What is scientology?

Answer 1

Scientology is a system of beliefs and practices created by American pulp fiction and science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard in 1952 as a self-help philosophy. By 1960 Hubbard had redefined it as a "religion by its basic tenets". The name "Scientology" is also sometimes used to refer to the Church of Scientology, which is the largest organization promoting the belief system of Scientology. There are other organizations and individuals who are not affiliated with the Church of Scientology who regard themselves as practitioners of and believers in Scientology, sometimes collectively called the Free Zone. The Church regards such independents, almost without exception, as not practicing the "true" Scientology set out by Hubbard, while many of those independents make the very same criticism about the Church.

The Church of Scientology presents itself as a religious non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of the human spirit and providing counseling and rehabilitation programs. Church spokespeople claim that Hubbard's teachings (called "Technology" or "tech" in Scientology terminology) have saved them from addictions, arthritis, depression, learning disabilities, mental illness, cancer, homosexuality and other perceived problems.

The controversial organization has attracted much criticism and distrust throughout the world because of its closed nature and strong-arm tactics in handling critics and ex-members. Lawmakers, including national governing bodies of several countries, have characterized the Church as an unscrupulous commercial organization, citing harassment of critics and exploitation of its members. Scientology's principles have been characterized as pseudoscientific by scientists, medical doctors and psychotherapeutic practitioners. Although some religious scholars consider Scientology a religion, it has frequently been perceived as a cult and a pseudoreligion.

Allegations of Scientology's cult status may be attributed to its unconventional creation by a single authoritative and charismatic leader. Within the church, members are arranged in a hierarchically pyramid ranked structure, with higher level members holding authority over lower ranked subordinates, especially as evidenced by the Sea Org. The Church indoctrinates its members providing very little initial knowledge of the inner secrets of the organization. In order to reach this knowledge parishioners are required to advance forward in rank through study and payments to the Church, the incentive of which is the stepped acquisition of promised powerful secrets and gaining of supernatural abilities.

According to a 2001 survey published by the City University of New York 55,000 people in the United States would, if asked what their religion was, have said Scientology. The worldwide number of Scientologists is disputed: the Church of Scientology claims around 10 million members as of 2006, but claimed national membership figures it has released when totalled indicate a figure of around 500,000. Adherents.com suggests there may be 500,000 Scientologists worldwide while critics say Church membership is likely to be less than 100,000.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

Scientology is a misnomer, to begin with.
it is the study of nothing.
L Ron Hubbard fell upon the idea of creating a religion for gullable people as a way of becoming fabulously wealthy!
I worked!

On is to fill out an unpassble test that shows one the negative 'engrams' that one must be cleared of.
one then pays large sums of money (remember the reason for the orginization) to get hooked up to a simple galvanic sensor. one is then told many things that would upset or bother you (in accordance to your questionaire)
the speaker souneds, because you are bothered and your heart rate has just increased along with sweat.
one is to concentrate in making the speaker/meter return to its original state, thus becoming 'cleared' or 'cleansed'
It is all trickery, fakery, fraud and simple manipulation,using the power of suggestion. It accomplishes nothing, fixes nothing and leads to nothing worthewhile, in life!
Just because John Travolta, Tom Cruise, and the girl that does Bart Simpson's voice are scientologists, does not mean it is a good thing!
It is a horrible institution.
TIME magazine did a cover story on them in the late mid to late 80's and the author was harrassed and false negative reports were made on his creit report by members of the "church"
It is a viscious, self serving and wholly untruthfull creation of a very selfish man and it has become a monsterous thing today!

Answer 3

Its a question often asked so that people can post things they heard on the net. Or so that xenu.net can post about his site (hmmm are all these really being asked by people who want to know?)

Its also a self-help religion. They offer courses which are collections of lots of great methods from other sources on things like communication, study, self-confidence, shaking peer-pressure. Since the upper levels of it (if you want to go that far) can get into bringing out bad experiences, it had to be either a medicine or a religion when it first came out. Its also non-denominational (like many good religions are) which means that you can attend without having to accept their beliefs or give up any other religion you are part of.

You can see from any scientologist you know what kind of results it creates. If all the ones you know are the famous tv celebs then decide if you would rather be like them or other tv celebs you know.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_famous_Scientologists

Yes I know Scientologists. I even took one of their courses once. A communications course. Very helpful.

Answer 4

IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS CULT! I should know, because I was in it for three years back in the 70's and it really messed me up big time! They brainwash you!!!! Don't get into it! Scientologists prey on people who are vulneralble(sp) and gullible. They get famous celebrities such as Tom Cruise and others to make it look like it's a fabulous thing to get into and all it is is lies. DON'T BELIEVE IT!

