Is Scientology a cult?

Lexington

Lexington

Banned
No offence to members of this group on here but I've always had a negative impression of Scientology. Really weird. Ron Hubbard seems totally out there and those alien stories sound like someone with schizophrenic delusions. And what about Tom Cruise and John Travolta? Are they trippin?

Heard some horror stories about members devoting their life, working 7 days a week for a pittance. These people need to be rescued as do all people belonging to cult-like religions.
 
Lexington

Lexington

Banned
I just hate reading about people who want to leave being victimised. Probably the worst aspect of cults is the "fear factor". Those who question get punished, ostracised.....you get tortured basically for having the temerity to doubt! This the most important human right...to be able to express your opinion/your misgivings about something without being cut down/eliminated/made an example of by those in power.
 
WeirdyMcGee

WeirdyMcGee

Well-known member
I think that having to pay money to be a part of it makes it a cult 'technically'...

... but it's not much sillier as any other religion based on a book some old guy wrote, is it?
Okay- it kindof is... but only a little. A small fraction.
That's my opinion about the 'religion' itself - not about the people who choose it.
 
Thelema

Thelema

Well-known member
How come Scientologists get picked on so much? Have you seen what Mormons are in to?

The idea that super powerful evil aliens existing and they being called Xenu isn't relatively crazy compared to the idea of a super being that exists outside of material space and hates gays. We're pretty sure aliens exist somewhere and it's conceivable they could come here, but gods exists is many magnitudes crazier.

We're just used to the idea of one and not the other. If we grew up in a place populated with Scientologists, we'd be talking about how crazy every one else seems to be compared to what we grew up with.
 
Lexington

Lexington

Banned
WeirdyMcGee said:
I think that having to pay money to be a part of it makes it a cult 'technically'...

... but it's not much sillier as any other religion based on a book some old guy wrote, is it?
Okay- it kindof is... but only a little. A small fraction.
That's my opinion about the 'religion' itself - not about the people who choose it.
Click to expand...

As someone said to me the other day, if Jesus turned up today, he may be forced to undergo a psychiatric assessment "talking nonsense.";)

I guess what you are saying is "What is normal?" or "What is abnormal?"
 
Lexington

Lexington

Banned
A definition of cult from the Net.

cult (klt)
n.
1.
a. A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader.
b. The followers of such a religion or sect.
2. A system or community of religious worship and ritual.
3. The formal means of expressing religious reverence; religious ceremony and ritual.
4. A usually nonscientific method or regimen claimed by its originator to have exclusive or exceptional power in curing a particular disease.
5.
a. Obsessive, especially faddish, devotion to or veneration for a person, principle, or thing.
b. The object of such devotion.
6. An exclusive group of persons sharing an esoteric, usually artistic or intellectual interest.
 
Thelema

Thelema

Well-known member
Lexington said:
As someone said to me the other day, if Jesus turned up today, he may be forced to undergo a psychiatric assessment "talking nonsense.";)

I guess what you are saying is "What is normal?" or "What is abnormal?"
Click to expand...

I think he'd have a hard time recruiting people.

It must much easier to find people back when you could find illiterate goat herders that lived in mud shacks that thought sickness was probably the result of a witch casting a spell on you and earthquakes meant god was angry at you. But if I went out and really tried, I could find 12 crazy people to follow me around too.

It's interesting to see how old religions have angels with bird wings and swords and we have Scientology with aliens and space ships and electronic E-meters.

It's amazing how the ultimate secret truth of the universe seems to be a projection of the times and place the people live in.
 
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