Scientology ads

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Have any of you noticed the increasing number of commercial ads for Scientology on cable tv? They are very well done and ‘inviting’ if you are ignorant of its teaching & history.
 
Yes; they are very well-done. We should have such effective commercials. Definitely geared toward people who feel they don’t belong, esp. kids, and with an almost “salvation” theme. One of them definitely has a feel of “Come to us all who are labored and heavy-burdened and we will give you rest.” Very unnerving.

The lighting on the close-ups is weird and creepy. It gives one of the girls the appearance of having elongated reptilian pupils.

I wonder if L. Ron Hubbard really had this in mind when he wrote Dianetics, I think in the late 50’s or 60’s (?) or whether somebody saw dollar signs and appropriated it after his death. I haven’t done a lot of research into Scientology because, frankly, I stay away from that kind of stuff, but I know the general gist of it. I tried to read Dianetics when I was a kid - I thought it was going to be science fiction because it was written by Hubbard - and it bored me to tears. I didn’t get very far.
 
Hi i am an Aussie are their adds on the web anywhere that i can view them?
 
MJE said:
Have any of you noticed the increasing number of commercial ads for Scientology on cable tv? They are very well done and ‘inviting’ if you are ignorant of its teaching & history.
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Scientology is floundering and this point, with the defection of many high level members (some who even defended Scientology officially on CNN, MSNBC, etc. for years), who have also spoken out. After these members did speak out, they released a 80 page propaganda magazine that glorified how many buildings they are building and opening (even if they won’t have the “parishoners” to go to them), as well as character assassinations of the high level defectors (complete with surveillance-like photos of their homes, etc).
 
But scientology isn’t really a religion, is it? I mean, there’s nothing spiritual to it. It’s all about gaining personal power by exposing and “healing” past events that theoretically hold a person back.
At least, that’s my understanding. Am I wrong?
 
FickleFreckled said:
But scientology isn’t really a religion, is it? I mean, there’s nothing spiritual to it. It’s all about gaining personal power by exposing and “healing” past events that theoretically hold a person back.
At least, that’s my understanding. Am I wrong?
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Well, that’s how it starts. The first part of Scientology is called “Dianetics” which aims to get rid of all of the negative effects of past events. Once all of this is gone (they call it the “reactive mind”), the person is said to be “Clear”. Throughout the clearing process, past lives come up, which are doctrinal in Scientology. Once Clear, they go on to the “Operating Thetan” levels, which are more “spiritual” (“thetan” means soul in Scientology speak). These levels only occur in special buildings called “Advanced Organizations”. According to many that defected, on the 3rd OT level, you learn the genesis story of Scientology, involving a galactic warlord, Xenu, 75 million years ago. Because of his actions, all humans have space aliens (“body thetans”) attached to them, which cause even more problems. So, from OT 3 on, the goal is to get rid of these spirits to fully free the self.

:rotfl:
 
I saw those ads, and how can they even remotely call themselves a church? I saw nothing about our Lord mentioned in there. Of course wasn’t expecting to either. It sounds like a big self help social network with guidelines and tests, that I heard about. Sad really:( Trying to find happiness without our Lord? Well you won’t find it.
 
The Dianetics part I knew, although I didn’t know it was still called that. But the space aliens? Are they kidding?? What a load of nonsense.
 
ThuriferAcolyte said:
". According to many that defected, on the 3rd OT level, you learn the genesis story of Scientology, involving a galactic warlord, Xenu, 75 million years ago. Because of his actions, all humans have space aliens (“body thetans”) attached to them, which cause even more problems. So, from OT 3 on, the goal is to get rid of these spirits to fully free the self.

:rotfl:
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WOW
i have an old parishioner who is die hard Catholic all is life and is resolved adamantly that this is right.
He considers himself one of those Miriam priests.
In his early days he would speak of souls in purgatory that would communicate with him. They were very consistent.

I was once concerned because JWs visit him regular but i visit at the same time and realise Frank wont budge for any one.

But now he is starting to lose it a little and his new story is similar like this one posted.
He carry s it both in and out of his dementia episodes.
He tells me he has seen things.
His story is very consistent.

We have no Scientology here and i have never known of Frank eva having contact with them, we have spoken about most religions and non religious ways of life.
 
FickleFreckled said:
The Dianetics part I knew, although I didn’t know it was still called that. But the space aliens? Are they kidding?? What a load of nonsense.
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They keep the space alien part a secret. All of the Operating Thetan levels are confidential, as you have to be invited to them (though of course most that go Clear are invited, since it’s more money into the “church”). So, if you watch interviews with Scientologists, they’ll deny anything about Xenu and space aliens, walk away, etc. However from various court hearings, there are copies of the material, which is written in L. Ron Hubbard’s (the founder) handwriting. Ex-members that have gotten to OT 3 and onward have confirmed the story as well.
 
