So what is Scientology?

KGP said:
Here's a clip from a former cult member (not scientology):

"People in cults are not stupid. After leaving my former group, I was so convinced that I had to be intelligently deficient that I actually took an I.Q. test. Much to my surprise, instead of scoring way below average, I scored in the 97 percentile. As I have learned more about the kinds of people cults recruit, I have found that I am the rule and not the exception. Because the rigors of cult life are arduous, these groups do not want someone who will break down easily. Cults go after the best and the brightest -- robbing all of us of people who could be making a huge difference in this world."
This guy is a moron. Common sense and IQ are two very distinct concepts, IMO. You could be the most intelligent person in the world, but if you can not use logic in everyday life, you can be taken advantage of.

Cults absolutely do NOT go after the best and brightest, they would die out in no time if they did. They go after people who are gullible and have low self esteem, who are more easily brainwashed.
 
I believe that Scientology is a huge scam, built on convincing famous people to join, then using their fame to attract the masses.

However, many parallels can be drawn between Scientology and more established religions, with one of the biggest differences being the time in history when they were founded.

It would be interesting to see how well Christianity would be accepted if it had started in the 20th century, and how widespread Scientology would be if it had first appeared about 2000 years ago.
 
Meeyatch1 said:
Scientology....isn't that Tom Cruise's new movie?? ;) :D

lol you mean

War of the Worlds: A Dianetics Allegory

roffl

i wonder if all of the high profile Celeb Scie###gists have all made space alien movies....
 
khappucino said:
i wonder if all of the high profile Celeb Scie###gists have all made space alien movies....
I remember at least John Travolta with "Battlefield Earth" (after 3 books of L.R. Hubbard), a tremendous flop.

"Eyes wide shut" with Tom and Nicole was also some kind of alien movie, I guess :wink:
 
Funny how no one has replied as a Scientologist -
I guess if your smart enough to own an NSX well then your just smart all together.
-j-
 
From the list of S. cult members...

Chaka Khan?
Catherine Bell?
J.D. Salinger?
Mimi Rogers?

Okay, now I'm pissed off! Catherine Bell was one of my celebrity girlfriends. :mad:
 
I like it!

My garage shall be my temple, which of course makes my house tax free!

And as a priest in this new church, I no longer have to pay taxes myself!

Where do we sign up?



Texas91Brent said:
Sounds like a bunch of BullShit to me!! Another organized non-profit org. out to make a profit off gullable fools! Shame on Tom Cruize for sharing his stupidty,and forcing that cute little girlfriend of his to buy into the crap as well!! :mad:

Hey maybe we could start an NSX Church!!! Cool ! We could all meet in a big parking lot, rub our cars like Gennie Bottles, and make three wishes!! :biggrin:

If this offends anyone...too bad! Don't take yourself so serious...
 
LrdVader said:
And as a priest in this new church, I no longer have to pay taxes myself!
Bad cards for you - to be a priest in the NSX church you'll have to have more than 1,000 posts on NSXprime - for details ask our pope Ken S, aka NSXtasy! :biggrin:

(This message was brought to you by the Racer priest and NSX bishop of Germany who pays no taxes for his NSX)
 
Well, whoever it is needs to make sure to wash and bless every NSX at NSXPO. :biggrin:
 
Texas91Brent said:
Sounds like a bunch of BullShit to me!! Another organized non-profit org. out to make a profit off gullable fools! Shame on Tom Cruize for sharing his stupidty,and forcing that cute little girlfriend of his to buy into the crap as well!! :mad:

Hey maybe we could start an NSX Church!!! Cool ! We could all meet in a big parking lot, rub our cars like Gennie Bottles, and make three wishes!! :biggrin:

If this offends anyone...too bad! Don't take yourself so serious...



hahaha


TEMPLE OF VTEC
 
I once heard that many of the celebrities who are involved in Scientology are because the organization had dug up some dirt on them. When presented with the choice of joining and endorsing Scientology or having whatever was dug up revealed, most celebrities chose the join and endorse path.

It's all hearsay for sure, but I'd be interested to know if there was any truth in this at all.
 
KGP said:
Here's a clip from a former cult member (not scientology):

"People in cults are not stupid. After leaving my former group, I was so convinced that I had to be intelligently deficient that I actually took an I.Q. test. Much to my surprise, instead of scoring way below average, I scored in the 97 percentile. As I have learned more about the kinds of people cults recruit, I have found that I am the rule and not the exception. Because the rigors of cult life are arduous, these groups do not want someone who will break down easily. Cults go after the best and the brightest -- robbing all of us of people who could be making a huge difference in this world."
I guess IQ does not equal to common sense.
 
nkb said:
I believe that Scientology is a huge scam, built on convincing famous people to join, then using their fame to attract the masses.

However, many parallels can be drawn between Scientology and more established religions, with one of the biggest differences being the time in history when they were founded.

It would be interesting to see how well Christianity would be accepted if it had started in the 20th century, and how widespread Scientology would be if it had first appeared about 2000 years ago.

Is there a tremedous difference between a cult and a religion?
Most cults as we define these days are along the negative side of norm. Did most religions started out as unacceptable by the majority in those days?
Of course, many religions do teach us to be moral and good instead of just telling us that we are weak and incapable of saving ourselves like some cults. But most if not all do promise some kind of afterlife, something that noone can disprove or prove.
 
fannsx said:
Is there a tremedous difference between a cult and a religion?
Most cults as we define these days are along the negative side of norm. Did most religions started out as unacceptable by the majority in those days?
Of course, many religions do teach us to be moral and good instead of just telling us that we are weak and incapable of saving ourselves like some cults. But most if not all do promise some kind of afterlife, something that noone can disprove or prove.
That was kind of my point. Christianity was a cult 2000 years ago. I wasn't there, but I would bet that the majority back then thought Christians were crackpots.

Maybe Scientology will be a major religion in 2000 years.
 
nkb said:
That was kind of my point. Christianity was a cult 2000 years ago. I wasn't there, but I would bet that the majority back then thought Christians were crackpots.

Some things never change. :tongue:
 
Wikipedia has a good summary of scientology.

From what I can tell, the story goes something like this:

L Ron Hubbard was a sci-fi writer, who is reported to have said "You don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion." at the 7 Nov 1948 meeting of the Eastern Science Fiction Association. Beginning about 1966 he writes all this garbage while 'drinking lots of rum and popping pinks and greys' (in a letter to his wife, verified by assistant Virginia Downsborough). Hubbard eventually begins believing his own immortaility, and ever since the 'church' has been overcharging and brainwashing the 'believers'. It seems that the money is spent on a lavish lifestyle for the higher ups (including L Ron to '86, wife til '02), and covering up any negative press that would expose what is an obviously preposterous scenario to any sane person by any means available. Search for Operation Snow White. While you are at it, Search for "Xemu" on google and notice the note on the bottom of the page.
 
bodypainter said:
That's pretty much what I've always heard and that there was a bet between L. Ron and Robert Heinlein that he could do it.

I too heard a similar story. The version I heard was that L. Ron was attending a writing class being given by Heinlein and R.A. made that comment that one shouldn't plan on getting rich writing sci-fi. If they wanted to get rich, they should start a religion. L. Ron took that advice to heart.

BTW, I really enjoyed Battlefield Earth and Mission Earth series, funny stuff :).
 
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