Answer 5

all started by L. Ron Hubbard as 'self help approach' referred to as Dianetics (he all began writing SiFi books and then wrote self help books) ...it right into a became "faith".....a lot of human beings (Christians, atheist, agnostics, former individuals, ect) say it is the proper 'textual content-e book' party of a non-violent Cult (theory some individuals have reported actual and emotional abuse) the standard theory is: throughout your and previous lives you've had unfavorable studies that you won't be able to keep in mind, those repressed studies 'carry you decrease back'.... by particular counseling referred to as "Dianetics" (presented by the CoS. for a nominal value) you could 'procedure/manage' those undesirable studies....once there all treated, you could go beyond to a "severe undeniable of life" ....the top....

Answer 6

Scientology is a difficult religion to summarize. Scientology has gained popularity due to some Hollywood celebrities who have embraced it. Scientology was founded in 1953 by fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, just four years after he made the statement, “I'd like to start a religion—that's where the money is.” That is where he found wealth, also—Hubbard became a multi-millionaire.

Scientology teaches that mankind is an immortal being (called a Thetan) not originally from this planet, and that man is trapped by matter, energy, space, and time (MEST). Salvation for a scientologist comes through a process called ”auditing,” whereby ”engrams” (basically, memories of past pain and unconsciousness that create energy blockage) are removed. Auditing is a lengthy process and can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. When all engrams are finally removed, the Thetan can once again control MEST instead of being controlled by it. Until salvation, each Thetan is constantly reincarnated.

Scientology is a very expensive religion to pursue. Every aspect of Scientology has some sort of fee associated with it. This is why Scientology's “pews” are filled only with the wealthy. It is also a very strict religion and very punitive against those who would try to leave behind its teachings and membership. Its “scriptures” are limited solely to the writings and teachings of L. Ron Hubbard.

Though scientologists will claim that Scientology is compatible with Christianity, the Bible counters each and every belief they hold to. The Bible teaches that God is the sovereign and only creator of the universe (Genesis 1:1); mankind was created by God (Genesis 1:27); the only salvation available to man is by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:8); salvation is a free gift that mankind can do nothing to earn (Ephesians 2:8-9); and Jesus Christ is alive and well and is seated at the right hand of God the Father even now (Acts 2:33; Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews 1:3), awaiting the time when He will gather His people to Himself to reside with Him for eternity in heaven. Everyone else will be cast into a very real hell, separated from God for eternity (Revelation 20:15).

Scientology categorically denies the existence of the God of the Bible, heaven, and hell. To a scientologist, Jesus Christ was simply a good teacher who unfortunately was wrongfully put to death. Scientology differs from biblical Christianity on every important doctrine. Some of the most important differences are summarized below:

God: Scientology believes that there are multiple gods and that some gods are above other gods. Biblical Christianity, on the other hand, recognizes the one and only true God who revealed Himself to us in the Bible and through Jesus Christ. Those who believe in Him cannot believe the false concept of God as taught in Scientology.

Jesus Christ: Like other cults, Scientology denies the deity of Christ. Instead of having a biblical view of who Christ is and what He did, they assign to Him the characteristics of some sort of lesser god who has obtained legendary status over the years. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was God in the flesh and through His incarnation He could act as a sacrifice for our sins. It is through Christ’s death and resurrection that we can have the hope of eternal life with God (John 3:16).

Sin: Scientology believes in the inherent goodness of man and teaches that it is despicable and utterly beneath contempt to tell a man he must repent or that he is evil. On the other hand, the Bible teaches that man is a sinner and the only hope for him is that he receive Christ as his Lord and Savior (Romans 6:23).

Salvation: Scientology believes in reincarnation and that personal salvation in one's lifetime is freedom from the cycle of birth and death associated with reincarnation. They believe that religious practice of all faiths is the universal way to wisdom, understanding, and salvation. In contrast, the Bible teaches that there is only one way of salvation and that is through Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Comparing the teachings of Scientology with the Bible, we see that the two have very little, if anything, in common. Scientology only leads away from God and eternal life. Scientology, while sometimes disguising its beliefs in Christian-sounding language, in fact diametrically opposes Christianity on every core belief. Scientology is clearly, and most definitely, not Christian.

Kingdom of the Cults, rev. and updated ed.
Edited By: Ravi Zacharias
http://www.christianbook.com/kingdom-the-cults-rev-and-updated/walter-martin/9780764228216/pd/228218?event=AFF&p=1011693&

Answer 7

'SCIENTOLOGY' is a religious system. it aims at getting knowledge of oneself & spiritual fulfilment through courses of study & training.

Source: Oxford English Dictionary.

Answer 8

Science (knowing) logy system,understanding systematically,systematic knowledge.{scientia to know}

Answer 9

a money hungry cult.

Answer 10

Hi ya,

Thanks for the paranoid intro Gandalf...

And no I am not answering my own questions, did you even to bother looking at any of the questioners history? Really, you are making me think you are not an ex-scientologist, but I will take your word that you have only done a comms course...

I don't care whether you accept my answer as the best, but just notice that I am not only providing my biased answer but amongst other things I am linking to official documents from Governments and Courts world wide, that are quite frankly undeniable.

