Scientology 101

Mobile Register ^ | Saturday, July 23, 2005 | -- Kristen Campbell

[HighlyOpinionated]

Thanks to Tom Cruise and his couch-hopping, reporter-thrashing self, Scientology is in the news again.

And while most of us can identify it as the belief system of choice for Cruise and other Hollywood headliners, the teachings and practices of the Church of Scientology -- not to be confused with Christian Science -- remain a mystery to many.

Founded in 1954 by science-fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology today claims millions of adherents in more than 150 countries, though there are no Scientology organizations within 100 miles of Mobile, Montgomery or Birmingham, according to the Church of Scientology Web site.

The 51-year-old faith teaches that humans are basically good, spiritual beings called "thetans." To attain greater spiritual freedom, practitioners are encouraged to discover sources of distress and erase their effects. Once that occurs, a person is considered "Clear" and may achieve higher states of awareness.

[HighlyOpinionated]

Common Scientology terms defined in the article: ARC; Clear; Dianetics; Dynamic(s); Engram; KRC Triangle; Operating Thetan.

Also explained are the religious practices of auditing and training (which can cost up to $22,000 for a 2 year course and religious services.

Legal problems are addressed as well. Sites for the information are credited.

L. Ron Hubbard -- Born March 13, 1911, in Tilden, Neb., Hubbard studied engineering at George Washington University. Hubbard went on to pen science-fiction works. In 1950, "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health" was published, followed by "Science of Survival" a year later. He died in 1986.

[PistolPaknMama]

kook alert! (again)

[null and void]

I'm a former member of that, ummmm, organization. I have a standing offer to answer any FReeper's questions about it, either by FReepmail, or on an open forum.

[roylene]

I am proud to say my husband and I are on their official enemies list, since 1977.

[since1868]

Church of Scientology -- not to be confused with Christian Science

I thought they were one in the same

[Abcdefg]

Isn't FOX's Greta one of them?

[mcg1969]

I thought they were one in the same

Well, then you learned something new today! :-)

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

tell us what it was like . . .

[pitinkie]

Yes and her hubby too

[null and void]

Early on fun and educational. I learned lots of useful stuff, made a whole new set of friends, and felt I was part of something bigger than myself, and worthy of my efforts.

Then I started to get glimpses of the guy behind the curtain. I saw several instances of where internal turf wars prevented progress towards the stated goals and purposes of the organization.

As I became more aware of the internal politics, I started to encounter occasions where church leaders were actively preventing members from using the Tech in their daily lives.

Weird things started to happen, like a new executive post called "International Finance Dictator".

If you've read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, that was my life!

There was even a Policy Letter titled Jokers and Degraders, that said in effect, anyone with a sense of humor was a suppressive person.

[epaul]

Dianetics; Is the ONLY book I can say I have not been able to read. I tried for over a month and even re-read the 1st and 2nd chapter over and over,,,,, never got past that. The best book to put me too sleep ever.

[M203M4]

Is this accurate?

[mabelkitty]

Do it in open forum.
The Masons do it.
I think it's much more informational.

[mabelkitty]

What is the ultimate goal?
Why Clearwater, Florida?

[null and void]

Pretty much. I can't speak for what's happened since I left in the church in the early 80's, but it looks pretty typical.

[commonasdirt]

Does the Church of Scientology have tax exempt status?

[null and void]

What is the ultimate goal?

Scientology's ultimate stated goal is a world without insanity, war or crime.

They believe that by "clearing the planet" that is, removing the effects of the reactive mind from everyone, all the craziness would simply go away.

In practice the goal is to seize as much money and power as possible to control everything.

Why Clearwater, Florida?

It is the center of the universe after all... (Seriously, I have no idea, I think just because Hubbard liked it?)

[null and void]

Do it in open forum.

Some people have questions of a more personal nature that they'd rather not discuss in front of God and everybody.

[null and void]

Does the Church of Scientology have tax exempt status?

Yes, another fine clinton legacy.

[SQUID]

Crap.

[Ladysmith]

http://www.thebulletin.com/archives/2005/july/bullpen0722.htm

Tomfoolery

Scientology & the Madness of Mr. Cruise

For a quarter century, diminutive, beetle-browed Tom Cruise has been one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. In his blockbuster movies he usually plays confident, even cocksure, all-American hero types, but in real life his shiny armor is starting to show chinks.

Not long ago the toothy actor went on Oprah Winfrey’s show to declare his undying love for young actress Katie Holmes by jumping all over the furniture like a howler monkey pumped full of ginseng. His rather plastic and unconvincing “Look at me! I’m a heterosexual!” act was followed shortly thereafter by an announcement of the couple’s engagement.

