 |
Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms |
|
Church of Scientology
History
The Church of Scientology is a group that rightly belongs to the eastern cults. The founder of Scientology L. Ron Hubbard spoke highly of his own writings believing them to be the unfinished work of Buddha. It is not classical Buddhism but it offers a high tech blending of ideas from the world religions coupled with L. Ron Hubbard's own discoveries.
Layfayette Ronald Hubbard (1911-1986) affectionately known as Ron by Scientologists, would have had a legacy in life even without Scientology. For before the days of his religion he was a very popular science fiction writer, and his novels are still in print, this was only the beginning of Hubbard's name gaining international recognition. He wrote his novels in the 1930's and 40's and kept writing after finding his religion. Time Magazine reported that Hubbard spoke before a science fiction writer's convention in 1949 in New Jersey and said, ( Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wanted to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.) ( Time, April 5th 1976, page 57) Scientologists say that their founder was joking, but critics say it was a prediction of Scientology. The fact remains that Hubbard released Dianetics- The Modern Science of Mental Health, a year after his comment in May 1950. He wrote his first book on Scientology in 1951 and incorporated the Church of Scientology of California, February 18th 1954.
Dianetics remains an introductory level book for Scientology, according to a published list. The Church of Scientology has been in more court battles than any other new craze religion. The U.S. Supreme Court declared Scientology a bona fide religion which prevented the IRS from revoking its non profit status. Its religious status did not prevent raids by the Food and Drug Administration where a counselling aid called an E-meter and a vitamin compound called GUK were confiscated. The CIA kept a running file on Hubbard, the IRS revoked their tax exempt status in 1959 (later overturned) and it was raided by the FBI in 1977. Some writers have criticised the investigation by government agencies labelling it persecution, others believe that Scientology perpetrated wrong doing that invited the investigation. Either way the battle between government agencies and Scientology appears to be continuing. Total innocence cannot be assumed for the church because the evidence recovered from the FBI raid in 1977 showed that high ranking Scientologists had master minded an operation to break into several government offices and steal documents from the U.S. Army, Navy, Customs, CIA, Federal Trade Commission, IRS, the U.S. Courthouse, and others. ( Peoples Weekly, August 14, 1978, page 23) There was enough evidence to put several top Scientologists in prison, including Mary Sue Hubbard, wife of Ron. ( Reader's Digest, May 1980, page 91)
Scientology an Overview
Mr. Hubbard used many new word terms in his writings for Scientology. Some of his books have so many new terms that a glossary is published with it. Scientology publishes its own dictionary to help students wade through the definitions.
The first principle taught to the Scientologist is that you are not your body. According to them you are a Thetan. A Thetan is a spirit being ( similar to the soul) which has supposedly existed for some 300 trillion years. The Thetan has spent most of those years entering bodies only to die and re-enter another life form elsewhere in the universe. The problem for the Scientologist is that each past life had abberative experiences called Engrams, which attach themselves to the Thetan like barnacles on a ship. The presence of the Engrams is what makes the individual react so overtly in society. The natural solution is to remove them. This creates a second problem, the only way to remove them is through Scientology auditing and technical courses. The auditing is done while the subject holds two tin cans with wires fed to a galvanometer called an E-meter, the needle on the E-meter is observed by a trained Scientologist who helps the person find his Engram tracks.
Auditing can be costly, sometimes into the tens of thousands of dollars. Once the Engrams are totally removed, then the Thetan is pronounced Clear. The benefit of being Clear means that the Scientologist can gain control of his life, and free him from the endless cycle of birth and rebirth ( reincarnation). There are eight advance levels for the Scientologist after Clear. These are called OT levels, for Operating Thetan, the Operating Thetan Scientologist is supposed to have total control of his life, and control over matter, energy, space, and time.
Scientology Beliefs
Scientology claims it clarifies the spiritual nature of man and does not conflict with other religions or religious practices ( Volunteer Ministers Handbook, L. Ron Hubbard, Los Angeles, ASHO, 1968, 1976, page 14) However conflict for a Bible believing Christian means anything contrary to what the Bible says. We will examine now how Scientology conflicts with Christian beliefs and the Bible with the following subjects.
