[Eugine]

Scientology, one of the most questioned faith on the face of the planet, yet it is growing in numbers daily. I personally have not heard or read anything good about Scientology.

Recently I've read that they tried to capitalize on the Virginia Tech shootings, tried to intimidate a BBC reporter who was interviewing Scientologists, and finally the most ironic - you have to pay 100,000 to get the full teachings of Scientology. I recommend reading through all the articles on Digg which interests you. I have yet to see something positive there.

So basically, should Scientology be considered a religion, or simply an organization who pretends to be a religion with alterior motives?

[Platinum Sun]

Famous people become scientologists for props from the media. If it can be done as a publicity stunt, it's not a religion.

[TheEnglishman]

I just watched the programme on BBC 1 in which the reporter was harrassed, and I've never ever felt so angry about one thing in my life.
They just turned up whenever the reporter even dared to criticise the group and would not let him explain anything. They kept filming him whenever he tried to ask people about Scientology and just would not let him speak at all. Understandbly he reacted angrily and shouted at them. He apologised for losing his temper, but I couldn't understand why he didn't do so earlier. I know I would have.

[Golden Djinn13]

Whenever I hear about it, I always remember that one South Park episode. :D

I personally don't see it as a religion. It's almost similar to how people want to start a religion for the Jedi.

[Folcon]

isn't Scientology based on some stupid book series?

[Golden Djinn13]

In a way, it is sort of based off of the elements in one of his books, but I think its mainly from what Hubbard believed.

[Folcon]

whatever, i bet he was high at the time, but thats opinion not fact, so it aint slander, or whatever.

[Golden Legacy]

Good topic, Eugine. I've been curious about this myself.
Just reading through the Wiki article is confusing, but I'll quote one bit I found interesting:

Quote

Much of the controversy surrounding Scientology is a consequence of the doctrine of the immortal spirit in combination with the acceptance of past lives.

The logical extension is that if one is immortal, then one did not always have past lives in human form, only in historically documented cultures, or only on planet Earth. In fact, given a truly immortal being, and immense periods of time, unusual coincidences between events widely separated in time and space would easily attract more attention and notoriety than the commonplace and often boring lifetime of, for example, a serf or a peasant. A truly immortal being might not even be restricted to living his or her existence in a single universe.

Hubbard is documented to have written about past life memories that include a variety of lines of recall, including all stages of human evolution, genetic line recalls in other lines of development, including the clam (see Scientology History of Man), lives on past planets as other life forms, and real and implanted memories from the alien spirits that Xenu trapped on Earth 75 million years ago.

No doubt, it's highly unusual... and I don't know, Scientology in general gives me a very bad feel, after reading the sources Eugine provided. It seems to make an abstraction of life itself, drawing it to almost nothingness, changing it to some mere "lifeless" entity...

[Folcon]

like i said, i think he was high.

[Golden Legacy]

You've surely got to claim more than that. I mean, even the great monotheistic faiths (Christianity, Islam, Judaism) all had prophets who were challenged for their ideas.

Of course, I am in no way disgracing those faiths by comparing them with Scientology... I change my mind from before. I seriously dislike it, I really can't shake off this bad vibe on how it views humanity,

[FlamingDuck]

My computer won't even take me to any sites giving information about . WTF? Anyway, from what I've heard, basically it's a "religion" where you have to pay money to advance up the ladder. That's not a religion to me.

[Lemontime]

Scientology is one messed up religion.. 'Nuff Sed.

[Golden Djinn13]

To me, it seems more like people trying to roleplay in a Hubbard fantasy, rather than believe in a religion.

[gsninja]

I don't believe Scientology to be, in any shape or form, a religion. I agree with what GL said before, the way Scientology displays life as a whole is...disturbing.

[Golden Legacy]

http://www.goldensun-syndicate.net/forum/i...showtopic=10797

I created a separate topic to discuss the Yahoo article in the link above, but it's relevant to this discussion. Basically, Tom Cruise was banned from filiming his military movie in Germany, because the German government does not recognize Scientology. Definitely worth a read.

