What hooks people into Scientology?

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goodcatholic said:
It catches people at a vulnerable time in their life when they are desperately looking for answers. “self-improvement” must be one big drawcard. I think the crucial first meeting with them is when they can really make an impression on you and make you feel like you have to come back.
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I don’t think it’s that simple. I was never drawn into a first audit, nor was I ever caught “at a vulnerable time”. Nevertheless I do have a certain appreciation for some of Scientology’s practices and even its theology. (They do have a theology of sorts, and while it seems weird at first, it is not altogether without merit.) I also think that Hubbard, notwithstanding his flaws, was not without a certain measure of authentic inspiration – which I believe explains Scientology’s remarkable endurance, and its success at being formally acknowledged as religion in various countries – something that no ordinary “self-improvement” sect has managed to do.

I find it ironic that many of the members of the RCC, precisely that religion that gets unjustly maligned in the media more than any other, do not hesitate to condemn Scientology as an evil sect simply based on what they read in the media…
 
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I’m glad - today - a beautiful day in July - that I DON’T belong to Scientology.

I’m also glad I don’t have Scientology friends either.
Or married to a Scientology woman.
I’m just speaking for myself.
 
somecanadian said:
I think people get sucked in because like all evil it has bits of truth in it.
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I appreciate your point. But it can equally well be argued that Scientology, like all religions, attracts evil; and that that may well be the cause of the various controversies surrounding Hubbard and Scientology. The RCC itself has obviously not been immune to this. Remember Pope Paul VI’s ominous quote about the smoke of Satan having entered the Church… So again, I would argue that it’s a little unfair of Catholics to view the RCC as being authentic in spite of controversies and to condemn Scientology as evil because of controversies.
 
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Augustinian said:
Scientology has an aura of “science” which is so honored in today’s world. From its name to its pseudo scientific E-Meter, it just appeals to a lot of people.
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I don’t believe this. Scientology’s name is a bit of a misnomer. They really aren’t that into science, and you don’t need to get in deep to notice that. Moreover, what they offer in the way of theology appears at first sight to be outrageously unscientific. So, no, I don’t think people are drawn to Scientology because it seems to be very scientific – because it doesn’t.
 
To be fair I view Scientology as inauthentic because L. Ron Hubbard was quite open about the fact he created it to make money. To me it’s just a big pyramid scheme that the higher ups use to get money. Every auditing session costs a great deal of cash. There is nothing free in Scientology. THAT is why I view it as evil. They are offering people ‘freedom’ but making them practically destitute to earn that freedom and you can’t get much more evil than that IMHO. And no, I don’t believe the RCC has been anywhere near as corrupt.
 
somecanadian said:
There is nothing free in Scientology. THAT is why I view it as evil.
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This I agree with.
somecanadian said:
I don’t believe the RCC has been anywhere near as corrupt.
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I didn’t mean to imply the RCC is or was corrupt. What I meant was that it makes no sense to judge Scientology based only on the negativity one finds on the web; because anyone who takes that approach could easily arrive at a fairly negative assessment of the RCC as well.
 
Ah, I see.

Yeah, for me my issues with Scientology have everything to do with how it started and how it behaves. Not on what other people have said about it. I took the route of going straight to the horses mouth.

I come from an anti-Catholic background. And now I’m Catholic. LOL. I don’t take anyone’s word on ANYTHING unless it comes straight from the horse.
 
Snake oil and false hope. Edited to add: and the misconception that throwing more money at something automatically makes it better.
 
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Mind control techniques.
They aren’t hard to learn and are always being used against vulnerable people.
Some would claim the Church does them too, but I know better. At the same time I avoid subgroups within the church that appear to me to be manipulative.
 
Roguish said:
What I meant was that it makes no sense to judge Scientology based only on the negativity one finds on the web
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So what sources are you looking for? The unanimous testimonies of ex-Scientologists aren’t good enough? The website linked above has good information. Leah Remini’s book is excellent. There is consistency from story to story; why are you ignoring that? Are you a Scientologist trying to minimize the harm it does? Didn’t you ask this on the “old” forum"? Why are you still asking this question when the same resources were suggested before? Did you delve into them or look for others that meet your criteria?
 
goodcatholic said:
Such an evil cult is Scientology. How do they get “sucked” in to the vortex?
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The Catechism, section 44, defines man as “by nature and vocation a religious being.”

Saint Augustin teaches that “our hearts are restless until they rest in You (the Lord).”

The prodigal son sought happiness but only emptied himself of dignity until he repented, humbled himself and went home.

Therefore, we pray for those who are lost, wandering and restless.
 
In fairness I have heard testimonies from ex-Catholics that paint the Church in a VERY bad light. Sometimes testimonies are not reliable sources of information. It’s best to examine anything at the source.
 
How do we examine Scientology at the source? You don’t get to know the bad stuff until you are immersed in it and have everything to lose. This isn’t remotely true of Catholicism. You can leave anytime and can still see your family and friends. Your past confessions aren’t used for blackmail by the priest. Catholics aren’t forced to give tons money or even time, but Scientologists invest a lot of both. You can really compare a cult to a Church that has puts the expectations of members into writing; it’s there in the Catechism and the Code of Canon Law. Someone might be disappointed that they can’t get married to someone divorced without there being a declaration of nullity or have a quick marriage ceremony if the bride-to-be is pregnant; the majority of people I know (friends, my confirmation class, now relatives (about half of my cousins are no longer Catholic for this reason and just in the last few years). They can walk into a Catholic church, they can still associate with family and friends. Most ex-Catholics have to be told by there new Church how wrong Catholicism and they are always wrong. Like I said, the teaching is right there in the CCC and Canon Law.
 
It’s not very difficult? Read Hubbard’s writings and read what the Church of Scientology has said officially. All the negative is right there. It doesn’t actually take much digging.

PS: Although I recognize most people probably don’t want to put that kind of effort into something that isn’t their own faith - and there’s no fault in that either.
 
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There are numerous lawsuits against Scientology that are full of evidence that courts have accepted, so it’s not just a case of people running off at the mouth.
 
True enough. I haven’t read too many of the court documents except the one surrounding the disappearance of that one lady. Forget the name. It’s been awhile.

HAHA. When I was on my conversion journey I research a few different faiths and Scientology was on the list but that was ages ago.
 
I don’t recall that Dianetics had concrete information about those problematic issues. I haven’t read anything else but which ones warns about people having to be slave labor if they are poor or break rules? Where is Miscavige’s wife?
 
The problematic elements of Dianetics are outlined directly on their websites (which I won’t link here). Did I say anything about slave labor or breaking rules? I didn’t. I just said all the problems with Scientology can be found simply by examining the material they’ve released. At least to me it’s obvious it’s all a scam.
 
Bruised_Reed said:
You can leave anytime and can still see your family and friends. Your past confessions aren’t used for blackmail by the priest. Catholics aren’t forced to give tons money or even time, but Scientologists invest a lot of both.
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I agree. I left the Catholic Church for 20 years. No dramas. Come and go as you please. I almost feel insulted that anyone would compare us to Scientology. My impressions of Scientology are media based I admit and a doco movie I saw a few years ago.If this thread can stop anyone joining Scientology, I see that as a big positive.
 
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