What is scientology?

[placebo]

I saw in the newspaper that plenty of actors and "rich" people practise this religion or whatever is. Also in the article is written that it is based on self help principles. Do you know more about scientology?

[RT Wolf]

Originally Posted by placebo

What is scientology?

A cult.

This forum really doesn't like short responses. Scientology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Aiox]

A man-made religion, Dianetics and Scientology were developed by pulp science-fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, in 1951.

Look here for a pretty extensive site about Scientology.


A collection of official reports and court judgements relating to Scientology

What some UK judges have had to say about it.

Here's another view about it.

"Scientology is quite likely the most ruthless, the most classically terroristic, the most litigious and the most lucrative cult the country has ever seen. No
cult extracts more money from its members.'" - Cynthia Kisser

When you get to it's bowels, Scientology is really bizarre :

"The belief system of this religion is based around a "Space Opera" that happened millions of years ago. An evil galactic overlord, Xenu, collected all the billions of people from 76 planets and brought them to earth. Xenu then stacked them around volcanoes and blew them up with H bombs. He then implanted their souls with false memories. According to Scientologists, there are a few thousand clusters of these confused souls now in all of our bodies. The Church of Scientology has cleverly figured out a way to get rid of these alien cooties. You can pay them a lot of money." Source

Another good site on this nonsense.

[Markus74]

It's a, rather dangerous, fraud.

[fontduroy]

I think this is out of print, but here is a great book that chronicles the life of L. Ron Hubbard. It is available for online reading.

Bare-faced Messiah: The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Aiox

A man-made religion, Dianetics and Scientology were developed by pulp science-fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, in 1951.

ALL religions are man-made. L. Ron Hubbard was a successful manipulator and opportunist who was able to milk gullibility and ridiculous U.S. tax laws for huge profits, just like so many religious leaders before and since.

[Savage]

I actually tried Scientology several years ago just to see what it was like. I went to one of their centers and took a couple of their courses over a period of two months. I even had an official membership card, so for a while I was technically a Scientologist.

The reason I did this was to learn about Scientology from the inside. I wanted to learn the truth about it. It was a fascinating and revealing experience. I'm glad I did it.

The Scientologists were some of the nicest people I've ever met. At the individual level, the organization is about self-awareness, personal growth, and community. The people I interacted with seemed generally congruent about believing that... no signs of anything nefarious. The member I spent the most time with was able to credit lots of practical growth to his Scientology membership. The Scientology children I met were the most self-aware and mature I've ever encountered. I'd feel totally at ease in a room full of Scientologists.

At the center I learned to do auditing, both giving and receiving. All of that was free. I can't say I had any major breakthroughs, but it was an interesting experience.

On the other hand, I did see some questionnable cult-like practices. For one, they get you to fill out feedback and testimonials about almost everything you do, and they file everything you write, no matter how personal. I imagine they must have enormous files on their long-term members, on the order of a personal journal. On your first visit, they require you to sign a contract, swearing you aren't a member of the press... among other things. Also, they pressure you to spend more time at their center and less time with family and friends -- or they try hard to get you to bring your family members to join too. They also redefine common words to create their own vocabulary that isn't used outside the organization, which is a very cult-like pattern. They basically score a match on all the signs of a cult.

After I stopped going, I would get frequent phone calls asking me to come back. I also got mailings from them for years, even after moving twice. They're very persistent in not wanting you to leave.

I can see why the organization is so financially successful. Scientology would certainly fill a void in your life if you're lonely or disconnected. It will provide some positive growth experiences in the beginning for very little expense. You can go to their centers for free if you want. Plus you'll make new friends easily. Once it becomes a habit and you're sucked in, then your relationship is leveraged to get you to either (1) spend increasingly larger sums of money with them, or (2) work for them for free or nearly free to earn course credit.

It seemed clear to me that the parent organization has very different priorities than the individual members, which is probably why there's so much controversy around it. I'd expect individual members to defend the organization, especially since they don't know what's really going on at the top.

In a way Scientology operates like other large organizations. The individual members simply don't know what's going on at the top. Only the real decision makers know the whole story, and they're the ones who control the organizational direction... for good or ill.

[Aiox]

Very interesting experience Steve.

>>ALL religions are man-made.
What I meant was having no basis in anything spiritual, or stemming from some enlightening experience. It's just a purely fabricated fiction based on nothing but Hubbard's imagination (and desire to make gobs of money).

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Aiox

What I meant was having no basis in anything spiritual, or stemming from some enlightening experience. It's just a purely fabricated fiction based on nothing but Hubbard's imagination (and desire to make gobs of money).

It could be argued that there is a spiritual basis in Dianetics' auditing -- the release of the power that some experiences (including birth) imprint on your psyche (called engrams.) Either way, it's still like all religions -- purely fabricated fiction based on someone's imagination -- and possibly some inspiring teacher (and desire to make gobs of money or power). Hubbard's teachings certainly have inspired lots of people, just like Jesus's.

I had an immersion in Scientology similar to Steve's as a teenager. I pulled out when it became clear that the more money you spend, the more enlightened you get.

[RT Wolf]

Steve: wow, your descripton of that cult sounds a lot like what your site does to people.

Seriously though, thank you for making this site. You've changed my life in uncountable ways. And made personal development much more accessible. Thanks.

[Michael Chui]

I've always thought starting a cult would be fun. I don't have the personal charisma to handle it, though, so I'd need a puppet. Takers?

More seriously, the most pointed mark of Hubbard's religion isn't that it's man-made: it's that it's made by one man. The modern religions of the West all have people who were a big deal in their early history. (I have a hypothesis that Eastern thought simply wasn't built for something like that, except for Buddha.) But very few religions were actively fabricated.

The other religion of interest, therefore, is that of Joseph Smith, or the Church of Latter Day Saints.

I did wonder how long it would take for someone to give another perspective to the "Scientology is evil/bad" bit... and it makes me wonder if there are any Scientologists here.

[Angela]

Michael, you're right! We wouldn't have made any scientologists feel welcome with this thread, would we?!

Dear Scientologists: I apologize if I offended you by calling L. Ron Hubbard a manipulator and opportunist. I wasn't talking about you, personally -- you're good. I'm sorry if I said anything I didn't mean. Scientology is no worse than any other religion.

[placebo]

I remember one documentary about Africa on National Geographic. Actually i believe that i will never forget this story.

In Nigeria, i think, some guy decided to build a church. People there are poor and not educated, so he decided to use that. He said that more material things they give to church more will god love them. People brought everything they have and they don't have much. He built megalomaniac church, for 10000 people, everything in gold. He has 10 cars, 3 houses and people are left homeless. He used their lack of knowledge. First he confused them, then he showed them how to not be confused and he was a god to them. Sad story but true.

Many of us are victims of something like that, but we are not aware of that. Although, i'm not sorry for Tom Cruise

[joecooool]

Scientology is a pyramid scheme to sucker you out of your money

[Marco Polo]

Tom Cruise, anyone?

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by Marco Polo

Tom Cruise, anyone?

Yes. Two posts above yours.

[Marco Polo]

Whackjobs, the lot of them. I'd much rather believe in the Giant Skyfairy (i.e. God) than Kolob and Xenu.

I'm very picky about my imaginary friends - strictly no extraterrestrials.

[Dan.Linehan]

The 21 precepts in The Way to Happiness appear pretty solid at least.

[Michael Chui]

Sky deities are extraterrestrial, too.

[Marco Polo]

Originally Posted by Michael Chui

Sky deities are extraterrestrial, too.

No the Giant Skyfairy is omnipresent. That's different.

Xenu is more like your average alien. Picture Spock on acid.