2006-10-05 03:26:55 · 13 answers · asked by nashvillekat 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
It's a fancy book club that is very proficient at selling books and shaking people down for money.
It all started because the founder, L. Ron Hubbard wanted to sell a bunch of books and not pay taxes on it. Well, as it turns out, LRon is a very crappy writer, and the US government is rather adamant that enterprising individuals pay taxes on all they earn. So he had to come with a ruse to get people involved and not pay taxes at the same time. After thinking about it for a bit, he then came up with this gem of an idea: Start a religion (tax free), sell the books to the believers (dupes), and then ask for money to progress up the ranks! It's bloody brilliant I say. Corrupt as can be, but a brilliant scheme none-the-less.
Well, where are you gonna find so many dupes with all this money? Hollywood of course!
2006-10-05 05:14:59 · answer #1 · answered by Manny 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In Scientology no one is asked to accept anything as belief or on faith. That which is true for you is what you have observed to be true. An individual discovers for himself that Scientology works by personally applying its principles and observing or experiencing results.
The above is from a website about scientology. I personally do not agree. There is no "belief"- its basically what you make of it. I have heard it is like a cult- but I do not know that to be true.
2006-10-05 10:38:35 · answer #2 · answered by rottymom02 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A cult is usually a small religious group that follows one leader. And their believes are different or new. All great religions started as cults. For example when Jesus first started to spread the word of Christianity. He was the cult leader and the apostles were cult members. It wasn't until Christianity became main stream that Christianity became a religion.
By definition Scientology is a cult, but also any religion can be considered a cult.
Definition of CULT by Dictionary.com
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
7. the members of such a religion or sect.
8. any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.
2006-10-05 11:30:50 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They consider it to be a "belief", but then they make it sound like a religion, which makes it somewhat of a cult.
Watch the south park episode on Scientology.
2006-10-05 10:35:15 · answer #4 · answered by Yuri Slavio 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes it is. That doesn't mean you can't believe in it. If a cult or religion gets you through the day, if it makes you feel good then go for it!
2006-10-05 10:30:11 · answer #5 · answered by cutencurley_05 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
all religion is cult. remember what the term cult means.
i can't see why so many take offense to the word "cult".
not just religions but groups that have the same interest such as people who enjoy elvis but watch bruce campbell as elvis in the movie bubba ho tep... so there's this b-movie cult called bubba-ho-ho's...
or folks who love pasteries... the icky sticky cult is a place in maryland somewhere that loves pasteries and goes all over to review and sample pasteries from all over the world.
here's a basic reference of the word:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cult
:D
hey.. yahoo has their cults... points around.
2006-10-05 10:36:34 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes. And a dangerous cult too.
2006-10-05 10:34:34 · answer #7 · answered by claudiagiraffe 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most people say yes. I could argue fundamentalist Christianity is also a cult. It all depends on your point of view.
2006-10-05 10:34:01 · answer #8 · answered by Funchy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Father told Abraham that we will all separate in His faith and that religion will be wicked. So in essence we are all cults. Even those of us who are simply known as believers.
2006-10-05 13:11:15 · answer #9 · answered by mshoward1204 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, Of course not....we are just labeled with that because we have some different ideas, and different thinking scares those who are petty and small minded.
www.scientology.org
This is where you can read the truth!
2006-10-06 08:17:29 · answer #10 · answered by foxtel_iq 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