Are there any Scientolgists here who are willing to tell me what it is that led you to Scientology?

Question

I see all of the other religions alluded too, but Scientology? Not so much.

Curiosity has gotten the best of me... do tell! Why are you a Scientologist?

Answer 1

Hi Curious,

It is important to hear from both sides of the fence. There are also many ex-members of scientology who despite constant church harrassment have come out and told their stories about what led them into it, what kept them there, and ultimately what led to them having to leave.

Go here for interviews with ex-members about their involvement:
http://www.xenutv.com/interviews/index.html

Go here for personal stories, even books written by ex-members detailing why the went for scientology:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/personal_story/tory/
http://www.clambake.org/archive/personal_story/kathryn.html
http://www.clambake.org/archive/personal_story/cheryl_s/
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/

Or an archive of them here:
http://www.whyaretheydead.net/krasel/

Here is an article about why someone might join Scientology
http://www.clambake.org/archive/personal_story/funkydonny.html

Here is my answer as to what is scientology:

What is Scientology?

“Scientology is a system of beliefs and practices created by American pulp fiction[1][2] and science fiction [3] author L. Ron Hubbard in 1952 as a self-help philosophy.”
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/scientology

See here for a critic’s view:
http://www.clambake.org/roland-intro.html

See here for scientology’s own view:
http://www.scientology.org/en_US/religion/index.html

Scientology is considered a religion in some countries, a profitable organisation in others, and in some it is considered a cult whose practises have been banned. For example, the US gives Scientology tax exempt status, whereas Germany and Belgium have called it a “totalitarian cult” and a “commercial enterprise”. France in 1995 classified it as a dangerous cult. The UK refused charitable status in 1999. Russia has a pending court trial over their refusal to register scientology as a religion.

I personally believe scientology to be a dangerous cult that lies to and tricks adherents into believing they are improving themselves and the world around them, while they are for the most part doing the exact opposite. It is made up of good people with good intentions that have been unfortunately deceived just because they do want to help others and themselves live better lives. It appeals to a person’s good intentions, and therein lies the trap.

It seems to have been set up to make money, and indeed they have been very successful at it – although the money is all at the top and not with the actual people delivering the services. Indeed Hubbard is quoted as saying "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

What do they believe?

Scientologists’ beliefs differ depending on how long they have been in the church, as the higher levels are considered secret and even dangerous to the initiated or unprepared. This is part of why I believe it to be a cult, it hides its true teachings from new members in order to gain & keep adherents.

Scientologists believe that L Ron Hubbard came up with the only workable technology/practises/teachings to help and unlock mankind’s potential. It is believed that by taking part in scientology auditing and learning all the various ‘tech’ a person will become more capable, becoming firstly a ‘Clear’ and then an ‘OT’. Various spurious claims have been made about the state of a ‘clear’ and ‘OT’ amongst which are immunity to illness, removal of physical ailments, perfect memory, increased IQ, increased health & fitness (and thus longevity), and then moving on to the more strange such as being able to exteriorse at will (out of body experiences) and control of MEST (ability to change matter, energy, space and time at will). Needless to say scientology has never successfully demonstrated any of the claims they make about their ‘tech’.

Scientologists believe:
- Man has an immortal soul called a thetan.
- You have a primitive reactive mind which is the source of much of man's problems, which collects "engrams" from traumatic times or when you are unconscious.
- A lot of physical illnesses/problems are psychosomatic caused by "Engrams".
- You can 'audit' engrams out and this will solve your issues and clear up your health. They also believe it makes you a more intelligent, aware and reasoned individual.
- Reincarnation and the ability to know these past lives and get to more engrams this way.
- Paying lots of money to scientology for there tech, courses, and auditing.
- Getting more people into scientology so they too can become ‘clear’ and thus save the world…

If they have got to OTIII, then the belief changes slightly.
- The universe is quadrillions years old.
- Xenu the Intergalactic Space Lord ruled a confederation of overpopulated planets.
- Xenu took a load of these aliens from each planet and brought them to earth.
- They were then exploded in volcanoes 75 million yrs ago.
- Their souls were then caught on ribbons and taken to implant stations, where Xenu brainwashed & confused them so they wouldn't leave the planet. This includes implanting all the world religions.
- These Alien souls called Body Thetans have attached to humans, and are infact the real cause of your problems and why you get and retain engrams...
- You audit these body thetans out by auditing there engrams and taking them back to the Xenu incidents I & II.
- People have jaw aches from when they were a clam in human evolution....hence the name of the main critical site Operation Clambake.
http://www.clambake.org
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/xenu

How are they different to other religions?

The church often claims it is unjustly persecuted, and to show such files normally countless of libels every year and other such court cases to silence criticism; no other religion hounds and harasses its critics. I believe that scientology is different from other religions, the main one being that potential members are lied to when they start. See below, under ‘Why it is often described as a cult’ for all the reasons.

Why are they often described as a cult?

They lie to members to gain and keep them.
Try to find the story of Xenu at the scientology site for example.

