Scientology?Santeria? Who has the most bang for the buck?
349114
Scientology courses start at $800.00 and go as high as $38,000.000 according to their monthly magazines!  Santaria has no cost involved.
462295
Santeria is a mixture of catholism and voodoo practiced mainly in carribean Islands.\n\nhttp://www.religioustolerance.org/santeri.htm\n\nhttp://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/santeria.html
876672
Here is what I found: \nhttp://216.109.125.130/search/cache?ei=UTF-8&p=Larry+Gluck+scientology&fr=ush-ans&u=www.freedominla.org/issue05/page02b.htm&w=larry+gluck+scientology&d=FeLE6pIFNgiN&icp=1&.intl=us\nhttp://www.hollywoodinterrupted.com/archives/scientology_and_the_art_of_deception.phtml\nLarry Gluck's "Mission" is a part of the WISE organization, an organization that educates and assists businesses in the use of Scientology management methods and techniques.  Visit this link to read about WISE: http://www.charter-committee.org/
791016
It is a CULT. Despite what a few fanatical members may say, it IS a cult. The church harasses & bullies anyone who they deem an "enemy" (basically anyone who has anything negative to say about the "church"). They will RUIN YOUR LIFE if you speak out against them long enough.\n\nThe founder is L. Ron Hubbard, the science FICTION writer who once told a friend that the best way to make lots of money is to start your own religion. Though being a very outspoken critic of psychiatric drugs, it was discovered upon Hubbards death that the anti-anxiety drug hydroxyzine (Vistaril) was present in his body, which several of his assistants would later attest was only one of many psychiatric & pain medications Hubbard ingested over the years.\n\nScientologists believe the evil alien ruler Xenu killed a lot of aliens (Thetans) from around the universe by bringing them to earth & blowing them up inside volcanoes. They believe the souls of these aliens (these souls are "Body Thetans") have attached themselves to us & cause many of our mental & physical ills. Even members of the Church of Scientology who know of Xenu will publicly deny the existence of Xenu & Body Thetans, or attempt to minimize their importance. Scientology has many graduated levels through which one can progress. Many who remain at lower levels in the church are unaware of much of the these doctrines, which mostly begin at Operating Thetan level three, or "OT III". Because the information imparted to members is to be kept secret from others who have not attained that level, the member must publicly deny its existence when asked. OT III recipients must sign a waiver promising never to reveal its secrets before they are given the manila envelope containing the Xenu knowledge.\n\nTo rid ourselves of "Body Thetans" & also “engrams” (past negative experiences stored in our unconscious mind) so that we can become “clear”, we have to go through "auditing" with a member of the “church” who uses an "e-meter" to measure our “reactive mind”...... & we have to pay lots & lots of money for “auditing” (purchased in 12.5-hour blocks, costing anywhere from $750 for introductory sessions to between $8,000 & $9,000 for advanced sessions) & to take courses on Scientology to advance to higher “levels” in the “church”. The “church” has also taken a very hostile stance towards psychiatry & psychiatric drugs irrespective of the fact that some people require medication to remain adequately functional in everyday life. They deny the reality of chemical imbalance & profound mental disturbance & accordingly do NOTHING to effectively stabilize the dangerously unstable. The “church” has been known to withhold prescription pharmaceuticals from member (with deadly results).\n\nScientology is undeniably a cult. For more information on what a cult is & what their damaging effects are, please visit the link provided at the bottom of the sources. Just know that Scientology DOES qualify by meeting these 5 criteria:\n\n(1) It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate & retain its members. (2) It forms an elitist totalitarian society. (3) Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable & has charisma. (4) It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds & recruit people. (5) Its wealth does not benefit its members or society.
1153356
Hello, crazy guy! Are you trying to start your own crazy religion, like scientology, only less money-mad?\n\nDarwin's theory of evolution holds pretty well up to reality. How could you ever believe the opposite?
