Scientology: Your Opinion?

[Ring Deacon]

It is nothing but a cult that brain washes people and takes their money. An Atheist will argue that the Christian church does the same thing. But I have never had to pay to be a member of my church. I also do not have to pay to be told the secerts of my faith.

 

[Majik1387]

I wonder is Scientology is hurting as many people as the Catholic Church is in Africa. How many wars have been started in it's name? How many know anything about it other than what appeared in animated comedy show?

To be fair, Catholicism has been around a hell of a lot longer than Scientology, so that's not a fair comparison.

Honestly, Scientology just reminds me of Heavens Gate.

It is nothing but a cult that brain washes people and takes their money. An Atheist will argue that the Christian church does the same thing. But I have never had to pay to be a member of my church. I also do not have to pay to be told the secerts of my faith.

As an atheist, I will say some Christian churches do it, but it has never been a required thing to do.

 

[The Lizard]

The Australian media is particularly rough on Scientology...




And the US press in general seems more at ease exposing Scientology BS than it did even a couple years ago. I think reporters have realized that safety in numbers will now protect them from being harassed, investigated, threatened or sued by the Church of Scientology better than in years past.

 

[michephantom]

But seriously, most regulars around here know my opinion about Scientology. Here's the thing though. It is like a cult, but I think the poll needs another option stating "It's just a money making scam."

I agree. A "religion" started by a science fiction writer? COME ON! although I wonder if Hubbard started believing in it after talking about it for so long. You tell a lie so often, it becomes you. But anyways, I believe it's a scam to take advantage of people with low-self esteem who are disillusioned by traditional religions (or very gullible). I think when you first get into this thing, it feels more like psychiatry than a religion, using all this computer gear to asses your mind. Pfff, like something off of start trek.

 

[Gilpesh]

I agree. A "religion" started by a science fiction writer? COME ON! although I wonder if Hubbard started believing in it after talking about it for so long. You tell a lie so often, it becomes you. But anyways, I believe it's a scam to take advantage of people with low-self esteem who are disillusioned by traditional religions (or very gullible). I think when you first get into this thing, it feels more like psychiatry than a religion, using all this computer gear to asses your mind. Pfff, like something off of start trek.

So you mean.... a religion?

 

[Moridin]

It's a cult people join only for the networking aspect.

Yup, like MySpace or Facebook.

 

[Shemtov]

So you mean.... a religion?

How is a religion only for people with low self-esteem?

 

[AndThePickles]

I think it's a money-draining cult.

 

[Gilpesh]

How is a religion only for people with low self-esteem?

Skipping the fact that I never said religion being ONLY for people with low self-esteem...

There's definitely a trend in some religions where the follower is somehow special for following it.... that's got to appeal to people with low self-esteem. Also some get and enjoy a feeling of superiority from being somehow 'better' than others cause they are religious. And any religion where if you are good, you get special treatment, that's not going to hurt in appealing to people with low self-esteem.

And just look at the story of Genesis.... god makes the entire universe, just for you. That has to make you special right off the bat.

 

[Ring Deacon]

Skipping the fact that I never said religion being ONLY for people with low self-esteem...

There's definitely a trend in some religions where the follower is somehow special for following it.... that's got to appeal to people with low self-esteem. Also some get and enjoy a feeling of superiority from being somehow 'better' than others cause they are religious. And any religion where if you are good, you get special treatment, that's not going to hurt in appealing to people with low self-esteem.

And just look at the story of Genesis.... god makes the entire universe, just for you. That has to make you special right off the bat.

True, we are all equally special in the eyes of God. See that is the big difference between Christianity and other religons. As a christian I beleive we are all equal in the eye of the Lord. But when you look at Scientology and even Jahovah Witness, they believe only a select few are speical enough for the love of God.

 

[Majic Walrus]

True, we are all equally special in the eyes of God. See that is the big difference between Christianity and other religons. As a christian I beleive we are all equal in the eye of the Lord. But when you look at Scientology and even Jahovah Witness, they believe only a select few are speical enough for the love of God.

So everyone goes to Heaven regardless of what we believe because we're all special?

Edit: Makes it kind of worthless if everyone is equally special BTW.

 

[Majik1387]

Nope, the non-special people go to Hell.

 

[Ugfugly]

The Bank of Scientology is one big tax evading scam

 

[moraldeficiency]

Anyone that's ever met a former scientologist knows it's no religion, it's at best a cult, I would lean more towards institutionilized slavery myself. When the founder of the "religion" tells people it's a joke to make him money, when you have to pay just to be in the church and when the church stalks you if you try and leave to the point you actively have to change your name and leave the country (I knew someone that had to do this) it's no religion. People use that wide angle brush but real religions teach you something to do with moralities and justice. It's the *******s that prevert once good messages into acts of violence that makes people think scientology is just like any other. When your tenents explain how to attack others that disagree with you, when that's a fundamental rule and not something crazy people injected in while subverting the basics, then you don't have a religion, not even close.

 

[The Lizard]

Here's a direct quote from L. Ron Hubbard himself that exemplifies the scary, paranoid, superiority-complex mindset that exists within Scientology....

