Welcome to Gaia! ::


5,900 Points
  • Forum Regular 100
  • Conversationalist 100
  • Forum Sophomore 300
So I have a hobby of studying religions. I really like it, as no matter what stories people can point to and go 'that's nonsense/bullshit' there's a definite spirituality behind those stories and a strong philosophy about life.

However, I can't figure out much about Scientology, especially what philosophy and spirituality (if there is any) behind what little int he way of stories I can find. I know it's new, but I can't get much behind 'it's a cult' or 'they believe this story'. That's it.

Could someone enlighten me?

Magical Investigator

22,875 Points
  • Bookworm 100
  • Pine Perfection 250
  • Forum Regular 100
It's a business that claims to be a religion, treats its consumers like a cult, and operates under the realm of pseudoscience.

Ultimately, it's just a moneymaking scam.

5,900 Points
  • Forum Regular 100
  • Conversationalist 100
  • Forum Sophomore 300
Xiam
It's a business that claims to be a religion, treats its consumers like a cult, and operates under the realm of pseudoscience.

Ultimately, it's just a moneymaking scam.


So they forgot the common sense idea that religion requires a faith, not just a book?

Magical Investigator

22,875 Points
  • Bookworm 100
  • Pine Perfection 250
  • Forum Regular 100
DarknessofHeavenandDreams
Xiam
It's a business that claims to be a religion, treats its consumers like a cult, and operates under the realm of pseudoscience.

Ultimately, it's just a moneymaking scam.


So they forgot the common sense idea that religion requires a faith, not just a book?

Um... sort of? It mostly operates under the guise of an alternative therapy, but it only works primarily on the placebo effect. But if you pay them lots and lots of money, you can "Level Up" and gain SUPER POWERS! And then when you reach OT 3, you learn the TRUTH OF REALITY!

Which basically equates to a crappy science fiction story.

But by that time you're so wrapped into it that you're willing to accept it, because it's helped you so much, right? And the outside world is so dark and scary, but you're safe there among friends. Friends who told you to leave all your other friends and family behind to pretty much sell your soul to the Church of Scientology.

And at least in the case of Sea Org, this claim is literal.

Oh, they have faith alright. They're brainwashed into believing that this s**t is good for them.
DarknessofHeavenandDreams
Xiam
It's a business that claims to be a religion, treats its consumers like a cult, and operates under the realm of pseudoscience.

Ultimately, it's just a moneymaking scam.


So they forgot the common sense idea that religion requires a faith, not just a book?


wikipedia shows their beliefsfaith

Or the first result on google is scientology dot org

Enduring Regular

It's a cult.

5,900 Points
  • Forum Regular 100
  • Conversationalist 100
  • Forum Sophomore 300
deadmanjay
DarknessofHeavenandDreams
Xiam
It's a business that claims to be a religion, treats its consumers like a cult, and operates under the realm of pseudoscience.

Ultimately, it's just a moneymaking scam.


So they forgot the common sense idea that religion requires a faith, not just a book?


wikipedia shows their beliefsfaith

Or the first result on google is scientology dot org


That helps a little, but not much. I'm not sure I get what philosophy there is behind followers being forbidden to discuss it. The whole 'man is an eternal spirit' is very vague and broad; it doesn't seem to define Scientology from several other religions.

Conservative Dabbler

8,950 Points
  • Forum Dabbler 200
  • Popular Thread 100
  • Citizen 200
DarknessofHeavenandDreams
deadmanjay
DarknessofHeavenandDreams
Xiam
It's a business that claims to be a religion, treats its consumers like a cult, and operates under the realm of pseudoscience.

Ultimately, it's just a moneymaking scam.


So they forgot the common sense idea that religion requires a faith, not just a book?


wikipedia shows their beliefsfaith

Or the first result on google is scientology dot org


That helps a little, but not much. I'm not sure I get what philosophy there is behind followers being forbidden to discuss it. The whole 'man is an eternal spirit' is very vague and broad; it doesn't seem to define Scientology from several other religions.


How about the theology that mankind was dropped by a Volcano the size of earth and had nukes dropped on them, and our spirits and evil spirits(Thetans) are flying around the universe are the cause of our existance and all evils.

Does that separate it from other religions enough?

5,900 Points
  • Forum Regular 100
  • Conversationalist 100
  • Forum Sophomore 300
The Irish Economy
DarknessofHeavenandDreams
deadmanjay
DarknessofHeavenandDreams
Xiam
It's a business that claims to be a religion, treats its consumers like a cult, and operates under the realm of pseudoscience.

Ultimately, it's just a moneymaking scam.


So they forgot the common sense idea that religion requires a faith, not just a book?


wikipedia shows their beliefsfaith

Or the first result on google is scientology dot org


That helps a little, but not much. I'm not sure I get what philosophy there is behind followers being forbidden to discuss it. The whole 'man is an eternal spirit' is very vague and broad; it doesn't seem to define Scientology from several other religions.


