Religious Intolerance And Scientology

Since, its creation in the 1950s, Scientology has faced harsh criticism in the United States (Church of Scientology International, 1992). However, as Scientology globalizes it faces even harsher societal and government-led resistance to its teachings, especially in Germany. The results of a poll concluded that 74% of German citizens “think Scientology should be banned” from their country (as cited by Chambers, 2007). In the United States, for example, expressions of distaste for certain group are legally limited to microaggressions, while in Germany, citizens are within their legal right to express their distaste in much more harmful ways. Many compare Germany’s actions against Scientology to their socialist regime during World War II. Although Germany’s methods verge on the edge of persecution and discrimination, ultimately, Germany’s opposition to Scientology is legal, and valid, therefore they are justified in their continued opposition.

The religion of Scientology is a very controversial topic all over the world and is even considered a cult by many. Those who chose to participate in the beliefs and practices of this faith form their own unique culture with other like-minded individuals. The purpose of my research is to gain insight into the world of Scientology by closely examining the lifestyles and opinions of its followers. What are the lives of Scientologists like and how does it affect them psychologically?

There are many groups that hide behind religion in order to get these benefits. Scientology is one group that refers to themselves as a “New Religion.” They protect themselves with this right in order to get away with their actions. There have been many reports accusing Scientology of exploiting members physically and financially. They get away with these illegal activities by lying. Lying is something that the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, has presented as acceptable in the religion, which isn’t tolerated in many real religions. However, if the Charter was to address groups like Scientology with more severity, they would not be able to hide anymore. No longer would they get away with their crimes, but these groups, and so-called religions, will actually face the consequences. In addition, freedom of religion is misused when these groups go against their religion. This refers to religious movements that state they are preaching a religion. In reality, they are going against the basic principles of that religion to do what they feel is right. For instance, many cults like the KKK are based off Christianity, but they don’t follow Christian principles. They do this so that they can have the benefits of being a non-profit religious group, like tax exemptions, but then take advantage of this label to perform hate crimes and get away with them. For this reason, it is

I had watched the South Park episode and thought the idea of the religion was absurd. Through my research I have realized Scientology is even more ridiculous than I thought. Not only does the religion contradict itself multiple times on whether or not it is a religion or not, but it also makes speaking out against it nearly impossible. I had to leave out over half of my research because I did not even want to explain some of the crazy procedures Scientology has used. I focused on the shunning of legitimate science because it made the religion sound a little less weird, still really weird just not so much. While spending hours watching their indoctrination materials I was constantly harassed to take a “free personality test, to discover my real self.” This was very annoying. Not only am I afraid that the Church of Scientology website gave my computer a virus, but I am also mildly concerned that somehow this religion will be spying on me. In conclusion Scientology is even more bizarre than I originally

Given that, over the past fifty years the Church of Scientology has endured many government investigations, scandals, street protest and lawsuits pertaining to the controversial doctrine and practices of Scientology. There has also been allegations against the church for human trafficking, holding people against their will and blackmailing members once they have left the church. In many countries, Scientology has been accused of being a dangerous cult that brainwashes its followers and confiscates their assets. Furthermore, “Greece has banned the religion of Scientology in their country, and France and Germany are calling it a totalitarian organization and a money making scheme” (Reitman 2011). All things considered, the United States has endorsed Scientology as a religion and granted it a tax exempt status. Actually, since than the Church of Scientology has not released any public information about its membership or finances. That being the case no wonder people have their suspicion regarding this

Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Sony Bonno and Lisa Marie Presley all have one similar lifestyle. Yes, they are all famous celebrities, however, this lifestyle has more effect on a person than any career possibly could. These celebrities, among many more, are part of what has been called “The Church of Hollywood.” They are all Scientologists. The Church of Scientology is one manufactured by a former science fiction writer who could not stop lying about himself and his religion up till his death on January 24th, 1986. L. Ron Hubbard lied about everything from his Boy Scout triumphs to his heroism as a decorated soldier. Hubbard is anything but a man of God and yet his followers see him as the ultimate being. Since December of

What cannot be debated is that there was something in Scientology that a serial killer criminal

It is equally important to mention, however, that many of these “abusive” instances have always been seen either justifiable or misunderstood by the outside for many Scientologists. Many of what can be classified as “abusive behaviors” in Scientology are direct outcomes of its religious beliefs or practices. Some of the most controversial debates regard important religious tenants, especially with consideration to its perceptions of the outside world. Scientology, being a highly private religion, not only shuns the outside, but sees many non-scientologists as personal enemies.

