Scientology

[lightwithin]

Hey Everyone, just curious on all your thoughts regarding Scientology? I've been hearing more about it in the media and although I don't know much about it, I'm curious what you all think?

Any thoughts on the matter?

[NetSeeker]

I'm a great lover of documentaries and whenever I come across one on this group I make sure to see it. So far I have seen little to no qualities about their organization that makes me want to join it or suggest to others that they join it.

To each their own, of course. I wouldn't join any organized religion, for the record. I don't feel I need someone else to tell me how to believe :smile:

[amy green]

If you check out Wikipedia's link on scientology it provides enough of an overview/appraisal of this cult. It lists its practices and also its more sinister side (that has now become public knowledge).

[Emmalevine]

Scientology...isn't that the one that states women should give birth in total silence :rolleyes:

Each to their own but it does have some interesting ideas. I think Tom Cruise is a member if I remember correctly?

[Buzz]

When I first began searching, I read Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard. Both the bible and the creator of Scientology.
I had no concept of Scientology both as an organization or a modality. I pretty much took the book at face value. It sets out as both a way of looking at mental health and rehabilitation and offers it's own way of addressing the issue.
Quite frankly the book made a lot of sense at the time. It outlines an approach to 'drain' or 'clear' the reactive mind in order for the recipient to live a life outside of unconscious conditioning and behavoural patterns.
They employ meters and gadgets to monitor emotional response during 'auditing' sessions.
Coming from where I was at in those days, I could see a real benefit in addressing this area.
I never pursued Scientology, but I did explore different ways of addressing the the unconscious mind through various groups and approaches.
What I walked away with was that this form of rehabilitation is certainly effective but because of the nature of what it is hoping to conquer, ultimately redundant, as the reactive mind is without limit.
So IMO, the work is as valid as any other approach in this area. The business practices and ethics are another thing again and appear as clique cult tactics in order to secure a position in the self help market place.

[EmergingPath]

So IMO, the work is as valid as any other approach in this area. The business practices and ethics are another thing again and appear as clique cult tactics in order to secure a position in the self help market place. Excellent summary, thanks Buzz! :thumbsup:

[psychoslice]

It all sounds too silly for me.

[Buzz]

People gravitate to organizations like Scientology because they want to change the way they are. Most of the members are people like you and I who simply got sucked into the machine and are then used to maintain it. One thing that keeps people there is that the group reality bites hard and after a while you can lose your objectivity and viewpoint.

Thank you for the cudos E.P.

[Native spirit]

:smile: :smile: Have to admit its not something i know a lot about other than it being a cult its not for me,


Namaste

[silent energy]

Here our some quotes Scientology that I pulled off wikipedia...

"Scientology teaches that people are immortal beings who have forgotten their true nature"

"Scientology beliefs revolve around the thetan(soul), the individualized expression of the cosmic source, or life force, named after the Greek letter. The thetan is the true identity of a person – an intrinsically good, omniscient, non-material core capable of unlimited creativity."

"In the primordial past, thetans brought the material universe into being largely for their own pleasure.The universe has no independent reality, but derives its apparent reality from the fact that most thetans agree it exists. Thetans fell from grace when they began to identify with their creation, rather than their original state of spiritual purity. Eventually they lost their memory of their true nature, along with the associated spiritual and creative powers. As a result, thetans came to think of themselves as nothing but embodied beings."

Scientology also believes in reincarnation.

"It is believed that increased spiritual awareness and physical benefits are accomplished through counseling sessions referred to as auditing.[/URL] Auditing is a one-on-one session with a Scientology counselor or auditor. It bears a superficial similarity to confession or pastoral counseling, but the auditor records and stores all information received and does not dispense forgiveness or advice the way a pastor or priest might do. Instead, the auditor's task is to help a person discover and understand engrams, and their limiting effects, for him- or herself. Most auditing requires an E-meter, a device that measures minute changes in electrical resistance through the body when a person holds electrodes (metal "cans"), and a small current is passed through them. Scientology asserts that watching for changes in the E-meter's display helps locate engrams. Once an area of concern has been identified, the auditor asks the individual specific questions about it, in order to help him or her eliminate the engram, and uses the E-meter to confirm that the engram's "charge" has been dissipated and the engram has in fact been cleared. As the individual progresses, the focus of auditing moves from simple engrams to engrams of increasing complexity."

