Do you consider scientology a religion.?

Question

There are no right or wrong anwsers, although a good reson as too WHY will get you 10 points.

Please don't post stuff that's falming other religiong. This is about Scientology ONLY.

identitycrises26, Scientology HAS no higher deity, no mysticism whatsoever.

Answer 1

Absolutely NOT.

Why? Because the organization is structured and operates just like a cult. If it looks like a cult and acts like a cult and thinks like a cult, it 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 (This article was written by Monica Pignotti, Cult Intervention Specialist and former Scientologist): http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/s/scientology/pignotti/

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.xenutv.com/int/secretlives.htm
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://www.rickross.com/reference/scientology/history/history15.html#European

(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 "Scientology's War On Psychiatry": http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/07/01/sci_psy/index_np.html?pn=1

In addition, it's doctrinal teachings are structured in typical cult fashion: the more benign, seemingly beneficial teachings are kept on "the outside", meaning they will teach it to anyone who wants to know as a way to lure in victims, a way to show how truly dedicated the cult is to helping and saving mankind. The more bizarre and sinister teachings are kept secret at the cult's inner core, and the victim must be assimilated and indoctrinated before they can be exposed to the REAL fundamental doctrines of the cult. This is EXACTLY what Scientology does.

Scientology talks of creating a world without hate, without war, etc etc. It offers it's "auditing" and "ethics" which on the surface seem a bit outlandish but possibly effective. The victim then begins pumping more and more money into the cult, paying for "a path to salvation" and all the while becoming more and more reprogrammed by the cult. Scientology's higher level of "Operating Thetan 3" is attained only by members who jump through numerous, VERY expensive hoops (the expenses total in the hundreds of thousands).

Once they've FINALLY reached "OT 3", Scientology teaches them this: http://xenu.net/archive/leaflet/Xenu-Letter.pdf

Answer 2

I don't consider Scientology a religion because it doesn't have a very large following. For example, if Scientology had more than 10million people following it, I would say it's a religion, but because it only has the Hollywood Elite in it's rank, then no.

But could Scientology be even classified as a religion if it had a large following? I've researched Scientology for my Worlds' Religion class, and what I found was rather confusing. Scientologists don't believe in medicating people if they have a mental disorder, yet they use a device that monitors ones' brainwaves to see where you need to improve. Also, they want to eliminate the emotional side of humanity and replace it with logic, thus altering the psyche even more.

Scientology has no reference to any forms of higher power (at least on their website), or an after life. But, I would still consider it a religion if it had a large following, even though it has many strange practices.

Answer 3

Scientology is considered a religion, even though most people think it's cult-like. But all religions start out that way, even Christianity. A lot of people thought it was crazy and seemed like a cult, but over time it became a popular and reigning religion up to today.

Don't get me wrong - I don't mean to compare Christianity to Scientology, they are different, but I'm just saying that's how it starts.

I'm agnostic, but I respect other people's beliefs and stuff, so Scientology, as crazy as it might appear, should be recognized as a religion.

Answer 4

Of course I do. Wikipedia defines religion as "...a set of beliefs and practices generally held by a community, involving adherence to codified beliefs and rituals and study of ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and mystic experience".
Personally, I define religion as: An organized system of belief in the unprovable and/or supernatural which demands money and loyalty from its adherents and offers little in return but false promises and a sense of community.
From what I know about Scientology (which, granted, isn't a whole lot), it easily meets the criteria of both definitions.
I think most of the folks who wouldn't call Scientology a religion are defining "religion" as ONLY their own belief system. Any differing belief system gets a less favorable term like "cult" or "scam".

Answer 5

No,it has no mystical element whatsoever. Even to adherents it's a form of therapy that is designed to acheive heightened consciousness. But there is no deity or anything,or worship. It has none of the qualities of religion. It is more comparable to groups like the Freemasons,at least as they were in their prime.

Answer 6

A Cult, they let their children die on a regular basis from things that are treatable like diabetes and the like. They have gone as long as three days of praying after the child has already died.

Any normal person would do any and every thing in their power to save their child.

They also have a UFO landing strip in New Mexico by a vault where they keep all the teachings of Ron L. Hubbard.

Answer 7

I do now...not before felt they were horrible but as I get older and understand what they are saying and doing.. I can honestly say I do feel they have really come around to the standers "we" have in our reliougious thoughts and standards.

Be what others feel it good or bad.. it is a religion

As defined in what one should be..There are those definitions which define religion in terms of a cultic organization and there are those definitions which define religions in terms of a way of life.

The core values of scientology are very impressive and are food for thought..as time grows on they do have more of "Christian" values in the last 10 years..

But I do feel that this one was started only on the bases for
L. Ron Hubbard to make his mark with this literature and to make a million by starting a religion.. but due to the fact that alot of what he said made since it fast became a way of life for some and he had a following.. As time goes by the following gets bigger and more of the core of the Christian comunity intertwines. It is completely different then it was in the 1950's

L.Ron Hubbard said it him self......"Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion"

Which ended up happening.. I am sure he didn't ever think it would be to this magnitude.. But I agree with alot of the teachings that they have.

Answer 8

Yes Scientology is a religion. There are new religions born daily. They all (religions) have a different belief. A cult is a type of religion as well as other.

Answer 9

By definition, yes it is a religion.

A religion is a set of beliefs and practices generally held by a community, involving adherence to codified beliefs and rituals and study of ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and mystic experience. The term "religion" refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction.

But personally, no, I think scientology is closer to a cult.

Answer 10

i think that the founder (L. Ron Hubbard?) intended it to be a belief system/philosophy but not a religion. they became the "Church of Scientology" to receive tax exempt and non-profit status, and also to avoid the government breathing down their backs. i think i once read that the FBI raided their main headquarters because of back taxes or something, and found them using engram machines. i googled "scientology" one day and came across that info.

Answer 11

Yes I consider it a religion, here's my description of it:
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.
It is also not a messianic religion. This means there is no worship of prophets or messiahs in Scientology. It is not faith based. A truth should be true 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 life.And to rehabilitate his native goodness, abilities and potential.
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.

Also:
Scholastic criteria for a religion :
1. A belief in some Ultimate Reality, such as a supreme or eternal truth that transcends the here and now of the secular world;
2. Religious practices directed towards understanding, attaining or communing with this Ultimate Reality; and
3. A community of believers who join together in pursuing this Ultimate Reality.
Based on these criteria, ever scholar who has examined Scientology has concluded that it has the required elements of a religion.

Hope this helps.