[Toasty]

To me, scientology is just there to give people a flase sense of security as long as they pay a fee. Scinetology = bad burritos.

[Wiflewood]

If you want to see what Scientilogists believe without reading a lot of text, there is a breif animated and amusing summary from southpark.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=DAmEO-oLHzA

[My Best Wishes]

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=y8K8qg_95nQ
If you watch some of the links that come of Wifle's link, Scientology seems to be more a political thing then anything.
They control whatever media is written about them, what their members do for jobs. Eg, Bull**** Isaac Hayes(Sp?) quits after the Tom Cruise episode because 'they just go too far sometimes'. He didn't have a problem bagging the Mormons, Asians, Native Amercians, the disabled, sterotypes. (That's the extent of my Southpark knowedgle)

[Someone Else]

Mr.T, on Jul 10 2007, 10:19 PM, said:

To me, scientology is just there to give people a flase sense of security as long as they pay a fee. Scinetology = bad burritos.

Doesn't every religion partially serve as a form of security...

[My Best Wishes]

Yes but not every religion requires you to pay. Tithing is optional is most churches. And no religions make you pay money to advance and hear more doctrine.

[Toasty]

Wind Dude, on Jul 11 2007, 09:42 PM, said:

Doesn't every religion partially serve as a form of security...

Not every religion is flase. :P
Now before this goes any further, I'm gonna STFU.

[My Best Wishes]

Good plan Mr.T.
Is South Park accurate in their episode in regards to the information presented?

[Wiflewood]

Yep. Even down to the fact that the Spacecraft looked like Douglas DC-8 Aircraft but with different engines. Heres the wiki article on Xenu if you're interested, it tells a bit more about the story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeenu

[Eugine]

http://www.youtube.c...iQ&feature=user

This is some freaky shyt. The second video from those is even more freaky. I must say that I agree with their cause eventhough it's a bit weird...

[Drizzy Drake]

Scientology is what made Chef quit South Park. NOOO.

In all seriousness, I don't know much abotu Scientology, but if it is all TOm Cruise is preachnig it is, it sounds totally retarded.

[Mathak Kraven]

Scienteology is officially recognized as a cult in Belgium and is banned from practising. Proof it's a cult.

[Drizzy Drake]

Ha. Even Satanism is reconized as religion, and Scientology is banned. PWNNNND

[Laharl]

i know who'd vote for XD

http://i.somethingawful.com/u/livestock/2008/phriday/01_25_07_campaigns/jupasfry.jpg

[~RangerOfFire~]

Scientology is an absolute joke, there was a very good BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) Panorama documentary on it a few months ago which exposed a lot of it and did a bit of undercover filming, well worth a watch if you can find it.

And a clip from a favorite TV show of mine called Boston Legal which takes the p*ss out of scientology. http://uk.youtube.co...h?v=V-9HbR30Msk

[Saiph Charon]

Eugine, on May 14 2007, 05:15 PM, said:

Scientology, one of the most questioned faith on the face of the planet, yet it is growing in numbers daily. I personally have not heard or read anything good about Scientology.

Recently I've read that they tried to capitalize on the Virginia Tech shootings, tried to intimidate a BBC reporter who was interviewing Scientologists, and finally the most ironic - you have to pay 100,000 to get the full teachings of Scientology. I recommend reading through all the articles on Digg which interests you. I have yet to see something positive there.

So basically, should Scientology be considered a religion, or simply an organization who pretends to be a religion with alterior motives?

The word religion has been abused through the ages...
In etymological sense, religion means "to create a link", which could for example also be something dumb like the link between people and a cheeseburger. It doesn't matter what it is about, it's just important "to create a link" (lat. religare).

If it is a religion like the more known ones is a different question.
From the information i have about Scientology, it could be counted as one of those (just that it's not so old).
It makes people happier with telling them that life has a point, makes people's look at the world much simpler, it gives hope, it has "holy scriptures", afterlife, etc..