The above are things that I like about Scientology but here are some things I do not like about it....

"The Church of Scientology believes in the principle of reciprocity, involving give-and-take in every human transaction. Accordingly, members are required to make donations for study courses and auditing as they move up the Bridge, the amounts increasing as higher levels are reached. Participation in higher-level courses on the Bridge may cost several thousand dollars, and Scientologists usually move up the Bridge at a rate governed by their income.[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology#cite_note-Melton59-60-8"] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology#cite_note-Finkelman509-115)"

Also there are plenty of controversies surrounding Scientology that can make one question the authenticity and the true motive behind the religion. But at the same time there are plenty of religions out there that have certain things that can be questionable. All in all the choice is up to the person to decide for themselves what they want.

[A peaceful mind.]

A long time agoI were shown the different ways you can go spiritually and one of the lessons Igot were duo to a situation where I were caught on the streets by a man whowanted me to answerer some questions.

I was tired andhad been at work for 12 hours and was on my way home and didn’t want to answerany question at the time. He persuaded me to follow him into a house where wehad a long conversation.

What I learnedwas that for me there were no greater good in Scientology that I could see inthat conversation and that he tried to force me to join the organization and Iresisted. They don’t believe in any religion and they only take care of themselvesas a cult as I see. This is not living in the light as I try to live my life, Ido not need money to find motivation to help other people. I believe thatreligion and spirituality goes hand in hand and not the way as I see scientologysees it: money and spirituality goes hand in hand.

The group Anonymous (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritualforums.co m%2Fvb%2Fredir.php%3Flink%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww .spiritualforums.com%252Fvb%252Fredir.php%253Flink %253Dhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.spiritualforums. com%25252Fvb%25252Fredir.php%25253Flink%25253Dhttp %2525253A%2525252F%2525252Fwww.spiritualforums.com %2525252Fvb%2525252Fredir.php%2525253Flink%2525253 Dhttp%252525253A%252525252F%252525252Fwww.spiritua lforums.com%252525252Fvb%252525252Fredir.php%25252 5253Flink%252525253Dhttp%25252525253A%25252525252F %25252525252Fwww.spiritualforums.com%25252525252Fv b%25252525252Fredir.php%25252525253Flink%252525252 53Dhttp%2525252525253A%2525252525252F%252525252525 2Fwww.spiritualforums.com%2525252525252Fvb%2525252 525252Fredir.php%2525252525253Flink%2525252525253D http%252525252525253A%252525252525252F%25252525252 5252Fwww.spiritualforums.com%252525252525252Fvb%25 2525252525252Fredir.php%252525252525253Flink%25252 5252525253Dhttp%25252525252525253A%252525252525252 52F%25252525252525252Fwww.spiritualforums.com%2525 2525252525252Fvb%25252525252525252Fredir.php%25252 525252525253Flink%25252525252525253Dhttp%252525252 5252525253A%2525252525252525252F%25252525252525252 52Fwww.google.dk%2525252525252525252Furl%252525252 5252525253Fsa%2525252525252525253Dt%25252525252525 252526amp%2525252525252525253Brct%2525252525252525 253Dj%25252525252525252526amp%2525252525252525253B q%2525252525252525253D%25252525252525252526amp%252 5252525252525253Besrc%2525252525252525253Ds%252525 25252525252526amp%2525252525252525253Bfrm%25252525 25252525253D1%25252525252525252526amp%252525252525 2525253Bsource%2525252525252525253Dweb%25252525252 525252526amp%2525252525252525253Bcd%25252525252525 25253D2%25252525252525252526amp%252525252525252525 3Bved%2525252525252525253D0CFwQFjAB%25252525252525 252526amp%2525252525252525253Burl%2525252525252525 253Dhttp%252525252525252525253A%252525252525252525 252F%252525252525252525252Fen.wikipedia.org%252525 252525252525252Fwiki%252525252525252525252FAnonymo us_%25252525252525252528group%25252525252525252529 %25252525252525252526amp%2525252525252525253Bei%25 25252525252525253DikkGUNX6Jo3LswaP0uilBg%252525252 52525252526amp%2525252525252525253Busg%25252525252 52525253DAFQjCNGgewAzeblsTn2fw4WyPksg_qQHRA%252525 25252525252526amp%2525252525252525253Bsig2%2525252 525252525253DtTnw9GiekQ28FypedrfQsA)have fought Scientology for many years now – maybe you should look atthat.