"Never discuss Scientology with the critic. Just discuss his or her crimes, known and unknown. And act completely confident that those crimes exist."
— L. Ron Hubbard, HCOB policy letter, 5 November 1967, "Critics of Scientology"

 

[The Lizard]

Stephen Colbert makes a mockery of Scientology yet again - this time in his quest to have his name printed on the side of a NASA space station module...

 

[Star]

I feel the same way about scientology as I do about christianity:

If you ******s want to support them, go for it. Just stay the hell away from me!

 

[amazingfantasy15]

If Scientology was created 1,000 years ago, instead of 40-50 years (just a rough estimate, since I'm not really sure when it started), it would be seen as just as credible as the Catholic Church. Problem is the science fiction writer that started it, most of us still remember. 1,000 years down the line the game of telephone will transform L. Ron Hubbard in some minds to be the prophet of Scientology.

Really are his theories so wacky when Catholics believe a man can make the blind see, turn water into wine, "magically" mulitply bread and fish, walk on water, be resurrected from the dead, etc....

 

[Majic Walrus]

If Scientology was created 1,000 years ago, instead of 40-50 years (just a rough estimate, since I'm not really sure when it started), it would be seen as just as credible as the Catholic Church. Problem is the science fiction writer that started it, most of us still remember. 1,000 years down the line the game of telephone will transform L. Ron Hubbard in some minds to be the prophet of Scientology.

Really are his theories so wacky when Catholics believe a man can make the blind see, turn water into wine, "magically" mulitply bread and fish, walk on water, be resurrected from the dead, etc....

Isn't that how most religions are started?

 

[terry78]

Everything could be a cult as far as that goes. Any group you belong to where there are like-minded others and you all follow a certain code of conduct, outsiders will think it's weird. I don't care one way or another.

 

[The Lizard]

OK -- but here's the problem with the "Scientology = Christianity" argument...

Sure, the concept of Xenu is no weirder than the concepts of the Garden of Eden or world-wide flood, etc.

BUT -- Christianity, Judaism, Islam, etc are plainly faith-based religions that one has to choose to have faith in before joining, because there is plainly no real evidence that any of the supernatural stuff they believe in ever happened. Christian churches don't hide the fact that they believe that a man rose from the dead after being executed, or that unrepentant sinners will burn in Hell for all eternity. Plus, you don't have to give Christian churches any money to find out about those beliefs. It's plainly a "faith or no faith" situation.

Scientology however, tries to have its cake and eat it too by promoting itself as a religion to receive tax-exempt status and to avoid having to prove its claims scientifically, BUT it also portrays its founder L. Ron Hubbard and its courses as being scientifically valid ways of improving one's life. The Church of Scientology denies the Xenu story (which is only made available to high-level Scientologists after years and hundreds of thousands of dollars), while pushing low-level "self-help" courses that are made to seem secular and "scientific" in nature.

Plus, the Church of Scientology tries to spread its philosophies and methodology by pushing programs that it claims are "not religious" into public schools and rehab programs. Scientologists believe that using any method to insert Hubbard's teachings into the public's lives is justified, even if there's lying, intimidation and extortion involved.

So there is a difference between how the Church of Scientology operates and how "regular" churches operate, even if their beliefs are equally wacky to the secular observer.

 

[Star]

But most people are raised by their parents as Christian/Catholic/Etc.... they don't choose.

Scientology is a newer religion which is why it's using the tactics it is. It doesn't have the benefit of people passing on their religion to their kids, yet

 

[The Lizard]

But most people are raised by their parents as Christian/Catholic/Etc.... they don't choose.

Scientology is a newer religion which is why it's using the tactics it is. It doesn't have the benefit of people passing on their religion to their kids, yet

Regardless of whether one is raised in a religion or not, one still has to choose belief or disbelief at some point. Why are there so many self-described "lapsed Catholics" otherwise?

And there are indeed kids who are raised in Scientology as well. Rock musician Beck is a second-generation Scientologist who supposedly is a believer, but he hasn't really advanced far up the Scientology levels or been outspoken about Scientology like Tom Cruise.

 

[moraldeficiency]

It's stupid to compare scientology to any other major religion (christianity, judiasm, islam) and here's why. If I'm at mass, service, temple, etc and I decide "you know what MD, **** this, this is crap and I'm going to leave" I can get my ass up and leave. In scientology once you're in you're not leaving. You'll be stopped by guards, taken to a cell, starved, and read too till you don't want to or can't leave. Now I know every major religion has done stuff like this when they've gone off the deepend but it's not part of their basic tenants, with scientology it is. Anyone that's ever known anyone that's left the CoS would laugh their ass of at the comparison. Most cults don't go this far. People are talking out their asses.

And Star, you're dead wrong, there are many children born into the church and they are throughly ****ed. Many adults can't even get their kids back if they manage to leave.

 

[Abstract]

I think its just a money making scam that got out of hand. I wonder how many people in the Church of Scientology realise that or will ever realise now that Hubbard's dead.