I wrote a post a few weeks back concerning my impressions (formed primarily through popular media) of Scientology as a strange, at best, “religion,” and when viewed in its most riducolous light, a wierd scheme by a science fiction author to make loads of cash from his followers who worship an ET called Zenu. I offered my impression that Scientology followers appear to be folks who are allowed to gain additional stages of enlightenment with each large check paid to the “Church of Scientoogy.”
Because I realize that it is not really all that difficult to ridicule any particular religion (see cartoon below), I offered any Scientology adherent to correct any misconception in my post, relating to the Supreme Extraterrestrial Zenu or the Theron body snatchers. I was glad to see that an adherent to Scientology took the time to post a comment, which didn’t directly address any specific misconceptions in my post, but did graciously provide a link to a Scientology website (which I would encourage all readers to visit before forming a personal opinion about what Scientology is and is not). I am a practicing Russian Orthodox Christian and have received my fair share of ridicule by pious Protestants in my area. I suppose any strongly held belief based on the supernatural is fair game, Scientology certainly seems to offer far more opportunities for ridicule than any other world “religion.”
Because I remained curious about the issues that made Scientology such a polarizing organization, I began to read more about the “faith,” at least those Scientology resources that didn’t separate me from any cash. Perhaps because of my frugality, none of the reading material on Scientology I consulted changed my position that it didn’t seem to be much of a religion at all, but more of an expensive Facebook-type game of moving up levels of enlightenment based on knowledge dispatched by cartoonish figures. I came to this final conclusion after re-reading a Time article contained in the issue pictured below.
Just today, I received from Upworthy (an outstanding site which provides daily links to interesting videos) a video of L. Ron Hubbard’s great grandson describing his ancestor as a con man who created a scheme to get rich by starting a “religion” based on his science fiction writing, and his cruel attempts to silence his estranged son, L. Ron Hubbard, Jr., to keep quiet about the “truth behind Scientology” after he fearfully left the “cult.” The video is very disturbing in places and given it was made by a direct descendant of L. Ron Hubbard, has an inherently credible sense about it–though Scientology adherents would no doubt dismiss the claims made in the video (and, as I did in my last post concerning Scientology, I again invite opposing views by those who “practice” Scientology.) The YouTube video link is provided below.
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