Scientology

[solid snake]

Scientology is a "religion" stared in the early 50s by a science fiction writer. According to many of his writings from that time, he made a bet with his friend that lots of money could be made by starting a new religion. Many if not all Pakistanis are probably unaware of Scientologys existance. Scientologists believe that the universe started several hundred quintillion (yes, I hadn't heard of the figure until recently either) years ago. The history of the present universe starts 70 trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion trillion years ago according to Scientology when scientists only estimate it's age to be 13.7 billion years.

Scientologists believe that 75 million years ago an evil alien dictator came to earth dumped hundreds of billions of his subjects near volcanoes, and lowered hydrogen bombs into the volcanoes and exploded them. This huge explosion killed almost every alien, and the souls of all those who died attached themselves to the bodies of the survivors. Here is the complete, hilarious story that they believe in:

The story of Xenu is covered in OT III, part of Scientology's secret "Advanced Technology" doctrines taught only to advanced members. It is described in more detail in the accompanying confidential "Assists" lecture of 3 October 1968 and is dramatized in Revolt in the Stars (an unpublished screenplay written by L Ron Hubbard during the late 1970s). Direct quotations in this section are from these sources. (See also Scientology beliefs and practices)

Scientologists believe that seventy-five million years ago, Xenu was the ruler of a Galactic Confederacy which consisted of 26 stars and 76 planets including Earth, which was then known as Teegeeack. The planets were overpopulated, each having an average population of 178 billion. The Galactic Confederacy's civilization was comparable to our own, with aliens "walking around in clothes which looked very remarkably like the clothes they wear this very minute" and using cars, trains and boats looking exactly the same as those "circa 1950, 1960" on Earth. Xenu was about to be deposed from power, so he devised a plot to eliminate the excess population from his dominions. With the assistance of "renegades", he defeated the populace and the "Loyal Officers", a force for good that was opposed to Xenu. Then, with the assistance of psychiatrists, he summoned billions of his citizens together to paralyze them with injections of alcohol and glycol, under the pretense that they were being called for "income tax inspections". The kidnapped populace was loaded into spacecraft for transport to the site of extermination, the planet of Teegeeack (Earth). The spacecraft were identical to the Douglas DC-8 with the exception of having different engines.

When they had reached Teegeeack/Earth, the paralyzed citizens were unloaded around the bases of volcanoes across the planet. Hydrogen bombs were then lowered into the volcanoes and detonated simultaneously. Only a few aliens' physical bodies survived. Hubbard described the scene in his film script, Revolt in the Stars:

Simultaneously, the planted charges erupted. Atomic blasts ballooned from the craters of Loa, Vesuvius, Shasta, Washington, Fujiyama, Etna, and many, many others. Arching higher and higher, up and outwards, towering clouds mushroomed, shot through with flashes of flame, waste and fission. Great winds raced tumultuously across the face of Earth, spreading tales of destruction. Debris-studded, and sickly yellow, the atomic clouds followed close on the heels of the winds. Their bow-shaped fronts encroached inexorably upon forest, city and mankind, they delivered their gifts of death and radiation. A skyscraper, tall and arrow-straight, bent over to form a question mark to the very idea of humanity before crumbling into the screaming city below...

– L. Ron Hubbard, Revolt in the Stars treatment​

The now-disembodied victims' souls, which Hubbard called thetans, were blown into the air by the blast. They were captured by Xenu's forces using an "electronic ribbon" ("which also was a type of standing wave") and sucked into "vacuum zones" around the world. The hundreds of billions of captured thetans were taken to a type of cinema, where they were forced to watch a "three-D, super colossal motion picture" for thirty-six days. This implanted what Hubbard termed "various misleading data"' (collectively termed the R6 implant) into the memories of the hapless thetans, "which has to do with God, the Devil, space opera, et cetera". This included all world religions, with Hubbard specifically attributing Roman Catholicism and the image of the Crucifixion to the influence of Xenu. The interior decoration of "all modern theaters" is also said by Hubbard to be due to an unconscious recollection of Xenu's implants. The two "implant stations" cited by Hubbard were said to have been located on Hawaii and Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.

In addition to implanting new beliefs in the thetans, the images deprived them of their sense of personal identity. When the thetans left the projection areas, they started to cluster together in groups of a few thousand, having lost the ability to differentiate between each other. Each cluster of thetans gathered into one of the few remaining bodies that survived the explosion. These became what are known as body thetans, which are said to be still clinging to and adversely affecting everyone except those Scientologists who have performed the necessary steps to remove them.

The Loyal Officers finally overthrew Xenu and locked him away in a mountain, where he was imprisoned forever by a force field powered by an eternal battery (Some have suggested that Xenu is imprisoned on Earth in the Pyrenees, but Hubbard merely refers to "one of these planets" (of the Galactic Confederacy). He does, however, refer to the Pyrenees as being the site of the last operating "Martian report station", which is probably the source of this particular confusion. Teegeeack/Earth was subsequently abandoned by the Galactic Confederacy and remains a pariah "prison planet" to this day, although it has suffered repeatedly from incursions by alien "Invader Forces" since that time.

First let me say I believe in freedom of religion and in no way am I advocating any sort of restrictions on preaching and/or believing in this religion. Having said that, this Church rips off it's followers of all their money. Their "Bible" or "Quran" is a book written by the science fiction writer, it's titled "Dianetics". This religion oposses drugs very firecely, and they also HATE psychiatry. You might have heard of this religion because many Hollywood celebrities are becoming Scientologists since the 80s. Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Katie Holmes and many other famous actresses are Scientologists.