But i can't believe the number of joiners is rising, when i hear, they want money to give you knowledge about the religion itself!
If nothing else before, this would make me really think again about joining. But maybe after you're convinced of this you don't care they want money... But if it would be a religion that tells you like money is not important, the fact they want money makes them extremely suspicious. I probably know to less to say stuff like that. But the money thing makes it very obvious to me for now about whats going on. If the money goes for "higher persons" vacations on hawaii or anything like that, then haha kthxbye.
Maybe I'm wrong, maybe not.

But i support scientologists in their fight for religious freedom and respect their choice to be part of that religion =)

[Eugine]

I honestly can't respect anyone who gets involved in scientology. It really needs to be destroyed.

http://www.forum.exscn.net/showpost.php?p=...amp;postcount=1

1. Not allowed to see my mom but once a day when I was six. Was only permitted to see her at dinner for one hour.

2. My mom was made to work 12 hour days and was only paid $50.00 a week and given room and board.

3. I was made to live in a dorm at the age of six, separate from my mom or dad, with three other girls my age.

4. I was made to believe from a very early age that Scientologist were the better than other people, and if you were not in it, you were not good enough.

5. I was told to only tell my grandparents good things about myself when I visited, to not let on if I was behind in school, but just make them think I am a great student.

6. Scientologists constantly refers to people outside of their 'religion" as "Wogs". A derogatory term used commonly by members in it.

7. I was made to join staff when I was 14. I had to sign a billion year contract because of their beliefs in reincarnation.

8. I had to stop attending school when I was 14, to join staff. I could only attend school one day a week on Sunday for about 10 hours.

9. I was made to live in a two room apartment with seven other women when I was 14. Overcrowding is commonplace. I live like that for most of my seven years on staff.

10. I had 30 minute lunches, breakfasts and dinners. If I was late back to work I would get in trouble.

11. I was working 10 hour days, six days a week, from the age of 16. I was not getting paid overtime. I was only making $50.00 a week.

12. The only time I would have off, was every other week, if my production was good enough. Sometimes I would go a month without even one day off.

13. When I joined, I would not see my mom for days at a time. She lived in a different dorm than I did, and had a different eating schedule than me.

14. At the age of 15 I was made to stay up until 12 pm every Thursday and Friday to attend Scientology meetings and clean their facilities with all the other staff.

15. After Scientology events we were all assigned a number of books or tapes we were suppose to sell to the public. We had to make our quotas before we were allowed to go home. I started selling books when I was 15. Sometimes we had to call from lists we were given to make our quotas. Most of these lists were to Scientologist who were out of the state or out of the country.

16. The staff was not aloud to eat the nice food put out for public after events. It was only for the public, we would get in trouble if we were caught eating it.

17. The staff was not allowed to socialize with the public after events, only to sell books, we could not join them on the dance floor, or in the auditorium.

18. The Hacienda (apartment complex where the staff live) is set up so that staff can not just get up and leave when they want to. The Premises is surrounded by a large gate and bushes so that people cannot see in easily. There are several cameras around the complex to keep an eye on the staff. There is a security guard at the front gate at all times to let people in and out. Staff may not leave without first explaining where they are going and what they are doing to the security guard.

19. Sea Org staff are not allowed to own televisions, mine was confiscated when I was 14 or 15. Staff are not aloud to watch TV ever. Movies are only allowed on the weekend if you get approval to have time off. Movies are not allowed on weekdays.

20. Most staff do not have cars or cell phones because it costs to much money to own them. If you have a car, you have to check with the security guard if you want to leave, if he is suspicious he will not let you leave.

21. The only days staff are allowed to celebrate and dance together is the Christmas party and Beer and Cheese party. Twice a year. Don't ask, neither of these celebrations make much sense.

22. I was forced to cut all ties with my dad when I was 15. He was declared a Suppressive Person by Scientology, and that meant I could no longer talk or associate myself with him at all.

