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Scientology?
*Following is the link to the "Scientology Video Channel" -website full of videos on the religion's beliefs and pratices. The site is actually quite interesting and is a good way to learn about Scientology without having to read! Scientology Video Channel
**I have just found this site and needless to say it is mind-blowing! Critics of the religion put it together and do a good job in painting a scary picture of Scientology in your mind (be advised of the freaky music and graphics). The Unfunny Truth About Scientology
When we hear the word “Scientology,” many of us immediately think of celebrities like Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, and John Travolta, but a lot of the times, all we really know about it is that it’s a religion. Well, at least this was true in my case. After having first heard about it on T.V. in connection with Tom Cruise, it has never been clear to me what the big deal was or what sort of “crazy” practices and beliefs it held. Wanting to know more about it, I did some research and this is what I came up with.
What is Scientology? The word Scientology literally means "the study of truth." Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices as well as a profitable multinational network of corporations created by American fiction author L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard developed Scientology teachings in 1952 from his earlier self-help system, Dianetics. It holds a philosophy of spiritual rehabilitation and covers topics such as morals, ethics, detoxification, education and management. Scientology and the organizations that promote it have remained highly controversial since the beginning. Beliefs: Scientology's beliefs and techniques consist of 18 basic books, and 3,000 recorded lectures. There is no single Scientology book equivalent to the Bible or the Qur'an, but the study of Scientology is achieved through the chronological study of its basic books and lectures.
The Scientology cross is one of the principal symbols of Scientology. It has eight corners representing the eight dynamics of life: 1) The Self 2) Creativity, sex, and procreation (family) 3) Group, society, community 4) Species survival (humankind) 5) Life forms in general 6) Matter 7) Spirit 8) Infinity or Supreme being. The Church of Scientology says that "the horizontal bar represents the material universe, and the vertical bar represents the spirit. Thus, the spirit is seen to be rising triumphantly, ultimately transcending the turmoil of the physical universe to achieve salvation." Scientology believes "that man is an immortal spiritual being whose existence spans more than one life." It believes man to be basically good, that his experiences have led him into evil, and that man can improve to the degree he preserves his spiritual integrity and remains honest and decent. According to the Church, the ultimate goal is: "a civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights." Practices Auditing: The central practice of Scientology is "auditing," a one-on-one session with a Scientology counselor or "auditor." 
Most auditing uses an E-meter, a device that measures minute changes in electrical resistance through the body when a person holds electrodes (metal "cans"), and a small current is passed through them; Scientology states that it helps locate an area of concern.
The auditing processes are typically presented as “free stress tests.” Scientologists state benefits include improved IQ, improved ability to communicate and enhanced memory. Through this process, people can free themselves and reach the state of "Clear." Training: Training is the supervised process of learning and applying Scientology and auditing that follows a checklist indicating which of Hubbard's writings and lectures are to be studied and mastered. There are 16 checklists, each requiring an average of three to four weeks of study, and covering a total of 12,000 pages of materials and 450 lectures. Silent birth and infant care: Stemming from his belief that birth is a trauma, Hubbard stated that the delivery room should be as silent as possible and that words should be avoided because any words used during birth might be reassociated by adults with their earlier traumatic birth experience. Hubbard also wrote that the mother should use "as little anesthetic as possible." He even gave certain dietary recommendations, writing that breastfeeding should be avoided if the mother is smoking, drinking or is lacking good nutrition herself. Hubbard offered as an alternative what he called the "Barley Formula" made from barley water, homogenized milk and corn syrup. Although still popular with many Scientologists, health practitioners advise that it is an inappropriate replacement due to the absence of important nutrients like Vitamin C. Ceremonies: The Church of Scientology has social ceremonies (written by Ron Hubbard) for marriage, birth and death that are performed by an ordained Scientology minister. The minister speaks directly to the departing spirit and grants forgiveness for anything the deceased has done so he can begin life anew.
Controversies:
- The Church of Scientology at the top of The Cult Awareness Network cult list after complained about more than any other group.
- Scientology's disconnection policy, in which members are encouraged to cut off contact with friends/family considered "antagonistic."
-Criminal activities committed on behalf of the Church or directed by Church officials
- Conflicting statements about L. Ron Hubbard's life, specifically accounts of Hubbard discussing his intent to start a religion for profit. -Scientology's harassment and litigious actions against its critics encouraged by its Fair Game policy.
-Attempts to legally force search engines such as Google & Yahoo to omit any webpages critical of Scientology.
-Reports finding that the auditing process involved “command” hypnosis.
Other “Notes”:
-In 2005 Scientology stated its worldwide membership at 8 million people, which included people who took only the introductory course and didn't continue on.
-Overall there are 142 churches in 28 countries established worldwide.
-Scientology is composed of a complex network of corporations, churches and organizations all geared towards promoting the use and dissemination of Scientology and related techniques.
- Scientology only allows a passive formal membership in a second religion. Parishioners are not allowed to engage in other religious activities or ceremonies.
- Scientology is considered as a legitimate religion in Spain, Taiwan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Australia, Sweden, and New Zealand. Other countries, mostly in Europe, have regarded Scientology as a potentially dangerous cult
- Scientologists regularly hold anti-psychiatry demonstrations called "Psychbusts." They publicly oppose psychology and psychiatry, claiming that it was responsible for WW I, the rise of Hitler and Stalin, the decline in education standards in the U.S, the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, and the 9/11 attacks.
