Why the so-called beliefs
of Scientology matter - Essay by Bob Minton
My Perspective on Auditing
- Essay by Stacy Brooks
The
"Church" of Scientology claims religious status;
yet at times Scientology represents itself as a psychotherapy,
a set of business techniques, an educational system
for children or a drug rehabilitation program. Officers
of the Church belong to the largely landbound "Sea
Organization," and wear pseudo-Naval uniforms,
complete with campaign ribbons, colored lanyards, and
badges of rank, giving Scientology a paramilitary air.
Although Scientology has no teachings about God, Scientologists
sometimes don the garb of Christian ministers. The teachings
of Scientology are held out not only as scientifically
proven, but also as scriptural, and therefore beyond
question. Scientology was also the first cult to establish
itself as a multinational business with marketing, public
relations, legal and even intelligence departments.
Scientology
is also unusual because it is not an extension of a
particular traditional religion. It is a complex and
apparently complete set of beliefs, techniques and rituals
assembled by one man: L. Ron Hubbard. During the 36
years between the publication of his first psychotherapeutic
text and his death in 1986, Hubbard constructed what
appears to be one of the most elaborate belief systems
of all time. The sheer volume of material daunts most
investigators. Several thousand Hubbard lectures were
tape-recorded, and his books, pamphlets and directives
run to tens of thousands of pages.
There
is also something tantalizing in the psychotherapeutic
techniques which are at the core of Scientology. Cult
devotees are sometimes seen as adolescent, half-witted
zombies easily coerced into joining an enslaving group
because of their inadequacy. But Scientology has attracted
medical doctors, lawyers, space scientists and graduates
of the finest universities in the world. One British
and two Danish Members of Parliament once belonged to
Scientology. Even psychologists, psychiatrists and sociologists
have been enthusiastic practitioners of Hubbard's techniques.
And such people have often parted with immense sums
of money to pay for Scientology counselling which can
cost as much as $1,000 per hour.
From
"A Piece of Blue Sky" by Jon Atack
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