Scientology
August 9, 2007 by rivalarrival
Scientology makes some grandiose claims: “Scientology is the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others and all of life. The Scientology religion comprises a body of knowledge extending from certain fundamental truths. ” - from the official Scientology website.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? They go on to claim that you don’t have to accept ANYTHING on faith, it will ALL be conclusively proven to you.
What they neglect to tell you is that you are not capable of understanding those “fundamental truths” until you have gone through extensive brainwashing training, spent a small fortune on “auditing” and alienated any of your family members who challenge the cult of Scientology.
This article should serve as a jumping-off point for the outsider to take a real look at Scientology. Before you get started, I recommend you check out this video (Not for the faint hearted - there are posthumous photos of some of Scientology’s victims… Click here)
Scientology is an internationally recognized “church” and several corporations, associations, and other for- and non-profit organizations. Wikipedia Link
It is an insidious organization: according to leaked policy statements and video of Scientologist behavior, Scientologists have a duty to harass and accuse their critics of immoral and criminal activity. They use lawsuits as a semi-legal method of harassment. The policy is known as “Fair Game” and details can be found here. This video shows how critics are dealt with. Notice the constant reversal, where the critic is repeatedly questioned on his criminal activities in an attempt to remove the spotlight from the cult.
L. Ron Hubbard was a 1950’s science fiction writer, creator of the pseudo-science “Dianetics” and founder of the Church of Scientology. Inside the cult, Hubbard is revered as a prophet. Outside the cult, he is known as a con artist. He is reported to have said “The way to make a million dollars is to start a religion.” - http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/scientology/start.a.religion.html
A detailed biography of L. Ron Hubbard can be found here.
Dianetics is put forward as a methodology to alleviate unwanted sensations and emotions, irrational fears and psychosomatic illnesses. (per Wikipedia) Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and psychiatric and other medications are considered harmful, even evil.
In reality, Dianetics is a pseudo-science (That is to say, it is total crap spewed forth as if it had a scientific basis). Basically, dianetics contends that all psychological problems are caused by “engrams” interfering with proper mental functioning. Engrams are basically memories acquired unconsciously while experiencing trauma or pain, and experiencing similar trauma or pain in the future will allow these unconscious memories to resurface and induce psychosomatic symptoms.
Dianetics is employed through a process known as Auditing. Basically, the subject is hooked up to a rudimentary lie detector (A galvanometer, known as an E-Meter) and the auditor has the subject think back to their earliest engram. Hubbard claimed that engrams could attach to a person even before conception - called a “sperm dream”. By remembering and recounting these engrams, they are removed. By removing all engrams, one is considered “clear” and capable of astonishing mental feats. (Of course when this is demonstrated, these mental feats invariably prove to be completely bogus. ) A detailed review of Dianetics can be found here.
Scientology isn’t cheap, but like any good cult, you can reduce the fees required by performing service to the cult. When I say it’s not cheap, I’m speaking of time and money - just to get to “clear” can cost well over $100,000. You want to learn about Xenu, then you have to get up to OT-III - for a total cost of ~$160,000 or a buttload of your friends and family members. This is in addition to 330 hours of course time.
Of course, one can avoid much of these fees in the “Free Zone” - a splinter group of the main cult that follows most of the practices but without official endorsement. “Squirrels” as they are referred to by the cultists, are hated by the cult proper. They practice somewhat in secrecy as the cult restricts useage and distribution of “tech” (scientology equipment and doctrine) from non-cultists by attempting to enforce intellectual property laws.
Scientology has a LOT of blood on its hands. (I haven’t reviewed all the photos on this page - visit with caution) Dozens of people have died due in no small part to this insidious cult. Many of these people would be alive if they had been permitted to seek proper medical treatment. But, as I mentioned above, the cult decries anything related to psychiatry and psychology. They believe that a few hours of brainwashing are sufficient to treat and cure any mental aberration. In reality, if these people were to seek psychiatric treatment, they would likely understand how the cult had brainwashed them.
I frequently argue that religion is harmful. Let’s put that into perspective: Deluding yourself into believing a fairytale is harmful to one aspect of your rationality. Ok, while I disagree with this decision and believe that you are living in a fantasy world. For the vast majority of people, this isn’t a dangerous condition. It’s not going to make you go broke.
Scientology is much worse. Scientology isn’t about delusion, it is about paranoia. It is about mind control and brainwashing. It is physically and mentally DANGEROUS to the follower, his family, and certainly to Scientology’s critics. Scientology is a long-con game, designed not to separate fools from their money, but to increase the supply of fools from whom to separate from their money.
I leave you on a lighter note. This is what Scientologists (At least those who have achieved OT-III) actually believe. Isaac Hayes (the voice of Chef) quit South Park because of this episode.
Check out this page and just about everything at xenu.net.
Some religions I have no real problem with….most I generally dislike. But this is up there with snake dancers. I genuinely fear snake dancers and Scientologists.
I’m not sure why I’m scared of snake dancers (for those who don’t know snake dancers are Pentecostals who “dance” with highly venomous snakes on their shoulders in church), but I think being afraid of people who believe so reverently in alien soul fairies and evil lord Xenu is pretty reasonable.
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Oh and the fact that people constantly refer to it as a cult to vilify Scientology is sort of funny.
All of the “respected religions” started out as cults so it’s not really an insult.
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HannahW,
It’s not their religious beliefs one should be fearing.
Click a few of the links. If you’ve got the stomach for it, click the first link in the article. This “Cult” kills people who try to leave.
Read the actual policy letters at xenu.org.
They have created numerous organizations based on Hubbard’s pseudo-science. Narconon, a program for curing addiction, is basically a recruiting program for Scientology. Narconon’s treatment regimen is to flood the body with high doses of vitamins, and force the “client” to endure all-day sauna sessions. They ignore medical conventions and withdrawal concerns and basically put the individual in a position where they are easily susceptible to brainwashing. Narconon’s success rate can barely be measured in 2 digits percentages. Narconon Staff are primarily former clients - it is common for a person to graduate on one day and take up a counselor position the following day.
Narconon’s problems are that it is ineffective and medically improper. But, the church’s PR program has successfully isolated Narconon from the religious activities of the church, so many judges will offer the program in lieu of jail time. “Go to the Cult or go to Jail”.
Scientology organizations (outside the “church”) include Applied Scholastics, an organization that basically uses non-accredited people as instructors at Scientology’s religious schools; the Cult Awareness Network, a website and group that once exposed Scientology as a dangerous cult but was since sued out of existence; the Office of Special Affairs, an organic intelligence and operations organization for supporting church policy; Rehabilitation Project Force, a forced labor system to which a church member is assigned for certain failings. Attempting to leave the RPF results in a “Freeloader Bill” - a retroactively applied debt for services received to date.
When I say “Cult” I mean “An organization whose sole purpose is to exploit its members for the benefit of its leaders” A church offers benefits to its members. A cult returns only paranoia.
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