How about the theology that mankind was dropped by a Volcano the size of earth and had nukes dropped on them, and our spirits and evil spirits(Thetans) are flying around the universe are the cause of our existance and all evils.

Does that separate it from other religions enough?


Only superficially.
DarknessofHeavenandDreams
The Irish Economy
DarknessofHeavenandDreams
deadmanjay
DarknessofHeavenandDreams
Xiam
It's a business that claims to be a religion, treats its consumers like a cult, and operates under the realm of pseudoscience.

Ultimately, it's just a moneymaking scam.


So they forgot the common sense idea that religion requires a faith, not just a book?


wikipedia shows their beliefsfaith

Or the first result on google is scientology dot org


That helps a little, but not much. I'm not sure I get what philosophy there is behind followers being forbidden to discuss it. The whole 'man is an eternal spirit' is very vague and broad; it doesn't seem to define Scientology from several other religions.


How about the theology that mankind was dropped by a Volcano the size of earth and had nukes dropped on them, and our spirits and evil spirits(Thetans) are flying around the universe are the cause of our existance and all evils.

Does that separate it from other religions enough?


Only superficially.


Which other religions have that belief?

5,900 Points
  • Forum Regular 100
  • Conversationalist 100
  • Forum Sophomore 300
deadmanjay

Which other religions have that belief?

Which others have a story that's obviously ludicrous? I'd say all of them. Which religions have (as I stated in the first post) have an underlying philosophy that is more important and enduring than the stories? Most non-Scientology ones. Which have ones similar to what I've seen so far of Scientology's philosophy? Ancient Eastern Orthodox, various western Christianities, Buddhism, Norse, sometimes Wicca, etc (referring to eternal spirits of man and internal unlockable power).
DarknessofHeavenandDreams
deadmanjay

Which other religions have that belief?

Which others have a story that's obviously ludicrous? I'd say all of them. Which religions have (as I stated in the first post) have an underlying philosophy that is more important and enduring than the stories? Most non-Scientology ones. Which have ones similar to what I've seen so far of Scientology's philosophy? Ancient Eastern Orthodox, various western Christianities, Buddhism, Norse, sometimes Wicca, etc (referring to eternal spirits of man and internal unlockable power).


Oh, so because some of them have reincarnation and deities, then it must be the same or near the same as extra terrestial germs and us being reincarnated aliens? Going to say that 3CPO is from Mars too?

As to your first point, that is so broad as to make it ludicrous and fallacious. Namely because your examples show that you don't know much about the religions to actually denote the differences but use broad brush strokes to tie them all up into neat little packages of misunderstanding. But hey, let's be honest, if you can't get past the broad generalizations that you just spouted, how are you ever going to understand anything else?

5,900 Points
  • Forum Regular 100
  • Conversationalist 100
  • Forum Sophomore 300
deadmanjay

Oh, so because some of them have reincarnation and deities, then it must be the same or near the same as extra terrestial germs and us being reincarnated aliens? Going to say that 3CPO is from Mars too?


What part of 'vague and broad' did you miss? How do you get 'This is vague and resembles many other religions because it's vague' to correlate to saying a Star Wars character is from Mars?

Can you explain your logic please?

deadmanjay
As to your first point, that is so broad as to make it ludicrous and fallacious.

Which first point? Are you implying that saying it's vague and broad is too vague and broad?

deadmanjay
Namely because your examples show that you don't know much about the religions to actually denote the differences but use broad brush strokes to tie them all up into neat little packages of misunderstanding.

This is entirely false. I said religions each had their own philosophy (obviously making them different). I also said they had a vague and broad aspect to them that tied them together. This is no way implies they don't have differences, which I actually asked for in terms of Scientology.

deadmanjay
But hey, let's be honest, if you can't get past the broad generalizations that you just spouted, how are you ever going to understand anything else?

Because I said the opposite by asking how Scientology was different because the other religions weren't just broad generalizations?

I honestly have no idea where you got any of what you said. I asked for differences in philosophy, which other religions clearly have. You can't seriously accuse me of claiming all religions are the same when I said Scientology was similar in one single aspect when I asked to know other aspects so I could see the difference.

4,650 Points
  • Forum Regular 100
  • Forum Dabbler 200
  • Forum Explorer 100
I was told it was created by a man who wanted to prove he could create a religion no matter how ridiculous

someone correct me if i'm wrong sweatdrop

5,900 Points
  • Forum Regular 100
  • Conversationalist 100
  • Forum Sophomore 300
Aws10
I was told it was created by a man who wanted to prove he could create a religion no matter how ridiculous

someone correct me if i'm wrong sweatdrop


I have no clue. Sorry.

Quick Reply

Submit
Manage Your Items
Other Stuff
Get GCash
Offers
Get Items
More Items
Where Everyone Hangs Out
Other Community Areas
Virtual Spaces
Fun Stuff
Gaia's Games
Mini-Games
Play with GCash
Play with Platinum