The church of Scientology has been the subject of controversy since its inception. Its methods and beliefs have attracted the attention of scholars from around the world. The church has been under government investigation and has endured a countless amount of lawsuits (Reitman 14). It is also a hot topic by the media with several endorsements by some of the most recognized Hollywood celebrities. However, the main topic of debate regarding the Church of Scientology is its status as a religion. Some members claim that the church has helped them overcome their struggles and that they are happier people, while others condemn it as a dangerous cult (Sweeney). The church of Scientology is a religious group whose purpose is to retain their

Leah acted on a show called “The King of Queens” in the late 90’s and early 00’s and is now very famous for her book that she recently wrote titled “Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology”. She was inspired to write this book because she was a part of Scientology every since she was a kid for 34 years, and had just left the terrible religion in 2013. When asked in a tv interview, “Is Scientology a cult? Did the church brainwash you?”, Leah Remini explains how Scientology got her when she was very young and is very much like a cult when she says, “So when you're indoctrinated when you're very young, as I was, and all the information that you receive is from Scientology, and you're not allowed to look at other things because you're penalized for doing that, yes, that is the way cults work. They cut you off from information from the outside world and they start to sequester you by saying everybody else is your enemy”(Abramovitch). This reverts back to the dystopian trait that is “Citizens have a fear of the outside world”. This not only tells you that people of dystopian societies are scared of the outside world, but more importantly uneducated about the world they live in. She talks about how you are not permitted to talk to other people about these things. Similarly to 1984, how Winston cannot think about what might have been the truth about the past,

Many people have heard of the revolutionary new religious practice called Scientology. However, the majority of people who have heard of it, have little knowledge of the principles and practices behind the religion. In fact, there is a dark side behind Scientology, and much speculation that the religion is a brainwashing cult. Many people are opposed to the religion because of its secretiveness, its extreme methods of teaching and its alleged use of mind control.

It’s not unknown that The Church of Scientology has been a contentious subject of conversation for decades. The controversial religion was originally discovered by a gentleman named L. Ron Hubbard in 1954 through the establishment of ideas in which he believed would act as an antidote to mental health concerns called Dianetics. After an unsuccessful attempt resulting in bankruptcy, Hubbard branched his ideas into the basis of a new found religion called Scientology ("The Beliefs and Teachings of Scientology”). To Hubbard’s advantage, Scientology expeditiously accelerated in growth, becoming one of the fastest expanding religions in the 20th century. Scientology pledged a “light at the end of the tunnel” to those wandering through dark times, and created a pathway to a faultless understanding of one’s true spiritual fulfillment through a system of self-knowledge in relation to one’s own life, community, and mankind. Due to the Scientology’s controversial beliefs, abnormal practices, and aberrant church-member relationships, the religion poses as a superlative model of church rebelling against society’s social norms.

To effectively evaluate Scientology and it’s inclusion on the world stage, one must first look back to the roots and beliefs of other world religions and draw comparison. By contrasting Scientology with other religions, accurate conclusions can be made on various aspects of its existence, such as its validity, survivability and morality. According to

Unlike Christian Science, “in Scientology there is no belief in the Holy Bible, God, or Jesus Christ.” (“The Differences Between Scientology and Christian Science”). Christian Science and Scientology are not the same in anyway yet people still confuse the two.

One of the most prominent figures in this documentary was Paul Haggis. Paul is a writer and filmmaker whose former membership with the Church gives him distinct credibility (Science of Persuasion YouTube Video). His experiences grab the audience’s attention, seeing as he was a scientologist for three years. Paul spoke out about his experiences with Scientology, calling it a “cult” and mentioning many disturbing aspects about the church