Is scientology a real religion or another scam to avoid taxes?

No, it's not a real religion. It's a cult.

Scientology, which questionably calls itself a new "religion", is the brainchild of science fiction writer & occult enthusiast L. Ron Hubbard. The organization, by means of Hubbard’s self created psychotherapy technique called “Dianetics”, claims to be able to help rid members of any & all mental constraints including but not limited to emotional scarring (from this & "past" lives) due to "engrams" (past negative experiences stored in our unconscious mind), psychological disorders & chemical imbalances (the solution is to convince members that these things don't actually exist) & drug dependence (including legally prescribed psychopharmaceuticals which counteract the effects of psychological disorders Scientologists believe to be nonexistent). Their “treatment” of substance abuse includes little more than massive, often dangerous doses of vitamins and unhealthy extended sessions in a sauna.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dianetics#Scientific_...

Dianetics review: http://dir.salon.com/story/books/review/2005/06/28...

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,8...

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/detox.htm

http://www.nypress.com/20/22/news&columns/feature....

Scientology is most certainly NOT a religion. In fact, one of the only reasons they enjoy "tax exempt status" on religious ground in the United States is because they bullied the IRS into a "deal" through extremely aggressive barratry (which is the offense of persistently instigating groundless lawsuits) against said government agency & its officials, & arranged to drop all 2,500 frivolous lawsuits only when an "agreement" was reached. In addition, Scientology's lawyers hired private investigators to dig up any "dirt" on IRS agents which was then used to blackmail or publicly smear all "vulnerable" agents. It was an all-out WAR that Scientology had waged against the IRS, & was even described as such by Scientology's "CEO", David Miscavige, in his 1993 speech to the International Association of Scientologists.

http://legalminds.lp.findlaw.com/list/fedtax-l/msg...

http://www.lermanet.com/scientologynews/nytimes/ny...

http://www.factnet.org/headlines/give-away.htm

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Cowen/essays/irs.html

The official Scientology organization is composed of a number of “levels”. One begins as a “preclear” & works their way up. One must purchase virtually every service crucial to advancement directly from the "church" & at staggering prices. "Auditing", for example, is purchased in 12½ hour blocks, costing anywhere from $200-$750 for introductory sessions to between $8,000 & $9,000 for advanced sessions. Basically, Scientology claims to possess exclusive knowledge of the path to religious redemption & then charges obscene amounts of money for every tiny incremental step towards this end. Visit this link to see how $380,000 is a conservative estimate for the total cost of moving all the way up the Scientology hierarchal ladder:

http://www.xenu.net/archive/prices.html

These are the total costs for auditing alone:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_as_a_busi...

Here’s an explanation of what “auditing” is:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=200612...

At level OT III (Operating Thetan Level 3), some very strange & fiercely guarded secrets are imparted upon worthy members who have paid enough money to advance to such a level (and no, this isn't a joke): The evil alien ruler Xenu killed millions of aliens (Thetans) from around the universe by kidnapping them, bringing them to earth in golden DC-8 “space-planes”, stacking them around volcanoes & blowing them up by dropping “h-bombs” into the volcanoes. Scientologists believe the souls of these aliens (these souls are "Body Thetans") were captured, brainwashed & released; they then attached themselves to our ancestors (and according to Scientology’s belief in Thetan immortality, they also attached to us during “past lives”) & cause many of our mental & physical ills to this day. Auditing is said to “clear” us of these Body Thetans as well as the “mental implants” they supposedly impose on our minds.

