What is scientology, and its main beliefs, etc.?

Answer 1

I personally belief scientology is a pseudo-science and a pseudo-religion. I think the Church of Scientology is a cruel dangerous cult that takes your money and your ability to reason enough to see so. See the links to important information on the internet about scientology.

To find out about the beliefs of scientologists from a neutral site go here:
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/scientology
And more here:
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/xenu

Then go here to find out what this critic things of scientology.
http://www.clambake.org/roland-intro.html

To quote south park creators: "This is what scientologists really believe!" in this controversial episode of South Park:" http://www.xenutv.com/cruise/sp-closet.htm

Now if they told you about Body Thetans, Implants & Xenu before you spend money 'getting rid of your problems' would you believe them? This is where the Church of Scientology steps in and is a dangerous destructive cult and is no longer just a belief. To Scientologists it may be their religion, I'm sorry my opinion offends, and hey if thats what they believe then thats fine with me, I don't have to believe it.

However the Church of Scientology is another matter.

"The Church of Scientology is a vicious and dangerous cult that masquerades as a religion. Its purpose is to make money. It practices a variety of mind-control techniques on people lured into its midst to gain control over their money and their lives. Its aim is to take from them every penny that they have and can ever borrow and to also enslave them to further its wicked ends."
http://www.clambake.org/roland-intro.html

See here for the whole site, it is very interesting but horrifying reading, there is a wealth of critical information on scientology.
http://www.clambake.org (Same as http://www.xenu.net )

The CofS has been investigated by governments and taken to court many times. "Some European governments (including notably, Germany, Belgium, France, and Austria) do not consider the Church to be a bona fide religious organization, but instead a commercial enterprise and / or a cult." wikipedia.org/scientology

Here are the court files:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/CourtFiles/

Here are some quotes from some judges:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/judge_quotes.html

Check this site out, although warning it isn't pleasant http://www.lisamcpherson.org

If you like videos here is a good site: http://www.xenutv.com

Now i've given you all those links it might only be fair to give you the official link too:
http://www.scientology.org

Answer 2

The word "Scientology" means "the study of knowledge or truth." The Scientology religion holds that man is basically good, not evil. It teaches that it is their experiences that cause people to commit evil deeds. It is not their basic nature to do so. People can also mistakenly solve their problems by thinking only of their own personal interests and overlook or ignore how their acts may affect others. This creates interpersonal strife and problems. The Scientology religion also holds that individuals advance to the degree they preserve their spiritual integrity and values, and remain honest and decent. Indeed, individuals deteriorate to the degree they abandon these qualities.

Some organized efforts to help humanity try to solve people's problems for them. Scientology is different. The goal of Scientology applied religious philosophy is to bring the individual to a point where they are capable of sorting out the factors in their own life and solving their own problems. Scientology believes that when an individual’s intelligence is raised, and learns how to better confront life, he can solve his own problems and so better his own life. Once he has accomplished this he naturally starts to reach out to help his family, friends and society.

According to Scientology, the individual is not a body but a spirit. The term soul, however, has developed so many other meanings that a new term was needed. The term chosen by Mr. Hubbard was "thetan" from the Greek letter theta, the traditional symbol of thought and life. A thetan is the person himself, not his body, his name, the physical universe or anything else. It is that which is aware of being aware; the identity which IS the individual.

One phenomenon of the spirit or thetan researched by Mr. Hubbard is called exteriorization. Although mentioned in other religious texts, exteriorization is the ability of the thetan to leave the body and exist independent of the flesh. Exteriorized, a person can see without the body's eyes, hear without the body's ears and feel without the body's hands. Man previously had little understanding of this detachment from his mind and body. With the act of exteriorization attainable in Scientology a person gains the certainty he is himself, an immortal spiritual being, and not a body.

Answer 3

According to Scientology, we are all spirit beings (called thetans) who are reincarnated again and again. All of our problems come from things that happened in the past lives or because of things we hear while being born (that's why Tom Cruise and Whatshername had a silent birth).

This is incompatible with the Bible. I had a roommate in college who told me that Scientology is a philosophy, not a religion, and that you can be a Christian and a Scientologist. I pointed out the contradictions and said you can't believe both. He said, "You can believe whatever you want; it's a free country."

Answer 4

Go read Operation Clambake at http://www.xenu.net.

Scientology was invented by L. Ron Hubbard, a moderately successful science-fiction author. If you take enough Scientology courses, and spend enough money, they will tell you the "secrets" of Scientology, which sound like they were lifted from a bad science-fiction novel. All of Man's problems are caused by "body thetans" which are dispossessed souls that adhere to your body. They were captured by Xenu, the galactic bad guy, as a way of disposing of his enemies. There's more, but it's really silly stuff. The one thing Scientology excels at is separating their members from their money.

Answer 5

Scientology is a money-making operation. It's main belief is that one can find spiritual fulfillment by buying it.

Answer 6

Seems to me their main belief is to recruit the rich and so-called famous.

Answer 7

scientology is a cult