Then after pressing criminal charges against a fan that sprayed him with a water pistol at a movie premiere, the humorless Mr. Cruise turned an interview with Matt Lauer into a harangue, dismissing Lauer as "glib," insisting actress Brooke Shields’ postpartum depression was only psychosomatic, and attacking psychiatry as a dangerous pseudo-science about which he possessed an expert level of knowledge.

(Few things are as embarrassing to witness as an uneducated person arguing passionately about something he knows absolutely nothing about.)

Like all too many celebrities, Cruise is a member of the so-called Church of Scientology (CoS), a dangerous, little-understood mind control cult that promises self-fulfillment, mental peace and clarity, financial success, cures of everything from blindness to homosexuality, and even the restoration of long-dormant godlike powers. It’s no wonder that the cult has been so powerfully embraced by members of the entertainment industry, seeing as celebs tend to live in a fantasy world, trying to balance colossal egos with fragile senses of self-esteem.

The CoS was founded in the 1950’s by L. Ron Hubbard, a modestly successful science fiction writer and small-time grifter with a history of mental illness, bigamy, and spousal abuse. After getting involved in Satanism and the occult, he famously declared to a fellow writer, “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.”

You initially get involved in Scientology by taking a free personality test, which naturally reveals you have some issues that can be resolved by paying some fees and taking some classes. The more you pay and the more classes you take, the closer you get to enlightenment and freedom from your hang-ups. The highest level classes can cost between $300,000 and $500,000. Needless to say, Scientology becomes an all-consuming thing as you sacrifice family, friends, time, savings, and income to the Church.

When the American Psychiatric Association refused to recognize Hubbard’s treatment program, called “Dianetics,” as valid therapy, he declared psychiatry a junk science and put its practitioners at the top of his enemies list, calling them aliens from a "fifth galactic invader force" that is currently trying to destroy the planet. The details of Scientological doctrine are only revealed in stages, because Hubbard claimed they were so shocking they would kill a person unprepared for such information. In fact Hubbard’s laughable cosmology sounds like a bad plot from a third-rate pulp novel.

According to Hubbard, 75 million years ago, an evil alien emperor named Xenu controlled a chain of over-populated planets. With the help of insect-like psychiatrists, Xenu had millions of his subjects paralyzed with chemicals and shipped to Earth, where their bodies were stacked up around huge volcanoes. Nuclear bombs were detonated in the volcanoes, killing all the people. (That’s where the volcanoes in the “Dianetics” commercials come from.)

The souls of all these dead people were then shown movies that depicted God, Christ, and Satan, and a variety of confusing, contradictory images and information. The souls of these dead people abide in humans to this day, and the “implanting,” as Hubbard called it, of false information can only be removed by Dianetic therapy.

In addition to practicing mind control and bilking people out of hundreds of millions of dollars, the CoS is aggressive in its recruiting efforts, sending “ministers” to counsel the wounded and grief-stricken at the World Trade Center and tsunami-affected parts of Southeast Asia, in an attempt to stymie the efforts of legitimate counselors, psychiatrists, and psychologists.

The CoS also has a private intelligence force, the “Guardian’s Office” (GO), which is designed to discipline members and attack critics and defectors. Harassment, smear tactics, spying, blackmail, physical and mental torture, break-ins, and even murder have been used against the enemies of the Church.

Scientology is more than a mere scam: it’s a highly dangerous organization with cruel, insidious goals. It needs to be stopped before it makes any more inroads into our culture. Of course, we may not actually have to do anything. Tom Cruise has been making himself such a laughing stock these last few weeks that if he keeps it up the whole world may soon know that the Church of Scientology is nothing but a ship of fools with an evil and deadly agenda…

----------------------------------------

And since I'm quite loopy on sleeping meds, I offer this for your viewing pleasure...Enjoy!

ALL HAIL QUEEN TOM!
BEARDED OF THE UNIVERSE!

[M203M4]

A short intro to L. Ron Hubbard, he who started this scam..err cult..err "religion". Heavy on the sarcasm, for those lacking the sarcasm detection gene :)

[Sundog]

Nully?

You?

Well, Then,

How can you tell when a Pollock reaches OTIII?

[null and void]

He goes in and says "We'd like to attest"?

[solitas]

Yup - http://home.snafu.de/tilman/prolinks/greta.html.

[Atchafalaya]

Yep, the Clinton IRS gave it to them.

[Sundog]

Nope.

All his flies go away.

[null and void]

OooooooooKAY

[iceskater]

What made you leave? Have you been harassed for leaving?

[Oztrich Boy]

What is the ultimate goal?