http://www.spaink.net/cos/essays/atack_ot3.html

http://sf.irk.ru/www/ot3/spaink-ot3.html

http://xenu.net/archive/leaflet/Xenu-Letter.pdf

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/OTIII/

Scientology has taken a very hostile stance towards psychiatry & psychiatric drugs irrespective of the fact that some people require medication to remain adequately functional during everyday life. It doesn’t recognize legitimate conditions like autism, epilepsy, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or ANY neurological disorder / chemical imbalance at all, & the “church” has been known to withhold prescription pharmaceuticals from members (often with harmful & deadly results). The “Church” blames psychiatry for the Holocaust, as well as school shootings & even September 11th. It’s been suggested that Hubbard’s vehement opposition was born of the psychiatric community’s rejection of his “tech” as a valid treatment method, but it’s also possible that Hubbard chose psychiatry as a scapegoat. Organizations like Scientology are notorious for villainizing a specific out-group because their “stand against the enemy” fosters cohesion within said organization, & psychiatry was an effective rallying point considering many people already distrust & oppose the mental health profession.

http://www.anti-scientologie.ch/usa-scientology.ht...

http://www.lacitybeat.com/article.php?id=3137&Issu...

http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/07/01...

http://perkinstragedy.org/

L. Ron Hubbard, the man behind the creation of Scientology, was & still is a controversial figure. Biographies & lists of personal accomplishments differ greatly between Scientology & non-Scientology publications as the “church” tends to exaggerate & outright lie about his early life, his education, his travels, his achievements etc, preferring to paint a distorted, flattering picture. Several books & articles present facts which flatly contradict these church-published accounts (links to free online copies of these books & articles are provided below), showing conclusively that he was NOT the brilliant, accomplished figure revered by Scientologists. During his autopsy, the sedative 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. It had also been said by many who knew Hubbard personally that at the end of his life he was “a psychopathic insane person screaming about BT's [Body Thetans]…”

http://www.apologeticsindex.org/Bare%20Faced%20Mes...

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/atack/con...

http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/mom/Messiah_...

http://lisatrust.bogie.nl/scientology/essays/jeff-...

To be blunt, Scientology is a cult. It employs semi-legitimate psychotherapy & self-help methods to keep people loyal & convinced of its merit while it simultaneously sucks them dry financially & attempts to keep them far away from ANYONE, even friends & family, who would dissuade them from remaining in such a harmful situation. It bullies all known critics, opponents, “enemies”, etc, often through malicious litigation & character assassination. It’s a particularly greedy as well as manipulative & dangerous cult that takes its anti-psychiatry fanaticism to deadly limits.

http://www.solitarytrees.net/racism/harass.htm#sta...

http://www.factnet.org/Books/SocialControl/scs.htm...

http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups...

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/06/24/Tampabay/The_unp...

http://www.xenu.net/archive/personal_story/funkydo...

1

Scientology Scam

This Site Might Help You.

RE:

Is scientology a real religion or another scam to avoid taxes?

Do scientologists worship a god or many gods? The very word, "scientology" sounds like the study of knowledge, or something more like philosophy rather than religion. (Is Xenu the brother of Xena the Warrior Princess? L. Ron Hubbard was a science fiction writer, wasn't he?)

Religion is usually bogus. People trying to believe something More, something Real. Scientology is called a religion but is only a pathetic attempt to find the truth. Or in other words yes it's a scam. The truth is out there, or at least I want to believe that. I believe in God. It's much simpler then Xenu and all that other sci-fi stuff.

In 1967, the IRS stripped all US-based Scientology entities of their tax exemption, declaring Scientology's activities were commercial and operated for the benefit of Hubbard. The church sued and lost repeatedly for 26 years trying to regain its tax-exempt status. The case was eventually settled in 1993, at which time the church paid $12.5 million to the IRS—greatly less than IRS had initially demanded—and the IRS recognized the church as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization. In addition, Scientology also dropped more than fifty lawsuits against the IRS when this settlement was reached. Scientology cites its tax exemption as proof the United States government accepts it as a religion. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Scientology

I hope it helps.

Scientology is a cult started by Sci-Fi writer L. Ron Hubbard, who was at one time a disciple of Aleister Crowley. They use a process called "auditing" on their followers, which is really just a mild form of hypnosis.

