Taking a Look at Scientology

His capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized.” (Church of Scientology International) In addition to this, there are 8 dynamics within Scientology that embrace every aspect of life. These dynamics are: self, creativity, group survival, species, life forms, physical universe, spiritual dynamic, and infinity. By achieving each dynamic, Scientologists believe they are able to achieve ultimate completion and enlightenment. Also, an important aspect of Scientology is freedom, and is expressed as one’s ultimate attainable goal. Likewise within the Wicca religion, freedom is expressed by individuals through their seeking of truth, and in the Wiccan Rede, which basically states that Wiccan are free to act as they please as long as it doesn’t harm another.

Scientology was created in 1954 by the science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard. It is considered a body of religious beliefs and practices mainly focusing on the human mind and spirit.

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

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

The Church Of Scientology claims to offer a path of self-betterment and spiritual enlightenment through a precise protocol that heals the body and spirit. In reality, Scientology is an opportunistic organization that methodically targets, recruits, and exploits people, particularly highly vulnerable individuals. The Church of Scientology reaches out to these potential members through a robust collection of programs designed to help the general population. Though these programs have been defended as social programs that have little to no religious content, they are “front” programs for things such as drug abuse, self-help programs, psychiatry and mental health initiatives, and educational outreach. These front programs are touted as “salves for people’s emotional wounds,” but these same persons are recruited for the churches financial gain (Spohrer pg. 108). WikiLeaks has reported dozens of front companies attached to Scientology with topics ranging anywhere from office management to homeschool training programs. Three of the more well-known organizations are Narconon, Citizens Commission on Human Rights, and Practice Manage Consulting. Each one of these has its own way of preying on weakness and gaining both money and membership.

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.

The Church of Scientology is a global organization with over 270 churches or missions worldwide. For decades, it has possessed followers with an almost fanatical devotion to their leader, L. Ron Hubbard. Since the advent of the Internet, the Church has begun to resort to various legal actions to maintain the secrecy of their “scriptures.”

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

Scientologists do not believe that people are inherently bad; we are all just seeking to survive and have been marred by contact with the physical universe. At the core of a Scientologist's beliefs are the eight dynamics. They outline the stages of life and one's tendencies as they grow older and become influenced by outside forces. The first dynamic is simply to survive as an individual, and the last is the urge toward Infinity. What's "Infinity" you ask? It's not God, per say, well... unless you want it to be. Before you understand Infinity, you have to understand yourself. The three part of man are the physical body, the mind, and the thetan, or soul. The thetan is on a journey, and your body simply the room it's renting for the duration of its stay in your life. Your thetan has resided in all of your past bodies, and during those lives has accumulated hurt from traumatic experiences and poor choices you made. Through Scientology, you can confront these transgressions, take responsibility for them, and experience truth again. This truth is Infinity. It might be a Supreme Being, or it might be the key to all available knowledge. Hubbard was never really clear about that, but he probably knew what he was doing, so why ask questions? In Scientology, you don't have to accept anything on faith alone. You are able to define your beliefs through your experiences, auditing,

David Miscavige is the leader of a newer religion called Scientology. L. Ron Hubbard is the founder of Scientology and had personally mentored Miscavige during his youth. In 1986, Hubbard passed away and Miscavige became his successor. There are many claims of abuse, especially in more recent times, from ex-members of this religion. The allegations can be tied, either directly or indirectly, to Miscavige and his regulations for the church of Scientology. Probably the most harmful aspect of his leadership is an aspect of this religion that was not necessarily created by Miscavige, but is strongly enforced by him. Disconnection is described as an individual decision to cease communication with someone who is perceived as a threat to one’s

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.

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