23. My mom died of cancer when I was 16. She was still on staff at the time, and she wrote in her will she wanted my brother and I assigned the guardians of Rusty and Linda Hilton, both on staff at Flag.

24. Once I joined staff I could no longer visit my relatives or grandparents for even a weekend without prior approval. At times my once a year request was denied for whatever reason, or no one had the time to look at it.

25. I was not allowed to socialize with anyone outside of the staff. If I did I was reported on and pulled in for questioning.

26. I was put on the e-meter once a week, along with all the other staff, to see if I had a clean or dirty needle. Clean meant I was OK, dirty meant I was hiding something. If it was dirty I was pulled in for questioning, and made to write up stuff I thought I was hiding

27. After each live success story we were suppose to stand up, clap, and say hip hip hooray three times to LRHs picture. This was daily. After each course completion in Scientology we had to tell everyone in our class our successes, once we were done we had to clap and say hip hooray to LRHs picture. His pictures are everywhere in their buildings. It was not optional you had to do it.

28. I had to get a divorce while I was in Scientology because my husband wanted out, and I did not. I was actually not told he was leaving until the day he left. He didn't even tell me, I was told by someone who knew him. It is against their rules to speak or mention to anyone in Scientology you are leaving staff. If you do, you can get kicked out and never be able to talk to your friends in it again.

29. When I finally decided I wanted to leave because I missed my ex husband too much, I was not allowed to just go. They made me work in the galley scrubbing pots and pans. They said I could not mention to anyone I wanted to leave, but everyone pretty much knew what I was doing. It took me three months of being separated from the group, all my friends, being put on the e-meter (lie detector) for two weeks straight and asked if I intend to contact my dad when I leave. I finally was aloud to leave, but was told I was moving to New Mexico to work for a Scientology school. I was told I could not return to Clearwater at all.

30. They made me sign a 10,000.00 waiver, promising that I would never talk out about my experiences with Scientology. I had to sign it before they would let me leave.

31. I was assigned handlers when I wanted to leave. I could not leave any of the buildings or walk outside without one of them. There are security guards assigned to each building, video cameras at each building entrance and exit, so if I wanted to leave without my handler, they would know.

32. I returned to Clearwater about a year after they sent me away. I was approached by one of their security guards and asked what I was doing here. I was on a public street on my lunch break. I just ignored him and walked away. They still thought they could control me, even though I was no longer on staff.

33. When my brother found out I was talking to my dad again, he refused to talk to me anymore. Now that I have associate myself with my dad, I am also declared, which means my brother can't talk to me.

34. Once I left, my "legal guardians' have never contacted me or spoke to me, even before I was declared.

35. I do not have one single friend I knew before I left Scientology (2002). They have all chosen to write me off because I no longer am a Sceintologist. Once I was declared, I was deleted from about 15 peoples myspace page. I did not delete them , they deleted me.

36. I am not allowed to talk to my Scientology school or teachers. They will also no longer talk to me. Once I left staff, they no longer thought it necessary to associate themselves with me.

37. I did not have a High School diploma when I left in 2002. I was 20 years old. Once I was married, they said I was now considered an adult and I no longer needed to attend school. I was only 17 when I married.

38. I never learned to drive, I now have a car, but driving was something they did not think was necessary.

[Moonear]

^ That was proof that scientology is a cult. It really is a joke of a religion. It's made by a science fiction writer, he has the most BS beliefs. They believe that they have powers that they cannot see and that they will be the ultimate person once they get the power to talk to animals and move inanimate objects with their mind. I can't see this being a legitimate religion.

[Drizzy Drake]

That is complete bull****. Scientology should be banned from all palces in the world.

[Saiph Charon]

If it preaches violence it should get censored (like all other religions should in the world).

I don't see a reason for banning it if it doesn't. Everyone has the right to freely choose his religion!

[Moonear]

It really shouldn't be banned, but it is complete BS. Really, how could someone believe some of this stuff?

