whatever the reasons, I am sorry for any actions or omissions that I had a hand in, that may have harmed you or those near and dear to you.

Whew. It felt good to get that off my chest! Now its appropriate to embark on dedication.

Over the Edge: A Pawn in the Scientology Money Machine, is dedicated to so many, its a challenge to list them all.

First, I am grateful to everyone in my rather large family; cousins, aunts and uncles included. It wasnt until after I retired from Scientology staff that I came to realize that their love for me was always and forever unconditional. They were there for me despite the physical distance between us during my adult life; all I had to do was reach out to them.

In all fairness, I must also give a special thanks to my sister-in-law, who kept at me with You really need to write a book. Although Ive only gotten to know her in recent years, she has been a driving force for me in many ways. My brother is so fortunate to have her by his side.

Next, the teachers, particularly from grade school, who believed in me, even told my parents they could envision me making a difference in the world despite the fact that I consistently scored a 3 in self-control. I owe them much for their encouragement.

Then there are literally hundreds of amazing people I came to know through my involvement in the Church of Scientology, the movement I dedicated thirty-seven years of my life to seventeen of those as a fundraiser before finally resigning in September of 2012.

There is one particular person I worked with in my later Scientology years who was absolutely extraordinary. His name was Alex Jentzsch. In the most stressful of situations hed make me and others laugh, even the serious executives. He was one of those whats not to like people, and I will never forget him. His untimely death and the churchs heartless shunning of his mother left me grief-stricken for weeks, and were integral to the decision-making process which culminated in my public resignation from the Church of Scientology.

Last, but not least, I am so very thankful for the dear friends I have made since I started my life over; friends who never had any affiliation with Scientology, and who have accepted me as I am.

Important Note to Readers Scientologists in Particular

M y story is an autobiography in three parts, all in one volume. My experiences with Scientology are covered in Part 2. That is the largest portion of the book, simply because most of my life thirty-seven years out of sixty-one was spent in Scientology. You will find that I have made a point of covering what I witnessed myself, as opposed to hearsay. Also, defamation not being my purpose, I only mention a few people by name.

Many of you reading this probably know me, or have at least heard of me; it is all too likely our paths have crossed. You may have wondered, What ever happened to Kay Rowe? Its possible you asked someone in the church, and were simply told I was not in good standing. The fact is, I had a decent reputation during my church years, and was known for being a kind and compassionate individual. That being said, you deserve to know the truth.

I gave my entire adult life, from age nineteen to age fifty-six, to supporting a movement I truly believed would change the world for the better: bring about world peace, revert the moral decline in our society, rid the world of poverty, crime, drugs and illiteracy; in short, create a Brotherhood of Man. Whats not to like about that concept?

Seeing so much promise in the words of L. Ron Hubbard, I took every positive thing I heard and read on faith, without any due diligence.

Finally, when the red flags went over the top, I gained the courage to perform an unbiased research. Then, faced with so many contradictions and discrepancies, I was beyond devastated.

My decision to officially resign from the Church of Scientology was by far the most difficult I have ever made; it did not come easy and I paid a heavy price.

Nonetheless, no matter your views on Scientology, I grant you the right to your viewpoint. Further, I welcome you in fact, I encourage you to do your own independent research. Dont take my word for it, or anyone elses. Even Scientologys founder, L. Ron Hubbard, in one of his most renowned articles, On Personal Integrity , states that you have that right. He said that what is true for you is true for you. The church even ran a massive ad campaign some years ago, with billboards stating, Think for Yourself. So, there should be no admonishment for doing exactly that. I made this same point in this books preamble, but I intentionally repeat it here, particularly for Scientologists who may be concerned about repercussions.

To those of you who cut communication with me due to my stance, especially Steve and Janna, know that I never begrudged your choice, nor did I stop caring about you. On the contrary, I would gladly wipe the slate clean between us, accept you back into my life, and be there for you whenever you need me as friends do for true friends.

I wish you an unencumbered journey on the road to truth.

Preamble: The Story Behind My Story

O ver the Edge: A Pawn in the Scientology Money Game, is my life story; an autobiography. Its about the underlying reasons for the choices Ive made, the consequences of those decisions, and how Ive moved on and created a new life for myself.

In the pages that follow I expect you will understand the significance of the title.

Since the time I commenced composing this story (just under two years ago) Ive wavered. Would it be worth my efforts? What do I want to accomplish with it? How is my story any different than others on similar subjects? Would publishing it make a positive difference in peoples lives?

Initially, the books focus was the time when I was deeply involved with the Church of Scientology. To be fair, I did benefit in some ways from my involvement, which I cover in more detail in the book. It goes without saying that if that had not been the case, its doubtful that I would have dedicated thirty-seven years of my life to it.

However, in the long run, the church became detrimental to my relationships beyond its domain. For example, while I was heavily involved, I didnt see most of my family for at least thirty years and had little or no contact with friends outside the church. Added to that, my long association finally took its toll on me physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and financially.