Thoughts on Scientology?

ExpatPumpkin

"A Paris court on Tuesday convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud and fined it more than half a million euros... The court convicted the Church of Scientology's French office, its library and six of its leaders of fraud. [b]Investigators said the group pressured members into paying large sums of money for questionable financial gain and used "commercial harassment" against recruits.[/b]" [url]http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33490266/ns/world_news-world_faith/?GT1=43001[/url] My understanding of the church is that you have to pay to achieve higher and higher levels of enlightenment or self-actualization. I try to be open-minded and accepting of all religions, but there's just something about this one that rubs me the wrong way... Thoughts?

georgia_bride09

I think Scientology is a bunch of Hollywood hootenanny.

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt

Other than the hierarchy that is acheived, it sounds like tithing to me. I know our church board/elders are made up for the people who "tithe" the most. I don't know if this somehow implies that they care more or what.

anna.oskar

Your understanding is about right.  Throw in that we're all the embodiment of a dead alien species, and that's it. I'm actually trying to learn more about this sect because the basic tenents of the religion seem so redic to me.  There has to be something that makes people think this is a good idea. Of course, some join just because it's the religion of some movie stars.

jasmineh7777

I'm a Catholic, and way back in the day we could buy pardons for our sins. If that was still an option, I would definitely buy pardons rather than go to confession.I think Scientology sounds a bit silly, but I can't really judge people. I mean, we believe in transubstantiation. It doesn't get much more far out than that.

goheels05

"A Paris court on Tuesday convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud and fined it more than half a million euros... The court convicted the Church of Scientology's French office, its library and six of its leaders of fraud.Good.  I wrote a 20 page paper on the leader of Scientology's tax evasion scheme in grad school.  He is/was the douchiest of douches, and anyone who follows him is an idiot.

Trifury2007

I think it is a scam.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

I live within a mile, literally, of a ton of their churches/dormitories/whatever they have. I see people walking around in their Scientology uniforms all the time. Yes, they have a uniform, right down to the belt.It seems REALLY cultish. Then again, all organized religion is cultish to a point. But in this case they very much control your free time, your money, everything. They suck people in and make them pay for classes. You end up owing money, so they offer to set you up with housing and a job.This is at the lower level. There are about 7. The higher you get, the more secretive it is, and the less likely it is for people to leave. It took a long time to find out about Xenu and the alien stuff because that's at, like, level 5. Do I think they deserve their tax-free status? No. But I question whether any religion does. Unless they are truly non-profit. And then they should follow the rules of other non-profits, which I'm sure many religious organizations do not.

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt

I forgot to add that I think (from what I know) that the religion is ridiculous.But, if they're up front about one of their "tenets" being financial contribution, and people are willing to go for it, I don't see what the problem is.

anna.oskar

Heels:  happen to have that paper still?

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Vogt - tithing means 10%. Scientology encourages, like, 80%.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

I mean, we believe in transubstantiation. It doesn't get much more far out than that.Haha, good point. FI is Catholic and wants to raise our kids Catholic, and I always joke that I just can't QUITE believe in transubstantiation!

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt

Do I think they deserve their tax-free status? No. But I question whether any religion does. Unless they are truly non-profit. And then they should follow the rules of other non-profits, which I'm sure many religious organizations do not.You understand that "non-profit" doesn't mean "no profit" right? All organizations have to turn some sort of profit to keep going. Churches are the same way. Just because they're the house of God (or whatever diety) doesn't mean that the roof won't wear out or the hungry congregant doesn't need some help with groceries for his family.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

The man said that the easiest way to make money is to start a religion ... so he did.I also heard that he and Anton LaVey had a contest to see who could gain the most followers.

Soon-to-be Mrs. Vogt

Tithing is a concept of religious financial contribution. It isn't a set amount. I don't tithe 10%. Some churches ask for that amount, others ask for more, others ask to give what you can. But I assure you when I write that check every year, even though it's not 10%, it's still tithing.

laurenclaire1386

I don't think their beliefs sound any crazier than any other organized religion's.  But they strike me as very cultish.  Cults freak me the fuuuck out.

missy68

Rarely do I  criticize someone's religious beliefs, but I find this one difficult to classify as a religion.I read something somewhere about one of the practices of Scientology that made me say, "ahhh.... now I get why so many Hollywood-types are into this."  I wish I could remember what it was. I want to say it had something to do with giving a person feedback on their worth as an individual something along those lines. My thought was, people are always looking at them as objects, it must be nice to be validated as a person.Or something like that.  But the whole thing just seems like hoo-hah to me. But I guess I'm just old-fashioned like that. I like my religion a little on the old-style/basic side, with a little tolerance thrown in.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Yeah Vogt, I do. LDS has a TON of money. If they use it correctly for a non-profit, though, who am I to argue? You just can't have a certain amount of profit - most of the money has to go back into the running of the organization, in buildings, salaries, other operational expenses.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Well my point was that the technical definition of "tithe" is "one-tenth" though obviously churches don't FORCE people to pay that amount. It's derived from old English, and how taxes used to be paid - sometimes government taxes, sometimes church taxes.When I contribute $1-$5 to the collection plate, that certainly doesn't mean it's 10% of my weekly salary. But I'm sure the church wishes I was tithing more!

jasmineh7777

Msmery- Yeah. I can't really think about it during Communion, or I'd probably get sick. Scientology sounds pretty ridiculous, but as far as the money thing...We have the Vatican. Most major religions have lots of money. (Side note: the Vatican has the largest number of books, reports, etc. about extra terrestrial life in the world.)

tenofcups4me

On the whole, it seems no more or less ridiculous to me than any other organized religion. So, yeah, I think it's pretty much in line with most of the others; it just brings its own kind of crazy as opposed to the more traditional crazy of the others.

saschaduran

I'm the wrong person to ask. I find all organized religions cult like in their own way.

salt78

I used to live down the street from the Scientology center in Hollywood. Those people are BSC to the max. My ex did tech stuff and has been to the compound out in the desert. He said they wear "uniforms" there and that there are little air hoses at the entrances and they make you spray your feet off before you enter the building.

goheels05

Heels: happen to have that paper still? I still have the thumb drive I used in grad school; I bet it's still on there.  I'll bring it with me tomorrow.  I can't remember what all I wrote, but I wish I could, because trust me, they were not justified in claiming 501(c)(3) status, and it was very rightly taken away from them.

3plus2=5

I admittedly don't know all that much about Scientology, but from what I do know it doesn't seem all that much different than many other organised religions out there.  This one is just the fad at this particular time.

SarahSmile23

I'm the wrong person to ask. I find all organized religions cult like in their own way. yeah. i feel a little bad saying this, but i agree.

[Deleted User]

Msmery- Yeah. I can't really think about it during Communion, or I'd probably get sick.why are you partaking if you can't even think about it? you might as well just not.