Scientology And Christianity

[SkepticOfBible]

After watching the Southpark episode on Scientology, I went to a website made by a ex-scientologist.

 

Here is a interesting point he raised, which I felt is also illustrated in christianity(and other religion)

 

HOW TO TALK TO A SCIENTOLOGIST

 

In fact, I still feel that some things in Scientology help. It is one of the hardest things to get over and understand and I am still coping with it. Because a lot of the writing that Hubbard did appeals to one’s better nature, to the idea of helping people, of attaining one’s dreams. It is very seductive and if you have any success at it, you will attribute it to Scientology.

 

But I’ve been doing some research. And one book is a book called "Hypnotism" written by G.H. Estabrooks in 1943. In chapter three he says: "There is a rule in Hypnotism that everything we get in a trance can also be obtained by means of the posthypnotic suggestion. Also that anything we find in either can be found in autosuggestion..."

 

So I am coming to believe that almost everything that occurs in Scientology that a Scientologist experiences and believes in comes about as the self-suggested result of a kind of auto-hypnosis. Everything that seems to work or be positive is attributed to Scientology, and everything negative is assigned to personal failure or lack of understanding of Scientology. After which there is a long bout of study to correct the matter, which again is a kind of auto-hypnosis.

 

Also check out the other articles. It is quite amazing how similar is the control system of both Xtianity and Scientology

 

What Scientology Won't Tell You

 

Operation Clambake

[JGJ@ReligionisBullshit]

"Everything that seems to work or be positive is attributed to Scientology, and everything negative is assigned to personal failure or lack of understanding of Scientology. After which there is a long bout of study to correct the matter, which again is a kind of auto-hypnosis."

 

 

Everything that seems to work or be positive is attributed to God, and everything negative is assigned to lack of faith or not praying enough.

 

Funny how the tactics just kind of go right along with each other.

[mwc]

Here's part of an email I wrote awhile back. The person in the message wasn't ever really a Scientologist but went to a Scientologist school and knew their ways (such as the brainwashing exercises and all even though they weren't away that's what was happening at the time). The message is based on things that this person had told me over the years (so I don't expand on things because they were already known to the other person) but when they turned xian they no longer could see any similarities at all. My email was to point out of few things:

 

You 'changed' yourself (and desire to continue to do so) to the doctrine. Scientologists do this.

 

You already "interpret" me (the things I say and do) through the bible (you try to say you don't but you do and your actions speak a lot louder than words). Scientologists do this.

 

You don't want to discuss doctrine because it is fruitless. Scientologists do this. You hold the doctrine to be of greater value than what your family, including me, and the "world" (mainly science) tells you. Scientologists believe this.

 

You are willing to "sacrifice" your current life in order to follow the doctrine. Scientologists do this.

 

You desire to emerse yourself deeper into the doctrine to achieve greater understanding. Scientologists do this.

 

You are willing to "perfect" the processes (such as aligning your will to "god's") in order to be an even "better" believer. Scientologists do this.

 

You are willing to defend the undefendable doctrine by rationalizing it in your own mind. Scientologists do this.

 

You are willing to put the burden of proof onto the challenger. Scientologists do this.

 

You are willing to blame yourself when things promised in the doctrine fail to work out. Scientologists do this.

 

You are willing to do whatever it takes in order to move onto greater things, possibly in this life but definately the next. Scientologists do this.

 

You are really betting that you're right. Scientologists do this.

 

You're not only betting you're right but you're 100% positive. Scientologists are too.

 

Now I was pretty mad when I wrote this (all off the top of my head) so I've cleaned it up so it's a bit more readable.

 

The point being that I was throwing the claims about Scientologists made over the year back since we all know xians do these very things all the time. The difference is people know the origin of Scientology and reject it as a result (well, one of many reasons). They have the same "Us vs. Them" mentallity. Xians will trust the ex-believers of others religions (and even other xians that were in another sect) and accept all they say about the "cult" they were in but use the same tactic that "cult" uses against their ex's against ex-xians. Xianirty and Scientology are very much alike when it comes to the core functionality (it makes no difference the high-level doctrine of Xenu and so on are different).

 

The person I was speaking with did not address anything that I had said (and this wasn't the only time) and I'll I've ever really gotten is along the lines of "Scientology (or insert other belief system here) is false and xianity is real therefore it's pointless to discuss these things." Pointing out they're both based on the same exact level of evidence doesn't seem to help spark a discussion either.

 

mwc