https://whyweprotest.net/anonymous-scientology/

With peace andlove from me to you

Yours

A Peaceful Mind

[Sybilline]

I don't quite like what I've heard and read about it, but unlike Buzz I have not read about their book, so I really only know what the media tells me. It's kind of like what the media says about Wicca or Satanism I think, there's a big big big chance it's not all they say it is.

Sometimes I think it's a cult. But then sometimes I wonder what if there's a bigger picture behind their "media front", what if they make the "front" look so unbelievably stupid so that they can filter all the members out? I'm not saying it's stupid, but I am saying that the stuff coming from the media about it sure is.

I sometimes wish they'd change their name though, Science is so much better than that, if that is what Scientology is.

[Riboflavin]

Scientologists are well known for their vicious legal pursuit of anyone who talks about their religion in a "negative" light.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_and_the_legal_system

[norseman]

L. Ron Hubbard was a writer of third-rate SciFi. This should give you an insight into the Scientology philosophy.

[Rin]

The practice, certainly the initial ones, may be beneficial but go deeper and look at the philosophy of Scientology and this is quite simply put together by a nutcase.
Scientology shares these characteristics with Falun Dafa.

A truly sad state of affairs that what can deliver good stuff for the people in the short-term does not provide a long-term future without having to subscribe to some really crazy thoughts.

[Henri77]

It's a highly successful organization.

So I assume it's methods are useful to those who choose to abide by it's rules.
It does require a significant measure of self truth and certainly mental-emotional dicipline.

While Hubbard may be less than a model citizen I doubt he's a nutcase.

Weather the organization is truly tyrannical is probably still open to debate, but some pretty unsavory stories has been told by former members.

[Sybilline]

I wish a Scientologist could come in to these forums. I couldn't find anything in their official website. :(

[Henri77]

Just 2 film documentaries I quickly found,
There are a number on similar documentary sites.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/scientology-inside-cult/#1_undefined,0_

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/scientology-and-me/#0_undefined,0_ (BBC tv doc)

[Miss Hepburn]

A long time ago I was shown the different ways you can go spiritually and one of the lessons I got was due to a situation where I was caught on the streets by a man who wanted me to answer some questions.

I was tired and had been at work for 12 hours and was on my way home and didn’t want to answer any question at the time.
He persuaded me to follow him into a house where we had a long conversation.

What I learned was that for me there was no greater good in Scientology that I could see in that conversation and that he tried to force me to join the organization and I resisted.
I had a similar experience in '78 in Boston...I wrote on the back of their million questions I would never have anything to do with a group that lies to you.

He said it would take 5 minutes... bull.

(I was curious and had time on my hands so I followed him to a house for fun.)

[Arcturus]

i was drawn to read dianetics and may do yet..though methodological practises for mental health are not an interest of mine...i thought it was more general..as per the silent birth i actually find that interesting...it does not mean that a women shouldn't scream.