[Eugine]

It shouldn't be banned, but it shouldn't be recognised as a religion. I think the US and UK are the only country to recognise it x.x
They are only pretending to be a religion to enjoy the US tax breaks on 'religion'.

Aslo, someone should be allowed to freely leave or join a religion. That girl had to go through hell to leave.

[Drizzy Drake]

Ya, that is just cruel. Things liek is WHY it should be banned.

[redchi]

o.o i dont like the sound of this it sould be bannd

[Drizzy Drake]

It just seems like a way of controling people.

[Ironsight]

Sounds alot more like prison than a religion. And a billion year contract? Wtf?

[Drizzy Drake]

Gotta remember reincarnation. No other freaking Relegion makes you sign a contract to stay with them.

[Elliott]

Just watch the South Park episode that parodies Scientology, that basically sums up how I feel about it. If that wasn't direct enough for you, I think it's an absolute joke. The man was a science fiction writer for Pete's sake.

[Toasty]

I was dissapointed when I found out Tom Cruize believed in Scientology. Some people say that Christianity is hard to believe, but this is insane. Seriously. Why would aliens base their spaceships off of DC-8's? :ph34r: But seriously. It might make a decent SciFi movie (yeah, right), but I'm surprised that people could even believe that it's real.

[Saiph Charon]

.eugine, on Jan 29 2008, 12:06 AM, said:

It shouldn't be banned, but it shouldn't be recognised as a religion. I think the US and UK are the only country to recognise it x.x
They are only pretending to be a religion to enjoy the US tax breaks on 'religion'.

Aslo, someone should be allowed to freely leave or join a religion. That girl had to go through hell to leave.

good point (the tax thing).

but why should the "official" religions get tax breaks anyway?

PS: how can we know if it's true or made up?


maybe scientology isn't so "evil" o_o
the best would be to meet a scientologist lol

some people for sure hate scientology and no doubt there is at last one person in the world mading stuff up about them to let them look bad...and because they're not so many, alot of people automatically think: "hey, these are different" and difference is something, too many people don't like nowadays

in the end they're also people, they also have problems etc...









i know how someone can believe something like that

they just tell about their religion , and the people which are missing what they tell them, eventually join...when they're in for a longer time, they are so deep in it that they defend it even if someone would explain them whats going on.... another thing they have common with other religions =P







EDIT: i read it, and the worst thing IMO there is that she was "forced" into this religion. but that's not as bad as baptising babies.....

[Moonear]

Saiph Charon, on Jan 29 2008, 10:14 AM, said:

maybe scientology isn't so "evil" o_o

WTH are you talking about? Did you even read that thing that Eugine posted? IMO, you should be able to leave a religion without going through hell. This really is stupid. Tom Cruise's baby was forced to stay in the house not having any human contact for a month because that's a part of scientology. Complete BS.

[Saiph Charon]

ihatekraden, on Jan 29 2008, 11:30 PM, said:

WTH are you talking about? Did you even read that thing that Eugine posted? IMO, you should be able to leave a religion without going through hell. This really is stupid. Tom Cruise's baby was forced to stay in the house not having any human contact for a month because that's a part of scientology. Complete BS.

Yes I did read it.
All religions which violate anything regarding human rights should get censroed.

One more time: How can we know it's not made up?

And as I said: what I see being wrong with this religion is, that scientologists force their children into it!
Maybe you have to sign when getting "baptised" or whatever, that if you will ever want to leave, then they "let you go through hell". If they force unconscious people(children) into this, it becomes what the girl experienced.

I don't say that they can ignore human rights for people signing something when joining or whatever.

But the catholic church, for example, is doing this also and no one cares....
what I'm talking about is baptism of children...that's against the human rights. And I heard of alot people who went through hell because they wanted to leave christianity.
I left the catholic church like some months ago, and everyone in this are knew about it immediately.... I bet the priest told divulged it, which he should not do.

But i don't care if everyone thinks i'm not normal or something lol... at least I'm popular here now LOL

=/

Peace & love
SC