1. World Domination.
2. To film Battlefield Earth II
3. Profit!

[william clark]

This reads more like "Scientology Press Release 101"

[iceskater]

I think #2 will preclude #3.

[null and void]

What made you leave?

I'm not fond of people who seek to control everything I do.
The disconnect between stated goals and actions.
The lack of "Christian charity".
My belief that the upper levels are harmful.
They were under new management,it was trying to consolidate and expand it's power, lots of good people were kicked out for not toeing the line, I thought it would be a good time to leave on my own terms.

Have you been harassed for leaving?

No. I routed out using their forms and procedures, and even got a repayment of the money I had on account. At that time there were so many people just walking away, or being kicked out they didn't have time for little old me...

[iceskater]

Do you ever run into people that you knew when you were in? Do they try and get you to re-join or do they leave you alone?

I was laboring under the impression that they weren't fond of people leaving. Can't tell you why - just an impression that I had. Seems like that was incorrect.

[null and void]

Do you ever run into people that you knew when you were in?

Almost never. I've moved away from the area in search of better jobs.

Do they try and get you to re-join or do they leave you alone?

I don't know what would happen under those circumstances. I do have one friend who is still in the Church, she does occasionally try to get me interested in going back, but not with any rabid enthusiasm.

I was laboring under the impression that they weren't fond of people leaving. Can't tell you why - just an impression that I had. Seems like that was incorrect.

Nope, you're correct. Some people who leave are harassed extensively. It all depends on how much of a threat they perceive a disaffected member to be.

[iceskater]

Some people who leave are harassed extensively.

You were smart getting away when you did.

It all depends on how much of a threat they perceive a disaffected member to be.

Or how much money they'd lose without that person in the ranks?

[GOPJ]

Hubbard had a thing about water - Sea Org etc. and the "clear" part is obvious. He "felt" it was a sign... Clear - water.

[iceskater]

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. That's a pretty brave thing to do, IMHO.

[Quilla]

;-)

[GOPJ]

And no, I've never ever been one of them...

[null and void]

Or how much money they'd lose without that person in the ranks?

Don't think so, plenty of new pigeons...

[null and void]

The scary part is that makes sense...

[PistolPaknMama]

A person who will lie for you, will lie against you

Astute observation.

I read something once about the Scienfrogolists getting kicked out of wherever they were....Texas or CA? I'd have to research it again but will post it here. There's some story how they ended up in Clearwater.

[PistolPaknMama]

ROFL on the Tom Cat picture!! He is definitely pretty in pink.

When the American Psychiatric Association refused to recognize Hubbard’s treatment program, called “Dianetics,” as valid therapy, he declared psychiatry a junk science and put its practitioners at the top of his enemies list, calling them aliens from a "fifth galactic invader force" that is currently trying to destroy the planet.

I have a friend who is a psychiatrist (the MD kind, not a 4 year degree pyschologist.) She is very Christian and very conservative and readily admits to what she sees as holes in psychiatry, especially the "I'm not responsible" crowd. Cruise & Co. can beat their chests all they like, but a lot of men live next door to little girls and don't rape them. A lot of women have children and don't kill them.

Twenty years ago all the hollywood elite had a resident shrink. This was post trascendentalism "I'm OK, you're OK" -- but I need a shrink to convince me of that. Somehow that's evolved into "I'm OK, you're not and I don't need a shrink to convince me." All they need is a good "clearing" and the means to write a fat check.

Tom Cat is going to pay the price for his whacko-ness. I used to be a Tom Cruise groupie and wouldn't see one of his movies now if it was shipped free of charge to my house. He's a total nutcase, along with his Scientology buddy, Greta Van Sustren.

[Ladysmith]

wouldn't see one of his movies now if it was shipped free of charge to my house.

Hear hear, Sister! WOTW is one of my favorite stories so I was looking forward to this - until I heard Tommie "The Glib" Cruise was going to be in it. Then it was, "Oh crap. Well, maybe..."

But after his whole BS line about Brooke and drugs, and promoting that pathetic money-grubbing, brain-washing cult $cio, I won't give one stinkin' penny to any of his projects ever again. That goes with some others like Travolta, too.

[GOPJ]

The scary part is that makes sense...

I live a few miles from Clearwater. Everyone in this area has picked up some of the story. I don't know who told me, but someone did, and at the time I thought it made sense. Take it with a grain of salt. When they came here it rocked the community. People were up in arms over "the cult" buying a landmark hotel in downtown Clearwater. It's quieted down over the years, but lots of people don't trust them. And that might never change.

[null and void]

but lots of people don't trust them.

It will change after they become trustworthy.

And that might never change.

You said it...