The Bible
L. Ron Hubbard believed that his work was the unfinished work of Buddha, the truth is that it is an extension of the work of Gauthama Siddhartha which began about 2,500 years ago, Buddha predicted that that in 2,500 years the entire job would be finished in the west....Well we finished it! ( Advance, December 1974, page 5) He also claimed inspiration from the Vedic Hymns of Hinduism, where a great deal of our material in Scientology is discovered) ( The Phoenix Lectures, Los Angeles, ASHO, 1968, page 12)
The Bible is held in less esteem than other writings, Hubbard believed the Bible had its origin in other religions,( It is no wonder when we look into the Christian Bibles we find ourselves reading the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Now the parables which are discovered today in the New Testament are earlier discovered, the same parables elsewhere in many places. One of these was the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which predates the New Testament considerably) (ibid, page 27)
God
Scientologists will say they do not define God. In Christian thinking anytime they deny the God of the Bible, they have the wrong definition. Hubbard said ( For a long while some people have been cross with me for my lack of co-operation in believing in a Christian Heaven , God, and Christ. I have never said I didn't believe in a big Thetan ( spirit) but there was certainly something very corny about Heaven, et al ( Victoria Report, 1965, page 151) In another sense Hubbard wrote of many gods ( There are gods above all other gods....there is not argument here against the existence of a Supreme Being or any devaluation intended. It is that amongst the gods, there are many false gods elected to power and position.....Three are gods above other gods, and gods beyond the gods of the universes) ( Scientology 0-8008, Los Angeles, ASHO, 1967, page 73)
We can see that Hubbard rejected the Christian teaching of God. he went further by stating that Christianity's God is found in Hinduism. ( The Christian god is actually much better characterized in the Vedic Hymns than in any subsequent publication including the Old Testament.) ( Phoenix Lectures, page 31)
Jesus Christ
What typifies the writings of Hubbard is his matter of fact statements with no supporting evidence to back it up. Of Christ's crucifixion he said, ( You will find the cross as a symbol all over the universe, and the Christ legend as an implant in pre-clears a million years ago.) ( Victoria Report, page 150) Hubbard misunderstands the Hebrew definition of messiah and portrays Jesus as one of many messiahs ( Now the Hebrew definition of Messiah is One Who Brings Wisdom (a Teacher) Messiah is from messenger, ...Now here we have a great teacher in Moses. We have other Messiahs, then we arrive with Christ.) ( Phoenix Lectures, pages 27&28)
He tried to to relate Christ to the Hindu Vedas ( Christ....was a bringer of information. He never announced his sources. He spoke of them as coming from God. But they might just as well have come from the god talked about in the Hymn to the Dawn Child....the Veda) ( ibid.)
Sin, Salvation, Reincarnation.
Man is basically good in Scientology. Hubbard rejected the concept that man was evil. ( It is despicable and utterly beneath contempt to tell a man he must repent, that he is evil) ( Victoria Report, page 150) also he said (Nobody but the individual can die for his sins) ( Volunteer Ministers's Handbook, page 349)
Salvation is Scientology is release from reincarnation, ( Personal salvation in one lifetime is freedom from the cycle of birth and death) ( Scientology, A World Religion, page 16) The subject of past lives is covered in detail by Hubbard in his book ( A History of Man) In this book one reads of the journey of the Thetan through various low life forms, including sea creatures, birds, sloth's, on its way to manhood. The next stage for man's evolution according to Hubbard is homo-novas, which he describes as very high and godlike. ( ibid. page 38)
The Bible's Answer to Scientology
The God of the Bible is a personal Being. He exists as three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. ( Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit) ( Matthew 28:19) In the Bible we find that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the one true God, there are no other gods in existence, because there is only ONE GOD by nature. ( Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago. You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock, I know not one.) ( Isaiah 44:8) Ands again ( Formerly when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.) ( Galatians 4:8) No gods existed before him and none shall exist after him. ( Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.) ( Isaiah 43:10c)
The word messiah is not from the word messenger. It is the word for the Anointed One. The word Christ is the Greek rendering of messiah. Hubbard was wrong in his definition and in saying that there are many messiahs, there have been FALSE messiahs, who claimed to be the Messiah, and still today as well. Jesus said anyone else who claims to be a messiah, is a deceiver and false. ( For many will come in my name, claiming I am the Christ, and will deceive many.) (Matthew 24:5) Never is Jesus called A Christ, but always THE Christ. ( Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is THE Christ.) ( 1 John 2:22a)
Mr. Hubbard felt it was beneath contempt to tell someone to repent, or say that he is evil, but this is exactly what Jesus did. ( If you then though you are EVIL, know how to give good gifts to you children, how much more will your Father in Heaven, give good gifts to those who ask him.) ( Matthew 7:11) Jesus began to preach and say, REPENT ( From that time on, Jesus began to preach, "Repent" for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.) ( Matthew 4:17)
Salvation according to the Bible is to apply faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ ( That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified and it is with your mouth that you confess, and are saved.) ( Romans 10:9&10) ( Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven, given to men, by which we must be saved.) ( Acts 4:12) The sacrifice of Jesus Christ cleanses us from our sins if we believe on him. ( But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin) ( 1 John 1:7)
Reincarnation is a doctrine rejected by Jesus and the Bible. Jesus taught that He alone is from above, and that we are from the world. ( But He continued, you are from below, I am from above, you are of this world, I am not of this world.) ( John 8:23) He taught that we die only once, in the parable of (The Rich man and Lazarus) ( Luke 16:19-31) and that there is no return to earth after death. ( verses 27-29) Also in ( Hebrews 9:27) ( Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement.) The entire message of the Bible takes it stand, in the story of redemption through the blood of Christ.
Scientology is a religion built on a combination of Hinduism, Buddhism, and modern technology. We conclude after an examination of its statements about God, Jesus Christ, and Salvation, that it is a manmade religion. It does not offer a true way of salvation for mankind, because it denies the concepts of the Bible.
Yours in Christ!
David Victory.