FickleFreckled said:
So what celebrity members have left?
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Not many celebrity members have left Scientology recently, save for Jason Beghe in 2007. The celebrity experience of Scientology is much different from the “normal” experience, as they have specifically designed “Celebrity Centres” in select cities, such as LA and NYC, for actors and artists. So the Scientology that Tom Cruise participates in, though may technically be the same as far as the “Scientology technology”, is not the experience of Joe the Scientologist.

Many high level Scientologists have recently left however, including Mark Rathbun (former Inspector General of the ‘Religious Technology Center’, the group that controls the copyrights, symbols, etc. of Scientology), Mike Rinder (former ‘chief spokesman’ of Scientology, who speak rabidly in defense of Scientology on CNN, MSNBC, and other news outlets in the past. He was also Executive Director of the Office of Special Affairs, which deals with PR and legal issues), and Tom de Vocht, who oversaw the spiritual headquarters of Scientology in Clearwater, FL.
 
Scientology is a blatant money-making scam. L. Ron Hubbard once said “that the best way to get rich was to start your own religion.” He went from being a penny-a-word hack science-fiction writer to being a very rich man. Of course, this was at the expense of many duped suckers. It has nothing to do with God or Christ at all, just sucking as much money out of the rubes as possible.
 
So…d’you think now he’s having to deal with all those little space aliens that are stuck to his soul? 😃

They’re probably pretty itchy and chatter in really shrill voices…
 
FickleFreckled said:
But Scientology isn’t really a religion, is it? I mean, there’s nothing spiritual to it. It’s all about gaining personal power by exposing and “healing” past events that theoretically hold a person back.
At least, that’s my understanding. Am I wrong?
Click to expand...
Back in the late 60s-early 70s, there was a lot of hubbub about Scientology. Their first celebrity spokesman (and narrator) was Steven Boyd (of Ben Hur fame). He did the talk show circuit, but wasn’t a laughing hyena who jumps on couches. Back then, they said they weren’t a religion. They were very clear on that. Then they realized that religious status would grant the organization (and Hubbard) tax exempt status.All of a sudden, they were a religion! Their “clergy” even wore the collar (at least they did back in the late 70s when I last saw them)!

They had a townhouse in the Back Bay of Boston. A huge place, where one could take a personality test, or watch one of their propaganda films. They were everywhere downtown, passing out pamphlets and trying to get people to take the test or go see “a free movie”. I felt I was at a carnival with all the huckstering. Lost souls. We should pray for them.
 
I have. And it frightens me.

The leadership of Scientology is really quite secretive. You dare not cross the leadership. Even if you are a nonscientologist. They will harm you. The prospect of more people buying into this, giving it money, and thus giving it power, is a very scary prospect indeed.
 
Barry Gabriel,

Stephen Boyd as in Marcellus? Yikes. What a crush I had on him when I was a kid and the nuns took us to see Ben Hur!

You are so right; they need our prayers. We are becoming such a sick, insane world full of hucksters, rhetoric and virtually no substance. Everything is hype these days.

Sorry. I’m in a bit of a gloomy mood today!
 
FickleFreckled said:
Yes; they are very well-done. We should have such effective commercials. Definitely geared toward people who feel they don’t belong, esp. kids, and with an almost “salvation” theme. One of them definitely has a feel of “Come to us all who are labored and heavy-burdened and we will give you rest.” Very unnerving.

The lighting on the close-ups is weird and creepy. It gives one of the girls the appearance of having elongated reptilian pupils.

I wonder if L. Ron Hubbard really had this in mind when he wrote Dianetics, I think in the late 50’s or 60’s (?) or whether somebody saw dollar signs and appropriated it after his death. I haven’t done a lot of research into Scientology because, frankly, I stay away from that kind of stuff, but I know the general gist of it. I tried to read Dianetics when I was a kid - I thought it was going to be science fiction because it was written by Hubbard - and it bored me to tears. I didn’t get very far.
Click to expand...
My brother-in-law was into Scientology in the early 70’s and it cost him thousands of dollars. They were into it for the money back then.
 
FickleFreckled said:
Barry Gabriel,

Stephen Boyd as in Marcellus? Yikes. What a crush I had on him when I was a kid and the nuns took us to see Ben Hur!

You are so right; they need our prayers. We are becoming such a sick, insane world full of hucksters, rhetoric and virtually no substance. Everything is hype these days.
Click to expand...
Yes, the very same Marcellus. A decent actor, but clearly a bit of a dupe.
 
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