What do Scientologists believe in?
922304
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. (visit this link to read about the uses of hydoxyzine: http://www.drugs.com/mtm/v/vistaril.html )\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. Members who know about Xenu will attempt to deny it or pretend like it doesn’t matter.  They are required to sign a contract binding them to silence on the matter.  Lower level members don’t know about Xenu & accordingly deny everything because they honestly don’t know.\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.
611451
When something is different or "out there," some people just hate it.  But as for Tom Cruise, he's been really offensive and sanctimonious and made comments about Brooke Shields and anti-depressants that was out of line.  Made him look bad, so folks think that's how all Scientologists think, because not a lot is known about the religion. (Other than they believe in aliens as forebears, which smacks -imho - of "heaven's gate," the cult that believed they could get to heaven via haley's comment and killed themselves about 8 or 9 years ago).
652307
They believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.\n\nThey believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.\n\nThey believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.\n\nThey believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.\n\nThey believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach• the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.\n\nThey believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.\n\nThey believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.\n\nThey believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; They also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.\n\nThey believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.\n\nThey believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.\n\nThey claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.\n\nTHey believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in cobeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.\n\nThey believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, They may say that they follow the admonition of Paul— They believe all things, they hope all things, they have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, they seek after these things.
1151702
Conservative Christian Republicans are usually people who use their brains to think. Scientologists lack in the thinking department. Republicans sometimes find themselves conflicting with persons who are incapable of forming rational thought.\n\nIf you enjoy his writings, then read them. Benefit from whatever you can in life. You SHOULD read tons of books on tons of subjects. But please please please dont let them change who you are. Stay a Christian Conservative. Ok?
969931
the church of scientology.
391588
Scientology.  Here's some info:
1065712
People who believe in something think there is no wrong.
927080
Actually, you'd be surprised at how accurate that South Park episode was.  Whenever they had "THIS IS WHAT SCIENTOLOGISTS ACTUALLY BELIEVE" on the screen, they were NOT kidding.  Yes, the bit about aliens is true.  And yes, it's true, L. Ron Hubbard, the science fiction writer, created a "religion".  Here, I'll explain what it's all about.\n\nIt 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. (visit this link to read about the uses of hydoxyzine: http://www.drugs.com/mtm/v/vistaril.html )\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. Members who know about Xenu will attempt to deny it or pretend like it doesn’t matter.  They are required to sign a contract binding them to silence on the matter.  Lower level members don’t know about Xenu & accordingly deny everything because they honestly don’t know.\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.
433043
• Belief in Deity\nScientology considers the belief in a God or gods as something personal and therefore offers no specific dogma. The nature of the Supreme Being is revealed personally through each individual as s/he becomes more conscious and spiritually aware. There exists a life energy or force (Theta) beyond and within all. \n\n \n• Incarnations\nThere are no particular human incarnations of God, as the universal life force (Theta) is inherent in all. All humans are immortal spiritual beings (thetans) capable of realizing a nearly godlike state through Scientology practices. \n\n \n• Origin of Universe and Life\nAll is manifestation of the universal spirit, which is all that actually exists. \n\n \n• After Death\nRebirths continue until one consciously confronts all pre-birth, current-life, and previous-life traumas and realizes one's true nature as a "thetan," immortal spirit--transcending matter, energy, space, and time. Achieving this state enables the spirit to escape the cycle of birth and death--to operate independently of the physical universe and become one with God. \n\n \n• Why Evil?\nPainful experiences and harmful acts in one's prebirth, current, and past lives become imprinted in the reactive mind and lead to irrational behavior. Departures from rational thought and untrue ideas ("aberrations") can result in wrongdoing. \n\n \n• Salvation\nSalvation is achieved through the practices and techniques of Scientology, the ultimate goal of which is to realize one's true nature as an immortal spirit, a thetan. The path to salvation, or enlightenment, includes achieving states of increasingly greater mental awareness--Pre-Clear, Clear, and ultimately Operating Thetan. An Operating Thetan is a spirit who can control matter, energy, space, time, thought, and life. Practitioners ("Auditors") are regarded as ministers and counselors who assist others to achieve self-enlightenment. Auditors help others to identify their prebirth, current, and past-life disturbances, which are obstacles to happiness and spiritual enlightenment. \n\n \n• Undeserved Suffering\nSuffering occurs as part of the spirit's entrapment here in the physical universe. Only when the individual is aware of his spiritual nature can he identify his barriers within the universe and overcome them, rising out of a lower state and into a higher state of happiness and freedom. \n\n \n• Contemporary Issues\nBased on the belief that you cannot free yourself spiritually without working to free others, Scientology has founded and supports many organizations for social betterment, particularly in the areas of drug abuse, crime, psychiatric abuse, government abuse of law, human rights, religious freedom, education, and morality. Scientology strongly favors the use of their methodology for spiritual/mental healing over the use of conventional treatment.  \n\n=)
1020421
I've studied Scientology, and read books on both sides of the issue.  Scientology is an applied religious philosophy.  It's a field of study who's subject is you.  Scientology's hope for you is that you can achieve the state of "Clear" or a state of freedom from your traumatic memories.  Scientology helps people achieve this state through Dianetics counseling.\n\nThe aims of Scientology are a civilization without insanity without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights and man is free to rise to greater heights.\n\nScientologists believe strongly in community service, and have founded many social betterment organizations including, Narconon which helps people get off drugs, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights which works for psychiatric reform, the Applied Scholastics study tech organization, and the Way to Happiness Foundation.\n\nBUT, Scientology is very expensive.  Crossing Scientology's "Bridge to Total Freedom" can cost up to half a million dollars.  And some of the information available on Scientology makes the organization look like a bizarre cult and it's practices have encountered controversy.  Just google it, and you'll find a ton of information both pro and con.