Very good question. Yes Mr. Hubbard was a fiction writer, a photographer, filmmaker and musician. I believe the Religion believes in God. Here is a synopsis of this Religion:

The keynote of the Scientology religion is the human spirit — its salvation and rehabilitation. It teaches that an individual is a spirit — not a body, a brain, or a fortuitous random conglomeration of genes and chemicals. It is this recognition of the nature of an individual that forms the foundation of the Scientology religion. Throughout the ages, man has traditionally viewed himself as a spiritual being. It is only in the last century that the materialistic idea that man is a mere animal similar to a monkey or rat has taken hold. Scientology teaches that this idea is patently false, unworkable, and acts as a barrier to personal understanding of life. One little suspects how much untapped potential one has to create his or her own life.

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Scientology is certainly NOT a religion. True religions do not require participants to "donate" large quantities of money in order to learn the "truth." Members of true religions do not physically attack the people who speak out against them, threaten and bully them, or even go so far as to attempt to frame them for false crimes.

Scientology is nothing but an evil cult that has brainwashed millions of people, and destroyed countless lives.

(I was actually wondering if Xenu is related to Zeno, you know, from Zeno's Paradox? Maybe not....)

Yes it's a real religion.

Actually it's my religion. Here’s a factual description for you . You can decide for yourself.

Scientology is a new religion. It is an applied religious philosophy. By “applied” is meant that it is for use in life and living. You actually use it in your day to day life to change and improve existing conditions. It is a practical religion.

All religions if you study them have a basic philosophy, but they also have certain dogma, rituals and observances and a certain faith or belief is required. There is nothing wrong with this , but Scientology is not that kind of religion. It acknowledges the principle of God or the Supreme Being but does not try to define or describe this principle, leaving it up to the individual.

It is also not a messianic religion. This means there is no worship of prophets or messiahs or gods. It is not belief or faith based. In Scientology a truth is true for you according to your own observation and experience .

The dictionary definition that applies:

Religion: The spiritual or emotional attitude of one who recognises the existence of superhuman power or powers.

The most basic principle of Scientology is that YOU are your own immortal soul, that this is not a thing you have but what YOU actually are.

Scientology believes or considers that Man is basically good. This is different from many religions that promote that he his natively evil or bad unless “made” good.

The whole purpose of Scientology knowledge application and procedure is to increase an individual’s understanding and awareness of himself as a spiritual being and to rehabilitate his native abilities and potential.

When you do this there sphere and zones of his positive influence increases and moves outward into his life , his family and friends, his groups and Mankind of which he is part .

How this result is achieved is the “technology” of Scientology, which was developed by L Ron Hubbard from discoveries he made after extensive research into the field of the mind and the human spirit.

Some of this knowledge was already existing in the sacred lore of ancient texts like the Veda or Vedic Hymns going back 10,000 years. New and additional discoveries were made about the nature of the human spirit and fully recorded and codified .

Scientology’s closest spiritual ties with any other religion are with Orthodox (Hinayana ) Buddhism with which it shares an historical lineage. But even here the relationship is based mainly on friendship and the recognition of the being as a spirit rather than any organizational ties.

L.Ron Hubbard published 18 basic books from 1950 to 1955 to fully communicate the basic principles of Scientology, the path of his research and the technology that he developed from this.

He completed all his research before his death in 1986 and left all his materials and copyrights to the Church of Scientology’s Religious Technology Centre along with most of his personal estate when he died.

The Church of Scientology is currently established iand operating internationally in over 160 countries world wide. However it is still a new religion, less than 55 years old.

The true story of Scientology as a religion goes like this:

1. A philosopher developes a philosophy about life and death.

2. People find it interesting.

3. People find it works.

4. People pass it along to others.

5. It grows.

This is just an overview.

L.Ron Hubbard explained fully the theology and technologies of Scientology in more than 500,000 pages of writings, including dozens of books and over 3,000 tape recorded public lectures.

P.S. Recognized religions have tax exempt ststus because they aren't profit making businesses, their money is used for religious purposes only. ( i.e. no one makes a finacial profit).Scientologists still pay their taxes like everyone else.