scientology intrigues me....?

Question

okay, i know i should be charged like 50 points for all these questions, but....

Isn't it entirely based off of a self help book called dianetics?

Am I entirely wrong?

This sounds like a number of other religions, but they claim theirs is better because their book is older....

I'd be interested in an overview from a scientologist.

Why is it called scientology? is it just to create a loose association with science?

tash, i don't think using the word "cult" is being very politically correct, as any religion can be labeled "cult" if their beliefs and/or practices are not generally socially acceptable, but i thank you for your input..

Answer 1

Scientology has produced somewhat of a paradox for some:

On one hand, regular Scientologists (ordinary members) should have the right to worship Scientology as a religion.

On the other hand, it's clear as you go move up the ladder to the Administrative level of Scientology, it's clearly a corporation that manipulates it's followers for the purposes of gaining religious credibility.

Some courts (in some countries) have ruled that regardless of the intent of L Ron Hubbard and the current administration of Scientology, because it's regular members believe it to be a religion, it is therefore a religion.

Other courts (in various countries) have ruled that it's not a religion.

In my opinion:

Scientology is a corporation that uses the guise of religion for tax purposes and it's teachings are the ramblings of a madman.

While Scientology professes to despise the field of Psychiatry, they themselves practice Psychiatry in order to manipulate it's members.

It makes sense that they would despise this field of science when it's practiced by others, since it's the field of Psychiatry that is most often deployed help people break free from the brainwashing tactics/effects of cults.

Answer 2

Its the Study of Knowing.
The founder was a SciFi writer and like any good scifi writer he was an extensive researcher. So its actually an advantage to them to not be thousands of years old since there wouldnt have been much to research and incorporate into it.

I took a couple of their courses years ago. Since then Ive seen bits and pieces of their stuff show up in other (more expensive) courses. But none of them were put together as well.

Of course back in the 50's when they popped up, you couldnt claim life changing repairs without being either medical or a religion. Nowadays there are offshoots of Scientology that dump the religion stuff and just go as self-help or alternate healing.

Answer 3

Scientology means “knowing how to know” and it is the study of the spirit in relationship to the universe. In accordance Scientology existence is divided in two areas: spiritual and physical. Spiritual existence is represented with the Greek letter Theta (that means thought). All life is theta including God. Theta or life creates and controls space, energy and matter.
Life or theta is senior to the material universe. So Scientology is about thought over matter.
Scientology asserts “all that all your problems are in you mind” and that you are fully responsible for your existence.
Scientology is a practical religious philosophy, is not a believe system, in Scientology you can believe in anything you want. But the practice of Scientology is an exact and precise practice that requires years of training to master. It is believed that through this practice a better life can be achieved and all the riddles of the universe are solved.

Answer 4

it is not science, just made up fairy tales, why don't you read about it yourself.

it is basically a brainwashing institution designed to take your money that unlike other religious (which are silly too) doesn't have an identifiable author who notoriously stated that "the quickest way to get rich in this country (america) is to become a religion".

also noteably thier whole story and religion sounds like a work of science fiction- but wait, who was el ron hubbard?

A FAILED SCIENCE FICTION WRITER!

Answer 5

I'm not a Scientologist, but my fiance use to be for a short period of time. The following is some information I have compiled about Scientology. The Scientologists who answer you question will give me thumbs down and possibly say not to listen to me...but they will be unable to refute any of the information I have posted here.

Scientology is a cult that destroys lives and is responsible for countless crimes and deaths.

Scientology teaches that around 75 million years ago there was an alien named ‘Xenu’. His home world was over populated, so he dumped the excess population on earth in some volcanoes (which didn’t exist 75 million years ago), dropped H-bombs on them, then captured their souls and brain washed them. These souls are called ‘thetans’ and supposedly attach themselves to humans, causing all manner of ills.

Scientologists believe in denying various medical treatments such as medication to control seizures, anti-psychotics (for schizophrenia etc) mood stabilizers (for Bipolar, Manic Depression etc) and anti-depressants (for depression, Post Traumatic Stress (shell shock), postnatal depression etc).

Heribert Pfaff, aged 31 died in hotel room, of a seizure. He was undergoing a Scientology treatment regime which required him to cease taking his prescribed anti-seizure medication and take vitamins and minerals instead.

Margarit Winkelmann, aged 51, drowned herself after Scientologists placed her on a similar treatment regime which required her to stop taking Lithium, a mood stabilizer used to treat depression, Bipolar etc.