They say it has been thoroughly researched using the scientific method when it hasn’t.
http://www.clambake.org/archive/techniques/
http://www.clambake.org/archive/lrhbare/

They hound and harass critics:
http://www.suppressiveperson.org/

They use mind control techniques: http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/documents/scientology/pignotti

They limit outside information via censoring, condemning it the work of criminals, as well as via disconnection with family.
http://www.clambake.org/archive/events/censorship/
http://www.xenu.net/archive/infopack/15.htm

More on similar stuff here:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/co_pls.html


For some in-depth research I recommend reading some books written by ex-members.
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books

"Scientology is both immoral and socially obnoxious...It is corrupt sinister and dangerous. It is corrupt because it is based on lies and deceit and has its real objective money and power for Mr. Hubbard... It is sinister because it indulges in infamous practices both to its adherents who do not toe the line unquestionably and to those who criticize it or oppose it. It is dangerous because it is out to capture people and to indoctrinate and brainwash them so they become the unquestioning captives and tools of the cult, withdrawn from ordinary thought, living, and relationships with others."
Justice Latey, ruling in the High Court of London:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/judge_quotes.html

Here you can see scientologists in action:
http://www.xenutv.com

http://www.clambake.org
http://www.wikipedia.org
http://www.scientology.org

Answer 2

I watched an episode of "South Park" about scientology and that is when I decided to become a scientologist.

Answer 3

Grin. All people interested in the Church Of L.Ron Hubbard should read this article posted on Wikipedia :)

Below is the link. Read it when you are ready to be amazed....amazed that so many people believe this :)

Answer 4

You will get no "FREE" answers from Scientologists for several reasons.

1. they don't really have the answers
2. they charge big bucks for their non-answers
3. the god-thing that lives in the magma in the center of the earth will eat them if they revel what they really believe.

Answer 5

Hi there,

I am very happy to answer this question, but I will have to go back to
1970, cos I'm an "old" Scientologist. (L.O.L.)
When I was 17 still in school in London UK,I looked around me at life in general, what I was being taught by my teachers and also my parents in particular, and realised that they did not actually have answers to my questions.This was quite a shock at the time, and I actually got quite depressed, I thought:" I don't want to bring children into this world the way it is". I even got sent to the doctor, who offered me "something to take the edge off things"(valium was very popular back then). He also asked me if I was pregnant!! I declined his offer and started searching for answers myself.
I got interested in Eastern thinking, meditation, and even went to see a guru who asked me if I wanted "the word". I felt he really knew nothing about me and did not seem very interested either way, so again I declined his offer.
I decided to go to teacher training college, as I thought that might be a way to help change and improve conditions in life. In the summer before starting college, summer of 1971, I travelled to Israel and spent 6 weeks there, travelling and working. I spent time in the Negev desert on an acheaological dig, picked apples in a kibbutz, etc. While there I had this realisation about myself. Basically , that I AM myself, independant of what or who is around me. Until that point I thought I was the sum of what others considered me to be, my culture, genes, environment etc.
When I got back I found out from a friend of mine that a guy I had a crush on before I left, had cut off all his hair (long hair was "in" at that time) and become a Scientologist. I was curious, I imagined him with a shaved head and a tamborine chanting his way down the streets of London!
I was told he worked at the Church of Scientology in London. So I went there. He was there, pleased to see me etc. For me the whole meeting was affected by my "crush" on this guy, he hadn't shaved his head, just got a hair cut and looked pretty OK. But he did lend me a copy of a book about Scientology called "The Fundementals of Thought"
Anyway I went to college (in Liverpool) and he wrote me long letters that I didn't answer. The college experience gave me more certainty that the answers were not available in the "system". Particularly I took psychology as one of my additional subjects, hoping to find out more about what makes us "tick". It quickly became apparent to me that this subject was pretty useless and did not really know anything about the mind or the spirit (the word psychology comes from the Greek word PSYCHE which means soul or spirit).
So one day I was feeling guilty about not answering this guys letters, so I started reading the book he lent me.
There was a chapter in it called "The Parts of Man" and it descibed the exact same thing I had realised for my self while in Israel.
Having someone else agree with me that what I found to be true was infact true was enough for me to know that I had found something finally.
I'm not one to waste my time, so when I got a telegram from this guy asking me to come to London and help out at the Church of Scientology, I packed my bags and left.This was in early 1972.
Since that time I have been a very active Scientologist in many areas of life ,married a Canadian, moved to Toronto in 1981. Have 2 adult kids, helped establish schools using education methods of Hubbard,
ran Drug Rehab and Drug Ed programs, also using these techniques.
Helped many people change and improve their lives, and have personally achieved a level of understanding and ability that is beyond any "price".
In short for me, I found what I was looking for. A way to change and improve life and conditions for myself and others and the adventure of understanding life continues.

This is my personal story other Scientologists may well have
different reasons.
Hope this answers your question. Let me know.

Answer 6

L Ron Hubbard came to me in a dream.

Answer 7

Because we are the only ones who know the truth.

Answer 8

because science brings practicality to all of the questions that we have and we can prove it.

Answer 9

because i'm mentally ill and need to seek mental help immediately!

Answer 10

because we are crazy and think that we are gods! and we smoke crack