Scientology - and the rich and famous

[naomi24]

What draws highly successful, and apparently rational, people like Tom Cruise and John Travolta to Scientology?

[Goonermatt]

Rational? Nope.

Nuts? Totally.

[flip_flop]

Despite the beliefs of scientologists being completely nuts, I think it is fair to say that people who believe a virgin giving birth to the son of god who he sent to earth to die for our sins, and then rose three days later ascend to heaven, are equally nuts.

The only difference between one form of nuttery and the other is 2000 years.

[beso]

The leaders of Scientology claimed that there were "many tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands" of Scientologists in Australia.

However we just had a census. 2100 (0.01 %) is the official figure. They are vastly outnumbered by Wiccans and even more so by Jedi's (65,000).

[sir.prize]

Ironic that Tiny Tom encouraged Katie to change religions and join the Scientologists. Now that exact 'organisation' is the cause of failure of his third marriage.
But who are we to criticise? He is his own destroyer. Thicko!

[chakka35]

Yes, naomi, I agree with the general view that the words 'apparently rational' were unjustified. The origins of Scientology are laughable.

[keyplus90]

Same thing that draws few highly intelligent and rational people to atheism, or any other religion. AKA search for the truth and inner peace. And it is good sign that person is still thinking.

Because lack of knowledge is not as dangerous as believing that I know about everything is. And I think Stephen Hawking once said something like that. If not then I am sure I would be corrected by someone who knows better than I do.

[beso]

Belief in religious myths is not a sign that a person is thinking but quite the opposite.

[naomi24]

Keyplus, once again, Atheism is not a religion, and Atheists are not searching for anything in a spiritual sense.

//Because lack of knowledge is not as dangerous as believing that I know about everything is. And I think Stephen Hawking once said something like that. If not then I am sure I would be corrected by someone who knows better than I do.//

Perhaps you mean me – and perhaps you mean this:

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge”.... Stephen Hawking

You are your own worst enemy.

[TOWIE]

Everytime I see this mentioned in the press I think of Stepford Wives {:o(

[emmie]

everytime i see them i think crikey or words to that effect, me give them all that money, i should coco

[mikey4444]

Because they have lots of money, which is the real reason Scientology exists !

If we ignore them, they will just go away.

[jomifl]

L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of scientology and very bad science fiction writer admitted to inventing scientology as he thought there were enough gullible fools that he would get a decent income and not have to write novels any more. He wasn't wrong. This is a beautiful example of how once people commit themselves to a belief they go into a state of denial of the truth even when the events that led to the 'religion' are within living memory. Now that it is run by a bunch of greedy gangsters there is no holding it back other than the limited supply of rich fools (who are easily parted from their money)

[Canary42]

Let's face it, Hollywood Celebs hardly get there through intellectual merit, so are easy prey for unscrupulous manipulators.

[birdie1971]

I've long been interested in Scientology for many reasons. A very good website which tells you all you need to know about it is 'Clambake'...
http://www.xenu.net/

For a brief description of Scientology...
http://www.xenu.net/a.../leaflet/xenuleaf.htm

[birdie1971]

Keyplus - “... Same thing that draws few highly intelligent and rational people to atheism, or any other religion. AKA search for the truth and inner peace. And it is good sign that person is still thinking...”

Not really.

A person who is looking for a religion to join is not a person looking for 'the truth'. They may well be looking for some kind of inner peace but this is not a search for what is true in the rational sense.

Most people who get trapped by cults such as Scientology are desperate – they are at a low ebb in their lives and they are looking for reassurance and help and like all good snake-oil salesmen, the Scientologists claim to have a cure.

They have a 'personality test' that you can do to see if they can help you with your 'problems'. It's fun and free and can be found here (obviously, give fake info beforehand)...
http://www.oca.scientology.org/

I've done the test multiple times, changing my answers every time and guess what? Yep – according to them – no matter what answers I give, I need their unique kind of help - at a price.

Helpfully, the 'Clambake' website have done an in-depth analysis of this test...
http://www.xenu.net/archive/oca/oca.html


What hasn't been mentioned yet is the cost of membership to this 'church' – it is astronomical. They charge you for 'auditing' and according to them, you'll need a lot of it. Rising through the various OT levels in the church is based entirely on your bank balance. It has been estimated that to reach OT8 (Tom Cruise level) it could cost you a *minimum* of £250,000 in auditing and training fees.

In short, if you value your sanity and bank account, avoid Scientology like the plague. It actually gives religion and bad name – and that's saying something.

[birdie1971]

↑ It actually gives religion *a* bad name...

[mibn2cweus]

//↑ It actually gives religion *a* bad name...//

And science. 'Scientology' . . . blastfamous!

[keyplus90]

How would you describe illusion of knowledge then Naomi?

////You are your own worst enemy./////

I never thought about that. I always thought that I never had an enemy.

By the way congratulations. Few of the people you believe in has found something they are calling “god particle”. Although I would rather call it God’s particle as he created it. However one step closer in believing God.

[jomifl]

Keyplus, To save Naomi the trouble of replying, religion is the illusion of knowledge. I'm surprised that you didn't know that.

[birdie1971]

Keyplus - “... Few of the people you believe in has found something they are calling “god particle”...”

It's actually a Boson; the existence of which was postulated by Peter Higgs in 1964. Hence it is actually called the 'Higgs Boson'. No scientist calls it the 'god particle'. Only simplistic journalists and other scientifically illiterate people describe it as such.