- The Church of Scientology and its many related organizations have amassed considerable real estate holdings worldwide, likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars, as well as a large amount of other funds from the practice of auditing.
**I have just found this site and needless to say it is mind-blowing! Critics of the religion put it together and do a good job in painting a scary picture of Scientology in your mind (be advised of the freaky music and graphics). The Unfunny Truth About Scientology
When we hear the word “Scientology,” many of us immediately think of celebrities like Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, and John Travolta, but a lot of the times, all we really know about it is that it’s a religion. Well, at least this was true in my case. After having first heard about it on T.V. in connection with Tom Cruise, it has never been clear to me what the big deal was or what sort of “crazy” practices and beliefs it held. Wanting to know more about it, I did some research and this is what I came up with.
The Scientology cross is one of the principal symbols of Scientology. It has eight corners representing the eight dynamics of life: 1) The Self 2) Creativity, sex, and procreation (family) 3) Group, society, community 4) Species survival (humankind) 5) Life forms in general 6) Matter 7) Spirit 8) Infinity or Supreme being. The Church of Scientology says that "the horizontal bar represents the material universe, and the vertical bar represents the spirit. Thus, the spirit is seen to be rising triumphantly, ultimately transcending the turmoil of the physical universe to achieve salvation." Scientology believes "that man is an immortal spiritual being whose existence spans more than one life." It believes man to be basically good, that his experiences have led him into evil, and that man can improve to the degree he preserves his spiritual integrity and remains honest and decent. According to the Church, the ultimate goal is: "a civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights." Practices Auditing: The central practice of Scientology is "auditing," a one-on-one session with a Scientology counselor or "auditor." 
Most auditing uses an E-meter, a device that measures minute changes in electrical resistance through the body when a person holds electrodes (metal "cans"), and a small current is passed through them; Scientology states that it helps locate an area of concern. The auditing processes are typically presented as “free stress tests.” Scientologists state benefits include improved IQ, improved ability to communicate and enhanced memory. Through this process, people can free themselves and reach the state of "Clear." Training: Training is the supervised process of learning and applying Scientology and auditing that follows a checklist indicating which of Hubbard's writings and lectures are to be studied and mastered. There are 16 checklists, each requiring an average of three to four weeks of study, and covering a total of 12,000 pages of materials and 450 lectures. Silent birth and infant care: Stemming from his belief that birth is a trauma, Hubbard stated that the delivery room should be as silent as possible and that words should be avoided because any words used during birth might be reassociated by adults with their earlier traumatic birth experience. Hubbard also wrote that the mother should use "as little anesthetic as possible." He even gave certain dietary recommendations, writing that breastfeeding should be avoided if the mother is smoking, drinking or is lacking good nutrition herself. Hubbard offered as an alternative what he called the "Barley Formula" made from barley water, homogenized milk and corn syrup. Although still popular with many Scientologists, health practitioners advise that it is an inappropriate replacement due to the absence of important nutrients like Vitamin C. Ceremonies: The Church of Scientology has social ceremonies (written by Ron Hubbard) for marriage, birth and death that are performed by an ordained Scientology minister. The minister speaks directly to the departing spirit and grants forgiveness for anything the deceased has done so he can begin life anew.
Controversies:
- The Church of Scientology at the top of The Cult Awareness Network cult list after complained about more than any other group.
- Scientology's disconnection policy, in which members are encouraged to cut off contact with friends/family considered "antagonistic."
-Criminal activities committed on behalf of the Church or directed by Church officials
- Conflicting statements about L. Ron Hubbard's life, specifically accounts of Hubbard discussing his intent to start a religion for profit. -Scientology's harassment and litigious actions against its critics encouraged by its Fair Game policy.
-Attempts to legally force search engines such as Google & Yahoo to omit any webpages critical of Scientology.
-Reports finding that the auditing process involved “command” hypnosis.
Other “Notes”:
-In 2005 Scientology stated its worldwide membership at 8 million people, which included people who took only the introductory course and didn't continue on.
-Overall there are 142 churches in 28 countries established worldwide.
-Scientology is composed of a complex network of corporations, churches and organizations all geared towards promoting the use and dissemination of Scientology and related techniques.
- Scientology only allows a passive formal membership in a second religion. Parishioners are not allowed to engage in other religious activities or ceremonies.
- Scientology is considered as a legitimate religion in Spain, Taiwan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Australia, Sweden, and New Zealand. Other countries, mostly in Europe, have regarded Scientology as a potentially dangerous cult
- Scientologists regularly hold anti-psychiatry demonstrations called "Psychbusts." They publicly oppose psychology and psychiatry, claiming that it was responsible for WW I, the rise of Hitler and Stalin, the decline in education standards in the U.S, the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, and the 9/11 attacks.
- The Church of Scientology and its many related organizations have amassed considerable real estate holdings worldwide, likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars, as well as a large amount of other funds from the practice of auditing.
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Latest page update: made by PorSoi_230_04
, May 9 2008, 1:09 PM EDT
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