929786
Because they LIE and MISLEAD and MANIPULATE people into joining.  That is what CULTS do.\n\nI would NEVER join that cult.  I'll tell you why... This is what Scientologists ACTUALLY believe:\n\nXenu was an alien ruler of the "Galactic Confederacy" who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of people to Earth in spacecrafts resembling Douglas DC-8 airliners, stacked them around volcanoes and blew them up with hydrogen bombs. Their souls then clustered together and stuck to the bodies of the living. The alien souls continue to do this today, causing a variety of physical ill-effects in modern-day humans. L. Ron Hubbard (a science-fiction writer and the creator of Scientology) called these clustered spirits "Body Thetans," and the advanced levels in Scientology place considerable emphasis on isolating them and neutralizing their ill effects.\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 stablize the dangerously unstable.  The “church” has been known to withhold prescription pharmaceuticals from member (with deadly results).\n\nScientology is undeniably a cult. Every cult can be defined as a group having all of the following five characteristics:\n\n(1) It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members [convincing potential members that they are unhappy and Scientology is the only means of helping themselves]. (2) It forms an elitist totalitarian society. [they label everyone who disagrees or questions as a “Suppressive Person” and requires members to “disconnect” from them] (3) Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma. [this would accurately describe Hubbard] (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. [self evident proof for 4 & 5 as it does milk members for virtually everything they have and it’s wealth doesn’t find it’s way back to it’s members or society at all]\n\nCults are extremely harmful. To remain within the strict mental and social confines of a cult for even a short time can have the following disastrous effects:\n\nLoss of choice and free will. Diminished intellectual ability, vocabulary and sense of humor. Reduced use of irony, abstractions and metaphors. Reduced capacity to form flexible and intimate relationships. Poor judgment. Physical deterioration. Malnutrition. Hallucinations, panic, dissociation, guilt, identity diffusion and paranoia. Neurotic, psychotic or suicidal tendencies.
321243
I dislike this religion because of many  things. The people my dad works with are all scientologists. The church's money collector comes by ever payday to take part of their wages. Once the secretary was completely broke, only had $10 for gas money, and they took that. Why people continue giving all their money to them is unfathomable to me. Besides, the guy who formed the church (L. Ron Hubbard) was a science fiction writer for goodness sakes...As always, to each their own, but I certainly don't understand it.
785018
what do you believe in?
780633
In Scientology you have to also learn how to deceive your self. It is a self-deceptive cult.
82690
because people are idiots.  why do they believe some man 2000 years ago walked on water and saved them from...(i'm not sure from what...hell?  what is that?)?  why do they think they will come back as a cow?  people will believe any kind of shit because they are dumb and scared of death. \n\np.s. don't take those tests.  they are masters and brainwashing.  if you see a scientologist on the street who offers you a "personality test" tell him you don't want to be part of a cult.\n\np.p.s. when you get to core of scientology, the general belief is that earth is sort of a prison planet where the souls of bad aliens are trapped in monkey bodies (humans) as a punishment and only by paying the church of scientology lots of money can you become "clear" and escape a cycle of death and rebirth on the prison planet (earth).
1047568
No, there are plenty of skeptics. \n\nThis is the science section. Most people here are skeptics. That's because we expect things to be supportable with evidence and facts.\n\nPsychism is a scam. It is used to con money out of the weak minded. It doesn't really exist.\n\nIf you want to talk with people who share the fantasy that psychics, ghosts, leprechauns and dragons really exist I suggest you try the religion or folklore sections.
607249
religion or family believes.