Silent birth, sometimes known as quiet birth, is a birthing procedure advised by L. Ron Hubbard and advocated by Scientologists in which "everyone attending the birth should refrain from spoken words as much as possible" and where "... chatty doctors and nurses, shouts to 'PUSH, PUSH' and loud or laughing remarks to 'encourage' are avoided"

considering dmt might be released by the brain at birth and death, i think taking the birthing enviroment into consideration, if thats whats been effectively done here, could be a grand thing...at present birth seems to be treated as aq purely physical event

but the rest could be crazy stuff, i dunno..personally i'm only interested in practical advice...so i'll listen to that, but spiritual guidance, no thanks.

[norseman]

"advised by L. Ron Hubbard" ??

Taking advice from that source on ANYTHING is outright madness !

[Arcturus]

"advised by L. Ron Hubbard" ??

Taking advice from that source on ANYTHING is outright madness !


well i never claim sanity :icon_eek: :smile: ...i like to take anything on face value...if hitler had some dietary advice i'd at least listen...even nutters can speak some sense sometimes...but probably only in regards to practical physical world stuff like how to mend a puncture...i would never take psycho-spiritual advice or advice in the realms of the psyche from anyone...his movies were **** too and i've no doubt that i'd have nothing to do with it...that said for some reason i have an interest in natural birth procedures and as such what he said piqued my interest...purely on a physical prasctical level like changing a tyre...and if thats madness then so be me.

[Occultist]

I dont think I have high enough Eton levels to join in on this thread,
I will just have to keep praying to Xenu that I finally get there someday,
Hey the way I look at it if the Scientology doesnt work out there is always Eckankar..

[psychoslice]

Scientology is good for a laugh at least.

[Lynn]

Hello

I have dabble in this a bit when I was in me 20's and looking for a place to fit in. I would not go to call what I found a "Cult" as all religious studies as a whole do have some elememts of control or a statute one has to follow along. That element of control or of study one is to follow along without waver.

I so feel there is something that one can take with them from all places one wonders into. We do not have to live by it to learn somethng about ourself from it. Too there are many things that are 'well marketed' that influence one's to follow a path, that is how the media works. Does that make it wrong no as we do not have to get in line to buy it.

Lynn

[theophilus]

Here is a good source of information about scientology:

http://www.apologeticsindex.org/585-scientology (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.apologeticsindex.o rg%2F585-scientology)

[EmergingPath]

Folks,
Perspectives and opinions in a discussion are what the forums are all about. I would like to take a momement and remind everyone that while we are encouraged to share our opinions please do so with respect. Some posts are starting to cross a line with respect to Respect of others beliefs.

Please write your post as if the next person to read it is a Scientologist who is a member of SF and show some respect for thier beliefs as you would those of any faith that may be different than your own. Difference of opinion, great! Ridicule, not great.

From the Spiritual Forums Rules:

Respect: Please respect other member’s and their beliefs, opinions, and views at all times. Abuse and abusive posts (of any nature) will not be tolerated. Breaches of this ruling will result in posts being removed, warnings and if continued, DA. Mocking, and belittling other members also counts as disrespect.

http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/faq.php?faq=vb_faq (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritualforums.co m%2Fvb%2Ffaq.php%3Ffaq%3Dvb_faq)


:::steps off his Moderator Soap Box:::

Now on with the show :smile:

[Tammy]

Although i must first state, that my knowledge to Scientology is near Zero, i have googled it, just out of curiousity and read up a bit and i have a question

I want to know, besides their methods and techniques and funding issues, what is so wrong with there belief system and how does it differ to Spirituality (albeit the above mentioned flaws)

http://www.scientology.org/what-is-scientology.html

Do they just have a bad rep for their methods and not beliefs?
I dont know, maybe i should do more research!

