13 Quick Facts about Scientology

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 | Cult, Doctrine

“A reclusive multimillionare who preferred to work all night. A man terrified of germs who fought his growing array of ailments with a variety of drugs and massive vitamin injections.”

That’s how Time magazine described L. Ron Hubbard–founder of Scientology–back in 1983.

Later, in 1991, Time referred to Scientology as a cult thriving on greed and power.

Here are thirteen facts on quite likely the most lucrative cult in America.

1. In May 1950, Hubbard collected and published many ideas common to Scientology in an article for the magazine Astounding Science Fiction. In the same year he published a systematic presentation of his quasi-psychoterapeutic and religious ideas in a non-fiction book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.

2. Influences on Scientology include philosophers Francis Bacon and Herbert Spencer, psychologist Sigmund Freud and religions such as Hinduism, Taoism and Buddhism, even Gnosticism.

3. Hubbard insisted Scientology was a religion and in 1953 incorporated the Church of Scientology in New Jersey. To this day Scientology is recognized as a tax-exempt religion in the U. S.

4. From 1966 through 1975, Hubbard lived aboard the Scientology’s floating headquarters, the 300-foot boat Apollo. Hubbard died from a stroke at his ranch aged 74 on January 24, 1986, .

5. Scientology revolves around the idea of the “thetan,” a person’s essential self expressed in the universal force. Thetans existed in the primordial past, created the universe for their own pleasure and fell from grace when they identified with this creation. Thetans also reincarnate.

6. Scientology splits the mind in two: the reactive and the analytical. The reactive side is responsible for emotions while the analytical, consciousness. Think subconscious versus conscious.

7. Important to Scientology is the concept of survival, broken down into eight classifications, individual survival being the most basic. [Note of Maslov's hierarchy of needs here.]

8. Hubbard believed and taught that the human population was 80% “social personalities” and 20% “anti-social personalities,” the Hitlers, Stalins, Pol Pots, unrepentant murders and drug lords.

9. Through a process known as “auditing” a Scientologists can solve his problems and free himself of engrams–painful and debilitating mental images that can accumulate and cloud a person’s true identity.

10. Scientologists develop spiritually through a process known as “the Bridge to Total Freedom” that involves progressively complex study materials. Donations are required for each course with higher-level courses costing in the thousands.

11. The Church hides higher-levels of mystical teachings to protect unprepared minds and fight against text twisting.

12. Scientology opposes psychiatry, charging it was responsible for World War I, Hitler’s rise, the decline of education in America, the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo and September 11.

13. Tom Cruise is an unequivocal Scientology fanatic, evident in this indoctrination video The Church tried to suppress.

**Part of the Quick Facts on Christian Cults series.**

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Tags: Hubbard, Scientology

10 Comments to 13 Quick Facts about Scientology

Rudy
May 3, 2009

The Tom Cruise incoherent babbling was hilarious. Even more funny is the parody done by Jerry O’Connell.

Demian Farnworth
May 4, 2009

Rudy…I nearly peed my pants. That WAS funny. Thank you for sharing!

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May 4, 2009

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Heather
May 4, 2009

Demian, thanks for spreading the word about Scientology. Freedom of religion is vital for all of us. So, I don’t take issue with the beliefs of Scientology – even where they are offensive beliefs about Jesus. It’s their prerogative to believe what they choose to believe.

But, it’s when those beliefs translate – routinely, and as a matter of policy and doctrine – into the abuse of people, that I start to think something needs to be done about them. Here’s just one recent example to illustrate my point:

Laura DeCrescenzo was 9 years old when she started working at the Scientology “Org”. At age 10, Laura was a full-time staff member. At 12, her parents signed over guardianship of Laura to a Scientologist and she left her home in New Mexico and moved to California to join Scientology’s elite Sea Organisation. She signed a contract to serve for one billion years.

She married at 16 and at 17, Laura was coerced into having an abortion. The “church” told her that to have the child she was pregnant with would be “out-ethics”, a Scientology term meaning “unethical”, because it would interfere with her work for the Church.

Finally, in 2004, Laura took a swig of bleach to make the Scientologists think she was suicidal. The ploy worked and it allowed Laura to escape without undergoing the lengthy and tortuous procedure of “routing out”.

On April 2, 2009, Laura DeCrescenzo filed a complaint against the Church of Scientology International, claiming:

1. rescission of unlawful and fraudulent contracts;
2. unpaid wages and breaches of labor laws;
3. discrimination and invasion of privacy, including illegal use of lie-detectors on staff;
4. human trafficking;
5. intentional infliction of emotional distress; and
6. obstruction of justice.

The suit follows two others alleging labor law violations, coerced abortion and human trafficking issued in January 2009 by Marc and Claire Headley.

Unfortunately, Laura’s story is not unusual for children – and adults, for that matter – in Scientology. There have been plenty of law suits through the decades. But still Scientology continues to abuse its staff. It’s happening now. In America.

Sources:

Laura De Crescenzo’s Story told by AP Journalist Jonny Jacobsen

Laura De Crescenzo’s Complaint filed April 2, 2009.

Laura’s Story as originally told at whyweprotest.net.

Marc Headley’s Amended Complaint.

Claire Headley’s 2nd Amended Complaint.