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Question answered by honorarykid in Scientology

Anonymous asked this question on 9/10/2000:

what axactly is sientology?

honorarykid gave this response on 9/11/2000:

Scientology beliefs basically center around the idea that L. Ron Hubbard discovered a methodology to free people from life's problems. The nature of these beliefs is wide ranging and some get downright bizarre.

One is first introduced to Scientology's beliefs with the book "Dianetics." Dianetics claimed that we all have engrams (negative mental pictures) in our minds which inhibit our happiness and progress in life.

A later belief is taught that we are all infested with the spirits of dead space aliens (Body Thetans), and that each of us is actually a reincarnated dead space alien spirit, too. Actually, according to Hubbard, we have all been reincarnated many times in meat bodies, here on Earth, because we're too stupid to know that we are really Godlike spirit beings, with no need for meat bodies.

The reason our spirits are so stupid and confused is because we've been brainwashed by yet another evil space aliens who wants us kept as meat body slaves, here on Earth. This alien's name is Xenu.

And finally, there is one underlying belief in both the Dianetics and space alien phases of Scientology. That is, that a trained Scientologist can help you rid yourselves of engrams (at first) and Body Thetans (later on) by discovering your problems with the aid of an E-Meter, in a process they call auditing. In doing so, they claim your health, intelligence and happiness will improve, and later, as you Clear your BTS, you will also gain magical, mystical super powers, including the ability to astrally travel, do remote viewing, move things through sheer force of will, and even control space-time itself.

The Church of Scientology is operated as a tightly bound, many would say a cultic group (I am one of these, BTW, just so you know where I'm coming from) of people, who share not only the belief that Hubbard discovered these amazing truths, but that planetary dissemination is necessary, and that the Church of Scientology is the only hope for mankind's betterment. Church of Scientology members generally believe that "Clearing the Planet" (making everyone into a Scientologist)is their biggest goal.

This ideal mirrors Hubbard's growing megalomania, as his organization expanded and grew more powerful. The CoS takes this to the point where nations and laws and other institutions are considered inferior and sometimes even obstructions to mankind's improvement. Hubbard wrote volumes of "administration tech" which outline the need to attack and harm critics, and some of the actual techniques which could be used to do so. Hubbard taught his follows to try and destroy those who stand in the way of Scientology's expansion, and unfortunately, many of today's Scientologists still believe this is the right and proper thing to do.

The political part of the Church of Scientology demands money, loyalty, obedience, and behaves generally like a totalitarian political movement. Members are wrung out of their money and labor, controlled, indoctrinated, socially engineered into believing Hubbard's and the CoS' paranoias. They are elitist, exclusive and at the top levels, I believe constitute a legitimate threat to democratic institutions.

Hubbard told his followers that he was not a God. But then he proceeded to demand to be treated like one. To many fervent followers, Hubbard's tech is infallible and perfect, and only human error in the application can be faulted if it doesn't do what it promises...

People can believe in these "discoveries" by Hubbard, and practice them outside the purvey of the Church of Scientology, in what is called the "Free Zone", or they can join the Church of Scientology.

Another group people also continue to practice Hubbard's "Clearing" processes outside of the CoS. Most are ex-members. These people are collectively called "The Free Zone." Many of them, like their CoS counterparts, still revere Hubbard as a wise person.

Most Free Zone practitioners use auditing techniques in a largely benign way, for their own personal improvement. They have no global organization which rabidly defends the memory of Hubbard, and many Free Zone scientologists fully understand that the political behaviors of the Church of Scientology belie the claims that it makes people "more ethical."

But inside the CoS, the reverance for Hubbard is rabid and totalistic. It approaches the level of worship. Scientologists clap and yell "hip hip hurrah" at portraits of LRH. They keep a vacant office in every Scientology facility, complete with a pack of his favorite brand of cigarettes, waiting for his return.

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