Is Scientology a money seeking cult; or is there truly something behind their ability to offer self healing?

Question

I've read and done a great deal of research on the "religion" of scientology. To me it seems less like a religion and more like a scientific medical solution. Its origins seem sincere, however, it does appear that it has now been taken too far, possibly even into the classification of a cult. Still, the money and exclusivity aside; it seems like a very logical way to approach life and to become the best one can become. I've struggled with depression for most of my life, and I'm very intrigued with what Scientology has to offer in terms of healing my perception of this "disease". Although Christian, I am also a very scientific person and believe the possibility of Scientology's belief of the beginning of our world. Still, I have great difficulty getting over its cult-like behavor and organization.

Answer 1

Hi Bethany,

I am glad you are researching into it...I have had a lot of time for my own reasons to look into scientology and have found some rather worrying stuff on the subject. I urge you to do a lot of research at not only the scientology sites and from his books but also from critical sites and the evidence they present, as well as there opinion. These critical sites are often run by or added to by ex-members who have spent, often decades in scientology before realising the true nature behind it. There are many philosophies, activities and help groups you can go to that do not involve money, that do work, and are not highly disputed by individuals, ex-members, scientists, governments & all the families whose loved ones have disconnected from them.

It is not endorsed by the mainstream scientific community and infact has many ideas and theories which have been flat out rejected. He also did not do any of the research he claims to have done, or at least all the evidence of it mysteriously vanished.

Are you aware that Hubbard thought that religions are an implant (R6 implant that forms the basis of your reactive mind)
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/xenu

You are right to suspect of the Church of Scientology as a cult and that it exhibits less than desirable actions, such as all these court transcripts, or Operation Snowflake, or the way it hounds its critics...
http://www.clambake.org/archive/CourtFiles/
http://www.clambake.org/archive/judge_quotes.html
http://www.daisy.freeserve.co.uk/bonniewoods.htm
http://www.scientology-lies.com/investigation.html

Here is a paper presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, November, 1991
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/kent/isc.html

Also see this Govt. Report:
http://www.xenu.net/archive/audit/fosthome.html

Here is an info pack on what scientology might not tell you, written mainly by ex-members:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/infopack/

Here is something that explains their practices
http://www.clambake.org/archive/techniques/

You might also like to read these accounts by ex-members:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/apobs/
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/isd/isd.htm
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/xenu/xenu.html

Please review the following sites as well as any you might have read given to you by the Church of Scientology.

http://www.xenu.net
http://www.factnet.org
http://www.truthaboutscientology.com
http://www.scientology-lies.com
http://www.lermanet.com
http://www.xenutv.com

If you still want to follow Hubbards Teaching pls do so in the FreeZone not the CofS. It is much cheaper, original tech, and without the cult thing.

http://www.fzaoint.net
http://www.fza.org
http://www.freezone.org

And just to be fair here is the Official site for the Church of Scientology:
http://www.scientology.org

Please do the reading and make an informed decision, I wish you all the best for the future no matter what decision you make.

Answer 2

There is nothing remotely logical about Scientology. Once you have been cleared you are basically "perfect". Beyond perfect, you are god like: you do not cause accidents, you are a genius, you will never suffer mental illness, in fact YOU CAN BEND THE LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE. How is that logical? Don't even get me started on the aliens and the volcanoes. No really, enlightenment in Scientology is learning the plot of a crappy L. Ron Hubbard novel.

All this for a mere $380,000? Yeah, that's logical.

Answer 3

Of course it is a cult. I mean come on now--a religion first of all wouldn't demand money to join the flock. Secondly, this "Cult" does its utmost to brainwash people into their way of thinking. But then again, Hollywood types have low self-esteem as it is and I guess joining this cult makes them feel like they belong.

All cults(Scientology, the Moonies, Jehovah's Witnesses, even the Mormons) have a common method of retaining their members. It's called brainwashing. By the way--what in the hell is "Self-healing"? Does that mean if my neck is sore and I touch it, then like Benny Hinn, it is "healed"?

Anyways, they're just another money-grubbing cult....except that they happen to have high-profile members. Fortunately, Nicole Kidman didn't get exposed to that crock before she left Tom.

Answer 4

Personally, I lived near the Church of Scientology in New York, and that place was so scary and just unsettling.
Just the lobby is creepy, you have to walk down a flight of stairs. My friend went there and said it was like walking into the underworld or something. And the people were really not nice to her, telling her that she shouldn't leave without converting and that she has to tell everyone to convert or she would be damned.
Any religion that does that is not cool.

Answer 5

Personally, I just don't get the whole gig. I think it's more a rip-off cult that'll go Jonestown sooner or later once the excrement hits the AC. I don't trust any religion that requires a down-payment or measures your faith with an electronic device. Might as well be a Moonie.

Answer 6

If it charges you - it's not from God and therefore it doesn't require Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, and what doesn't require Jesus Christ atonement, is just another religions with no where to go but hell - call it exclusive, but Christ called it the only way to heaven and to the Father. If it was good enough for him to teach it, then it's good enough for me to put my faith in it. And he doesn't charge anything for it - it's a free gift of salvation, there's no amount of anything I can do to earn it. That's how you know when it's just religion, or when it's Christianity.

Answer 7

Don't know about that, but I do know, R.L. Hubbard wrote some fantastic sci-fi books, like Battlefield Earth, with the opening line spoken by an Alien, "Humans will soon be instinct."

Answer 8

Go to www.xenu.com. You will realize that Scientology is far more complicated then the little package it is sold in. You really will find this website fascinating.

Answer 9

Any "religion" that charges me a member fee isn't a religion. Oh yea and Contact sucked.

Answer 10

Stay a Christian.
I am just like you, if you really look all of science can be explained in the Bible.
Go to this website it will help http://www.bible.ca/tracks/
God Bless