...Scientology The second half of the 20th century was the time when new, alternative religious movements sprang to life and started their triumphant parade across the world, attracting millions of people to their allegedly innovative concepts of faith and salvation. This religious expansion, unpredicted and unexpected in the middle of the century, the diversity of schools and teachings, as well as their significant impact on the lives of many people are a phenomenon that demonstrates a high potential of such theories and practices. Their evolution was facilitated by spiritual requirements of people who were seekers of new ideas and formats of faith. These people distrusted traditional religions and were often disillusioned and disappointed by orthodox tenets and concepts; they wanted to find more updated and socially adapted religious teachings. Scientology is a dramatic example of a new religion of this kind, and its analysis provides an insight in the complex, controversial, and sometimes perplexing domain of today’s religious and spiritual practices. Officially recognized as religion in the USA, Scientology was denied this status in European countries, for example, the UK, Germany, France, and others. Investigating an impact of this popular religious practice on individuals, groups, and communities is significant for understanding the effects, possible implications, and hazards it has in store for society. The Origin of Scientology and its Founder Scientology, a religious...
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...The United States of America is a melting pot of many different people, religions and beliefs. Though many people have strong beliefs about certain religions, unlike many countries, the US allows people to practice any religion that they please. Throughout the years, many faiths have been the center of controversy. However, one particular belief system known as Scientology is the most controversial religion of the 20th century. Scientology was founded in 1952 in the United States of America by a man named L. Ron Hubbard. Although it is an actual religion, many people view Scientology as a trend. However, just like any other religion, Scientology has its own churches, beliefs, practices, and scripture. The word Scientology was created by Hubbard that derived from the Latin word Scio which meant “Knowing in the fullest meaning of the word” (Melton). The actual definition of Scientology is "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, universes, and other life" (Melton). Hubbard began his journey while studying the human mind which led him to write many of his publications. Slowly, he began to further his studies by teaching classes which taught people how to become “auditors” which would allow them to teach these beliefs to others. His teachings used an array of methods that focused on the study of the mind and the problems that many people faced. Hubbard then researched other elements to the brain which he then called “thetan”. Thetan was the observer but...
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...The United States of America is a melting pot of many different people, religions and beliefs. Though many people have strong beliefs about certain religions, unlike many countries, the US allows people to practice any religion that they please. Throughout the years, many faiths have been the center of controversy. However, one particular belief system known as Scientology is the most controversial religion of the 20th century. Scientology was founded in 1952 in the United States of America by a man named L. Ron Hubbard. Although it is an actual religion, many people view Scientology as a trend. However, just like any other religion, Scientology has its own churches, beliefs, practices, and scripture. The word Scientology was created by Hubbard that derived from the Latin word Scio which meant “Knowing in the fullest meaning of the word” (Melton). The actual definition of Scientology is "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, universes, and other life" (Melton). Hubbard began his journey while studying the human mind which led him to write many of his publications. Slowly, he began to further his studies by teaching classes which taught people how to become “auditors” which would allow them to teach these beliefs to others. His teachings used an array of methods that focused on the study of the mind and the problems that many people faced. Hubbard then researched other elements to the brain which he then called “thetan”. Thetan was the observer...
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...Scientology: A Look at its History, Theology, Cosmology, and Current Status Religion, a remnant of the ancient world, before science, before concrete evidence, was used to explain the unexplainable. A constant in human culture, religion has concretely been about the relationship between either a supernatural deity or supernatural deities and nature. It sets up the morality of the people, explains the transitoriness of life, but most importantly, it gives people a sense of meaning and purpose. Now, with all those things in mind, replace religion, in the most general and abstract sense, with Scientology. Scientology, since its birth, has been the subject of criticism not only by outsiders, such as the media, but by former members, as well. As...
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...What Is Scientology? Evelyn Kalman/ June 17, 2013 Scientology was developed by L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1950s as a religion which claims to offer a precise path which will reveal one’s true spiritual nature and provide complete understanding of self, Mankind, and all life forms in general as well as the material and spiritual universe, and the Supreme Being. Scientology claims to be spiritual, not of the flesh. It addresses one’s spirit rather than body or mind and believes that Man has a purpose in life. The religion of Scientology is based upon fundamental truths which include theses such as: man is an immortal spiritual being; his experience extends well beyond a single lifetime; and his capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized. Scientology declares man to be good and proposes that his spiritual salvation is based upon himself, his fellowship with others, and his brotherhood with the universe. In Scientology, one is not asked to accept any concept on faith alone; the ultimate goal of the belief is true spiritual enlightenment and freedom for all and to enable man to improve his lot through comprehension (Official Church). Scientology is founded upon a long tradition of religious practice. It is said to draw on the wisdom of some 50 000 years from various religions; however it is considered to be a new belief. It bridges Easter philosophy with Western thought, constituting man’s first real application of scientific methodology to spiritual questions...
