Why So Many Gods?- Cults: Scientology
There are some elements in this cult that appear to be ludicrous and even laughable, but they have been confirmed in legal proceedings by ex-Scientologists. The Scientology church has had innumerable legal actions brought against it. It has also brought many groups and even companies to court to ‘protect’ their image and their secrets. The results have been that they have had many of their ‘secrets’ revealed in court documents as part of the plaintiff’s case against them.
Unfortunately, a recent poll indicated that a large number of Scientologists claim to come from the Christian faith. This is typical of Christian cults—they appeal to, and recruit from the Christian denominations. However, Scientology is not very difficult for a real Christian to recognize as heresy if they simply know some very basic scripture from the Bible. In my original overview of cults, I mentioned that one of the hallmarks of leaving such a group always comes with negative consequences- either the requirement that all family members and friends never associate with you again (shunning) or even death. Scientology has been purported to be one of those cults from which escape can cost you your life. This is because L. Ron Hubbard’s teachings label these people as criminals, listing ways to deal with them including "...The other is to dispose of them quietly and without sorrow." -- L. Ron Hubbard, Science of Survival, Chapter 27
Founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1951 as a religious philosophy. In 1954 Hubbard opened the first Scientology church. L. Ron Hubbard was a science fiction writer and world traveler. His philosophy was founded on his book Dianetics which means ‘through the soul.’ Hubbard’s religion teaches that all humans are immortal spirits he named ‘thetans.’ Thetans have forgotten their identity or true nature. Basically, Dianetics was a self-help book that Hubbard tried to promote as a viable therapeutic approach. When he failed at that, he tried to prove it was a religion.
What they believe about God:
Although the church refers to the ‘Supreme Being,’ it is not defined. Scientology offers the practitioner a path to ‘spiritual awareness.’ A scientologist is free to come to his or her own conclusion about who God is, there can be one or many gods.
"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor will there be one after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from Me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am He. No one can deliver out of My hand. When I act, who can reverse it?"
What they believe about human beings:
Humans are really thetans, a spirit that is a god. However, men have forgotten about who they really are, believing themselves to be limited to this body and this life. Humans are basically good and divine—a cosmic life force.
What they believe about creation:
People are really thetans, and thetans created the universe through their thought some time in the primordial past—this universe that we suppose exists is more like a Game (think Matrix) but it exists only as a product of thetan minds. As such, it can be manipulated by those who are not held captive by ‘engrams.’ Engrams cause all non-Scientologists to believe this world is real and that we are captive to these weak physical bodies. At some point in time, thetans forgot who they were and got so caught up in the game and their creation, that they forgot they made this place up, losing their spiritual and creative powers.
What they believe about salvation:
Scientologists are reborn over and over into new lives, this is called assumption (reincarnation). The more times this happens, the further the thetan becomes entangled by MEST (matter, energy, space and time), so that they can no longer assert their power as gods. L. Ron Hubbard came up with a means by which mankind could be released from this slavery to MEST, through ‘auditing.’ Auditing is a technique that Hubbard developed for neutralizing the engrams. As engrams are neutralized, a thetan becomes more self-away or ‘enlightened.’ Through this process, the thetan can become ‘clear.’ As the thetan passes through various levels of ‘Operating Thetan,’ he/she can achieve self-realization.
Controversies:
Scientology teaches that psychiatry is evil and kills. This is probably because the medical community rejected Hubbard’s attempts at getting his counseling ideas recognized as a viable scientific approach. They dubbed it as quackery.
Scientology is not recognized as a religion in the following countries:
Canada,
UK,
Germany,
Luxemburg, Ireland,
Israel,
France,
Mexico,
Greece and
Belgium. The church has been investigated by numerous government agencies over the years, and appeared as plaintiff and defendants in countless court proceedings.
According to his own sons, Hubbard was involved in the occult since the age of 16, and that at its deepest secret roots involves black magic.
Space Opera
For the fully realized Thetan who attains the highest levels of Operating Thetan, they are allowed to have revealed to them the deeper mysteries of the religion. Those who have not reached the higher levels cannot know these secrets, because they are not ready and it can harm them to know this information before they are ready. There are eight OT levels. The higher levels can only be revealed to members who have been invited and approved. The highest level, OT level VIII— can only be revealed at sea on the church’s private cruise ship the Freewinds. Revealing any of the info at the higher levels is cause for expulsion from the church. In 1995, a former level VIII Thetan revealed this information online. The church pursued legal action, but lost.
The story that is revealed at the higher levels is the story of Lord Xenu, who was the evil leader of the Galactic Confederacy. He brought billions of people to earth over 75 million years ago aboard spacecraft, to solve his problem with overpopulation on several planets. He took these people and put them in volcanoes that he blew up. When they lost their bodies, their souls were left behind. These spirits ultimately clustered together and inhabit each of us humans on earth. Each human has more than 2,000 of these souls (thetans) in them. These thetans have forgotten their former godhood because Lord Xenu built large cinemas on earth and forced them to watch movies that would give them false information about who they really were, causing them to forget their true divine nature.
Scientology Words to Know:
Thetan- all humans are really gods; thetan was taken from the Greek letter theta..
Engrams: blockages to spiritual growth
Auditing: counseling to help look at your past and present existence; done by a trained ‘auditor.’
D-meter: device auditor uses to discover engrams
OT: Operating Thetan, someone who has realized their full potential
Overt: someone who questions the organization, these people are shunned.
How do I lead a Scientologist to Christ?
