is scientology a cult or a religion?

Answer 1

It is most CERTAINLY a cult.

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 Level 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://www.spaink.net/cos/essays/atack_ot3.html
http://sf.irk.ru/www/ot3/spaink-ot3.html
http://xenu.net/archive/leaflet/Xenu-Letter.pdf
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/OTIII/

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. 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

Answer 2

It can be considered both. All the major religions today (e.g., Christianity, Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, Wicca, Paganism, etc.) were at one time, or even presently, considered a cult. The primary condition which determines such classification is the contemporary social structure and authority in power. For example, if Buddhism were one of the mainstream religions which many celebrities, political figures, and religious leaders followed in America, other movements like Christianity, Islam, etc. would be considered "cultish." If you look back in any religion's history, you'll see that when it initially began, it was perceived by the majority as a cult. Once the movement catches on or gains popularity (ie., "credibility"), it then becomes an official religion and not just another wacky cult.

Answer 3

cult or con I absolutely might now not classify it as a legit faith or perception, extra a location for unhappy dull morons with extra money then brains I believe its a need to haven't any loose will or feel of good judgment earlier than you'll be admitted EDIT: outsiders you're a whole moron how can anyone be a scientolgist with out becoming a member of the actaul church of scientology , how are you able to say you already know the whole lot approximately it while you're now not even a member , do you believe any relgious institution might placed their so much priceless secrets and techniques in books for the ordinary public , you are making me snicker The most effective legitimate ideology scientology has was once stolen from THELEMIC strategies perpetuated by way of Crowley , which I ought to say that even nonetheless Hubbard had a beautiful pathetic know-how of and so as to add to that hes adultarted some of the strategies together with his pathetic babble , the earlier this perception of vulnerable minded fools dies out the higher for all people

Answer 4

It's a cult. Read anything about cults in general and you'll find the "Church" of Scientology matches most of the characteristics. Read "The Cult Test" at http://www.orange-papers.org/orange-cult_q0.html

Answer 5

It's a cult trying to pass itself off as a religion for tax reasons and to appear more credible to the public. And yes....there is a big difference between a cult and a religion.

Answer 6

Not really much of either one from what I saw. I took a couple of their courses, hung around one of their centers for over a year. Lots of self-help stuff. Good stuff. I still use it all the time.

The religion stuff? Sunday sermons were non-denominational. Meaning generic. Lots of wishing well for people going thru disasters, asking for canned food, used clothing, asking if people would volunteer to help on a disaster team. They didnt ask anyone to change their religion, there were rituals like symbolic eating of flesh and drinking blood, they didnt even pass a plate and try to get people to give 10%of their income.

Cult? They didnt push strange ideas (no I didnt hear anything like gets posted here about them). They didnt invade my personal life. I had no problem leaving them.

In fact, I had all those problems much more from the Baptists. But thats just my own personal experiences.

Answer 7

the only difference between cults and religion is that cults are not recognized as legitimate by the government.

Answer 8

Cult and business.

Answer 9

I agree with the first poster - is there supposed to be a difference between the two?

Answer 10

its both. but it is more of a religion

Answer 11

yes