[iolite]

Scientology is like a MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) scam. In order to get anywhere in the organization, you're required to spend a lot of money for the privilege of "secret" information. I've read over the years accounts of people who left scientology and it's like any large "religious" organization. There are clicks and people in power who abuse the power. There is information out there on scientology. Several years ago, there was a concerted effort by ex-scientology people to disseminate all the official documents, even the expensive ones. Of course, the people of scientology tried just as hard to recover those documents. But once it's been released out into the net, that's kinda impossible. So if you're dedicated and want to know, keep searching. Me -- I don't really care beyond idle curiosity. They don't have any information that isn't already accessible.

[Miss Hepburn]

Scientology is like a MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) scam. In order to get anywhere in the organization, you're required to spend a lot of money for the privilege of "secret" information. I've read over the years accounts of people who left scientology and it's like any large "religious" organization. There are clicks and people in power who abuse the power. There is information out there on scientology. Several years ago, there was a concerted effort by ex-scientology people to disseminate all the official documents, even the expensive ones. Of course, the people of scientology tried just as hard to recover those documents. But once it's been released out into the net, that's kinda impossible. So if you're dedicated and want to know, keep searching. Me -- I don't really care beyond idle curiosity. They don't have any information that isn't already accessible.
Yes, this is what I understand also.

[Mountain-Goat]

They employ meters and gadgets to monitor emotional response during 'auditing' sessions.

One of the gadgets..<-- look, another silly word from those wacky english types.
If you pronounce it like it's spelt you get gad-gets instead of gad-jets.
~facepalm~

Anyways...here's my experience of scientology from many many many moons ago.
I had just become a born again christian, my wife to be had been one for long time...
she love jesus long time. <-- hahaha.

Anyways, i was enjoying my first ever journey into spirituality and metaphysicis, the inner dimension of life.
We were at an inside market one pleasantly warm sunday morning,
and this young woman, in her obvious enthusiasm for scientology,
accosted us to try the machine that shows the still held energy of past painful/traumatic experiences.

My then gf, who grew up within christianity would not touch those aluminium cylinders if her life depended on it.
"They be the cylinders of the debil, get thee behind me satan", and so on and so forth.
She was mildly frightened for me as i was all steam ahead to try this out for myself.

Scientology girl explained how the machine works...i'm paraphrasing as, hey i'm good but not that good,
i can't recall word for word what she said. Holy monkey that was 30 years ago,
and i've had to make room in my mindtank for more important data,
like Python quotes, quotes from 200+ movies and countless tv shows,
how to eat a chololate bar, drink a can of coke, smoke a ciggie, read a referdex and talk on a mobil fone while driving to my next job site,
and things of that nature.

Anyways, this is roughly how she explained the machine.
You hold onto the cyclinders firmly but not too harda and as you can see the needle is not moving.
Now, think of some painful experience of your past, the more painful the better.
I did and holy monkey will you look at that she said, the needle moves up the scale showing you the pain energy still residing in your body.

She was so excited i chose not to tell her i pulled a fast one on her.
Well, actually it's scientology that is pulling the fast one.

What i did during the test was i did as she instructed, i had a whole list of traumatic experiences to choose from,
and i chose my personal favourite, the one that imprinted quite a nasty little belief
that was all self hatred and condemnation, that i didn't remove until 2009.

But as i focused on this painful memory, the needle did not move one speck.
I said i was focusing but look the needle is not moving. She encouraged me to keep focusing,
but instead i chose to simply squeeze the cylinders a tad harder, and hey presto, the needle moved.
See, the thing with thinking or remembering painful experiences is that the
body responds the same way when experiencing real-time pain.
The body contracts in a defense/self protection stance.

In the case of this particular scientology machine, when you think of a traumatic experience, the body contracts,
usually you are not aware of it if it's subtle, so as long as the scientology machine is ultra sensitve
it will register the slightest increase in hand pressure.
And as the body contracts, obviously the hands clench up, squeezing the cylinders more,
thus causing the needle to rise due to the reduction of electrical resistance (the body has an electrical system).

The same thing happen when you hold the probes of an off the shelf multi meter set to measure 'Ohms' resistance.

