Scientology

[Sanctus]

Could someone give me the Church’s insight on Scientology? Are they Christian? What do they actually believe? I’ve heard blips about them in the news–some actors/actresses being involved in Scientology. Anyway they’ve kinda always been an enigma to me.

God Bless,

 

[Tom_of_Assisi]

It is a non-Christian “church” based on the 1930s and 1940s writings of sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard. It is an odd mixture of science, religion, and science fiction. I don’t really know much more about it.

 

[dren]

I can’t speak for the Church, but I have had an experience with them. My wife and I took a class they offered about 12 years ago. Before the class, they make you sign a form stating that you are aware that this is a “church”. At the end of the class, they make you answer questions while hooked up to some sort of lie detector machine and measure your responses to assure you undertood what you learned. Very weird. After the class, we were bombarded with junk mail about becoming clear. Becoming “clear” consisted of ongoing counseling sessions where you can free your mind and remember past lives and know reality or something like that. I never followed it very closely, but definetly was not comfortable with the whole experience. I actually had to write a pretty nasty letter to get them to stop sending the unwanted junk mail. It all seemed kinda new age.

Regards,
Dren

 

[Fidelis]

In addition to the info on the previous posts, I understand that the movement is very manipulative and controlling. You basically advance in the religion by paying thousands of dollars each time you advance. They are very jealous of the content of this material required for this “advancement” and are very quick to take to court anyone who tries to reveal it.

It is closely tied to Dianetics, also devised by Hubbard. I have heard that he started Scientology on a bet that anyone could start a religion. I would say he’s won his bet.

 

[AmandaPS]

Here’s a site created by people who are combatting Scientology. It shows how the “church” will spend millions of dollars to silence ex-members who speak out against them.

Operation Clambake: The Fight Against Scientology on the Net

 

[HammerOfHeretic]

As I understand it, Ron L. Hubbard was high out of his mind when he wrote his “back story” for scienctology. He wrote a letter to his sister saying that he was taking depressents and
anti-depressents.

The back story is quiet commical to say the least. Any way, Hubbard said that 75 million years ago there was this Galactic Emporer named Xenu (or Xemu). He ruled over billions of aliens. But, his empire was getting overcrowded. So he rounded his population up and took them to earth in spacecraft that look like DC-8’s (a type of modern airliner).

When they got to earth the spacecraft dropped the aliens into volcanoes scattered thoughout the world. Then Xenu detonated hydrogen bombs inside the volcanos. While this was going on cavemen were living peacefully together. Then the aliens souls escaped the volcanos and caused havic. The alien souls were named “body thetans” by Hubbard.

This is of couse Hubbard’s pandora’s box. The only way to detect and be cleansed of the theaten souls is by taking scientology seminars. The machines they carry and go around with are thetan detectors to find the alien souls.:whacky:

For a more indepth look here is a link to wikipedia’s scientology article: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology

 

[AdvanceAlways]

I actually do have a close friend who is highly involved in the Church of Scientology. They do come across is nuts thats for sure. In their “defense” (I feel awful saying that) they are not a bunch of alien believing creeps. Most don’t believe the Xenu story and the stuff they showed on South Park, although that is part of the Church.

On a school trip, for kicks, a bunch of us visited and local Scientology center. They claim you can be both Christian and Scientologist but there would certainly be conflicting view points. Not to mention that Dianetics is psuedoscience.

Save move- do NOT get yourself involved.

 

[Abira]

According to The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, ed. Brian Ash, Harmony Books, 1977:

“… [Hubbard] began making statements to the effect that any writer who really wished to make money should stop writing and develop [a] religion, or devise a new psychiatric method. Harlan Ellison’s version (Time Out, UK, No 332) is that Hubbard is reputed to have told [John W.] Campbell, “I’m going to invent a religion that’s going to make me a fortune. I’m tired of writing for a penny a word.” Sam Moskowitz, a chronicler of science fiction, has reported that he himself heard Hubbard make a similar statement, but there is no first-hand evidence.”

Luckily in England they have not been given any form of religious status because of the sinister way they treat ex-members and those who disagree with them…they are treated as an undesirable cult here.

S

 

[colliric]

According to The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, ed. Brian Ash, Harmony Books, 1977:

“… [Hubbard] began making statements to the effect that any writer who really wished to make money should stop writing and develop [a] religion, or devise a new psychiatric method. Harlan Ellison’s version (Time Out, UK, No 332) is that Hubbard is reputed to have told [John W.] Campbell, “I’m going to invent a religion that’s going to make me a fortune. I’m tired of writing for a penny a word.” Sam Moskowitz, a chronicler of science fiction, has reported that he himself heard Hubbard make a similar statement, but there is no first-hand evidence.”

Luckily in England they have not been given any form of religious status because of the sinister way they treat ex-members and those who disagree with them…they are treated as an undesirable cult here.

