Seriously, what's the conspiracy going on behind Scientology?

Question

I mean, religions often seem weird to those 'not of the faith', but come on- Operating Thetan levels and the Xenu incident, wtf? Sounds like a Dragonball Z episode! Scientology has to be a cover for some kind of Insider Business, right... What's your thought?

Answer 1

It is often said that Hubbard made a bet that he could create a religion, and earn far more writing this way than he could by sci-fiction. His science fiction history is what gave him the idea of Xenu and all that.

"In the late 1940s, pulp writer L. Ron Hubbard declared, "Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion."
http://www.skeptictank.org/readdig.htm

The Church of Scientology is indeed a cult.

They first dupe people into believing the have the answer to their problems and that it has all been extensively researched. It hasn't. They use hard sell techniques and typically pray on those in need. Then using social control they slowly replace your critical thinking skills with group acceptance until you can no longer be critical of anything from scientology - if you do its made to be your fault. After thoroughly brainwashing them at the lower levels, making them susceptible to what ever scientology wants to tell them.

You can see one critics view on whats the conspiracy behind scientology here.

"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.
It was started in the 1950s by a science fiction writer named L. Ron Hubbard in fulfilment to his declared aim to start a religion to make money. It is an offshoot to a method of psychotherapy he concocted from various sources which he named "Dianetics". Dianetics is a form of regression therapy. It was then further expanded to appear more like a religion in order to enjoy tax benefits. He called it "Scientology".

Scientology is a confused concoction of crackpot, dangerously applied psychotherapy, oversimplified, idiotic and inapplicable rules and ideas and science-fiction drivel that is presented to its members (at the "advanced" levels) as profound spiritual truth. "
http://www.clambake.org/roland-intro.html

It is only after many years of this that they then tell you the story of Xenu and Indicent I & II, the R6 Implant (the world religions were an implant according to hubbard), and that you must find and talk to these little alien souls and audit there problems (i.e., talk to yourself). http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/scientology (hence foxtel's answer regarding this - he hasn't paid enough money yet to know this)

To finish the 'Bridge' can cost you $380,000, often more - I think that says a lot of what it is covering up. http://www.clambake.org/archive/prices.html

Hubbard didn't have the background to make a new 'science of mental health', nor the neccessary learning. In otherwords he made it up, pulling from a variety of sources.

"Generally speaking, it is my contention that Hubbard did no credible research of his own. Instead he distilled ideas from books he had read, the few college courses he took, his own experiences, and his very fertile and disturbed mind, and came up with a mish-mash of bizarre theories which he wrote down in scientific-sounding phrases and words."
http://www.clambake.org/archive/lrhbare/

Scientology uses many front groups to make it seem more palatible to modern society, including Narconon, WISE, ABLE, Applied Scholastics, and many many more. The underlying purpose which joins all these groups is the quest for more recruits into scientology. Narconon is particularly worrying as it uses ideas which are known to be false in the scientific community and could actually be dangerous.
http://www.clambake.org/archive/infopack/9.htm
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/

What 'religion' needs a secret service:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/go/index.htm

Here is a critical page on the techniques used by CofScientology.
http://www.clambake.org/archive/techniques/

Here are some books written 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

Scientology has also made the courts many many times, you can see these here:
http://www.scientology-lies.com/investigation.html
http://www.clambake.org/archive/CourtFiles/
http://www.clambake.org/archive/judge_quotes.html

Answer 2

I am a Scientologist and I can tell you we aren't a 'insider business' we are a real religion offering people an applied philosophy. The 'xenu' story was blown way out of proportion by the media as a way of making a quick impact story. Operating Thetan Levels are just higher levels where you study further materials of Scientology. These levels can be obtained after achieving clear - clear means that you are free of negative emotional memories - we call them engrams. The thetan is another word for immortal soul. We aren't that odd - If you saw me in the street you wouldnt know that I was a Scientologist....So don't be scared of us or our religion because we aren't going to do anything to you..
good luck with your pursuits

Answer 3

Without any fancy words, Scientology promotes something that many nonbelievers would actually love to be a part of.

There are 10 levels of importance in Scientology.

Number one is self: You are the most important thing to yourself, stay true to yourself, etc

Number 10 is GOD

With self as the top priority, what non believer would say no to that, GOD is last on the totem pole, so insignificant at best.

I guess the number one reason that most normal folk do not join this cult,is the fact that while it gives you what you want to believe anyway, it costs more than the local country club and the yacht club combined!

Answer 4

It is less of a conspiracy and more of an empire. L. Ron Hubbard identified the biggest market sector in the USA and tapped it like any other evangelist would. Scientology is engineered to encourage loyalty and maximise profit.

Watching televangelists at 5am, I often ponder their cause... one man in particular struck me as being a pompous fraud. He stood up there wearing a suit that would cost me a year's salary, and spoke about the government.

Paraphrasing: "The government wants to take away our tax exemption. They want to take that away from the church.

"Well, go ahead! I don't need it!"

To say nothing of other religions with a far smaller following in the USA, to whom the tax exemption in question would be very important. And that's when it hit me that a lot of religious zealots are in no way spiritual, they are just profiteering.

I have no firm spiritual beliefs. I like positive cash flow. Why can't I start up a religion and do the same?

Unfortunately I was too late; Hubbard was already thinking along the same lines in 1952.

Answer 5

True story: L. Ron Hubbard, the father of scientology, was having a discussion about religion with some of his friends. All of them, including himself, fantasy/sci-fi writers. He was making fun of various world religions and made the comment that he could indeed invent one. The bet was on. L. Ron Hubbard won. He published "Dionetics" and piqued people's curiosity, and he bore Scientology.

Answer 6

Well, I have heard that they guy who founded Scientology has been quoted as saying "The fasted way to become rich is to found a religion." I think thats a pretty big clue there.

Answer 7

Scientology is the same as Christianity. It's all about making money through deception.

Answer 8

This is our agenda: A PRAYER FOR TOTAL FREEDOM May the author of the universe enable all men to reach an understanding of their spiritual nature. May awareness and understanding of life expand, so that all may come to know the author of the universe. And may others also reach this understanding which brings Total Freedom. At this time, we think of those whose liberty is threatened; of those who have suffered imprisonment for their beliefs; of those who are enslaved or martyred, and for all those who are brutalized, trapped or attacked. We pray that human rights will be preserved so that all people may believe and worship freely, so that freedom will once again be seen in our land. Freedom from war, and poverty, and want; freedom to be; freedom to do and freedom to have. Freedom to use and understand Man’s potential—a potential that is God-given and Godlike. And freedom to achieve that understanding and awareness that is Total Freedom. May God let it be so.

Answer 9

I don't know much about Elron Hubbard, except that he wrote Dionetics. I don't consider scientology to be religion. If they are not talking about Jesus Christ, they're atheists.

Answer 10

A very cunning man preyed upon those who are already on the border of mental illness (those like Tom Cruise). Then the rest was gravy.