Scientologists deny and try to hide this story of the evil alien Xenu. They think that if we (non-Scientologists) are told about him, the thetans inside us will get upset and try to stop Scientologists from "helping" us get rid of them

Scientology is classified as a cult and business in most of Europe. I expected this to be a funny religion followed by rich people in industrialized countries. But today I was shocked to find out that Scientology has spread to Pakistan. The book Dianetics was launched in Urdu in Karachi.

Dianetics Bringing Peace to Pakistan

Also a new Dianetics center in Pakistan:
Scientology - Church of Scientology Official Site

Here's a map of countries that recognize it as a religion (orange), where there is at least one Church (deep yellow), and countries where there is at least one Mission (light yellow).

Here is Scientologys offical website where you can learn their perspective:
Scientology, What is it? - A Reference from the Church of Scientology

This "religion" is frequently ridiculed and called a "dangerous cult" in Western media. What do you guys think of Scientology? Does it bother you that it has now spread to Pakistan?

 

[solid snake]

Scientologists do not reveal this story of Xenu and other ridiculous beliefs to lower level scientologists. This is how they start out people, by making them read the book Dianetics. People, especially people in Pakistan where no one knows what Scientology is, read it thinking its a great way to combat stress and improve their life. Then Scientology makes them pay money for "self-improvement" courses. Gradually they put their ideas into the heads of these people, slowly revealing details of what they believe in. Only people who have been in the Church for years and have contributed thousands of dollars are allowed to read this story. This and many other of it's ridiculous beliefs are the reason this Church is classified as a cult in countries like Germany and France. Germany even went so far as to publish warning leaflets for its citizens warning them not to join the Church.

I think these new Dianetics centers are exploiting these poor Pakistani people. In a few years, expect to see Scientologists working in your office.

 

[Energon]

As a person who is not particularly enamored with any organized religion in the theological context, I'm equally dismissive of Scientology as a "religion".

Their unfounded views on Psychiatry are a bit disturbing and I am concerned about how they intend to act on their beliefs by mobilizing their vast arsenal of popular culture icons. I'm also aware that within the confines of allopathic medicine, Psychiatric practice is very difficult and still remains a highly inexact science, but at least it isn't a belief/faith based system which leaves room for progress and amendments.

As far as the "cult" label is concerned, I've often found that it isn't easy to really classify these things or automatically relegate them into the "good" or "bad" categories. IMO they should be examined objectively on a case by case basis. Mormonism for instance was for many years and is even today by many considered to be a cult. Their views and practices are often viewed with suspicion and attract a lot of scorn and ridicule. However, turns out that Mormons as a religious group (who are separate from the fLDS- Fundamentalist Mormons who live on compounds) are a very successful group sporting high literacy rates and impressive income levels; and their communities subsequently enjoy an impressive standard of living.

As long as cults aren't violent, or propagating violent and other pathological doctrines which put society at risk, I don't see why they can't just be left alone and ignored.

 

[OKtoBerFeSt]

Scientology is an evil cult, a modern mild version of what religion must have been like in the middle ages.
Its been banned in Germany, and not without reason. The Germans have learnt to identify fascist cults when they see 'em.

Heil Tom Cruise.

Heil Reichesführer Hubbard.

 

[solid snake]

Mormonism was/is considered a cult (the fundamentalist version of it) because of the polygamy and child sex practices of it's followers. This is something highly damaging to society and the persons who are unwilling participants of these practices.

In the same manner, Scientology actively encourages new converts to break all relations with their family members and friends who do not believe in Scientology. I think they call it a "break off". There's stories of peoples children visiting a Scientology Chuch, and then disappearing from their lives a few weeks later. The Church does this to ensure it won't lose new converts.

And the Suppresive Person policy of the Church has made it very infamous too. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the religion, said anyone who opposes or criticizes the Church is "fair game" meaning the Scientologists can use all means necessary to silence them. Here in the US Scientology has sent thousands of its followers to work in the government, and with their help digs up tax records and basically any dirt it can and ruthlessly tries to damage the reputation of its critics. It has an army of lawyers who sue anyone who uses quotes from their books to critically analyze it. Scientologists stalk their critics, they literally follow you around everywhere, track your every movement and threaten and harrass trying to silence you. Scientology has ended up killing it's own followers who tried to escape the Church.

It's nothing but an orgnization trying to charge people for spirituality, their only aim is to make money off of poor and exploited people.

 

[Energon]

It's nothing but an orgnization trying to charge people for spirituality, their only aim is to make money off of poor and exploited people.

Some denominations of conventional religions aren't any much better in this regard.

 

[gelcap]

I have no problem with Scientologists believing in aliens or whatever, if in fact they really do. The fact that all this Xenu stuff is "secret" basically means that some people said it's true and if you ask them for proof, they say "well, we can't prove Scientologists believe in Xenu because they keep that a secret." How convenient!

I think people should be free to believe whatever they want, no matter how ridiculous. And if they want to make money too, so what? All religions rake in big bucks from the gullible. You can't channel surf in the USA without passing several preachers begging for money, selling cheesy tapes, videos and baubles, and performing "miraculous faith healings" day after day.

Most Americans believe that a man was born to a virgin, walked on water, raised the dead, and came back from the dead himself after being killed. Then he floated up into the sky and promised he'd come back someday to save us all. Meanwhile, his dad, who created us, still insists we have to rid ourselves of "sin" (an abstract nebulous concept that's really not much different from ridding ourselves of Scientology's "Body Thetans") or else he'll send us to a big dark flaming lake of fire. (But he loves us.)

At least Hubbard's mythology is somewhat more entertaining.