He and his wife Tera hope to help others avoid being defrauded as they were by Scientology and, as Ed put it, "the single most lucrative dissemination line for the cult: WISE."

WISE is the World Institute for Scientology Enterprises. Most of the businesses run by Scientologists are members of WISE. Many WISE companies are "management consultant" firms that hold seminars for dentists, veterinarians, chiropractors, and other professionals, promising to help them "boom" their businesses with a spectacular management technology. Although they don't say so at the outset, of course, they mean Hubbard management tech.

These consulting firms go into a business, put Scientologists in administrative positions in the company, and then try to convince the owners and staff that the only way they will ever really be successful is by handling their own personal problems that are holding them back. How to handle these personal problems? By getting auditing at the nearest Scientology org, of course.

This is what happened to the Hattaways. Thousands of people have been victimized by the fraudulent WISE front groups -- not only in the United States but also in Germany, France, Italy, and many other countries.

For us, the most chilling part of Ed's declaration is point #8: "The trap I fell into personally, professionally and financially, was not set by some wide-eyed cult follower with a message about Xenu the intergalactic warlord. I stepped into the mess by following doctors who I saw as successful and as leaders in the field of chiropractic, dentistry and business management !"

The people who are being defrauded by Scientology are not uneducated, ignorant or unintelligent. Many of Scientology's victims are just the opposite. In fact, Scientology specifically targets intelligent, productive people who want to be successful -- like the Hattaways.

Ed is now trying to get his money back from Scientology. He has written three letters, so far without any success. His fourth letter, to Glen Stilo, is on our site.

Tera Hattaway became involved with Scientology shortly after graduating from high school. As an impressionable and idealistic young woman, she joined the Sea Org in the hopes of making the world a better place. For some time, Tera worked with the "Cadet Org" -- the division in Scientology's Sea Organization where children are kept.

In her declaration, Tera discusses how, as a staff member, she was pressured to have an abortion and she shares what she observed in regard to the importance Scientology gives to families. Perhaps the most disheartenting part of Tera's declaration, however, is where Tera discusses how Sea Org children are actually raised.

Ed and Tera wrote a letter to someone who has been a good friend of theirs for many years. The friend is a Scientologist who had written to the Hattaways to find out why they are now publicly speaking critically about Scientology. The Hattaways have given their permission to post the text of the letter on our website.