The Origins Of The Church Of Scientology

1556 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Church of scientology cult beliefs

During the dawn of the mid 20th century a new idea began to formulate within the mind of L. Ron Hubbard that would later give birth to what is known today as one of the fastest growing religions of the 21st century; this controversial religion is called Scientology. Scientology has acquired many individuals from all walks of life, ethnicities, and International regions of the world into its membership.

According to the New Oxford American Dictionary the definition of Scientology is “a religious system based on the seeking of self-knowledge and spiritual fulfillment through graded courses of study and training.” In addition, Scientology claims to comprise the remedies used to deliver people from drugs and alcohol abuse, as well as, therapeutic solutions to help others recover from serious injuries at an astonishing progressive rate. In essence, this movement’s main agenda is to bring order to a world of chaos through spreading its teachings, improving environmental conditions on planet earth, and developing the holistic being through using different methodologies and technologies.

Moreover, by obtaining a basic understanding of Scientology and its purpose we can now explore and uncover the answer to a question that sparks the curiosity of outsiders in western civilization; such a question is How did it Begin? The origins of this culture began in the year of 1923 when L. Ron Hubbard started his studies of the mind and spirit. Likewise, such studies resulted in the creation of a manuscript entitled Excalibur; this book was completed in 1938 but was never published. Furthermore, it was in this unpublished work that the word “Scientology” first appeared. The literal interpretation of the phrase means “the study of knowing how t...

... middle of paper ...

...sion, my answer to the “church” of Scientology pertaining to the existence of God will be in the form of a philosophical question that states, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it does it make a sound?

Works Cited

1) Cooper, Paulette “The High Cost Of Scientology.” The Scandal Of Scientology. Web. 28th Nov. 1997

2) Communication Office Bulletin (HCOB). Hubbard, L. Ron. 18 July 1959.

3) “Dianetics.” New Oxford American Dictionary. Version 2.0.3 2005-2007.

4) lronhubbard.org/biography. N.P., 1995-2010. Web. 6 Nov. 2010

5) patheos.com. N.p., 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 6 Nov. 2010

6) “Scientology.” New Oxford American Dictionary. Version 2.0.3 2005-2007.

7) The New King James Version (NKJV) Bible. Ed. Thomas Nelson Nashville: 1982.

8) Watchman Fellowship. “What Christians Should Know about the Church of Scientology.” Web. 1 Jan. 2009.

Show More
Related

  • Mary Lee Daugherty's Snake Handling Pentecostal Christianity

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    forefront of time, never waning and never dying out. It has evolved overtime to include interesting ways of worship and faith basis. From the standard worship of God, or he who is all powerful, to the ideological notion that our bodies are occupied by alien spirits who were brought to earth long ago and killed off due to overpopulation of their planet, religion has definitely come a long way. One such interesting religious practice that I’d like to discuss, is the snake-handling Pentecostal Christians of the Appalachian Mountains. Furthermore, I will discuss the relevancy to the groups’ stereotype and attempt to showcase how it’s virtually nonexistent in today’s society as it used to be by comparing and contrasting Mary Lee Daugherty’s piece

    Read More

  • Wicca vs. Scientology

    1334 Words  | 3 Pages

    Similar to Wicca, Scientology is a vastly solitary religion, focusing on each practitioner and their personal journey through life in order to obtain fulfillment and happiness. Each Scientologist believes in the ‘thetan’, which is their true identity, or ‘spirit’. Scientology is based on fundamental principles that act as a guide to each individual’s ultimate spiritual enlightenment ...

    Read More

  • The Heaven's Gate Cult

    511 Words  | 2 Pages

    The cult was mainly composed of men and women both. All members had crew cuts and were between the ages of 26 and 72. Although many members lived together in a mansion in California, they came from all parts of the country. Many were from California, but members also came from Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Minnesota, Utah, Ohio, and Florida. There were approximatly 39 members who lived in the 1.3 million dollar Rancho Santa Fe mansion. They operated a web site for their cult called “Higher Source”.

    Read More

  • Voodoo: Sinister Cult or Respected Religion?

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    Voodoo, sinister cult or respected religion? You be the judge after reading my brief report on this exotic religion. To create this report I have reviewed three current articles on voodoo and one encyclopedia entry. In its entirety the report will consist of some history of voodoo, misconceptions, purpose of rituals and my personal reflection. Using these current articles I am going to take a in depth look at one of the most misunderstood religions ever.

    Read More

  • Unveiling Operation Sleeping Beauty: A Sci-Fi Tale

    1284 Words  | 3 Pages

    Feesh calmly replied, “Listen to me. That new president has just announced that the government has been completely taken over by the Church of Scientology. That could mean the end of the world as we know it.”

    Read More

  • The Heaven's Gate Cult

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Heaven’s Gate Cult was founded in the early 1970’s by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles. Applewhite was recovering, under the care of his nurse Ms. Nettles, when he claimed to have has a near death experience. Applewhite claimed that he and Nettles were the two witnesses spoken of in the Book of Revelation. And they were to prepare the worlds inhabitants for recycling.