S

Has anyone seen that John Sweeney Panorama that made the headlines several months back? That man seriously had a lot of patience. I’m surprised he didn’t get angry earlier in the week.

Scientology’s strategy for dealing with media critics seems to be “follow them around until they get fed up, then get out the video camera”.

 

[Abira]

Has anyone seen that John Sweeney Panorama that made the headlines several months back? That man seriously had a lot of patience. I’m surprised he didn’t get angry earlier in the week.

Scientology’s strategy for dealing with media critics seems to be “follow them around until they get fed up, then get out the video camera”.

on youtube there’s a panorama episode about scientology showing a British BBC reporter who went undercover and joined scientology… that’s er…interesting… search for panorama scientology on youtube.

S

 

[StevenFrancis]

One of my paths in the 70’s was as a fledgling Scientologist. It is not even remotely Christian. It is based on a pseudo-psychology book called Dianetics by a science fiction author named L. Ron Hubbard. Adherents try to erase marks of psychological pain which are stored in our minds and called “engrams”, through an inventory, and reaction process called auditing until they ideally reach a level free of worldly suffering referred to as “clear”. This is a very simplistic explanation. It’s dressed up with aliens, a volcano, and all kinds of other great SF devices. The concepts, appeared to me after a while to simply be a jazzed up, new age, mish mash of elements from most of the world’s religions, and particularly Buddhism, (which was my next step, and is where I ended up most of my adult life, until my conversion to Catholocism). There are also liberal doses of ideas from the field of psychiatry as well. With “clear” resembling the concept of nirvana. Mastery over the mind. Come to grips with your wounds of the past, and be free from pain.

They charge you money. I’m not just talking about passing a plate around. I mean they seriously and vigorously charge you money. It is actually a business. Not a church. They have like price lists and stuff. You literally buy your salvation.

I know things have changed a bit since the 70’s. I know they use some different terms now, and I think they’ve dressed up the direct charges somewhat, and call everything something other than what it is, but anyway, that’s what I remember. Leaving Scientology was worse that trying to quit AOL when I moved to broadband internet. They just weren’t having it. It was really a problem for a long time.

Be very wary.

Peace,

Steven

 

[joeganshert]

on youtube there’s a panorama episode about scientology showing a British BBC reporter who went undercover and joined scientology… that’s er…interesting… search for panorama scientology on youtube.

S

i don’t think he joined scientology, but he’s a link to the video.

Somebody said that scientology is an odd mixture of science, religion, and science fiction. I would add business to that.

 

[aimee]

One of my paths in the 70’s was as a fledgling Scientologist. It is not even remotely Christian. It is based on a pseudo-psychology book called Dianetics by a science fiction author named L. Ron Hubbard. Adherents try to erase marks of psychological pain which are stored in our minds and called “engrams”, through an inventory, and reaction process called auditing until they ideally reach a level free of worldly suffering referred to as “clear”. This is a very simplistic explanation. It’s dressed up with aliens, a volcano, and all kinds of other great SF devices. The concepts, appeared to me after a while to simply be a jazzed up, new age, mish mash of elements from most of the world’s religions, and particularly Buddhism, (which was my next step, and is where I ended up most of my adult life, until my conversion to Catholocism). There are also liberal doses of ideas from the field of psychiatry as well. With “clear” resembling the concept of nirvana. Mastery over the mind. Come to grips with your wounds of the past, and be free from pain.

They charge you money. I’m not just talking about passing a plate around. I mean they seriously and vigorously charge you money. It is actually a business. Not a church. They have like price lists and stuff. You literally buy your salvation.

I know things have changed a bit since the 70’s. I know they use some different terms now, and I think they’ve dressed up the direct charges somewhat, and call everything something other than what it is, but anyway, that’s what I remember. Leaving Scientology was worse that trying to quit AOL when I moved to broadband internet. They just weren’t having it. It was really a problem for a long time.

Be very wary.

Peace,

Steven

When you quit …did they follow you around? To me, their tactics are quite disturbing…

 

[colliric]

on youtube there’s a panorama episode about scientology showing a British BBC reporter who went undercover and joined scientology… that’s er…interesting… search for panorama scientology on youtube.

S

It is so funny, yet sad, seeing them chase Sweeney around LA from place to place. The person “following” him in the car, may have just been an innocent person just going the same route, but after he’d been chased for nearly a week by that “Tommy” guy turning up everywhere out of nowhere, he had every right to be suspicious…

 

[colliric]

i don’t think he joined scientology, but he’s a link to the video.

Somebody said that scientology is an odd mixture of science, religion, and science fiction. I would add business to that.

yep that’s the one I’m talking about too.

 

[Abira]

i don’t think he joined scientology, but he’s a link to the video.

Somebody said that scientology is an odd mixture of science, religion, and science fiction. I would add business to that.

good link… the one i watched…and cannot now find lol…was a lady that joined…and the panorama was done in the 1990’s i think…not recently… just when people first heard about it in the mainstream.

S