Soo, the scientology meter is not registering pain energy like they either deceitfully claim,
or they simply do not know and are decieved themselves.
All it's doing is registering a change in electrical resistance as you squeeze the cylinders more.
The more contact, the more the needle moves.

[Venus]

Hello.I go to 5 churches and on Wednesday it is the Church of Science.We start off with a hymn then the reader reads a few chapters from the bible.After this she takes the founders book Mary Baker Eddy and reads what the founders thoughts are on the passages.Then we prayer the lords prayer w prayers of silence then it is open floor for 20 minutes to talk about the lesson w a hymn last.Hope this helos.I have so much fun at all 5 churches and next is mosque.

[elisi]

i'm very familiar with this cult. i've had up close, in your face experiences with them.

years ago, my best friend went to a friends wedding in coral gables, florida. the friend was a scientologist. at that time, not much was known about it.

she, a friend and i went. they latched onto my friend and persuaded her to stay the weekend. that's the last time i ever saw her. what they did was isolate her, bombard her with 'love', give her placebos saying they were vitamins, sleep deprived her and gave her their spiel non stop.

that's how they brainwashed ouor soldiers in korea.

deprive the brain of protein and the synapse quit functioning as to rational thought. no sleep causes poor decision making.

i tried to contact her via phone calls and letters. they never gave her the messages. i became angry and being the brass person i am, became more aggresive and contacted the fbi, who was at that time investigating them.

a scientologist turned up at my door and threatened me-told me to quit trying to contact her-said she didn't want to communicate with me. i knew better.

my ex at the time came to the door with his shotgun and 'politely' asked this guy to get off our property.

this is only a small tidbit of what happened but this cult is only interested in power and control and $$$$.

l ron hubbard, a science fiction writer was asked in an interview if he made much money. he replied if he wanted to become rich, he'd start his own religion. which he did one year later.

[markpattinson902]

Scientology is a twenty-first-century religion. It comprises a vast body of knowledge extending from certain fundamental truths, and prime among those truths: Man is a spiritual being endowed with abilities well beyond those which he normally envisions. He is not only able to solve his own problems, accomplish his goals and gain lasting happiness, but he can achieve new states of awareness he may never have dreamed possible.
13 moon calendar (http://www.mymayansign.com/today-mayan-calendar)

[elisi]

http://www.holysmoke.org/cos/scientology-lies-and-deceives.htm

yes, it is a religion-a cult. it does teach partial truths/psychology. they have to be semi legitimate to get people lured in. after that-look out.

my friend went through the 'e meter' therapy. she was urged to tell all of her deep dark secrets. and she did.

she had had an abortion. back in the 70's people were more sensitive about the subject. well, they turned around and blackmailed her with that-you'll do this or we will tell your parents.

also, when i originally went to the scientology wedding? they're supposed to be so moral. well,. i never saw so much cocaine and booze.

as i said, i've had experiences with them. i know what they are.

google ex-scientologists and your eye will open.

[Baile]

yes, it is a religion-a cult. it does teach partial truths/psychology.That's a tough point to get across to these people elisi. I was part of a group like that for years. They call themselves spiritual and refuse to be labeled with the religion tag. But they follow a very specific spiritual doctrine, and therefore are religious by definition. I just skip all intellectual distinctions, call them a cult and call it day.

[sea-dove]

As I like to understand various religions, one day when I got accrossed while walking along a footpath in the city so I decided to allow the person to direct me inside the scienctology place. (they were quite insistant).

The asked me a heap of questions and had try out their e-meter thing.

I dont know what went wrong but they ended up not wanting to talk to me no more, thou I was still asking quesitons and it was like I was almost shoved out of their building (they didnt touch me but it was like that, they really didnt want me there no more). I figure it was either cause I asked some questions that they didnt like (I said nothing rude but maybe had some hard questions) or it was because I'd told them I was a single parent on a pension with a disabled child and struggling with my money. (I thought they really seemed to loose interest in me at that point).