    Read More

  • The Many Faces of Aleister Crowley

    2060 Words  | 5 Pages

    Many believe that they influence the world, some in greater ways than others, some for better some for worse, but none quite like Aleister Crowley, none hated and slandered more than he and his silent truth. Aleister Crowley, often associated with various groups, had come to know L. Ron Hubbard when he had learned about Hubbard’s friendship with Jack Parsons, who at the time was Master of Agapé Lodge No. 2, one of the American lodges of Aleister Crowley’s Ordo Templi Orientis. Hubbard and Parsons had started a business together and began the ridiculous Babalon Working. Crowley was right to be frantic, the business partnership ultimately ended in shambles, Hubbard ran off with Parsons’ boat, and went on to start his sci-fi religion, Scientology, yes, the creator of Scientology in which famous actor Tom Cruise is a member of, was in fact a dear friend, as Hubbard would like to believe, of Aleister, who never really thought much of Hubbard. Among his diligent work at advancing his wisdom in life Aleister was often known for being quite the comedian. Aleister Crowley’s best humor was often at someone else’s expense, but overall he had a kind heart and a deep concern for the well-being of every man, woman, and child alive. Indeed, in 1924 he dedicated his life to serving humankind, and from then on he worked tirelessly and exclusively for the cause of human liberty. It would be impossible to survey Crowley’s extraordinary wit in this small space. Suffice to say, all of his prose is packed with humor. Aleister Crowley’s original writing is far funnier than any of the parodies of his work, “One would go mad if one took the Bible seriously; but to take it seriously one must be already mad.” — Liber ABA, Part II, Chapter ...

    Read More

  • Santeria Religion

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    We can distinguish among other religions of such history – Scientology is a complete transformation on a human being. Scientology came about because of Man's increased knowledge of energy (Hubbard, 2007). This movement is a based on the self revelation of the human inner spirit to heal and take on new forms of living. Auditing plays an important role for all Scientologists who learn to believe that our lives need to be controlled in order to develop a higher spirituality. The idea is to confess all of our past endeavors and be cleared path to the "ideal being". The core belief of the religion is that humans are immortal alien beings who have forgotten their true nature. In order to rediscover their inner selves -- the thetans -- Scientologists undergo practices such as auditing (Yapp, 2006). Recognized as a form of technology, the human being is taught to free itself from the barriers and recognize it's true self because of such religious

    Read More

  • The Church of Scientology: Religion Or Cult?

    1787 Words  | 4 Pages

    The church of Scientology has been the subject of controversy since its inception. Its methods and beliefs have attracted the attention of scholars from around the world. The church has been under government investigation and has endured a countless amount of lawsuits (Reitman 14). It is also a hot topic by the media with several endorsements by some of the most recognized Hollywood celebrities. However, the main topic of debate regarding the Church of Scientology is its status as a religion. Some members claim that the church has helped them overcome their struggles and that they are happier people, while others condemn it as a dangerous cult (Sweeney). The church of Scientology is a religious group whose purpose is to retain their members with the promise of spiritual enlightenment. Its controversial history, beliefs, and practices reveal the church’s commitment to keep its members.

    Read More

  • Jonestown

    2195 Words  | 5 Pages

    Cults have existed throughout history since the beginning of time. A cult is defined in Webster’s dictionary as a “system of religious worship with a devoted attachment to a person, principle, etc.” Over the past thirty years numerous religious cults have caused “ tens of thousands to abandon their families, friends, education’s, and careers to follow the teaching of a leader they will never meet”(Beck 78).

    Read More

  • What Is Religion?

    1612 Words  | 4 Pages

    Smith, Huston. World’s Religions: A Guide to our Wisdom Traditions. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1994.

    Read More

  • History Of Scientology

    1376 Words  | 3 Pages

    Scientology is a religion that is becoming more and more popular and known. One of the reasons for this is the amount of press it gets. One of the biggest churches for scientology is located in LA this could result in the amount of celebrities involved in this religon. There is also a great amount of controversy concerning this religion. After taking this world religions class I have come to learn that this controversy is true with all religions.

    Read More

  • Why people join cults

    1404 Words  | 3 Pages

    Lifton, R., foreword, Cults In Our Midst, by Margaret Thaler Singer & Lalich (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1995).

    Read More

  • Cults Essay

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    Scientology was founded in 1952 by L. Ron Hubbard. The Church of Scientology has been known to use manipulations such as isolation and lawsuit to keep members in line. Many consider the Church of Scientology to be a church and not a cult because it is recognized by the IRS, but numerous countries refuse to recognize it as a church including, the United Kingdom, Greece, Canada, Germany, and France. Reverend Sun Myung Moon founded the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity in 1954. After 7 years in the church his followers were told they could choose their marriage partners and he became famous for his mass marriage ceremonies. In 1970s, Moon renamed the cult the Unification Church and relocated it to New York City. The cult still exists even though Moon died in 2010.

    Read More

  • Hindu Mythology

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    Organ, Troy Wilson. Eerdmans' Handbook to The World Religions. Woodbury, NY: Barron's Educational Series, 1974. Print.

    Read More

More about The Origins Of The Church Of Scientology

Open Document