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?
Thesis: Since its founding by L. Ron Hubbard in 1953 scientology has been a beleaguered religion and faced scrutiny by outsiders who question the origins of the church practices and other controversy.
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
The beginning of the scientology community began in the year 1953 when they created The Church of Scientology (Hubbard, Ron). This religion today is still considered to be one of the newest religions to this current date because science is constantly changing in our world and we are always making new discovery’s that change are view of the world and help back up the scientology community. Scientology effects humans psychological and spiritual aspect of life (Hubbard, Ron). The practice and belief of Scientology is considered to be very taboo in the United States. The reason it is considered to be so Taboo is because it goes against one of the largest religion’s in the United States which is based off belief while scientology is being based
Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Juliette Lewis, Jenna Elfman, and many more have one thing in common, these celebrities are all affiliated with the religion of Scientology. Scientology is a unique and controversial religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one's true spiritual nature and one's relationship to self, family, groups, mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the Supreme Being. The Church of Scientology is a non denominational religion that was established in 1954. The founder of Scientology Lafayette Ronald Hubbard did not intrude on anyone faiths or beliefs, but based his religion on his thoughts and teachings that all human beings are immortal spiritual
According to official Scientology website (www.scientology.org), Scientology is a religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one’s true spiritual nature and one’s relationship to self, family, groups, mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the supreme being. A cult can be defined as group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister. Scientology is a cult. My essay will raise points to support my thesis.
Cults are just simply new religions or as Donald Stone reports in the text, “emergent religions”. They offer friendship and a social connection of like –minded people and offer people a place to make this connection. As older religions grow and change, new sects may break off in either disagreement or as a way to return the religions to its roots. Members of these new religious groups come from very different walks of life, countries or just different regions but they have a new purpose, restoring the traditions or returning back to the fundamentals of the religion. Many of these new religions are centered on college campuses and about 10 % of the population join the cult and remain in it for about two years. (Diem p16) An interesting note is that many of the new members
Still, in our society, there are certain insane cults in the name of religion but they don’t have any importance in the society. So, these are considered as the non-religious cults that won’t give any positive impacts in the society. Now, here are mentioned the 10 non-religious cults that would help you to get familiar with the real facts:
The term Thetan is used a lot in Scientology it is was they say instead of spirit. They believe that the spirit is separate from the body, and even the mind for the mind is part of the body. The brain is not intelligent, but rather is like a switch board that just directs signals through it. This leads into life after death, and from what I researched the only thing that they really talked about is that Thetan (spirit) will continue after the body has died. So it seems that the spirit will either continue on just as a spirit or can become part of another body later on (reincarnation). All the research I have found on Scientology has come directly from their website, but I still had some more questions that wanted to learn that I could not find
There are many different categories that a cult could be sorted into. Apocalyptic, Utopian, Spiritualistic, Satanic, and Witchcraft/Voodoo cults are just some of the more basic types. While an Apocalyptic cult would focus on the end of the world, a Utopian cult would center more on a perfect land, or in other words a heaven on Earth. Spiritualistic cults
Have you been feeling drab lately? Do you look at others who are happier and more successful than you and feel like a failure? The problem is that you're ignoring engrams accumulated in past lives. Unwanted emotions and memories of trauma accumulate in the reactive mind, leading to anxieties and mental illnesses. There's no reason to feel ashamed because you are not the only starving sailor in this boat. That strip of land you see in the distance, that glimmer of hope to get you going is... The Church of Scientology.
In 1950, L. Ron Hubbard wrote a book that would spur the launch of a rather unorthodox religion. This book was called Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. It contains the basic rules that would later become Scientology. Since the founding of the religion in 1954, Scientology has grown to church numbers of 5000 in as many as 160 countries. They believe that man is inherently good, and man's spiritual enlightenment and salvation is solely dependant on himself. While they do believe in a higher power, man cannot rely on this higher power to save him, or his eternal. Scientologist believe that they are a spiritual being called a “thetan”. The thetan has lived many past lives, and the memories of one’s past lives can become problematic
Cults have been around in various degrees throughout human history. These generally begin in small groups of devotion, and while most of them stay within their small groups, others can manifest into larger religions. However, due to extremist behaviors, cults have a tendency to carry a negative connotation. A cult is defined by the Meriam-Webster dictionary as an unorthodox/spurious religion with great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work.
A cult is a group of people with similar interests, and lead usually by a trusted leader. This leader will have to convince others into believing or provide a place where they can worship