1183239
Hi Bethany,\n\nI am glad you are researching into it...I have had a lot of time for my own reasons to look into scientology and have found some rather worrying stuff on the subject.  I urge you to do a lot of research at not only the scientology sites and from his books but also from critical sites and the evidence they present, as well as there opinion.  These critical sites are often run by or added to by ex-members who have spent, often decades in scientology before realising the true nature behind it.  There are many philosophies, activities and help groups you can go to that do not involve money, that do work, and are not highly disputed by individuals, ex-members, scientists, governments & all the families whose loved ones have disconnected from them.\n\nIt is not endorsed by the mainstream scientific community and infact has many ideas and theories which have been flat out rejected.  He also did not do any of the research he claims to have done, or at least all the evidence of it mysteriously vanished.\n\nAre you aware that Hubbard thought that religions are an implant (R6 implant that forms the basis of your reactive mind)\nhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/xenu\n\nYou are right to suspect of the Church of Scientology as a cult and that it exhibits less than desirable actions, such as all these court transcripts, or Operation Snowflake, or the way it hounds its critics...\nhttp://www.clambake.org/archive/CourtFiles/\nhttp://www.clambake.org/archive/judge_quotes.html\nhttp://www.daisy.freeserve.co.uk/bonniewoods.htm\nhttp://www.scientology-lies.com/investigation.html\n\nHere is a paper presented at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, November, 1991\nhttp://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/kent/isc.html\n\nAlso see this Govt. Report:\nhttp://www.xenu.net/archive/audit/fosthome.html\n\nHere is an info pack on what scientology might not tell you, written mainly by ex-members:\nhttp://www.clambake.org/archive/infopack/\n\nHere is something that explains their practices\nhttp://www.clambake.org/archive/techniques/\n\nYou might also like to read these accounts by ex-members:\nhttp://www.clambake.org/archive/books/apobs/\nhttp://www.clambake.org/archive/books/isd/isd.htm\nhttp://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/xenu/xenu.html\n\nPlease review the following sites as well as any you might have read given to you by the Church of Scientology.\n\nhttp://www.xenu.net\nhttp://www.factnet.org\nhttp://www.truthaboutscientology.com\nhttp://www.scientology-lies.com\nhttp://www.lermanet.com\nhttp://www.xenutv.com\n\nIf you still want to follow Hubbards Teaching pls do so in the FreeZone not the CofS.  It is much cheaper, original tech, and without the cult thing.\n\nhttp://www.fzaoint.net     \nhttp://www.fza.org     \nhttp://www.freezone.org\n\nAnd just to be fair here is the Official site for the Church of Scientology:\nhttp://www.scientology.org\n\nPlease do the reading and make an informed decision, I wish you all the best for the future no matter what decision you make.
802510
Absolutely.\n\nTo rid ourselves of "Body Thetans" and also “engrams” (past negative experiences stored in our unconscious mind) so that we can become “clear”, we have to go through "auditing" with a member of the “church” who uses an "e-meter" to measure our “reactive mind”...... and we have to pay lots and lots and lots of money for “auditing” (purchased in 12.5-hour blocks, costing anywhere from $750 for introductory sessions to between $8,000 and $9,000 for advanced sessions) and to take courses on Scientology to advance to higher “levels” in the “church”.  The “church” has also taken a very hostile stance towards psychiatry and psychiatric drugs irrespective of the fact that some people require medication to remain adequately functional in everyday life.  They deny the reality of chemical imbalance and profound mental disturbance and accordingly do NOTHING to effectively stabilize the dangerously unstable. The “church” has been known to withhold prescription pharmaceuticals from member (with deadly results).\n\nThey claim that you can spend less money on Scientology than you would on a psychiatrist and their drugs, but consider the prices of all the books, all the auditing, all the tests you have to take to attain higher levels (and if you fail, you have to pay to retest).
840703
Santeria is a practice that combines Christianity (Catholic) with folk magic. So you might look into that. Since witchcraft in and of itself isn't a religion, I don't see a problem with you mixing spellcrafting in Jesus' name. You just might not want to take the bible literally, because then the two won't mix.
1039329
Santeria is interesting stuff, i am not fluent in spanish, so i could only pick up a little at the local botanica.  But trance possession by the Orisha is some pretty intense stuff! It is NOT mumbojumbo... it is a real way to connect with the divinity and with the ancestors, once you are "ridden" you will understand what i am talking about....
1055944
Rich televangelists have their rewards right now.\n\n(boy, did that sound pompous!)
