Scientology for Dummies

Despite the efforts by the Church of Scientology to remove videos from popular websites such as YouTube, chances are you've already seen the recent videos of Tom Cruise explaining Scientology. Cruise can be seen praising the religion, and, according to the media, showing he is a complete fanatic.

Scientology has a very powerful influence over the world we live in. To understand why one would oppose Scientology we must first look at its origins. Scientology stems from the works of a man named L. Ron Hubbard who wrote numerous novels. Hubbard came up with a self-improvement technique referred to as Dianetics. Hibbard claimed Dianetics was an alternative to psychotherapy and psychiatry, even going as far as saying his practice improves intelligence. He believed it removed bad thoughts from the mind and took advantage of the mind-body connection. Some authors quickly denounced this practice, calling it a scam. After selling tens of thousands of copies, Hubbard believed his Dianetics could be turned into a full religion. Thus Scientology was born.

The Church of Scientology has called Scientology "a study of truth", which is documented in over a dozen books and countless lectures. In a nutshell, Scientologists believe an extraterrestrial being named Xenu manipulated and eventually enslaved humans from numerous planets. Spirits and false memories are said to inhabit all humans on planet Earth and can be exorcised. Those who are saved can discover their past history, going back to their endless amount of lives during the process of reincarnation.

Scientology claims to be able to solve some of soceity's biggest issues - crime, poverty, etc. It is praised as a journey of self-discovery. There are no enforced beliefs and people may think freely. You can shape your world around what you want. What's not to like about that?

There has been overwhelming controversy surrounding the Church of Scientology and its members. The aim of Scientology is to create a world without crime. A world without suffering. A world without conflict. They want, for lack of a better world, a utopia. Scientologists must undergo the practice of "disconnection" in which they cut off all contact with friends and relatives who aren't Scientologist. Members are expected to contribute to the church financially in hopes of recruiting others. Because of this, Scientology has been referred to numerous times as a "cult" and a "money making scam".