Scientology are you for real??

Question

I already know this will anger at least one person but I am prepared for any comments on this. I recently became curious on what is Scientology? What was it about and what did the people who practice this do. What I found out made me sit here with a dumb look on my face wondering if this is real or some really screwed up joke. The fact that a "fantasy writer" someone who made up stories for his life has convinced people about aliens and dianetics, e-meters?? Is there really anyone who is 100% serious about this?? And if so what helped you in your choice to stick with this.

....no I do not wish in any way to become a sceintologist I was just curious thank you.

Answer 1

Yes, it's absolutely true that Scientologists ACTUALLY believe holding two tin cans and recounting their painful memories will cause them to become cosmically powerful, and yes, unfortunately there are many who are "100% serious" about it. Relatively speaking their numbers are fairly low (somewhere around 600,000 adherents worldwide) but that's still a surprisingly large number considering the ridiculous nature of the "religion".

Answer 2

There are plenty of people who are serious about their religion, and that includes Scientologists. What you have to understand is that only a few Scientologists actually believe the scifi mythology, just like how very few Christians believe that there's going to be a rapture and everyone who didn't agree with them is going to burn forever.

I've studied Scientology (in a more secular manner- I'm pagan not Scientologist), and I've found that the main purpose of Scientology is to be self-help. All the books and stuff? They're all meant to help. Learning how to learn, communication skills... you get the idea.

Of course there's also the matter of the Church of Scientology, however I will keep my opinions (which are not very sympathetic) to myself because it's irrelevant to the question at hand.

Answer 3

Scientology is taken seriously by many people all around the world. I live in Venezuela and there is a center here, "Dianetica," which is always full of people, including some of my closest friends.

I know that it has helped many people and it makes sense to many people. For myself, personally, there were too many "red flags" so to speak, or things that made me uncomfortable. ie, the high cost of being a scientologist. The secrecy (many scientologists will not tell you about it, they insist you come check it out for yourself, thus forking out money to buy products and take courses) The cost, at least here in Venezuela, is astronomical in order to reach the promised sate of "clear," the ultimate goal of scientologists. It is my belief that if you are truly trying to help mankind, access to information should be free and universal.

There were several other "red flags" which made me lose interest in scientology. All I can say is, look into it on your own. Read "Dianetics" and be sure to ask questions and formulate your own opinions. If something in your gut tells you that it's not right, than it's probably not right for you.

It's right and helpful for many people, but not for myself, although I do use several scientology ideas in my daily life such as the concept of "postulating" (not sure if that is translated correctly from Spanish to English.) I took a take it or leave it approach. Some ideas I liked and used, others I did not and discarded.

Listen to your gut.

Answer 4

Or another way to put it would be that he was a science/psychology student who made his living at writing science fiction. But also decided to research many self-help programs and make them available. Of course, in those days, to help people with personal problems you had to be either medicine or religion. They didnt allow alternatives like they do now.

According to the anti-scientology sites, most people just take the first two courses (which are pretty cheap) then move on. The communication course, and the studying course. All their stuff is at set rates. Thats what I did. Better than many other more expensive college courses that I have taken.

Not much of a cult there. In fact, in many ways I had more trouble with the baptists. That was a group that didnt want you to leave, tried to run too much of your life, had rates like "10% of your earnings", and to get to the top you had to give up everything you owned. :)

Answer 5

It's my understanding that L.Ron Hubbard was a failed science and psychology student that turned to science fiction. He realized that the real money was in fictional worlds that people actually dupe themselves into believing are real and are willing to pay a great deal of money to continue the delusion since it is far more entertaining than day-to-day life. Furthermore, it seems that Hubbard was frustrated at not being allowed to earn counseling licensure, so he set up "Scientology" as a cult based on plagarized psychological counseling techniques so that he could counsel without a license in addition to having constant repeat customers. Granted, the Catholic Church had already beaten him to this with Confession, but perhaps that legitimized the operation. Likewise, the tax exempt status of churches was also something of a lure for Hubbard. Now add some relatively difficult material to believe if you are rational person and viola! A religion! Indeed, if people ARE willing to shell out money for hokum, it doesn't take a P.T. Barnum to realize that there's a great deal of money to make off of suckers.

Scientology moves into cult territory by having doctrines designed to alienate members from their families and communities. This is important to a cult as one's reality may be refocused by one's loved ones and friends, so a member may be better brainwashed by cutting them all off. Secrecy and other fun tools of manipulation of the membership also empower the organization to control the membership.

Further alienating features mixed with sensible advice stolen from scientific research (which is declared as hated since educational institutions are hated by Scientology - which probably means that the leadership doesn't want the flock to know where the common sense portions of the doctrines come from). This creates a seige mentality combined with "proof" that Scientology works (although the actual working parts aren't from Scientology at all). Great cult material!

Answer 6

this is needless to say a unfastened Zone or autonomous Scientology website. the define looks to show this. i understand extremely some non church Scientologists. they're nonetheless fascinated interior the subject yet do no longer choose ANY area of "The Church of Scientology". there are a number of splinter communities, fb pages, yahoo communities. Heck, I actually have a sprint communicate board nevertheless it does not get lots site visitors. Edit to characteristic remark: sounds like extremely some human beings are unaware that the cult has extremely some spinoffs. it incredibly is a enormously different scene accessible for them.

Answer 7

Go read Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard and that's 90% of what Scientology is.

Answer 8

yep it is a hoot isn't it and Cruise is so OUT THERE about it, at least John travolta, Kirsty Alley, and Lisa Marie Presley don't preach it..have you noticed Scientology doesn't try to teach or initiate the poor average man with there absurb sci-fi they want people with big bucks to pay for treatment. My hubby had a friend who eventually lost all his money and his mind to niacin treatments with scientology and this dude was a brilliant chemist.

Answer 9

Actually it is a screwed up joke, My EX was a scientologist so I know all about this. I also know that in the 50's L.Ron Hubbard wrote a document and in it he said that if you want to make money, creating a religion was the best way to do it. He did that and brainwashed thousands of people all for his financial gain.

Answer 10

Those in scientology are brainwashed into believing it. It's really sad that so many people have been taken in by it. It's one of the biggest cults out there.