How is Scientology recognized as a religious establishment

[signalgrey]

Today in my Master History class we discussed the idea of false prophets and eventually wandered our way to good ol fashion Scientology.

Explain to me

1.) how people can be that fucking stupid to believe in it. (see south parks rendition of the basic beliefs...perfection)

2.) how it has become a nationally recognized religion

3.) how it hasn't been shut down/ investigated with all that shady shit happening.


theories comments critcisms. if any of these are really good ill bring them up in class and see what my students say.

 

[Empryrean]

What is scientology?

 

[HaGGuS]

What is scientology?

A scam thought up by a science fiction author.
They giggle like school girls when they do the banking each week.
L. Ron Hubbard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[troyguitar]

I don't see how it's worse than any other religion. The only thing vanilla Christianity has on it is experience

 

[orb451]

You do realize you're all going to be considered SPs from now on right???? How dare you even THINK about questioning and/or discussing Scientology!

If you want to know how fucked up and truly evil those bastards are just do a quick Google search for Scientology horror stories:

Scientology Lies Site Creator, Kristi Wachter | Scientology Lies

Ex-Scientologists Speak

ESK - Stories from Inside Scientology

I don't know how they're still considered a religion, they're a business pure and simple. They have a knack for separating very wealthy individuals from their money under the guise of "helping" them. Not unlike a lot of other scams. On one site or another I *heard* and again this is just hearsay that the reason Tom Cruise and John Travolta are so hardcore *into* this whole thing is because when they initially went in for their "audits" at point or another they both admitted to being gay and/or having homosexual tendencies. Which, apparently, the church then "cured" them of...

Take that with about the biggest truckload of salt you can get your hands on, but that's what an insider said at one point. Wish I could find the exact quote but I believe it's somewhere in the scientologykids website.

orb.........

 

[signalgrey]

Lets not forget the Group "Anonymous"
^^
the way this is different from any other religion is because this combining all the worst traits into one. imho

 

[Asdrael]

In France, Scientology is not a religion, and is nearing our "sect" definition (which is overly complicated anyway). There has been a case recently were a former member left the church and sued them for whatever reason (I think it was something long the line of the church abusing his confidence). He won.

Scientology people were mighty pissed off, especially considering that in Spain, a neighbour contry, it's an official church.

 

[Varcolac]

All prophets are false if you're an atheist. All prophets not of your faith are false if you're religious (unless we're going for those "righteous heathens" of Dante's, but they still go to hell).

On the face of it, Scientology is no more bat-shit loop-de-doop insane than any other religion. If they just came out and said "what we believe is that billions of years ago aliens got genocided over volcanoes with H-bombs and that's why life sucks," that'd be fair enough. I could dismiss them the same way I dismiss Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and "god made the world in seven days six thousand years ago."

It's the fact you have to spend your life savings and undergo a lot of indoctrination just to get to that point that makes Scientology a little more annoying.

The fact that to claim charitable status in the UK, beside organisations advancing education, battling poverty, and saving lives, you can just be an organisation "for the advancement of religion" means that they can get away with it. In my view, religions should only be charities if they provide tangible benefits of a non-religious nature. Then "real" religions which actually contribute to communities and charitable causes would still not have to pay tax, but businesses disguised as religions would have some 'splainin' to do.

Anonymous is annoying too. I'm just a misanthrope.

 

[signalgrey]

^
Im teaching a class in history here in Korea. We are discussing the idea of "false prophets". This has nothing to do with my beliefs im basically arguing on the behalf of my students. and most of you guys are intelligent enought to give me good answers. so thank you for your responses thus far


i guess what im jabbing at is that Christianity and Islam and Judaism etc....are old. they are traditions that are handed down. Maybe they are a bit screwy and what not. But the fact is they are old and people have trouble arguing with tradition (which is a logical fallacy...appeal to tradition)

The fact is scientology is new. But people are still buying it. literally buying it.
not that you dont spend money in other religions, im just saying this didnt have hundreds of years of tradition and history built in. they had...what 55?

why did people buy in?

 

[AySay]

Aliens stacked us around volcanoes and triggered h bomb explosions, and we now have evil spirits in us, and we have to get them out by following someones orders from a book.

