What does everyone think of this? Since the whole Tom Cruise->Caged Animal transformation, this has gotten press as of late. I did some preliminary digging for curiosity’s sake and came up with a few links…
Not saying it makes sense or anything but these views are just as absract as your popular religions out there: Islam, Christianity, Buddism, etc… Post your thoughts…
Scientology is the most fucked up thing going. I had a friend who got sucked in and now he is being sued for breech of contract because he escaped one of their work facilities where he worked for like 18 hrs a day.
This is the most fucked up thing i have heard of to date… it is a cult…much like the Masons or the Knights Templar…or even the stonecutters…wierd eeeeeeeeerie evil things…and i want in :lol:
Any religion/culture based on an ideology of the way the world works through the eyes and mind of a failed Science fiction author is bunk in principle. I just refer to the way in which Tom Cruise behaved on the Today Show with Matt Lauer. You can truly see the outrageous ideas of the religion when a movie star…with barely a HS diploma claims to know the intricacies of the human psyche and the effects of drugs and mental therapies on it. Like all recognized religions…its a matter of popular opinion and spreading that opinion to those with none of their own, its how the survive and grow.
i heard about this stuff on tv the other day…tom cruise was promoting it and how great it is…seems little weird…i also heard some stories of those who left…those weren’t too good.
however… this part…
"After Death
Rebirths continue until one consciously confronts all pre-birth, current-life, and previous-life traumas and realizes one’s true nature as a “thetan,” immortal spirit–transcending matter, energy, space, and time. Achieving this state enables the spirit to escape the cycle of birth and death–to operate independently of the physical universe and become one with God. "
sounds a little like buddhism…and reaching dharma.
From what a friend was telling me, your financial status decides how you rank in the religious hierarchy. Obviously movie stars and important people are going to be at the top like Crazy Cruise…
It seems like they don’t like mental health professionals because it’s obvious L. Ron Hubbard was crazy himself. If all the members were halfway sane, they might realize how cultish this “religion” is. sane=less money for scientology
Interestingly enough, the US and Australia protect Scientology under the First Amendment (not sure what it is in Aussie government) but in places like Germany and a lot of western Europe, Scientology is not protected and thus people can be arrested for practice and activities pretaining to.
ive heard about this before, but never really knew. at this point i still dont know what to think of it, but at least i know what its about. these guys were running around TITS a few weeks ago with backpacks full of flyers, glad i didnt take one.
I find the whole “Mental Health Practitioners are criminals” idea very interesting. there was someothing on one of those links given out specifically outlining why scientologists think this way. they view it not as a science, but as a way of control over the mind. that philosophy tells alot about those that follow it.
From a mental health practitioner’s point of view that is
and as far as the first ammendment, there are lots of things protected by the first ammendment that are bizarre and cultish. Freedom of speech, religious liberty and freedom to assemble can be interpreted many ways.
The creator of Scientology was a failing writer (Sci-fi, go figure), who created a church for a tax shield.
Needing an actual “story” he begins to write the history of the church.
It goes something like : The humans of today are the “post hydrogen bomb attack” forms of these other beings on the earth. Some aliens came over and dropped hydrogen bombs all over the earth.
Oh man, it gets better too.
To advance “classes” - and move your way up the hierachy of the church, you have to pay…
hence why all the big stars with money move up so quickly.
Another F’ed up thing - you are sworn to secrecy by some binding contract… to make sure people don’t find out what scientology is…
Side note : This friend of my landlord/roommate used his address for a couple weeks, and she apparently wasn somewhat interested in the religion… we get full color, printed on high-grade pamphlets and magazines from this church - multiple times a week…