What is an Acceptable Truth?

A Deep Dive Into Scientology Jargon

This post is in response to the poll which ended September 5, 2024. Be sure to place your votes in the poll ending September 12.

Just in case you were not already aware, an acceptable truth is a lie. Scientology, adherents claim to be the most ethical people on the planet. But, acceptable truth is only one of the phrases they have that mean lie. There are subtle differences between the different forms of lies, but they are all lies.

When people were going ashore while at sea in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Hubbard gave them shore stories. They were not allowed to say they were in Scientology. “Southern Land Development & Leasing Corp.” and “United Churches of Florida” were the front groups used to purchase the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, FL. actual owners was discovered by the St. Petersburg Times.

The front group who purchased the Gilman Hot Springs property near Hemet, CA were “The Scottish Highlands Quietude Club.”

When I worked for the FBI, I had a shore story that I was a clerk typist. I was a temporary employee hired through Kelly Services. Scientology had nothing to do with my employment. A shore story is commonplace in Scientology.

A shore story ensures that Scientology is protected. There is little or no protection for the person giving the shore story. Had I been caught infiltrating the FBI, I would have been on my own. Scientology would disavow ever knowing me. I was aware of this and willingly chose to do illegal things. I chose that because in Scientology, people are programmed to believe that illegal acts are okay to protect Scientology. Shore stories are the pre-planned lies, the ones the person wears as a costume.

An acceptable truth, on the other hand, is a lie the person makes up on the fly. I was drilled on how to invent acceptable truths. Say I had been caught on the street during one of my 4am runs to steal newspapers. Rather than admit I was stealing newspapers, I would have pretended to be delivering them to the news stands. Me figuring out creative ways to sneak paperwork into my bag at the FBI would be an acceptable truth.

Why? Because it was the greatest good for the greatest number. The deeper a person gets in Scientology, the more radicalized they become. They are more likely to believe that everyone is out to harm Scientology. They feel that they have to do their best to defend it. There is actual Hubbard policy that states it is okay to break the law for the good of Scientology.

I trained in Scientology on TR-L. Training Routine Lie. I was taught how to make up acceptable truths on the fly. You needed to make them as close to real life as you could. The coach gave me the command “tell me a lie” I would tell the coach a lie. The coach would try to catch me in the lie, I had to not get caught. For example:

• ”Tell Me A Lie”
• ”My eyes are green.”
• ”I’m looking at your eyes, they are blue.”
• ”It must be the light, my eyes have always been green.”
• ”How can you say that?”
• ”That’s pretty offensive, you think I don’t know my own eye color, they’re green.”
• ”Look, here’s a mirror”
• ”Yup, green!”

I actually used an acceptable truth at the FBI – They asked if I knew Dictaphine. I said yes. I had used a Dictaphone – once. But they bought it, and it was okay because I caught on fast.

Now, the thing is, that was then, this is now. So maybe things have changed? Nope. Just as I got the results of this poll, Linkin Park made an announcement. They were restarting the band with Emily Armstrong replacing the deceased Chester Bennington.

Emily Armstrong the Scientologist. The person who was one of the posse of Scientologists who showed up for Masterson. Once people heard of this, it caused a stir. Her non-response in her Instagram Story which no one could publicly comment on, which disappeared after 24 hours is a masterpiece of acceptable truth:

Anyone who is a Scientology watcher will be able to pick out some glaring omissions here.

• She doesn’t use the word Scientology. She is a Scientologist. She used to be a friend of the husband of one of Danny’s victims.
• She doesn’t mention that the entire posse caused the hearing to be delayed for an hour. This caused distress to the Jane Does.
• Chester Bennington was a victim of abuse. She does not mention him.
• She does not apologize, she “empathizes.”

This is a Scientologist using acceptable truths to make Scientology look good. What I did was almost 50 years ago. Emily has illustrated that they are using the same playbook today.