This is a question I chose to approach from two different angles, reasoning here so that the Christian understands what the true nature of the scientologist belief system entails, and notes from a former scientologist written for parents who have lost their loved one to scientology or any cult. Like any cult, there really is no reasoning a person out of it, but it is worth pursuing the reasoning that one should consider when one encounters this or any other cult. Young and or immature Christians (and people who consider themselves 'Christian') often don't recognizes the common fallacies that allow these ‘Christian’ cults to ‘recruit’ unwitting followers from our ranks.
By reasoning:
1. If Scientology and Dianetics is "the only thing that can show you who you really are" (text, p431, What is Scientology), what about all those who came before Scientology and Dianetics?
Why would such a “helpful” and “tested” route to truth and self-improvement have been withheld (by God?) from the human race until one Lafayette Ron Hubbard finally came along in the middle of the twentieth century?
The fact that Hubbard alleges Taoism to be "an ancestor to Scientology" and the scientologist "a first cousin of the Buddhist" notwithstanding, certainly no one had ever heard of ARC breaks, engrams, electropsychometers, pre-Clears, MEST, Operating Thetans, disconnection, and hatting before 1911. Might it rather be that this absolutely ingenious, brilliant, multi-talented man who traveled thousands of miles, spoke and wrote over 40 million words on the subject of Scientology during his lifetime, sold millions of books, and made millions of dollars, had actually, deliberately gone about fulfilling his own 1949 musing (related six years before establishing the Church of Scientology in W.D.C.), that "if a man wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion."
2. How can Scientology be considered credible when it insists that it “respects” and "does not conflict with other religions" (text, p435, What is Scientology) that clearly conflict with it? How can Scientology say "there is no attempt to change a person's beliefs, or to persuade him away from any religion to which he already belongs" (text, p435) when to identify with Scientology may necessarily involve the categorical denial of doctrines that a particular religion affirms? For instance, in terms of Scientology and Christianity, consider that Scientology "has no dogma concerning God" (text, p436) but Christianity does. Further, Scientology denies orthodox Christian teaching regarding hell, sin, the exclusivity of salvation through Christ ("There are probably many types of redemption", p435), and the fallen nature of man ("Scientology is based on the premise that man is basically good" (text, p434).
For Scientology to try to “include” Christianity is a little like the Mafia announcing that all FBI agents are cordially welcome to join the Mob. The two, by definition, stand in diametrical opposition to one another. You can’t have it both ways and, by implying that you can, Scientology clearly loses credibility.
By Exprience:
The following is written by a former Scientology cult member to parents, giving extensive insight into the cult mindset and advice for family members who lose a loved one to a cult. I only list a few of his Do’s and Don’ts here; For the rest go to:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/wakefield/us-15.html :
DON'T debate Scientology's ideology, methods or theology with the member in person, in letters or on the phone. Many parents, in their frustration, attempt to do this because they don't fully realize the effectiveness of the mind control that is controlling their family member. Scientology, through the use of the hypnotic Training Routing Zero and the repetitiveness of many of the auditing processes, has the member under a hypnotic trance as well as brainwashed, and it is not possible in most situations to use a rational approach to get them out of Scientology. It's much the same as telling a committed Scientologist that Scientology is wrong. Instead of trying to reason directly with the person, you must use indirect methods. Trying to reach the person emotionally is one way of doing this.
DO tell the person that you love them and let them know that your home is always open to them should they want to get away from the cult. There are many people in Scientology who are deeply unhappy and many who even want to leave, but who stay because they think they have no place to go.
DON'T use a confrontational or condescending approach with the Scientologist. Never start or become engaged in an argument with him about Scientology. Even though you know you are right, understand that the Scientologist also believes himself to be right about Scientology. An argument will only drive the person further away.
DO keep your cool and try to control your emotional reactions, especially anger. If you can think of a time when someone was angry with you, you can understand that anger only increases feelings of defensiveness in the other person. Don't get angry at the cult member. As Steve Hassan says, it isn't his fault!!!
DO try to appeal to the person's emotions, and don't be too upset if the person becomes angry. The person is experiencing an honest emotion, possibly for the first time in a long time, and it may be the anger that helps to jump start the thinking processes. When talking or writing to the cult member, talk about current family happenings, talk about the friends the cult member had before joining the cult, try to stimulate old memories, do anything to appeal to the pre-cult identity of the person. Send frequent letters, and have other family members and friends of the cult member send letters too. Send photographs -- this can be very effective. Make frequent phone calls and don't worry about the phone bill.
It is also important to visit the Scientologist whenever possible. A personal visit will help to counter the cult propaganda that you are a Suppressive Person, or a Potential Trouble Source. When you visit, and the cult member finds himself happy to see you, it may cause the member to feel some confusion, but the confusion is a good thing as it will challenge the cult propaganda.
DON'T ever tell the cult member that his views are ridiculous, absurd or wrong. Don't use the words "cult" or "deprogram" with the cult member as these will immediately identify you to him as a Suppressive Person.
DON'T ever send cash or money, however, as it will immediately go to the cult, especially large amounts. Send small gifts instead. If the member wants to come home, send the plane ticket, not the cash. Most Scientologists are eager to do their "next level" in Scientology, and if you send money, that's where it will go. Especially avoid sending inheritance money. It would be better to keep that money set aside for the Scientologist until he or she comes out of the cult, when the money will be much needed for recovery.
Famous Scientologist:
Tom Cruise, actor
John Travolta, actor
Isaac Hayes, singer (deceased)
Brandy, R&B singer
Danny Masterson, actor (that 70’s show)
Kirstie Alley, actress
Katie Holmes, actress
Priscilla Presley, actress (ex-wife of Elvis)
Lisa Marie Presley, actress (daughter of Elvis, ex-wife of Michael Jackson)
Leah Remini, actress (King of Queens)
Chaka Khan, R&B singer
Sonny Bono, (of Sonny & Cher)
