Has anyone else just read a ton on Scientology?

[WillyBrandt]

I spent at least a week in college just reading up on Scientology basically non-stop. My sister did once I pointed it out to her too.

It's morbidly fascinating--anyone else do the same?

[ET Awful]

1. Amazing what some people will believe isn't it?

Very space opera :).

[flyingfysh]

2. read www.xenu.net

Then run, do not walk, away from Scientology as fast as possible!

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

26. that's the best site on Scientology out there

In the 80s my best friend became a Scientologist - one in a series of idiotic ideas that she tried on for size. I asked her to explain it to me. She refused. She made me feel pretty bad about it, too, like it was beyond my comprehension. Other Scientologists I knew were equally closed-mouthed. One of my brothers had been deeply involved in a big-time cult, so I was able to make an educated guess about why these people were so hush-hush.

When I finally got me one of those Internets, the first thing I looked up was info about my brother's former cult, which turned out to be much worse than I had even suspected. The second thing I read up on was Scientology, and xenu.net was the place that had the most complete information. Now I know why their practicioners clam up about it. Clam up. Clams. Get it? If you don't, you gotta go read that site.

Clams! :D


(edit for typo)

[johnnie]

3. It's a very strange cult

It amazes me that people join that stuff.

[rockydem]

4. could you try and explain the essence of it to me?

just curious?

[flyingfysh]

8. it relies on what are actually hypnotic exercises

They try to convince you that you are remembering past lives, including in particulare Xenu, an evil intergalactic tyrant. In the process, they drain your bank account.

There is an active usenet group alt.religion.scientology. Once Scientology threatened to sue the entire internet to try to get the group shut down. The lawyer who issued the threat was declared Usenet Kook of the Month.

[flyingfysh]

5. Scientology threatened to sue me twice

Once was for making fun of one of their "secret scriptures" purporting to teach people how to communicate with plants and animals.

Another time was for posting that I didn't have enough stupid cult literature, could people please send me some.

Scientology will try to drain your bank account, the bank accounts of everyone you know, then will try to sign you to a billion-year contract as an unpaid laborer.

Read "A Piece of Blue Sky" by John Atack, available on the net occasionally (until a Scientology lawyer starts threatening the owners of the server).

[jdots]

6. Yes very interesting subject

I'm real cynical and scepital about it ,then i meet great people who are scientologists.

[olddem43]

9. Astrology is a lot better -

If you want to discuss nonsense.

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

11. Yes. Remember to remove your Body Thetans

Those little crawly things that constitute your body.

[CAcyclist]

13. That's the real tragedy

I've known seen some real talented people waste their lives in this cult.

They also target small business people with their"business plan" to increase profitability - they target professions like veterinarians and dentists that are not good business people to start with. Then once the people are hooked, they try to get them to become "auditors" for the cult and sell their practices and give the money to the cult. So then a person who worked really hard to be a dentist is no longer practicing their profession and the community suffers because they've lost their dentist.

[madrchsod]

15. i`ve read their business publications

what a load of bullshit! you can go on line or to a bookstore or a libary and get better advice-but you can`t be metered- oh ya those are on sale -big discount.....

[sleepyhead]

21. This happened to one of my former employers

He worked his way about halfway up the ladder (sorry, not sure of the terminology) and was at the point where he was trying to get everyone in the workplace (a veterinary clinic) to join up (which of course meant making huge donations to the so-called consultant). He had given them all his savings and was about to sign over the entire business to them when his wife hired a deprogrammer to kidnap him and reverse-brainwash him. Very scary. They operate under several different names (Hollander Consultants is one that immediately comes to mind) and are very clever to not associate themselves with the C of S in casual conversation.

[philosophie_en_rose]

7. It's like watching predators on animal planet.

Its exploitation of cultural weaknesses for celebrity, fundamentalism, and commerce are vicious, but fascinating. It almost doesn't matter that the higher levels reveal that an alien emperor named Xenu dispersed alien ghosts that cause reactive minds. By the time that a person goes through the levels, they are so entrenched (and in financial debt) to the system that they can't challenge the "church's" doctrine.

Also, scientology celebrities and spokespeople have a very blank look in their eyes.


Edited to include: I've known scientologists that are great people. They don't drink blood or kick puppies. However, Scientology is a business that is not at all benevolent. It does nothing for free, enslaves workers, campaigns against medicine, and preys upon people with mental illnesses. We all know good people that are Republicans as well. However, the good works of individuals does not disprove the corrupt nature of the organization as a whole.

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

10. Yes. You put it well - morbidly fascinating

Psycho on so many levels.

They just don't get Hubbard's joke.

[humanbeing]

12. All anyone needs to know about Scientology is...

There was a Cult Awareness Network (CAN) that helped people who had gotten sucked into cults.

Scientology sued and backrupted CAN, then TOOK OVER CAN, making it a sham organization, pretending to help people but instead using it as a front to recruit members for their own cult. That tells you right there everything you need to know about these ruthless people.

