Why is scientology considered a religion?

Question

I believe a tax judge declared it a religion and the government was too spineless to appeal the ruling. Several European countries don't consider it a religion. Have you read L. Ron Hubbard? He doesn't have a religion, he just rants and tries to get out of paying taxes. His followers do the same except they try to get money from new members. If you join scientology say goodbye to your bank account.

Answer 1

Absolutely. I'm glad you know what's going on. I always try to make sure people know the truth about Scientology when questions are asked on Yahoo! Answers. This is the response I usually post (you don't have to choose it as best, I just hope other people see it and learn something):

Scientology, which questionably calls itself a new "religion", is the brainchild of science fiction writer & occult enthusiast L. Ron Hubbard. The organization claims to be able to help rid members of any & all mental constraints including but not limited to emotional scarring (from this & "past" lives) due to "engrams" (past negative experiences stored in our unconscious mind), psychological disorders & chemical imbalances (the solution is to convince members that these things don't actually exist) & drug dependence (including legally prescribed psychopharmaceuticals which counteract the effects of psychological disorders Scientologists believe to be nonexistent).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianetics#Scientific_evaluations
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,812852,00.html

The official Scientology organization is composed of a number of “levels”. One begins as a “preclear” & works their way up. One must purchase virtually every service crucial to advancement directly from the "church" & at staggering prices. "Auditing", for example, is purchased in 12½ hour blocks, costing anywhere from $750 for introductory sessions to between $8,000 & $9,000 for advanced sessions. Visit this link to see how $380,000 is a conservative estimate for the total cost of moving all the way up the Scientology hierarchal ladder: http://www.xenu.net/archive/prices.html
These are the total costs for auditing alone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_as_a_business#Costs
Here’s an explanation of what “auditing” is: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061224182319AA2nnd6

At level OT III (Operating Thetan 3), some very strange & fiercely guarded secrets are imparted upon worthy members who have paid enough money to advance to such a level (and no, this isn't a joke): the evil alien ruler Xenu killed a lot of aliens (Thetans) from around the universe by kidnapping them, bringing them to earth in golden DC-8 “space-planes” & blowing them up inside volcanoes with hydrogen bombs. Scientologists believe the souls of these aliens (these souls are "Body Thetans") were captured, brainwashed & released; they then attached themselves to our ancestors (who passed them all the way down to us) & cause many of our mental & physical ills to this day. Auditing is said to “clear” us of these Body Thetans as well as the “mental implants” they supposedly impose on our minds. http://sf.irk.ru/www/ot3/spaink-ot3.html http://xenu.net/archive/leaflet/Xenu-Letter.pdf

Scientology has taken a very hostile stance towards psychiatry & psychiatric drugs irrespective of the fact that some people require medication to remain adequately functional in everyday life. They don’t recognize legitimate conditions like autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etc, and the “church” has been known to withhold prescription pharmaceuticals from member (often with harmful & deadly results).. Suspiciously, it was discovered upon Hubbard’s death that the anti-anxiety drug hydroxyzine (Vistaril™) was present in his body, which several of his assistants would later attest was only one of many psychiatric & pain medications Hubbard ingested over the years. http://www.clambake.org/archive/ronthenut/16.gif
(visit this link to read about the uses of hydroxyzine: http://www.drugs.com/mtm/v/vistaril.html )

To be blunt, Scientology is a cult. It employs semi-legitimate psychotherapy & self-help methods to keep people loyal & convinced of its merit while it simultaneously sucks them dry financially & attempts to keep them far away from ANYONE, even friends & family, who would dissuade them from remaining in such a harmful situation. It’s a particularly greedy as well as manipulative & dangerous cult that takes its anti-psychiatry fanaticism to deadly limits. See this link for more information: http://www.lisamcpherson.org/

Answer 2

I don't like bad-mouthing religions, but in this case, it is truly my opinion that it is not a real religion. L. Ron Hubbard declared it a religion because he felt that that would be the way he could make the most money out of his enterprise.

If I understand correctly, they do have some rather strange teachings at the higher levels, that would probably best be classified as religious. These are ideas involving aliens and strange stuff like that. But seriously, did L. Ron Hubbard actually believe this stuff? I doubt it. He just added that so he could promote it as a religion, because that's how he could make the most money from people.

Answer 3

Because it is, but you didn't ask this question to clarify anything since you obviously already have all the answers.
Here's a factual description for you:
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. It is a very practical religion.
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 in the area of God , the Supreme Being, or the Infinite. This area is left totally up to the indivdual as pasrt of his life. It does not conflict.
You can have no specific religious beliefs and still benefit from it.
And it is only true for you according to your own observation and experience with it.
It is also not a messianic religion. This means there is no worship of messiahs in Scientology. There are no “beliefs” as such because a truth should be according to ones own observation and experience.
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 lifeAnd 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. L. Ron Hubbard researched and made new discoveries about the human spirit. He developed technology from these discoveries to apply to increase spiritual awareness and ability.
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. So it's not possible to fully answer your question on this forum.

Answer 4

They have a philosophy, dogma, proposed answers to the "big" questions in life, and rituals. That's pretty much all you need to have a religion. I may not agree with Scientology, but I don't see how they're any less of a religion than, say, Theravada Buddhism, or Taoism, or Wicca.

Answer 5

Why is any of these Little insignificant abominations considered a religion. Best to just ignore them. They come and they go. All religions are just made up things. They have as much right to tax exemptions as anyone else.

Answer 6

It's a cult and a con job.

The only reason people don't recognize it as a cult is because it's not like a Jim Jones kind of cult. Ask Zero Cool about it - you'll get a better understanding of how it really works.

Answer 7

O come on Tom Cruise only needs 1 more level and he CAN FLY! he will be a level 7 or 8 i forgot, but the next one he will have magic powers.

Answer 8

Because an Tax court said they are. That EVEN shocked the IRS who was used to winning in that court!

The IRS refers to them as an ENTITY founded in 1951

They won't even give them lip service!

One of the FEW time I think MOST of us can side with the IRS on an issue!

Answer 9

It's an organized belief system with dogma and ceremony, so as far as I'm concerned, it's certainly a religion.

Not that I think this gives it any more credibility one way or another, mind you...

Answer 10

It isn't considered a religion.

Answer 11

Shhh the undercover cult investigating team is already on the job. Don't blow our cover!