is scientology a cult?

Answer 1

Yes... yes it is. Scientology is 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 & retain its members.

Read here about the use of mind control and brainwashing in Scientology: http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/s/scientology/pignotti/
This article was written by Monica Pignotti, Cult Intervention Specialist and former Scientologist.
Here is more information about Scientology "TR's", or Training Routines (which are billed as a way to improve communication skills, but whose real purpose is to plant the seeds for thought control): http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Secrets/TR/

(2) It forms an elitist totalitarian society.

It is official Scientology policy to label anyone who disagrees with the practices of or questions the validity and/or benignity of Scientology as a “Suppressive Person”. The policy also requires members to “disconnect” from them.

(3) Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable & has charisma.

Meet L. Ron Hubbard:
http://www.xenu.net/entheta/entheta/media/tv/secret/secret.html
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/Bare%20Faced%20Messiah.pdf
http://slate.msn.com/id/2122835/?nav=ais

(4) It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds & recruit people.

Absolutely. After all, Hubbard DID create his own religion on order to scam people out of their money: http://lisatrust.freewinds.cx/scientology/hubbard.htm
Scientology is, in fact, seen as nothing more than a business in many countries (which is why, in those countries, it is appropriately NOT regarded as a religion). Here's the Wikipedia article on "Scientology as a business": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_as_a_business#
And nothing is too low for them: if people leave the church under unfavorable conditions, the church then charges them a "free-loader debt" which is basically retroactive billing for any auditing received or any Scientology training received while in the Sea Org, which can run into tens of thousands of dollars.
http://216.109.125.130/search/cache?p=scientology+freeloader+debt+kent&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-501&x=wrt&u=www.rickross.com/reference/scientology/history/history15.html&w=scientology+freeloader+debt+kent&d=QbtxEuxsOMXw&icp=1&.intl=us

(5) Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.

The only "benefit" to society that Scientology claims is it's drug rehabilitation program (which is utterly ineffective and whose "success" statistics have been manipulated or outright doctored by Scientology) and it's "stand" against psychiatry.
This is a site that takes a critical look at their drug rehabilitation program which goes by the name of "Narconon": http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/index.html
And here's an article entitled "What's Scientology's beef with psychiatry? Adherents say people can cure own ills; critics say the church is a cult":
http://www.rickross.com/reference/scientology/psychiatry/psychiatry9.html

Answer 2

what's your definition of a cult? Some would say that the difference between a religion and a cult is that a religion is socially accepted. Scientology seems to generally be socially ridiculed, unlike the glorified 'cult' of christianity

Answer 3

Cults are more ritualistic with less of a religious side. If anything it is more of a Sect. Sects are more religious and spiritual than cults, but not to the extreme that religion is. A sect is also more of a deviation from the generally accepted religious tradition. I wouldn't call Scientology a religion, but I wouldn't call it a cult either. Its more or less a "lifestyle".

Answer 4

Not in the most commonly used sense of 'cult'. Go to a good dictionary and look up the word 'cult'. eg websters&mirriam dictionary

It is a group of people that come together to study and apply technology. Specifically the technology put forward by L Ron Hubbard. This technology gives a person tools to handle self and others with greater skill. By this a person can improve their worth to society.

Answer 5

It is a self-styled religion fabricated by a B-grade sci-fi writer called Lafayette R Hubbard. It didn't start as a religion but called itself a church too take advantage of tax dodges - like all of the other parasitic churches spongeing off the public purse. Don't even think about it unless you are rich, it is very successful at separating the gullible from their money.

Answer 6

Yes. A very powerful and dangerous cult. It is no better than Jim Jones' cult and worse than Jim & Tammy Bakker's pseudo-religious mockery of thieves.

Answer 7

It is worse than a cult it is a made up religion by a science fiction writer. How the hell they ever got a following is beyond me. A lot of goofy folks out there.

Answer 8

Yes, definitely. Stay away from it. Read the Bible. Use the New Living Translation (NLT) to help you understand it. Start with the New Testament book of John or Mark. Find a good Bible Believing Christian Church.

John 3:16 tells of God's love for us: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 14:6 (A quote by Jesus, God's Son) I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the father but by me.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Check out the following website. Read the webpage and then continue clicking the next page button until you get through the entire message.
http://www.evantell.org/Read_online/question/index.html

Answer 9

It's a religion, therefore it's a cult. Ain't a dime's worth of difference between 'em.

Answer 10

No. It's a business disguised as a religion in order to avoid paying taxes on its "donations".