Essay on The Church of Scientology

During World War II, they drafted many of the soldiers, including Angelo. He was officially drafted on November 1st 1942 in Fort Crook Nebraska. He had only enlisted for the draft on September 18th. During his enlistment the major companies he was in were Normandy, Ardennes, Northern France, Central Europe and Rhineland (Discharge Papers). Fascinating as it is, he was still in the war to witness part of the attack on Omaha Beach and the Battle of the Bulge (P.A.).

     In January 1973 his unit was sent back to Fort Knox, KY and with the move, his military career seem to disappear. Also with the move, he had a spiritual rebirth, and began attending services at Beth Haven Baptist Church in Louisville and soon changed from a Jew to a Christian.

Howard Wasdin was born Howard E. Wilbanks on November 8, 1961 in Boynton Beach, Florida to his 15 year old mother. He was born prematurely, weighed 3 pounds 2 ounces, and was carried home in a shoebox. He was raised in Screven, Georgia and went to Cumberland College before enlisting in the Navy. As a child, Wasdin suffered from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) because of an extremely abusive stepfather who beat him often and violently. When he was in the Navy, he served as a sailor in the Atlantic Fleet and as a Navy SEAL. He was on the elite SEAL Team Six. Some challenges he faced were being abused by his stepfather Leon, he was in a helicopter crash while on a mission, and he was shot in the leg three times.

To begin with, he enlisted instead of being drafted into the military and did not have a choice in the assignment he was given. On December 12, 1962, he joined the United States Air Force becoming a member of the 186th TAC Recon Group in Meridian, MS. His basic training was at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX, and he attended technical school at Chanute Air Force Base, Rantoul, IL, training to be a general purpose vehicle mechanic. His two instructors for basic

In 1937, Reagan enlisted in the Army Reserve as a Private, but soon he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in the Officers Reserve Corps of the Cavalry. In 1942, the Army Air Force called Reagan to active duty and assigned Lieutenant Reagan to the 1st Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, California. On July 22, 1943, Reagan was promoted to the rank of captain, however two years later, the Army discharged Captain Reagan. After his service in the military, Reagan resumed his acting career.

Just like in high school, he wasn't the best student as most of his time was put into school activities. He became a popular student figure in college after he led a student strike against the college's decision to lay off teachers. During his years at college, Reagan participated in multiple activities, including the football and track teams, and being captain of the swimming team. He was also a member of the cheerleading squad. He was also elected Booster Club President and Student Body President. He graduated from Eureka with majors in economics and sociology.

(“Richard Nixon Biography”, 2016). He worked at Franklin Roosevelt’s Office of Price Administration(“Richard Nixon Biography”, 2016). He became discouraged with the government programs and joined the U.S. Navy (“Richard Nixon Biography”, 2016). Nixon was an aviation ground officer, where he saw no contact in the Pacific (“Richard Nixon Biography”, 2016). He came back to the U.S.(“Richard Nixon Biography”, 2016). Nixon had several honorable mentions and two service stars(“Richard Nixon Biography”, 2016). He gradually became lieutenant commander (“Richard Nixon Biography”, 2016). In January, 1946 he resigned from the Navy (“Richard Nixon Biography”, 2016).

bureaucracy and entered the Navy . After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Nixon took little time in stepping up and contributing to our Nation. He enrolled in the Navy on August 17th, 1942. Nixon was assigned to his first naval station located in Ottumwa, Iowa. He was later transferred to the South Pacific where he served as an aviation ground officer.

During that summer he took many different back strengthening exercises, and in September he was accepted by the Navy. In March 1943, as a lieutenant he took command of a PT (torpedo) boat in the Solomon Islands. On the night of August 2, his boat was cruising west of New Georgia it was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer. He rallied the survivors and managed to get them to an island after being thrown across the deck onto his back. He then towed a wounded man three miles through a rough journey through different seas. He was a very brave man, for several days he risked his life repeatedly, swimming into dangerous waters hoping to find a rescue ship. He finally met up with two friendly islanders and sent them for aid with a message that he carved on a coconut. Back home he received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, and the Purple Heart, but his earlier back injury had been aggravated, and unfortunately he contracted malaria. After an operation on his back, he was discharged early in 1945.

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

 In 1957 he found a job at Avondale ship yard as a welder, until he was drafted by Uncle Sam to Germany in 1958 where he remained for two years. The

Scientology, founded in 1950 (Hubbard. What is. 3), "is an applied religious philosophy" (Hubbard. What is. 4), which is a branch of psychology (Fundamentals. 7). Developed by Lafayette Ron Hubbard, Scientology was created "from discoveries resulting from

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.

destructive cult is a rigidly structured absolutist group usually under an authoritarian, charismatic leader which isolates itself from established societal

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