The Truth About Scientology
January 22nd, 2008
The Church of Scientology is getting a considerable amount of free publicity these days, though I’m not so sure it’s the kind they would prefer to have. With the surfacing of the Tom Cruise video clip in which he passionately advocates Scientology and the recent release of the controversial new tell all book, Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography, Scientologists have been keeping fairly busy filing various lawsuits. Publishers Weekly reported last week that biographer Andrew Morton and St. Martin’s Press have both been threatened with a $100 million suit. Additionally petitions have been filed to have the Cruise video pulled from the internet, alleging breach of copyright since the clip was originally intended for Scientology use only.
So what’s got scientologists so up in arms? Is it Cruise’s outlandish claims? Is it his creepy laugher? Is it the kooky “Mission Impossible” music? Or maybe it’s the allegations that Cruise has been elevated to one of the highest levels of church leadership, or that Katie Holmes may have been secretly impregnated with L. Ron Hubbard’s frozen sperm.
Or maybe it’s simply this, that recent publicity is shedding new light on the ridiculous teachings of Scientology in a way that makes them look….well, ridiculous. “And just what DO they teach?” you may be asking. Here are a few things I’ve been able to glean from the web.
Scientology is the religious philosophy developed by L. Ron Hubbard in 1952 through his self-help system called Dianetics. According to the Church of Scientology Official Site:
“Scientology is the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others and all of life.”
“Man is an immortal, spiritual being. His experience extends well beyond a single lifetime. His capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized — and those capabilities can be realized. He is able to not only solve his own problems, accomplish his goals and gain lasting happiness, but also achieve new, higher states of awareness and ability.”
“Man consists of three parts. The first of these is the spirit, called in Scientology the thetan…which is the individual himself. The second of these parts is the mind. The thetan uses his mind as a communication and control system between himself and his environment. The third of these parts is the body. The body is not the person. The most important of the three parts of man is the thetan, which is the spirit, or you.”
Here’s what Beliefnet has to say on “What Scientologists Believe”:
“Suffering 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.”
“Salvation 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…who can control matter, energy, space, time, thought, and life.”
“Scientology 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 he or she becomes more conscious and spiritually aware.”
I know this is a rather simplistic overview, but you get the picture. Essentially what they’re saying is that man is basically good, that you are the center of your universe, you are master of your own destiny, and you have the innate power within you to become whatever you want to be, up to and including becoming just like God. Sound familiar? It should. It’s the same lie Satan has been telling people for years going all the way back to Eve in the Garden of Eden.
The truth however is somewhat less palatable. According to God’s word man is not basically good. Man is spiritually depraved and destined for destruction. But here’s the good news. The hope of attaining true happiness and freedom is in the unmerited favor of a loving and just God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Our natural desire is to be captain of our destiny. True freedom, however, comes through surrender.
