Also does it have to do with science or science fiction.
Why is Scientology not recognised as a religion around the world? For example some European countries will not give them religious status.
Lastly do Scientologists believe in God?
Thank you kindly for your thoughtful replies.
2007-12-23 07:34:21 · 8 answers · asked by Jazzy 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
In the late 1940s, pulp writer L. Ron Hubbard declared:
"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"
Reader's Digest reprint, May 1980, p.1
Hubbard later created the Church of Scientology...
www.xenu.net
www.factnet.org
www.scientologywatch.org
www.suppressiveperson.org/
www.spaink.net
www.snafu.de/~tilman/
www.narconon-exposed.org
www.studytech.org
www.modemac.com
www.truthaboutscientology.com
www.scientology-lies.com
www.lermanet.com
www.freedomofmind.com
www.altreligionscientology.org
www.xenutv.com
IRiSh
2007-12-23 08:15:33 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Scientology declared itself a religion in the 1950s. It did not start out as a religion.
Yes, it has much to do with Science Fiction. Scientology does not say that overtly to its "members", but all people who were in Scientology and left, left partly because they discovered this was so.
Because it is NOT a religion, it's a business. Scientology cannot con everyone everywhere that it's a religion. Hence several countries do not "recognize" it as a religion. In 1993 in the USA, the IRS granted tax-exempt status to the "Church" of Scientology. However, this was done after a private meeting with the leader of Scientology. Before that, the IRS has been fighting Scientology for decades. What happened in that meeting? My opinion: Blackmail or bribe. Those are the only two answers that make sense. The Church of Scientology paid 12 million dollars to the IRS in the private agreement that ensued from that meeting.
No, Scientology preaches no god. On the surface they say a god may or may not exist; that it is up to you to find out or decide. But later on in the "confidential" teachings, you'll discover that the founder of Scientology (L. Ron Hubbard) teaches that there is no god and never was, that it was all an elaborate con, and that Christianity concepts are "all in your mind" and there's no truth to them.
2007-12-24 02:15:48 · answer #2 · answered by Media SP 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its "the science of knowing". Lots of self-help stuff that a scifi writer researched back in the 1950's (all scifi writers are great researchers). But back then there was no such as thing as "alternative medicine" or self-help centers. You had to be medicine or church to make any claims about fixing peoples problems. They tried the medicine thing but got in trouble so they became a church.
Most of the science fiction stuff about aliens is posted by people who have never had contact with scientology and get their knowledge from cartoons :)
I dont think that there is any religion that is recognized in every country. Some countries are really strict. The religios tolerance watch sites list Russia, China, Germany, and France as some of the top problem places. Germany for example puts Scientology into a business instead of a church which I dont think bothers them that much. There is also the Free Zoners which offer the scientology courses without any church attached.
Scientology does believe in God. If you go to scientology.org you can find quotes about it. Their services are non-denominational and have no strange rites or anything for people to do. Just well wishing people going thru disasters and asking for people to join disaster teams. They dont pass a plate. They dont believe in using prayers, or belief in miracles, or giving yourself over to God for guidance. They are into taking control of your own life.
Im an ex-scientologist. I took a couple of the (cheaper) courses then quit. The Personal Communications course and the Better Studying course. Great stuff. I still use them all the time.
2007-12-29 02:57:14 · answer #3 · answered by Gandalf Parker 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Scientology emerged in the 50s. It was founded by a sci-fi writer. Scientology does not teach for or against the existence of deities and claim that you can be both a Scientologist and a member of other religions such as Christianity.
Some European countries consider Scientology to be a scam, that it was specifically created to make large amounts of money rather than to teach any beliefs actually held by the leaders. In the US, it is unconstitutional for the government to make such a determination. There is no such thing as a "real religion" or a "fake religion" in the US. If someone says something is a religion, it's a religion. (Although if laws are broken within that religion they can still certainly be prosecuted, and that has most definitely happened with several high leaders of Scientology.)
2007-12-23 07:41:41 · answer #4 · answered by Nightwind 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I forget what year it was, but when the rules on what could be a religion changed in Calfornia, Hubbard registered it as a religion to take advantage of the freedom from taxation.
It started out as a parapsychology fad with religious overtones. They do not like to explain their theology because people laugh to hard.
They are not recognized as a religion because they are not a religion(except under US tax laws).
They are not a science, or a psychological treatment because then they would need to comply with medical standards (they certainly don't do that)
Scientology is purely and simply a cult, a very militant and agressive cult.
No, they do not believe in God.
They believe an evil Galctic overlord solved the overpopulation problem on his home planet by shipping everybody he did not like to Earth and then blew them up after dumping them into volcanos.
(Yup, and now you know why people laugh when Scientologists explain their beliefs, and why Scientologists keep their theology a secret)
2007-12-23 07:47:33 · answer #5 · answered by Buke 4 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Here are several articles on the "agreement" reached by Scientology and the IRS:
http://www.lermanet.com/scientologynews/nytimes/nyt-irs-030997.htm
http://legalminds.lp.findlaw.com/list/fedtax-l/msg00445.html
http://www.factnet.org/headlines/give-away.htm
Scientology isn't recognized as a religion around the world because some governments are wise enough to recognize Scientology for what it is: a scam, a business, a criminal enterprise and a cult. See these links for more information:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071215110036AA0adSQ
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070621142028AAxdnan
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/kent/religion.html
It has to do with science fiction in that it's founder and "prophet", L. Ron Hubbard, was initially a science fiction writer in the 1950's, and much of their "secret higher level doctrine" revolves around aliens (no, that's not a joke). More info here:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/Bare%20Faced%20Messiah.pdf
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/atack/contents.htm
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
The "Church" of Scientology claims that members are free to believe in god(s) and practice whatever other religious faiths they deem personally appropriate, but according to L. Ron Hubbard IN HIS OWN WORDS, the concept of "god" is made-up, there was no messiah and that religion is a mental implant.
http://www.sweenytod.com/cos/
http://ezlink.com/~perry/CoS/Theology/christian.htm
http://ezlink.com/~perry/CoS/Theology/peik.htm
2007-12-26 11:39:27 · answer #6 · answered by ZER0 C00L ••AM••VT•• 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there was a man , now deceased..named L. Ron Hubbard, who began the religion. He used to write sci-fi quite well as a young man, which is how he got famous..but in the very last series that i know of him writing ....which I began to read but only got to the third in the series .. I saw disgusting reference to children being used for sex . At that point I decided he had lost his mind and threw all the books out.
I believe they may have a website devoted to telling their core beliefs..but not sure since I am probably never gonna look it up.
2007-12-23 07:46:41 · answer #7 · answered by juliette 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
The fact that Hubbard made a bet with another scifi writer in a bar to the effect that any writer worth his salt could start a religion tends to give it little credence in the more civilized countries.
2007-12-23 07:38:57 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