It can be really confusing to find out what scientology actually is. There current members (as all destructive cults will) paint a nice happy picture, but ex-members , for the majority, point to a complete horror story. Their website doesn't match with what the critics say, and seems genuine. Their literature appeals to a person's good nature, and they seem to have good goals in mind. This, im afraid to say is a clever marketing scam and what you actually find in scientology is not what is printed on the glossy leaflets.

I have studied scientology for many years, and have changed opinion many times, resting on a destructive vicious cult. The more you research the worse it gets. I find the books from ex-scientologists, and the documents surrounding Ron Hubbard the most telling of the organisation. http://www.clambake.org/archive/books

Scientologists hold different beliefs depending on how long they have been inside the Church.

Scientologists believe:
o Man has a immortal soul called a thetan.
o 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 unconscience.
o A lot of physical illnesses/problems are physcosomatic caused by "Engrams".
o 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.
o Reincarnation and the ability to know these past lives and get to more engrams this way.
o Paying lots of money to scientology for there tech, courses, and auditing.
o Getting more people into scientology.

If they have got to OTIII, then the belief changes slightly.
o The universe is quadrillions years old.
o Xenu the Interglatic Space Lord ruled a confederation of overpopulated planets.
o Xenu took a load of these aliens from each planet and brought them to earth.
o They were then exploded in volcanoes 75 million yrs ago.
o 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.
o These Alien souls called Body Thetans have attached to humans, and are in fact the real cause of your problems and why you get and retain engrams...
o You audit these body thetans out by auditing there engrams and taking them back to the Xenu incidents I & II.
o People have jaw aches from when they were a clam in human evolution....hence one domain name of the main critical site is http://www.clambake.org

You can read about this in a neutral site. wikipedia
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/scientology
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/xenu

Scientology may be a religion, as you cannot trounce on people's beliefs, there are entitled to it no matter how strange, even Xenu.

Originally it was set up as therapy, not religion. Ron changed it to religion as a means to escape the law, escape taxes, and so as to appeal more to the masses. It worked...dianetics was failing at the time scientology was created.

However, the Church of Scientology, the organisation is most definitely a money making scam, and a dangerous cult.

If they told you about Xenu upfront, how many people would join? This is where it crosses over to a cult:
They lie to people to gain adherents, they lie to keep them.
They lie to the media, they lie to governments.
They use hard sell techniques, and create social dependency through social control aka mind control.
They prevent scientologists from looking at the facts about scientology
They charge through the roof for what they sell.
They aren't credited by the scientific community
They hound and harass critics.

And much much more, this is what makes it a cult, not their beliefs.

This is what one critic thinks of scientology:
" 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
http://www.clambake.org

Go here to see some video clips of scientologists in action:
http://www.xenutv.com

It can cost someone upto and beyond $380,000 to get to the top in scientology, and this may take decades.
http://www.clambake.org/archive/prices.html

They also hound critics trying to discredit and ruin them in any way (even if illegally), pressuring with lawyers, etc in order to stop any criticism rather than tackling the points raised by the critic. The campaign against critics is a well documented one.
http://www.suppressiveperson.org/

You can find much information out on the web, including even whole books written by ex-members:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/
(free to read, just click on 'em)

Ron Hubbard may have died rich, but he also died in a terrible state of health, taking psychiatric drugs - despite telling everyone else that scientology fixes all your ills, and that psychiatry is evil and wrong.
http://www.clambake.org/archive/hubbardcoroner/

http://www.xenu.net/archive/CourtFiles
http://www.xenu.net/archive/judge_quotes.html
http://www.whyaretheydead.net/krasel/
http://www.xenu.net/archive/audit/
http://www.daisy.freeserve.co.uk/bonniewoods.htm
http://www.scientology-lies.com/investigation.html

This is a formal study of dianetics, the only one. It concludes dianetics doesn't do what it says it does.
http://www.xenu.net/archive/fischer/

Now as if I hadn't given enough links, and probably bored the pants of you, here is a list of all websites relating to scientology
http://www.altreligionscientology.org/.

This is a description of what a cult is and does, I think scientology hits practically every single one.
http://www.cultinformation.org.uk/faq.html

Here are sites from cult experts, see what they say makes a cult and about scientology.
http://www.cultinformation.org.uk/
http://www.freedomofmind.com/
http://www.csj.org/

There is much documented evidence that has come from court trials, government investigations and the accounts of ex-members. It all points to scientology being a cult. So if you find critics maybe not a trustworthy source of info for any reason, then just look at all the stuff above or these, warning though, not nice, but truly brings it home to you:
http://theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com/
http://www.whyaretheydead.net

It is actually a great shame, all these people got into scientology wanting to improve themselves and others. What they got was the total opposite.

- in respect and honour to all victims, and those who dare to stand up for them - http://www.xenu.net

I am not the author of this website, and would never pretend to be, it is my name because no matter what question I answer, I want people to realise the truth about scientology so they can make an informed decision.

I simply don't want to see other families suffer in the same way.