What do you think of Scientology, why are people still drawn to this pay as you go re
For most people it screams scam, the fact you have to pay to learn more about the religion would set alarm bells ringing, the fact it doesn't makes me wonder how they have been pulling the wool over peoples eyes all this time. I know they specifically target people with money and bring these Hollywood actors in with promises to fund and feed their fame and popularity using their own connections. They certainly have been rumored to have allot of money in the movie industry and film studios. Has anyone else noticed that their logo seems to portray the cross of Christianity with a cross over it as if to cross it out like its signaling anti Christ. Which they've mentioned to be on a few occasions. There's also the triangles that can also mean demonic cult and or illuminate which I don't know much about but even I know what it means, the fact these Hollywood people seem to know less than me and don't seem to have noticed it well the mind boggles, maybe they have noticed it and are devil worshipers. What do you think?
Absolutely it seems to highlight the practices of a few other religions to the point some may also be questioned. Maybe its no more daft than Christianity or Islam?
theta what you have said is irrelevant, and falls apart when you consider what is it they believe in, its followers don't even know because most don't pay enough money in order to reach high enough in it to learn. If you endorse it then I'm not saying your stupid I never said that but I do think easily led and unfortunately some people are.
They have too much money, a low self-esteem, and connections to the Church of Scientology. Their celeb friends are members, and they want to be a part too.
Actually Scientology's most profitable days were back in the 70's and 80's. Back then, the only information readily available about Scientology came from Scientology sources. Recruiting was easy and the new recruits didn't have any background information about what they were getting into to resist the brainwashing.
Now that information from critical sources is readily available, Scientology is a sinking boat. The decline started in the late 90's as a result of the increasing popularity of the Internet.
It must pay off or people wouldn't be doing it. Your last statement sounds like you've identified who's doing the payoffs. (Makes you want to rush out and watch some movies, doesn't it!)
It conveys the appearance of a secret society & cons the gullible into believing it possesses certain secrets of life that you can only acquire by becoming one of "them".
Unfortunately most organized religions use the same tactic .
It's just mere tribalism--both divisive & dangerous.
There are plenty of valid reasons to despise Scientology. We do not need to manufacture fake reasons. The world needs truth to become immune to this scourge; not your baseless speculation. You don't seem to know anything about this cult, and spewing falsehoods about them only helps them recruit others and ruin more lives.
A religion founded by a SCIENCE FICTION writer would ring alarm bells with me especially when you consider what they believe. They are all mental. Any religion that demands money is suspicious. But when you think about it Christianity is just as bad. Everyone is MENTAL!
If common sense were common, more people would have it. If you seriously stop to think about it, how is Scientology different from any other religion. They have followed the formula of establishing a religion and of getting a religion to grow.
Step one: Start the religion.
Step tow: Kill anyone who opposes you. (Obviously in today's world the Scientologists could not get away with this. Their answer was to hire goons and threaten people. Hire private detectives and dig up dirt on people who challenged them. When they can not win in the courts, they buy people out or they send people into companies as spies to gain power and control from the inside.
Step Three: Get all the money you can in any way you can. Convince people to give up everything they have for the church. Take, take, take, take, take, and then do token acts of kindness so that it looks like you are helping people while all the time you are expanding your very own religious empire.
Step Three: (We are seeing this today.) Clean up your act before you get caught. Once you are big and powerful you become a target. No one messed with you when you were small but now sharp attorneys and other religious institutions realize that you have deep pockets and a lawsuit against you could prove very profitable. The Catholics for example have paid out 2-billion dollars, that we know of, to the victims of child molestation. "WOW" Scientology today can not afford to 'get caught.'
So, to make a long story short. They have done the exact same thing that the Hebrews, Catholics, and Christians did in the founding of their religions. They are simply following the formula and it works.
If common sense were common, more people would have it.
People are no longer drawn to it. Their membership is shrinking (estimated to be around 50,000 members worldwide), though scions claim it's increasing (and claim there are millions of them).
Scientology symbols definitely seem to be related to Hubbard's dabbling in the occult and satanism. There's an interesting discussion about it in http://ocmb.xenu.net/ocmb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=28725
This is rant. How many celebrities are Christian? Buddhist? Muslim? cabala? Jewish?