This is not even mentioning their space-alien-inspired mind games, money draining practices, and outright violent restraing. They've been held responsible by a court in Clearwater, Florida for forcibly restraining a woman who tried to leave the cult: she died days later after having been tied up without any food or drink for days. Her fingertips were torn and her knuckles were bloody. She fought, but they tied her down, and dehydrated her until she DIED. That's their 'therapy'.

[SmileyBoy]

16. Somebody should sue THEM.

We need an organization like the Southern Poverty Law Center that sues white-supremicist groups, but this one would sue cults.

Any lawyers around that would like to try this??

Do you think Morris Dees of the SPLC could branch out into suing cults??

[madrchsod]

19. not enough money to fight them

they can spend millions upon millions to crush anyone who challenges them. only Germany has the balls to officially call them a cult and regulate them.this "religion" is tax free courtesy of some very well connected people with millions to grease the wheels so the s people will never lose their cash cow of untaxed money and property.

[Philostopher]

23. They own pretty much all of downtown Clearwater, Florida, don't they?

Has anybody ever wondered about what connections they might have with Jebbie? I've often wondered how many politicians they 'own' in Florida. Not that I think fundamentalist and evangelical Christians would accept them, even as 'convenient allies' -- I was taught, growing up, that Scientology was one of the most dangerous cults around because it was one of the most sophisticated in manipulating people.

Of course, I was also taught that the Moonies were a dangerous cult, and they seem to be in bed with the entire far-right wing, including the Talibornagain segment (Go find Bozos for Bush's threads over in GD, there apparently are connections between the Unification Church and Tim LaHaye, if you look in the right places). These 'marriages of convenience' sicken me, but they are, obviously, very effective for the GOP.

[Rabrrrrrr]

29. Yeah, and Germany is the ONLY country who has stood up to them

Even the US had to buckle under their threats and bullshit.

[madrchsod]

14. yes

i read it every month sometimes more than that.. it`s really fuck`n crazy-spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for this shit? the guy has been dead for years and they still trot him out as if he were still alive. he was also a crappy writer and his Scientology crap is even worse. the pictures of the people in these magazines are really frighting-they look like they are possessed, well i guess they are!!!! they are all aboard the "love boat" capitan ron!

[madrchsod]

17. opps---------were you talking about the scientologists

or republicans?

[philosophie_en_rose]

20. can you tell the difference?

:shrug:

[jdots]

32. Perfectly CLEAR ???

Frank Zappa did a really ballsy goof on scientology.

[miss_kitty]

18. No, but my dad sued them a few times on behalf of some of his

dipshit clients. In the 70s

[BoX o BooX]

22. I want this thread locked!

And I want all your names and addresses!

You people are impugning a fine religion!

We'll settle your hash!

[philosophie_en_rose]

25. Feel free to debate the issues, then.

Enlighten us to the wisdom of Scientology. :eyes:

[BoX o BooX]

27. OK, you, you're in BIG trouble!

Scientology is NOT a cult!
So stop saying that!

We help ANYBODY who has funds enough to SEEK our help.

We don't tell ANYONE to do ANYTHING that isn't in the best interests of themselves, or the religion, or both, or either one, possibly, but not necessarily excluding, the other.

We are a RELIGION. We have many features of many religions:

1. Dogma
2. Acceptance of generous donations
3. Tax-exempt status

If we're NOT a religion, how come we're tax-exempt, smart guy? Huh?

Yeah. Boo-yah.

Also, we gots lawyers.

[norml]

30. Xenu lives!

http://www.xenu.net

[BoX o BooX]

31. It's not a cult!

So stop posting that!

[norml]

33. It's not just a cult,it's also a scam. Xenu rules!

http://www.xenu.net

[SmileyBoy]

34. Are you just joking around, or something???

You're not actually being serious, are you??

[BoX o BooX]

37. Serious? Moi?

Never! ;)

I just love how litigious they are, is all.

[gmoney]

24. Have this older book somewhere that claims

This old book (1960s?) claims that the whole "foundation" of Scientology are these stored trauma memories, I think called "engrams", and that Hubbard was convinced that most people carried the subconscious engram of their mother unsuccessfully attempting to abort them as fetuses, or their mothers being raped while pregnant, or their father beating the mother trying to prompt a miscarriage.

So, you have to spend bundles of cash "regressing" through "auditing" to get back to the point of "remembering" this trauma in order to fix yourself.

Of course, I'm only citing what this book reported, to the best of my knowledge. I would never claim such a thing.

[SmileyBoy]

35. He's assuming that most mothers would want to abort their fetuses....

Unfortunately for him, that's simply not true.

What a quack...:eyes:

[norml]

28. Here's everything you need to know about that scam... www.xenu.net

http://www.xenu.net

[sir_captain]

36. How'd I know you'd started this thread, Willy?

You and your crazy cults...