Has anyone else had the same experience? That they like rejected you?

[elisi]

As I like to understand various religions, one day when I got accrossed while walking along a footpath in the city so I decided to allow the person to direct me inside the scienctology place. (they were quite insistant).

The asked me a heap of questions and had try out their e-meter thing.

I dont know what went wrong but they ended up not wanting to talk to me no more, thou I was still asking quesitons and it was like I was almost shoved out of their building (they didnt touch me but it was like that, they really didnt want me there no more). I figure it was either cause I asked some questions that they didnt like (I said nothing rude but maybe had some hard questions) or it was because I'd told them I was a single parent on a pension with a disabled child and struggling with my money. (I thought they really seemed to loose interest in me at that point).

Has anyone else had the same experience? That they like rejected you?

they didn't reject my friend-she did not ask questions, hard questions and her daddy was a banker and she had just inherited a million dollars.

they control people. they take children away from their parents for 'education'. that's why katie holmes divorced tom cruise. her child was at the age where they start 'schooling' her.

look up ex-scientologist's stories-they're downright scarey.

you were very wise not to get involved.

[Arcturus]

saw that programme where they followed and stalked that high up whistle blower, shocking.

[elisi]

Scientology is a twenty-first-century religion. It comprises a vast body of knowledge extending from certain fundamental truths, and prime among those truths: Man is a spiritual being endowed with abilities well beyond those which he normally envisions. He is not only able to solve his own problems, accomplish his goals and gain lasting happiness, but he can achieve new states of awareness he may never have dreamed possible.
13 moon calendar (http://www.mymayansign.com/today-mayan-calendar)

it also espouses the following on this link. to lure one in, they do sprinkle it with sound advice/goals. not many people would sign up if the first thing they tell you is you have to sign a contract for a billion years if you're to go on sea org, or that xanu, an alien, is the head honcho.

http://kizaz.com/2013/05/26/top-10-unbelievable-scientology-facts/

[elisi]

It's a highly successful organization.

So I assume it's methods are useful to those who choose to abide by it's rules.
It does require a significant measure of self truth and certainly mental-emotional dicipline.

While Hubbard may be less than a model citizen I doubt he's a nutcase.

Weather the organization is truly tyrannical is probably still open to debate, but some pretty unsavory stories has been told by former members.

if you thought hubbard was just a harmless nutcase, read the below link-his own son knew he was insane.

http://www.bible.ca/scientology-satanism-Hubbard-jr.htm

[elisi]

Folks,
Perspectives and opinions in a discussion are what the forums are all about. I would like to take a momement and remind everyone that while we are encouraged to share our opinions please do so with respect. Some posts are starting to cross a line with respect to Respect of others beliefs.

Please write your post as if the next person to read it is a Scientologist who is a member of SF and show some respect for thier beliefs as you would those of any faith that may be different than your own. Difference of opinion, great! Ridicule, not great.

From the Spiritual Forums Rules:

Respect: Please respect other member’s and their beliefs, opinions, and views at all times. Abuse and abusive posts (of any nature) will not be tolerated. Breaches of this ruling will result in posts being removed, warnings and if continued, DA. Mocking, and belittling other members also counts as disrespect.

http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/faq.php?faq=vb_faq (http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/redir.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiritualforums.co m%2Fvb%2Ffaq.php%3Ffaq%3Dvb_faq)


:::steps off his Moderator Soap Box:::

Now on with the show :smile:






then i guess i won't post on this thread anymore, because i'm not just voicing my opinion....i'm voicing my EXPERIENCE with these people.

i lived a little chapter of my life dealing with these people.

i know it's a dangerous organization and i feel others need to at least hear the other side than what a 'harmless' little group it is.

if someone wanted to stick their hand in a fire and you said, 'don't do that, it will hurt', would that be wrong?

so, remove all my posts if you want. but please, to the rest of you-do your research-talk to ex-scientologists before you follow hook, line and sinker.

goodbye.