what is scientology?

Question

tom criuse likes this kind of religion

Answer 1

It is a "religion" created by a science fiction author by the name of L. Ron Hubbard. According to rumor, and I'm not 100% sure of the authenticity of it, but it sounds fair, Scientology was founded as a bet between Hubbard and another science fiction author (I forget his name, but I think it was Adolus Huxley).

The core beliefs of the religion are that humanity is suffering because our past suffering is causing more. I have heard, but again not confirmed, that this suffering is supposed to stretch back and have been started by aliens. Through Dianetics we are supposed to be able to cleanse ourselves of this past suffering and thus live free in hapiness.

They also believe that the drug industry is just in place to keep us suffering (thus the hoopla between Cruise and Shields over post-partum depression treatment).

They do, in every 'temple' have a special room kept for L. Ron Hubbard (who died more than a decade ago) in case he comes back to visit...

Answer 2

Scientology is an applied religious philosophy. When I say "applied" I mean you actually use it in your life to change or improve existing conditions. This is different from a religious practice. All religions if you learn about them have a basic philosphy, but they also have certain dogma, rituals and observances, and a certain faith or belief is required. There is nothing wrong with this, but Scientology is not that kind of religion. It does not intrude on anyones faiths of beliefs particularly in the area of God , the Supreme Being, or the Infinite. This area is left totally up to the indivdual, which is why you can be a practicing Jew,for example and still use and apply the priniciples of Scientology in your life. It does not conflict. If anything it will enhance your understanding of your chosen religious practice.
You can have no specific religious beliefs and still benefit from using it.
And it is only true for you according to your own observation and experience with it.
It is a non denominational religion . The dictionary definition that applies:
Religion: The spiritual or emotional attitude of one who recognises the existence of superhuman power or powers.

The most basic principle of Scientology is that YOU are your own immortal soul, that this is not a "thing" you HAVE but what YOU actually are.
The whole purpose of Scientology is to increase an individual's understanding and awareness of himself. And thereby his native abilities .
When you do this the sphere and zone of his positive influence increases and moves outward into his life, his family ,his friends, his groups and mankind which he is part of.

How this result is achieved is the "technology" of Scientology, which was developed by L.Ron Hubbard after his extensive research and the discoveries he made, about the human spirit. The basic religious philosophy and knowledge of Scientology is very old, going back 10,000 years at least to the Veda or Vedic Hymns from the East. The developement of the technology is new.
He completed his research before his death in 1986 and left all of his results and copyrights
to the Church of Scientology along with most of his considerable estate., when he died.

He published a book in 1951 to communicate the basic principles he discovered called: " Scientology The Fundementals of Thought"
There are currently over 8 million Scientologists in more that 150 countries world wide. However we are a new religion, only 53 years old.
The true story of Scientology as a religion goes like this:
1. A philosopher developes a philosophy about life and death.
2. People find it interesting.
3. People find it works.
4. People pass it along to others.
5. It grows.

Tom Cruise has been a Scientologist for over 20 years. He was introduced to it by his first wife Mimi Rogers.
(Well before he became an international celebrity, infact it was Scientology that helped him to handle his dislexia, which was a major barrier to his acting career)

Answer 3

Pyramid scheme.
Tom Cruise spends alot of his money promoting Scientology trying to get his waxed wings.

Scientology as EST was in the 70's in that it attracts many troubled people and convinces them that by recruiting others to the organization that they will be enlightened. It is an emotional and mental health pyramid scheme.

You can find people who will believe anything, for their own purposes, having nothing to do with truth. The placebo effect is alive and well in Scientology.

Answer 4

Its got a bunch of stuff researched by a writer and put into courses. All about self help. Communications, studying, self confidence, getting off drugs, shaking peer pressure, and getting past personal stuff that is blocking your goals. Yeah sounds like good stuff for hollywood people.

To get all the way to the top is expensive but sounds about the same for any other training or religion. Personally I dont know too many people who are all that interested in getting to the top of a religion.

Answer 5

Scientology is about the individual man or woman. Its goal is to bring an individual to a sufficient understanding of himself and his life and free him to improve conditions in the way that he sees fit.

The Scientology religious philosophy contains a precise system of axioms, laws and techniques, exhaustively researched and documented as workable. As such, it provides the individual with the ability to dramatically improve conditions, not only in his own life but in the world around him.

In a word, Scientology works.

And this is why millions of people the world over use its principles in their daily lives, why a growing number of people find such relevance in Scientology for themselves, their families, their organizations, their nations and this entire civilization.

All Scientologists are drug-free, and spearhead effective actions in countries around the world to get others off drugs. Scientologists have helped millions of underprivileged children to dramatically improve their reading level, vocabulary and comprehension, and the record of Scientology’s fight for human rights is unparalleled.

Scientology is not authoritarian. There is no enforced belief. Rather, a maxim in Scientology is that only those things which one finds true for himself are true. In Scientology one learns to think for himself – it is a voyage of self-discovery.

Answer 6

to join and stay in this religion it is estimated that you need to give them upwards of $400,000.

its a scam my friend, and tom cruise has so much money he could use it for toilet paper, so why not give it to the "church" of scientology?

they believe that xenu came and dumped souls of aliens here on earth and now we're possessed by these souls.

Answer 7

I asked a similar question not that long ago... here are the answers sent to me. I pretty much decided that scientology isn't for me, and I'm not going to encourage other friends into it.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=A9FJu8vHXtdEGK4ANALsy6IX?qid=20060715164959AACWOVr

Answer 8

I would tell you, but then they would come and get me. Seriously, if the rumors are true, they are some truly strange people.

Answer 9

I'm afraid to say that the documented evidence shows scientology to be a destructive cult.

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.html

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

Don't believe they really believe in Xenu, see the Court agreed documents on the OT levels...
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kspaink/fishman/index2.html

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_qu...

So why do people follow it? What about all the good things they tell you about? See here for an article on why people join scientology:
http://www.clambake.org/archive/personal_story/funkydonny.html

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

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