A woman made from a mans rib eats an apple a talking snake told her to eat, pissing of some hairy guy in the sky who banishes them, and now because of this people are born sinners, and have to repent and blindly follow some book so they can go to some place called heaven.

You know what? It's not any more idiotic that all the other religions...just more modern in its stupidity.

 

[Asdrael]

People buy in because they are afraid of what "life" in general is, seek easy answers, because of a feeling of insecurity, fear of the future and after death, etc. Just like any religion. The main difference is that Scientology is new and requires more money to function than well established religion, which can in some countries rely on government help just because of its history.

The other diference is that Scientology seems to be run like a modern company is : with a shitload of marketing (think Tom Cruise), and most probably being more profit driven (probably for money itself as well as a mean to expand and draw more people in). It draws people to them, because they just wonder "Why has my dog been run over this morning, while I caught the flu... my life sucks, there has to a reason ! Hey wait, that well known guy, Tom Cruise, he must be inteligent and claims he has found answers... I'll look into it". "Standart" religion don't need that because well, they are commonly accept and fairly well represented in most countries - and they almost all strongly suggest you raise your children in your beleif so they can repent / reincarnate / whatever more easily (baptism...). Scientology is still too young to rely on inheritance.

 

[Ze Kink]

Ditto on Ex-Scientology Kids

Seems like one of the worst religions to get yourself involved in.

BTW, since you're in South Korea, how well is the Unification Church represented there? Seems like kind of a weird bunch too, but I haven't really read much about them yet.

 

[leipzig175]

Operation Clambake presents: Looking over my shoulder, The Inside Account of the Story That Almost Killed Me

 

[Uncle Remus]

Can someone explain to me the alien and Thetan bit please?

I don't fully understand it (which might be a good thing from what i hear)

 

[HaGGuS]

Can someone explain to me the alien and Thetan bit please?

I don't fully understand it (which might be a good thing from what i hear)

There is a south park episode that sums up what they believe.
Look for that and prepared to be stunned.

Edit.. found it.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1529878/southpark_vs_scientology/

 

[-mouse-]

$cientology is very ridiculous to me and I dont see why anyone would pay money for it... Although some religions arent much better.

 

[xtrustisyoursx]

Operation Clambake - The Inner Secrets Of Scientology

 

[Variant]

Today in my Master History class we discussed the idea of false prophets and eventually wandered our way to good ol fashion Scientology.

Explain to me

1.) how people can be that fucking stupid to believe in it. (see south parks rendition of the basic beliefs...perfection)

2.) how it has become a nationally recognized religion

3.) how it hasn't been shut down/ investigated with all that shady shit happening.


theories comments critcisms. if any of these are really good ill bring them up in class and see what my students say.

I always defend Scientology when people bash it... not because I believe it but, well it's a bunch of unsubstantiated bullshit written in a book that retards think is true... How that differs from any other religion, I can't say.

Aliens stacked us around volcanoes and triggered h bomb explosions, and we now have evil spirits in us, and we have to get them out by following someones orders from a book.

A woman made from a mans rib eats an apple a talking snake told her to eat, pissing of some hairy guy in the sky who banishes them, and now because of this people are born sinners, and have to repent and blindly follow some book so they can go to some place called heaven.

You know what? It's not any more idiotic that all the other religions...just more modern in its stupidity.

+1
Absofuckinglutely.

The fact is scientology is new. But people are still buying it. literally buying it. not that you don't spend money in other religions, im just saying this didnt have hundreds of years of tradition and history built in. they had...what 55?

So, the idea of the Earth being flat was a widely held 'tradition' even after it was found to be round. Doesn't give it any validity, then or now.

 

[Daemoniac]

The reason scientology is different for me, is because it has absolutely no artistic beauty to it whatsoever. Ridiculous they all may be, but at least the 'traditional' ones can be appreciated as art in one way or another, and gave rise to some truly beautiful pieces of literature, architecture, and art.

 

[HaGGuS]

The reason scientology is different for me, is because it has absolutely no artistic beauty to it whatsoever. Ridiculous they all may be, but at least the 'traditional' ones can be appreciated as art in one way or another, and gave rise to some truly beautiful pieces of literature, architecture, and art.

L.Ron Gave us gems like Battlefield Earth....