Do you think Scientology is 'controversial'?

Question

Why?

(I DIDNT ask whether you agree with it, or whether you think it is a religion)

Cult has many meanings, it is just those few that insist it has a negative connotation, that use it to describe scientology.

P.S. Liam, there is 8,000,000 +/- members around the world.....

Answer 1

A cult does not have to be negative. All a cult is, is a small out-of-the-mainstream religious practice.

Scientology could be referred to as a Cult, as it is not a maon stream religion, and does not follow any of the ones that are. Also, for the people that follow religions, Scientologies number is small.

Yes its controversial. It offers many points that most people find hard to believe, or accept, and it questions most of the larger religions, so its going to be hard to sustain it into popularity.

Answer 2

Yes it is.

It is pseudo-science - they put forward crack-pot ideas like engrams and the purifaction rundown and have actually been known to cause death of its members http://www.lisamcpherson.org

I would say that is fairly controversial. Look up Fair Game, or Disconnection in relation with scientology, are they controversial? Of course.

It has been under investigation by numerous countries, some of which refuse it 'religion' status. (they are most gutted when this happens, because then they are not tax exempt, and it cuts into their profit)

But luckily their numbers are plummeting, and are reported to have less than 500,00 world wide, if not a lot lower.

PS Foxtail:
Ahhh you are a scientologist.. I see. Actually the 8 million figure is a total lie, I can show census results what can you show me?
http://www.clambake.org/images/2001-US-CENSUS-Scientology.jpg

Now with that few in the US, you really think the other 7,945,000 are in the rest of the world? LMAO!

This might be closer to the truth:

In July 1996 Jeff Jacobsen adds:

These are the years that the Church of Scientology has claimed 8 million members: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 (talk about expansion!!). Below are some quotes to help us find out about this 8 million figure:

Forrest Sawyer, on ABC Nightline, Feb. 14, 1992 interviewing Heber Jentzsch, President, Church of Scientology:

Sawyer. How do you get to call them members?

Jentzsch: Because they joined and they came in and they studied Scientology.

Sawyer: They took one course, maybe.

Jentzsch: Well, that's how valuable the course is. Eight million people, yes, over a period of the last- since 1954.
http://www.clambake.org/archive/COS_members.html

Which means that 8 million have participated at one point in their lives since 1954 in something to do with scientology. It says nothing about ex-members, those that never came back, those that died, or those that were simply trying it out of curiosity not any sort of belief.

I feel for you that you have been duped by this dangerous cult, and I hope you find the clarity of thought, and strength & courage to question scientology and then leave, to get on with your real life. Thetans, engrams, implants, xenu = science fiction. Who was ron hubbard, a science fiction writer.

The massive web campagin against scientology is not done for fun, or out of fear or anger, it is done out of very real concern for its adherents, (like lisa mcpherson). Just spend a couple of hours researching negative sites of scientology, you have spend countless hours being indoctrinated, just try to see & understand the other argument, read books from ex-scientologists like A Piece of Blue Sky http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/081840499X/104-6237751-1599138

PLEASE PLEASE investigate the church of scientology on critical websites, it may save your life.

Critics risk their reputation, fortunes and even lifes to be critical of scientology, I don't think they do it because scientology is normal, do you?

L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, wrote on how to handle church critics: "the law can be used very easily to harass, and enough harassment on somebody... will generally be sufficient to cause his professional decease. If possible, of course, ruin him utterly."

Answer 3

all religions are controversial, everyone has an opinion, an think the other is wrong, Scientology is a Little out there and relatively new, it also gets a lot of attention due to celebrity followings, but so does kabbalah.

Answer 4

Yes it is because if you read the book by L. Ron Hubbard, it is very similar to the Mormon religion in that the believers are expected to pay more and more money for little bits of information but they never get to know the whole deal. Only the top elite know the rest of the story. That has scam qualities.

Answer 5

i think all religions are controversial. if we all agreed with each others beliefs we would have a lot less fighting in the world. i think many of the practices of Scientology are controversial beyond the norm since they seem so extreme. if what they showed on south park was correct on how they believe we are all possessed or something then i think they are a little wacky.

Answer 6

Yes, I think Scientology is controversial. I cannot answer your question about "why" because you've requested not to hear whether I think it is a religion.

Answer 7

Yes!I have ever since Tom Cruise started acting like a total a** and brought more attention to the cult.

Answer 8

It's "Controversial" because most people (rightly, imo) see it as a cult. The media plays up every weird thing the members do, so yes, I think it is controversial.

Answer 9

Of course it is controversial. Probably because they try to shoot down a lot of what is known as scientific fact. And also because there is a large number of acters/actresses interested in it, which is going to make it a hot topic to begin with.

Answer 10

O cmon do you see how hunt people down to try and get you into their whole way of thinking?? I cant even go to the mall without one of them asking me for a free stress test and all this stuff and it end up being a 3 hour lecture to how its not really stress and crap.