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...The modern day equivalent of a heretic, would of course be the iconic Tom Cruise, who has become the celebrity face of The Church of Scientology. Cruise, born in 1963, joined a divinity school at the young age of fourteen, with the hope of becoming a priest, however left after only a year and found his passion for performing. In the following years, his acting career may have been on the rise, but his religious choices were on the decline. At the age of twenty-five, Cruise married a woman by the name of Mimi Rogers. “It was through Rogers that the actor became a student of Scientology, the religion founded by writer L. Ron Hubbard. Cruise credited the church with curing his dyslexia, and he soon became one of its leading proponents” ("Tom Cruise.)....
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...Why are people so attracted to Scientology? Why are many public figures involved in a religious cult that gets bad press? Well, The Church of Scientology is publicized in social media, shedding a negative light on this religion. In another reality, what many people do not see is that Scientology contains very workable techniques for improving self-confidence, tuning up memory, mental alertness and increasing one’s sense of self-worth and well-being (Rinder, 2013). Scientology can give you strong emotional highs, which increases your confidence and enthusiasm. From a spiritual point of view, and despite its negative aspects, Scientology can act as one of the many channels that can help one to awaken his or her spiritual potential. Scientology and Buddhism share a fundamental belief that you must look for yourself. Buddhism identifies as a state of enlightenment obtained by worldly desires. Buddhism religion practices...
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...Analyse Religious expression in New Zealand I am an experienced sociologist who has many years of teaching within the country. Being New Zealand born I have watched the steady changes in religious make up within Aotearoa/New Zealand and seeing how the society and government responds to the changes. I am preparing an analytic report outlining the changes in the past basing my main focus on Scientology (cult), Quakers or Society of Friends (sect) and the Catholic Church. The reports have been specifically based upon the changes within New Zealand. Quakerism “Quakers”, also knows as Society of Friends, is a sect which is Christian in its origin and inspiration but is open to ideas from other religious groups. Quakers cover the three components which exists in a Christian group, conservative, mainline and liberal. Quakerism was found by George Fox in the mid 17th century. He believed that there is “that of God in everyone”. He believed that each human being has the potential to succeed and accomplish their most outright goals in life by following the example of God. The sect had an early involvement with New Zealand and began with regular meetings and Worship in Nelson in 1842 but stopped after 20 years then continued in Auckland in 1885. Quaker congregations are almost completely autonomous. There exist no main assemblies or medial authority within the sect, although there is a committee in London. In New Zealand they follow a non-hierarchical organisation having no...
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...Scientology Research Paper Some people love, and some people hate L. Ron Hubbard. Before doing any kind of research into the religion of Scientology I had never heard of the religion, let alone heard of a man so loved and so despised by many. The science-fiction writer, later turned leader made his way on I the scene in 1950 when a book called “Dianetics” hit America's west coast like a wild fire. Some claim it was his plan saying he was only out for money. My opinion of this was that L. Ron Hubbard was a genius when it came to believable scams and money making. Scientology is an organization or movement that is right on the edge between psychology and religion. The idea is that if you correctly apply the knowledge that is there for the taking, which will fully release the individual’s full potential. The proper application of the ideas is supposed to lead to the freeing of the individuals superhuman powerful human nature. Scientology believes that in the climb to a desirable state, there are current human limitations, including lack of confidence, psychological and physical disabilities, and psychosomatic illness. These limitations, if they are eliminated (the idea of scientology), this will enable man to handle his environment more successfully Scientology also looks at the human beings will to exist, which is summed up in 8 dynamics or drives as they are called. L. Ron Hubbard composed these 8 dynamics or drives, and they are as follows: 1) The urge to survive as a self-aware...
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...Case 3.1 1. The alternatives available to Brent are working at the normal pace, trying to rush the work with the normal sample size, or cut the sample size. If Brent chose to work at the normal pace he would get the best and most accurate result. Being accurate and sure of the results is what Brent’s employer expects out of him. Brent’s next option is “eating time” i.e., working off the clock, and then turning in that he worked the 35 hours to come in at budget. The pro to this option is that Brent does all the work required of him to do a thorough job. The con of doing this is that Brent is working off the clock and giving his time away to the company without compensation. This brings up an ethical problem for both Brent and the company. Brent has a duty to the company to perform services; in return the company has a duty to compensate Brent for the duties performed. Brent’s last option is to cut corners on the work and finish on budget. The pro to this is that Brent comes in on or under budget which has a chance to reflect positively on Brent. Conversely, by cutting corners Brent’s quality of work would surely suffer and the audit team could miss a material misstatement. This could have a major negative impact on Brent’s career if it is found of that his team did not catch an act of fraud or a material misstatement. 2. There are many consequences that could arise from “eating time”. For Brent he would first miss out on pay that he is rightfully entitled to. Furthermore...