1022118
Go here for this critics viewpoint then go search the whole site...\n\n"In a Nutshell\n\n    The Church of Scientology is a vicious and dangerous cult that masquerades as a religion. Its purpose is to make money. It practices a variety of mind-control techniques on people lured into its midst to gain control over their money and their lives. Its aim is to take from them every penny that they have and can ever borrow and to also enslave them to further its wicked ends.\n\n    It was started in the 1950s by a science fiction writer named L. Ron Hubbard in fulfilment to his declared aim to start a religion to make money. It is an offshoot to a method of psychotherapy he concocted from various sources which he named "Dianetics". Dianetics is a form of regression therapy. It was then further expanded to appear more like a religion in order to enjoy tax benefits. He called it "Scientology".\n\n    Scientology is a confused concoction of crackpot, dangerously applied psychotherapy, oversimplified, idiotic and inapplicable rules and ideas and science-fiction drivel that is presented to its members (at the "advanced" levels) as profound spiritual truth."\nhttp://www.clambake.org/roland-intro.html\n\nI personally believe scientology is a pseudo-science and a pseudo-religion.  I think the Church of Scientology is a cruel dangerous cult that takes your money and your ability to reason enough to see so.  \n\nThere is too much to post to give you the full answer, and indeed there are many opposing views.  You really just have to read and research some stuff for yourself.\n\nSee the links to important information on the internet about scientology:  The first 3 would probably suffice but in case you want to keep reading...\n\nSee here for the whole site, it is very interesting but horrifying reading, there is a wealth of critical information on scientology.\nhttp://www.clambake.org  (Same as http://www.xenu.net )\n\nTo find out about the beliefs of scientologists from a neutral site go here:\nhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/scientology\nAnd more here:\nhttp://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/xenu\n\nThe CofS has been investigated by governments and taken to court many times.  "Some European governments (including notably, Germany, Belgium, France, and Austria) do not consider the Church to be a bona fide religious organization, but instead a commercial enterprise and / or a cult." wikipedia.org/scientology\n\nHere are the court files:\nhttp://www.clambake.org/archive/CourtFiles/\n\nHere is the UK Govt. Investigation, the Foster Report:\nhttp://www.xenu.net/archive/audit/foster01.html\n\nHere are whole books written mainly by ex-members, the authors have posted them for anyone to read:\nhttp://www.clambake.org/archive/books/\n\nHere are some quotes from some judges:\nhttp://www.clambake.org/archive/judge_quotes.html\n\nCheck this site out, although warning it isn't pleasant http://www.lisamcpherson.org\n\nIf you like videos here is a good site: http://www.xenutv.com\n\nNow i've given you all those links it might only be fair to give you the official link too:\nhttp://www.scientology.org
303889
Elizabeth Clare Prophet is the leader of a relatively dangerous cult that has operated under a number of different names, including "the Summit Lighthouse" and the "Church Universal and Triumphant."  They recently achieved legal church status in the U.S. in a deal with the Federal government in which, in exchange, they surrendered their large cache of weapons in their center in Montana, which probably tells you a lot all by itself.  They are best known for the "St. Germain" books.  There are between 5,000 and 15,000 members of their organization worldwide, including perhaps 3,000 who live at the compound in Montana, where they generally work long hours without pay for the greater glory of ECP, who is herself extremely wealthy.  They are best avoided, if you want to keep your own self-determination and your own money.  If you're looking for spirituality, the world is full of many legitimate religions based on personal fulfillment, rather than making some self-professed "Ascended Master" a multimillionaire.
212081
If you're considering Scientology as a reliiogion- stay far, far away from it!  It was started by L Ron Hubbard (yep, the same Science Fiction writer that wrote the bad bok "Battlefield Earth", which was turned into arguably the worst movie of all time).\n\nTry the Operation Clambake site- it has everything rom books to FBI files and huge amounts of information on Scientology\n\nThe url is http://www.xenu.com\n\n(The name of the site is a reference to a claim ade by Hubbard in one of his books that we are descended from clams.)
96635
In money it is Bill Bates\nIn Faith it is Swami Vivekananda\nIn love  it is Great Lovers of the Ancient times\n\n       i would say in each category some person is richest not only in money in all the things
318126
The originator who is the semi-famous science fiction author "L. Ron Hubbard" started it.  Remember the movie "Battlefield Earth"?  it was based on one of his books.   He has been known to say "If you can create your own religion then you would be rich..."  his Dianetics seems to be a mixture of psuedo freudian pop science. It is a cult.
910442
So some aliens were in this volcano and the volcano exploded.  Now these aliens were really bad but humans were really good.  So when the volcano exploded these alien's badness covered all the good humans.  So the good humans do bad stuff.  Scientology teaches you how to get rid of the badness of these aliens.  It costs about $400,000 to learn how to get rid of these aliens badness from your human goodness.  I guess if you don't have this money then you can't get rid of this badness.\n\nHow about this instead.  We're all bad and we need to be made good in the eyes of God.  God is perfect and we are not.  To be forgiven for our sins against God we need a savior. Out of God's love for us, He sent a savior, his son, Jesus to bridge the gap between our sinfulness and his perfection.  By repenting of our sins and trusting Jesus to save us , we avoid God's justice and receive the perfect love of God.  And God's love is AWESOME!
759702
I think they can be manifested in Santeria rituals.  A lot of bizarre magick is performed through Santerian rituals.  I'm looking to explore that after mastering Enochian magick.