Was Scientology really founded as a joke?

Question

I'm writing a research paper on Scientology, and my prof told me that L. Ron Hubbard founded as a joke. Is this true? If so, it would be really great if someone could tell me the source that they found it from. Thanks so much!

Answer 1

The urban legend regarding this is that Hubbard, discussing religion with his friends, boasted that he could create his own religion, since people were so gullible. As the story goes, his friends took up that bet and he sat down to write Dianetics, the beginning of a cult. This story is justified by the fact that Hubbard published many (poor) science fiction novels before moving on to religion.

There is no corroborating evidence of this, as I'm sure it would be disrupt the goals of Scientology.

The religion itself is a dangerous cult that has harmed or killed many people.

Answer 2

No it's not true. As far as I know this particular piece of false information was published in one publication of The Book of Facts about 25 years ago and was removed from subsequent publications of this book as it was proved to be false and also deliberately slanderous, so there isn't any current source other than the usual "rumour".

Here are some facts that may assist your research:

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 personal 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 10 million Scientologists in more than 163 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.

This is just an overview.
L. Ron Hubbard explained fully the theology and technologies of Scientology in more than 500,000 pages of writings, including dozens of books and over 2,000 tape-recorded public lectures.
There is a very comprehensive book compiled by the Church of Scientology called "What is Scientology".
This book is in most public libraries or you can contact your local Scientology church or mission and they will supply you with a copy and also gladly answer any other questions you may have.

Answer 3

To expand on one of the answers:

Urban legend has it that L. Ron Hubbard and Robert Heinlein had a bet as to who could get more people to follow a "religion" if they wrote about it. Dianetics was Hubbards view, while Heinlein wrote Stranger in a Strange Land, about a human raised on Mars, who came to earth and eventually, by living thru Martian example, started a movement that the gov't sponsered religion squashed.

For the record, Scientology is a scam. You can only advance by giving huge gobs of cash to the "church", and when you do, you recieve the truth in a MANILLA ENVELOPE on NOTEBOOK PAPER.

Answer 4

Yes it a joke but i dont think it was founded as one, i really think that Ron was overwhelmed by his demons, and was really leaning on an answer or justification if u will to science versus religion, and wanted to help mental patients with a more spiritual involment. To be honest with u i saw it on a TV show. The whole electro shock therapy would actually work on certain mental patients or even regular stressed peoples of society, due to the spiritual involment, or the mental prep brought on by the patient. But as we find out later, it was actually a insignificant tactic that had a very slim percentage rate among patients. The book that was written pro for it was an elaborate group of blasphemous buisness men.

Answer 5

Well he probably believed what he was saying but he centered a lot of his beliefs and writings within his science FICTION novels.

For some wild stuff about Scientology and Dianetics check out this link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenu

The great masses of the people... will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one.
Adolf Hitler

Answer 6

maximum Scientologists have never heard of Xenu. that does no longer arise til "OTIII" this is a reasonably progressed point that many Scientologists do no longer even attain. the way human beings tend to get fascinated (people who do get fascinated) is interior the greater than a number of courses approximately communique, learn and the theory that previous traumas impact a individual afterward. those are the bedrock of Scientology theory. the area opera stuff is (quite often) on the "top ranges".

Answer 7

It was founded to make MONEY. The creator, science-FICTION writer L. Ron Hubbard, once said: "If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion." Now TELL ME it isn't a scheming cult out to suck you dry financially.

This is what Scientologists ACTUALLY believe:

Xenu was an alien ruler of the "Galactic Confederacy" who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of people to Earth in spacecrafts resembling Douglas DC-8 airliners, stacked them around volcanoes and blew them up with hydrogen bombs. Their souls then clustered together and stuck to the bodies of the living. The alien souls continue to do this today, causing a variety of physical ill-effects in modern-day humans. L. Ron Hubbard (a science-fiction writer and the creator of Scientology) called these clustered spirits "Body Thetans," and the advanced levels in Scientology place considerable emphasis on isolating them and neutralizing their ill effects.

To rid ourselves of "Body Thetans" and also “engrams” (past negative experiences stored in our unconscious mind) so that we can become “clear”, we have to go through "auditing" with a member of the “church” who uses an "e-meter" to measure our “reactive mind”...... and we have to pay lots and lots and lots of money for “auditing” (purchased in 12.5-hour blocks, costing anywhere from $750 for introductory sessions to between $8,000 and $9,000 for advanced sessions) and to take courses on Scientology to advance to higher “levels” in the “church”. The “church” has also taken a very hostile stance towards psychiatry and psychiatric drugs irrespective of the fact that some people require medication to remain adequately functional in everyday life. They deny the reality of chemical imbalance and profound mental disturbance and accordingly do NOTHING to effectively stabilize the dangerously unstable. The “church” has been known to withhold prescription pharmaceuticals from member (with deadly results).

Scientology is undeniably a cult. Every cult can be defined as a group having all of the following five characteristics:

(1) It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members [convincing potential members that they are unhappy and Scientology is the only means of helping themselves]. (2) It forms an elitist totalitarian society. [they label everyone who disagrees or questions as a “Suppressive Person” and requires members to “disconnect” from them] (3) Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma. [Yes, that would be Hubbard] (4) It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds & recruit people. (5) Its wealth does not benefit its members or society. [self evident proof for 4 & 5 as it does milk members for virtually everything they have and it’s wealth doesn’t find it’s way back to it’s members or society at all]

Cults are extremely harmful. To remain within the strict mental and social confines of a cult for even a short time can have the following disastrous effects:

Loss of choice and free will. Diminished intellectual ability, vocabulary and sense of humor. Reduced use of irony, abstractions and metaphors. Reduced capacity to form flexible and intimate relationships. Poor judgment. Physical deterioration. Malnutrition. Hallucinations, panic, dissociation, guilt, identity diffusion and paranoia. Neurotic, psychotic or suicidal tendencies.

Answer 8

It wasn't a joke...It was a bet. And by the way, even though religion is false, it is only dangerous in hands of megalomaniacs, but anything they do is dangerous. If Adolf Hitler didn't have religion, he would've found another reason to feed his ego.

Answer 9

It was founded to give the most immoral movie stars some sort of hope so they could justify their riotous and demeaning life somehow in some sort of way.

Answer 10

its not a joke, its a reall religion..people are giving up there money to get rid of there evil souls..and why would Ron Hubbard write a book as a joke?