scientology

[gingerflaps]

what is scientology, what do they believe in, do they believe in God and Jesus and heaven n hell? or do they believe in a more of a scientific explanation why we are here like evolution ect ect. i have looked on a few websites but i'm afraid to say that i dont understand what they are saying......can someone explain it to me like they would explain it to a 5 yr old. thanx and sorry for being so dumb!

[Loosehead]

Their main activity is to extract as much money as possible out of the insecure and gullible. Usually in the guise of "courses" to correct what they have identified as "character faults" . They usually start by getting the hapless recruit to fill in a questionaire of about 500 questions and from that your "problems" are diagnosed and your remedial "courses" identified. The recruit is then encouraged to beg borrow and steal the thousands of pounds needed for their "corrective training". Absolute bunch of nutters.

[jake-the-peg]

Wikipedia rather charitably says:

Scientology is a new religious movement established in 1951 and intended as an alternative to psychotherapy by science-fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, then recharacterized in 1953 as an "applied religious philosophy".

Unconnected to the Church of Christ, Scientist or to "Religous Science"

How would I explain to a 5 year old?

"Nasty people scream and run away"

[LeMarchand]

Scientologists are notoriously litigious, so I'll just post a link to a story about how the church got started: http://tafkac.org/religion/hubbard_heinlein_bet.html

[fo3nix]

From what I understand, it's less a religion and more a philosophy on life.

One of the main groups of people who are looking for a good philosophy to live by are celebrities, especially the more famous ones. Perhaps this explains why there are several celebrities with interests in scientology?

[Hermia]

I don't understand why celebs always have to go for some mad cult-y religion that demands oodles of cash. If you want to find a better way of living your life why not just read some philosophy or pop into your local church/temple/whatever. I remember reading an article by some dopey model who said she'd given up Buddhism because it demands too much! I though religion was about giving as well as taking.

I saw one of the Celebrity Scientology centres in America and I found it revolting. There was acres of red carpet and lots of glitz and bouncers to make sure the peasants didn't enter. I thought most religions are supposed to teach that everyone is equal?

I know a sociologist did some research on Scientology and got threatened in the process. I can't remember who he was or what the book was called though - sorry!

[rampart]

Do they believe in God and Jesus?

[oakleydoaky]

look here

http://www.reachouttrust.org/articles/othergrp/scientology.htm

this is an anti cult christian website. you may or may not agree with everything you see here but the description of scientology is accurate