bermuDa

Here's a paper I wrote when I was a sophomore in high school...

Scientology: Religion or Religious Hoax

In 1950, a book called “Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health” gained incredible popularity. The book was authored by a science fiction writer named L. Ron Hubbard. The fad of Dianetics had swept the nation, attracting hundreds of thousands of people, promising to cure them of all their problems without subjecting them to expensive psychoanalysis. Followers would refer to Hubbard’s book as “The Book”, and thought of it more as The Bible. A substantial number of the flock abandoned Dianetics when it was discredited by medical professionals and organizations. To avoid criticism, and to make more money, Dianetics was transformed into a religion, where people had to take courses to achieve “professional” status. The name of this new “religion” was “Scientology”. Scientology, some would argue, would become one of the most powerful religious hoaxes of all time.

Scientology was widely criticized. One critic said the name “Scientology” was no more impressive than if a fruit vendor started calling himself a “Fruitologist”. Most of the criticism, however, was levied against Scientology’s validity as a religion. Most critics consider its conversion to a religion as a method of evading the criticism it faced as a “science”, as well as a means of avoiding taxes altogether. L. Ron Hubbard once wrote, "Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion". This proved to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Scientologists believe that God exists in every man, in the form of a “thetan” or spirit. If anyone was worshipped as a God, it was L. Ron Hubbard. Followers were imbued with a missionary fervor, eager to go out and enlighten others in the ways of Scientology. In addition, the followers took on faith everything Hubbard said, placing him in the same exalted status as a deity.

Facing many difficulties setting up his “franchises” (later renamed “missionaries”, to make them sound more religious) across the United States, Hubbard moved the headquarters of Scientology to Saint Hill Manor in England. England proved to be less enchanted with Scientology than America. They refused to recognize Saint Hill as a church, forcing Hubbard to claim it as an “educational establishment”. Then, they wouldn’t grant visas to anyone to enter the country to study or work at Saint Hill. Finally, they set up an Inquiry into Scientology, which is still under way. Other countries were just as hostile. In Australia, its practice was banned, and was punishable by up to $500 and two years in jail. Accusations in South Africa stated the Scientologists were planning to arm 5,000 Africans and overthrow the government. A member of South Africa’s parliament called Scientology a “cancer like communism that could destroy South Africa.”

Scientology’s biggest injustices lie in its abuse of the legal system. The Scientologists have not taken any criticism lightly. Although the “church’s” creed states that “all men have the right to think freely, to write freely, their own opinions and to counter or utter or write about the opinions of others,” in the past, this has not applied to anyone who wished to think, speak, or write against Scientology. Over a hundred lawsuits have been filed by the Scientologists, who have admitted that they will “sue at the slightest chance” to discourage the media from mentioning Scientology. Obviously, this stifles the freedom of the press. Dr. Russell Barton spoke out against Scientology on a television program; he later received a letter suing him for statements he made “on February 31st”. Clearly, they were so hasty with their legal pursuits; they forgot there are only twenty-eight days in February.

Slander is another weapon at the disposal of Scientologists. They would hire investigators to dig up dirt on their critics. They would conduct “noisy investigations”, where they would call up someone’s work, and say “I am investing Mr/Mrs for criminal activities and he/she has been trying to prevent man’s freedom and is restraining my religious freedom and that of my friends and children, etc.” The Scientologists would make unfounded accusations against any government official who spoke out against them of corruption and bribery. The Scientologists believe that when people attack their religion, it’s because they are trying to hide their own crimes. Another reason Hubbard believes that people attack Scientology is because it’s honest, aboveboard and works. In what must surely be the strangest reasoning ever, Hubbard wrote “If Scientology was fraudulent, if it has vast but covert plans, if it did not work, it would not be fought.”

Hubbard also hinted that physical harm would come to those who fought Scientology, although Scientology would have nothing to do with these tragedies. Hubbard wrote that “no serious harm came to any principal or good person in Dianetics or Scientology.” But on the other hand, ‘without any action being taken against them, of twenty-one highly placed attackers, seventeen are now dead.”

Scientologists are very anxious to attract children and celebrities. They have begun conditioning children when they are a few days old by repeating to them “Lie in bed. Thank you.” Scientologists have made active attempts to incorporate their practices in schools, which, if Scientology was considered a church, as they seem to desire, would be a gross violation of the separation of church and state. While Scientologists actively solicit children, they also harass celebrities until they attend formal auditing sessions. One such celebrity Scientologists don’t want people to know about is Charles Manson, who became interested during his first incarceration. After his release, he visited Scientology missions in Los Angeles. Scientology literature was also said to be found at the ranch where Manson and his family were captured. It seems ironic that a murderous cult leader should be attracted to a group considered to be a cult by all who aren’t members.

It seems that all Scientology has to offer is their brainwashing, which they believe to be their only road to salvation. The Scientologists like to say that there can’t be two sides to the truth. Since they believe that they have found the truth, those who disagree with them are wrong. One Scientologist once said (using typically inflated figures) about their membership: “Fifteen million people can’t be wrong.” But history has often proven otherwise.

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I am the very model of a moderator gentleman.