Check out this link for more examples of such tragedies

http://www.whyaretheydead.net/others/ars1032.htm

The following links are news stories about a girl with schizophrenia, whose parents refused to allow her to take her medication because they were Scientologists. She had a severe psychotic episode because she’d so long been deprived of treatment and killed her father and sibling, almost killing her mother too.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,22069705-28737,00.html

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22045262-5001021,00.html

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/scientology-denied-daughter-help/2007/07/09/1183833431861.html

Scientologists also believe they have the right to torture or kill ‘Suppressive Persons’ (SP) people who oppose Scientology
“ENEMY: SP Order. Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.”
http://www.fairgamed.org/fairgame.htm
Scientology also has its own navy, called ‘Sea Org’. Sea Org members sign billion year contracts and are punished for perceived transgressions by being thrown over board (sometimes tied hand and food and blindfolded) and are thrown from various heights according to their ‘transgression’. Alternatively they may be locked in a chain-locker. ‘A chain-locker is "a dark hole where the anchor chains are stored; cold, wet and rats,”’

http://www.xenu.net/archive/so/index.html

The costs of becoming a Scientologist are prohibitive. In order to be fully ‘audited’, it costs a minimum of $277 000.00, and $380 000.00 if a fully audited individual wishes to become an auditor.

http://www.xenu.net/archive/prices.html

Answer 6

It's called "Scientology" because apparently the word means "knowing how to know" and they tout themselves as spiritual revolutionaries who can teach you all about your "inate superhuman powers". I'm not kidding.

Here's an overview (in my own words, not copied from another website):

Scientology, which questionably calls itself a new "religion", is the brainchild of science fiction writer & occult enthusiast L. Ron Hubbard. The organization, by means of Hubbard’s self created psychotherapy technique called “Dianetics”, 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). Their “treatment” of substance abuse includes little more than massive doses of vitamins and extended sessions in a sauna.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianetics#Scientific_evaluation_and_criticisms
Dianetics review: http://dir.salon.com/story/books/review/2005/06/28/dianetics/index.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,812852,00.html
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/detox.htm
http://www.nypress.com/20/22/news&columns/feature.cfm

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 $200-$750 for introductory sessions to between $8,000 & $9,000 for advanced sessions. Basically, Scientology claims to possess exclusive knowledge of the path to religious redemption & then charges obscene amounts of money for every tiny incremental step towards this end. 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 millions of aliens (Thetans) from around the universe by kidnapping them, bringing them to earth in golden DC-8 “space-planes”, stacking them around volcanoes & blowing them up by dropping “h-bombs” into the volcanoes. Scientologists believe the souls of these aliens (these souls are "Body Thetans") were captured, brainwashed & released; they then attached themselves to our ancestors (and according to Scientology’s belief in Thetan immortality, they also attached to us during “past lives”) & 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://www.spaink.net/cos/essays/atack_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 during everyday life. It doesn’t recognize legitimate conditions like autism, epilepsy, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or ANY neurological disorder / chemical imbalance at all, & the “church” has been known to withhold prescription pharmaceuticals from members (often with harmful & deadly results). The “Church” blames psychiatry for the Holocaust, as well as school shootings & even September 11th. It’s been suggested that Hubbard’s vehement opposition was born of the psychiatric community’s rejection of his “tech” as a valid treatment method, but it’s also possible that Hubbard chose psychiatry as a scapegoat. Organizations like Scientology are notorious for villainizing a specific out-group because their “stand against the enemy” fosters cohesion within said organization, & psychiatry was an effective rallying point considering many people already distrust & oppose the mental health profession.
http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/usa-scientology.htm
http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=3137&IssueNum=136
http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/07/01/sci_psy/index_np.html?pn=1
http://perkinstragedy.org

L. Ron Hubbard, the man behind the creation of Scientology, was & still is a controversial figure. Biographies & lists of personal accomplishments differ greatly between Scientology & non-Scientology publications as the “church” tends to exaggerate & outright lie about his early life, his education, his travels, his achievements etc, preferring to paint a distorted, flattering picture. Several books & articles present facts which flatly contradict these church-published accounts (links to free online copies of these books & articles are provided below), showing conclusively that he was NOT the brilliant, accomplished figure revered by Scientologists. During his autopsy, the sedative 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. It had also been said by many who knew Hubbard personally that at the end of his life he was “a psychopathic insane person screaming about BT's [Body Thetans]…”
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/Bare%20Faced%20Messiah.pdf
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/atack/contents.htm
http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/mom/Messiah_or_Madman.txt
http://skull.piratehaven.org/~atman/factnet/lrhbare.txt

To be blunt, Scientology is a cult (as this more detailed answer will demonstrate: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070621142028AAxdnan ). It may not be "politically correct" to label it as such, but nonetheless it 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 bullies all known critics, opponents, “enemies”, etc, often through malicious litigation & character assassination. It’s a particularly greedy as well as manipulative & dangerous cult that takes its anti-psychiatry fanaticism to deadly limits.
http://www.solitarytrees.net/racism/harass.htm#start
http://www.factnet.org/Books/SocialControl/scs.html#toc
http://www.sptimes.com/2006/06/24/Tampabay/The_unperson.shtml
http://www.xenu.net/archive/personal_story/funkydonny.html