It's nice to know that you think your fellow man to be stupid and unable to think for themselves.
YA beware.
HOW ARE CHURCHES OF SCIENTOLOGY SUPPORTED FINANCIALLY?
By their members, just like every other church.
Some churches have a system of tithes. Others require members to pay for pew rentals, religious ceremonies and services. In the Church of Scientology, parishioners make donations for auditing or training they wish to receive. These contributions are the primary source of financial support for the Church and fund all Church-sponsored religious and social betterment activities. Scientologists are not required to tithe or make other donations.
Scientology does not have hundreds of years of accumulated wealth and property like other religions; it must make its way in the world according to the economics of today?s society. When one considers the cost of ministering even one hour of auditing, requiring extensively trained auditors, not to mention overhead costs of maintaining Church premises, the necessity of donations becomes clear.
The Church selected the donation system as its primary method of funding because it is the most equitable. Those who most use Church facilities should be the ones who contribute most to its maintenance. Of course, no donation is expected from members who are at the Church to participate in a variety of other individual and congregational services which take place seven days a week?including participation in Group Processing, listening to tape plays of L. Ron Hubbard?s lectures, reading scriptural works in the Church library, meeting with fellow parishioners, receiving counseling from the Chaplain or attending Sunday services, weddings, christenings and funerals.
Scientologists? donations keep the Church alive and functioning, fund its widespread social reform programs, make Scientology known to people who might otherwise never have the opportunity to avail themselves of it and help create a safe and pleasant environment for everyone.
I think if people want to join then that's their business. People have always paid for religion. If it works for them its fine with me. I don't understand why people want to get involved with such organizations but just because I don't understand it doesn't make it wrong.
Because you don't have to pay a lot. The church has a library where you can read the books and listen to the lectures for free. Most people audit each other rather than pay a professional auditor. the most frugal person would pay only for course materials or just volunteer at the church and not have to pay for anything.
and considering Islam requires you pay skate every year and some Shina you have to pay hums as well, or Christians sects that require you pay 10% of your income or paying for high holiday seats in a Jewish synagogue, Scientology is much cheaper.
I am not a Scientologist, but have started to delve into their core beliefs and teachings. I read a few articles about it, some negative, some positive, and I thought I'd do some investigation of my own. Scientology is more of a practical knowledge than anything else. They have teachings about how to learn, how to have a productive work environment, how to be a good parent, communication in relationsnhips, etcetera. A lot of what you see online, (even here in Yahoo Answers) are based on hearsay prompted by fear of the novelty of the religion. (It is after all, still relatively new). Scientology does charge for its services, but it is not ridiculously high like mythically assumed. Of course, the Church needs funds in order to keep on providing services, but they also do a lot of things for free -including the Sunday services and the outreach done by the Volunteer Ministers. From the official website:
"The training delivered by Churches of Scientology could be compared to taking a course in a school or similar facility. Four years at a typical university would cost between $30,000 and $40,000; four years at a top university would run between $80,000 and $90,000 or even more. And those figures do not include additional costs such as books and supplies.
The most thorough study of Scientology available is the Saint Hill Special Briefing Course, which takes more than 50 weeks to complete, at 40 hours per week of study. It provides a student with a full understanding of the mind and life and is the functional equivalent of a complete college education. The requested donation is between a fourth to a tenth of that charged by universities. Yet, the manpower required to deliver such training is very comparable. And Scientology churches provide this service without being supported by any government grants, as many universities are.
Students who are learning to become auditors must audit others as part of their training. In many cases, they coaudit each other and, of course, there is no donation requested for that. A person can receive the majority of his own auditing in this manner.
Furthermore, the donation system is fair. Unlike some religions which tithe the incomes of all parishioners, regardless of how much they participate in religious activities, the Church of Scientology receives donations from those parishioners who avail themselves of the services it offers and in proportion to services actually received.
For parishioners who can afford no donation, there is even a center at every Church where they can still receive auditing from ministers in training. And finally, Churches of Scientology conduct services similar to other denominations each week -- including Sunday services -- and no donation whatsoever is requested."
What do you think of Scientology, why are people still drawn to this pay as you go re