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...On August 19, 2009, Tommy Davis, the chief spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International, received a letter from the film director and screenwriter Paul Haggis. “For ten months now I have been writing to ask you to make a public statement denouncing the actions of the Church of Scientology of San Diego,” Haggis wrote. Before the 2008 elections, a staff member at Scientology’s San Diego church had signed its name to an online petition supporting Proposition 8, which asserted that the State of California should sanction marriage only “between a man and a woman.” The proposition passed. As Haggis saw it, the San Diego church’s “public sponsorship of Proposition 8, which succeeded in taking away the civil rights of gay and lesbian citizens of California—rights that were granted them by the Supreme Court of our state—is a stain on the integrity of our organization and a stain on us personally. Our public association with that hate-filled legislation shames us.” Haggis wrote, “Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent.” He concluded, “I hereby resign my membership in the Church of Scientology.” Haggis was prominent in both Scientology and Hollywood, two communities that often converge. Although he is less famous than certain other Scientologists, such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, he had been in the organization for nearly thirty-five years. Haggis wrote the screenplay for “Million Dollar Baby,” which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2004, and he wrote and directed...
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..."Can you quickly adapt and make use of new conditions and situations even though they may be difficult?" “Do you ever get a “dreamlike” feeling toward life when it all seems unreal?” But question 113 concerned me. " Would it take a definite effort on your part to consider the subject of suicide?" After completing my test, I was seated at a glass backed booth facing a large video screen. Feeling like a visitor aboard the Starship Enterprise, I watched a short film outlining the dangers of the "Reactive Mind". Apparently, we’re plagued by subliminal and harmful thoughts, which we can eliminate using Scientology, eventually achieving a state of "Clear". "Hi. I'm Scott*, come this way and we’ll check out your results". Explaining that the results weren’t his opinion, but a “factual and scientific” analysis of my answers. (This phrase features in L. Ron Hubbard’s script from the 1960’s). Presented as a graph, the results show ratings on a scale from -100 to +100 for attributes such as Stable/Unstable, Happy/Depressed, and Composed/Nervous. A small shaded area indicates the "normal" range. Above is a “Desirable State” and below is an “Unacceptable...
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...Scientology vs. Islam For my term paper, I chose to compare two religions that most Americans are not familiar with the principles of: Islam and scientology. I will look into the differences that these religions present and examine different parts of their them. Over the course of this paper I’ll look at seven aspects of these religions, which include their origins and histories, size, their view on the purpose of life and the roles that humans play, their beliefs of on the afterlife, specific practices they take part in, and the texts from which their religion can be applied from. First of all, the origins and histories of these two religions differ greatly. Islam is considered to be the youngest of the seven great world religions, dating back to its creation in seventh-century Saudi Arabia. The prophet Muhammad introduced Islam in 610 AD after experiencing an “angelic visitation.” Muslims believe that Qu’ran, which is the holy book of Islam, were the preexistent and perfect words from Allah. Muhammad dictated the Qu’ran. Muhammad is loosely credited with the origin of Islam, although many Muslims believe that Islam existed way before Muhammad was even alive. And although Muhammad dictated the Qu’ran, the Qu’ran states that Muhammad was not the originator. The Qu’ran instead states that God wrote the Qu’ran, who in turn had the angel Gabriel dictate it to the prophet Muhammad (“Origin”). In contrast, the church of Scientology was formed just 55 years ago, in 1954. The...
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...different words to describe their actions, from cyberterrorism to hacktivism. I would like to isolate my examples only to the group activities of Anonymous, but the questions raised would affect any person or group embarking in hactivism. Is it ethical to use hacking, is it a form of first amendment speech, or is it a malicious attack on another entity? As an example, let’s take a look at the attacks of Anonymous against another controversial group, the Church of Scientology. In 2008, a video was leaked of actor Tom Cruise extolling the virtues of Scientology. The Church immediately claimed that showing this video violated it’s copyright, and sent cease and desist requests to the websites hosting it to have them taken down. According to Fox News, in response, Anonymous “set up a web site to coordinate a string of attacks using phone, internet, and fax methods, which it called ‘Project Chanology’.” Anonymous would encourage it’s members to act as a denial-of-service attack, in an effort to bring down Scientology web sites. They would also exploit vulnerabilities in the site using hacking techniques. They would also use “black faxes” or fax sheets of black paper, to use up...
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...genuinely good deeds the group — whose members identify themselves with the Vendetta mask — has done. Whether it's retaliating against kiddie porn sites, helping to identify Chinese military cyber-attacks, or targeting the digital properties of various hate groups, Anonymous can sometimes be a force for good. 8. In December 2006, Anonymous took down the website of white supremacist radio show host Hal Turner. The attack ended up with Turner paying some very expensive bandwidth bills and dropping a lawsuit a year later. 7. Beginning in January 2008, Anonymous kicked off "Project Chanology," its attack on the Church of Scientology, a cult-like religion which allegedly imprisons its dissident members. They launched denial of service attacks against the organization's websites, gamed the link-sharing site Digg to more prominently display anti-Scientology pages, and even physically protested — showing up in person — many church events. 6. Anonymous released user information from a major hacking forum in February 2011, and security firm Mandiant was able to use this data to link the Chinese military to cyber-attacks against the U.S. this year. 5. The Westboro Baptist Church is notoriously hateful and intolerant. Anonymous successfully took down the Westboro Baptist Church's website in February 2011 in protest. 4. Operation DarkNet was the group's campaign against child pornography in October 2011. Because pornographers were incredibly effective at using technology to...
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