What are the basic beliefs of Scientology?

Question

With all the rumors going around about the Religion and Tom Cruise, etc. it is hard to distinguish facts from fiction. What are some basic beliefs of Scientology? How was it formed? Is this a new religion or are we just now hearing a lot about it because of celebrities practicing it?

Thanks for the answer Carol, but you can't be serious. Humans are responsible for our/their own actions. Satan is merely a deity that Christians use to blame wrong-doing on.

I am not interested in practicing the religion, I am only curious about their beliefs since I am hearing so many rumors that obviously aren't true. (I.E. "Alien worship")

Answer 1

Here is an accurate descrption of Scientology for you. It should answer you question.

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, long before he became an international celebrity.

Answer 2

In many ways I think it is the opposite of the bible. They believe that the things blocking you from your goals are not outside of you, and you shouldnt look outside of you for fixes. The believes dont tend to come into much. In fact there are the free scientologists who still do most of the practices but dropped alot of the beliefs (now that its not 1950 and you can do that).

Its most a bunch of excellent research by a writer guy that is condensed into courses. Communication, studying, self-confidence, getting off drugs, shaking peer pressure, handling the things in you that are blocking you in life. But is all self instead of asking outside of you for help. (consider that list of teachings and you can probably see why its a good idea for Hollywood folk :)

Watch interviews with Cruise and Travolta and Issac Hayes. Not about the religion. Just the way they are so happy and confident compared to other stars interviews.

Of course for some people if it was researched and collected a bunch of axioms and rules that are proven to work then thats not a religion. They prefer thousands of years old some guy said we should interpretations of their gods words. I have no problem with that but I wouldnt tend to say that it made more sense.

Answer 3

check out xenu.com, it has a lot of the info you are looking for.

Scientology was started by L Ron Hubbard, a science fiction author, in the 1960's. The basic idea was something of a self-help psychology. Practitioners would go through 'audits', where they talked about problems in their life with someone in the church while hooked up to an 'e-meter'. They could then learn how to move beyond painful events by ridding themselves of these bad feelings.

BUT - after that it gets really weird. They believe all pain and suffering in your life is caused by "thetans", which are the dead sould of aliens that were killed in a galactic war millions of years ago. Xenu was the supposed leader of this galactic empire, and is supposed to be imprisoned inside a volcano deep in the earth.

Answer 4

From the Wikipedia entry on Scientology:

Some central beliefs of Scientology:

* A person is an immortal spiritual being (termed a thetan) who possesses a mind and a body.

* Through the Scientology process of "auditing", one can free oneself of "engrams" and "implants" to reach the state of "Clear", and after that, the state of "Operating Thetan". Each state is said to represent recovering the native spiritual abilities of the individual, and to confer dramatic mental and physical benefits.
The thetan has lived through many past lives and will continue to live beyond the death of the body.

* A person is basically good, but becomes "aberrated" by moments of pain and unconsciousness in his or her life.
What is true for you is what you have observed yourself. No beliefs should be forced as "true" on anyone. Thus, the tenets of Scientology are expected to be tested and seen to either be true or not by Scientology practitioners.

* Psychiatry and psychology are evil and abusive.

* Humans retain many emotional problems caused by early stages of evolution (see Scientology History of Man).

* Scientology claims to offer an exact methodology to help a person achieve awareness of his or her spiritual existence and better effectiveness in the physical world. "Exact" methods of spiritual counseling are taught and practiced which are claimed to enable this change. According to the Church, the ultimate goal is to get the soul (thetan) back to its native state of total freedom, thus gaining control over matter, energy, space, time, thoughts, form, and life. This freed state is called Operating Thetan, or OT for short.

...go to Wikipedia and read the who entry if interested......and oh yeah, and the way we got into this situation is that millions of years ago, the galactic emporer "Xenu" disembodied millions of us and imprisoned our disembodied spirits in a volcano here on Earth...

Answer 5

Scientology has been around for a while. The beliefs associated with the religion are unusual to say the least. I'd recommend checking out the wikipeia article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology

Answer 6

It is the exact opposite of the bible. It about living according to what you can see, wrather than living by faith. It is satans work, and satan is using celebriities to lure gullable people into his web of deceit. Dont fall for it. Tom cruse is an up an comming antichrist.

Answer 7

Their basic beliefs are to recruit (and pamper) morons like Tom Cruise, so that it's easier to recruit, and then fleece the vulnerable for every last cent they have.
P.S.
Very funny Carol

Answer 8

Here are some facts about Scientology. http://theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com/