Created: 7 April 1997
Last Update: 28 Nov 1998
Scientology and Islam
Hubbard was a science fiction author prior to writing Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, and so understood the value of copyright law. Today, the "Church" of Scientology uses copyright law to hide their scriptures from scrutiny. Due to their litigous nature, the copyrighted (and sometime trade secret) writings of L. Ron Hubbard must be quoted within the bounds of Fair Use . This secretiveness makes research much more difficult, so some errors may occur. Every effort has been made to verify the Scientology source references, either from Scientology source documents and/or by first-hand validation by ex-Scientologists who have seen the documents.
The source material used in this document includes:
One note on the use of the phrase "Church" of Scientology: at present, the Church of Scientology International (CSI), the umbrella organization for the many sub-corporations of Scientology, calls itself a Church. The US Government, in the form of the Internal Revenue Service, has granted 501(c)(3) tax exempt status to it. However, the Boy Scouts are also a 501(c)(3) organization, so this in itself does not "prove" that Scientology is a religion. As will be seen, Scientology is not recognized as a religion in many parts of the world. I have chosen to put "Church" in quotes out of respect for both sides of this contentious issue, recognizing CSI's right to call themselves whatever they please, and governments' right to call Scientology whatever they please.
Since Scientology doctrine continues to dribble out of a.r.s. like a leaky faucet, this page is always under construction. Please feel free to contribute, report errors, or discuss issues with me at perry@ezlink.com.
Dianetics Doctrine
This article from The Christian Research
Journal, Summer 1993 is a good place to start because it avoids
much of the jargon
that is inherent in any direct reading
of Dianetics or Scientology doctrine. It describes the philosophy and
theological presuppositions of Scientology and then provides a comparison
between Scientology and Christianity. It is a well-done scholarly work,
complete with a rich set of references.
Dianetics grew out of the self-help movement of the 1950s and 1960s, as chronicled in Bare-Faced Messiah. Dianetics was positioned as a "Science of the Mind" or an alternative to psychiatry. Making up in enthusiasm what he lacked in credentials, Hubbard performed "research" (which has never been made public) with a crude lie-detector which he called the "E-meter". Hubbard then developed "technology" (auditing procedures with the E-meter) which produced the State of Clear, a super-human with vast mental powers. There was no faith and no religion involved; Dianetics was represented as being Pure Science.
Attempts by independent researchers failed to duplicate Hubbard's claims and in many cases disproved them. In one experiment [1], independent researchers followed Hubbard's instructions for producing an "engram" as found in Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. The subject was rendered unconcious with sodium pentothal, and pain was administered by squeezing the skin between the subject's fingers. Simultaneously, a passage from a college Physics text was read. Hubbard's auditors were unable to recover the resulting "engram" which, according to Hubbard, should have been created.
Snubbed by professional medical societies as a quack, Hubbard undauntedly continued his "research" into engrams and the reactive mind. Through shabby scientific method , Hubbard "discovered" various mental implants, placed there by psychiatrists on faraway planets trillions of years ago, which caused humans to behave irrationally. Hubbard manufactured a conspiracy against himself and Dianetics by the successors of these ancient psychiatrists who in Hubbardian cosmology are the source of human suffering on Earth. Even today, the Citizen's Commission on Human Rights criticizes psychiatric procedures, ostensibly to bolster the theories of Dianetics and Scientology. One of CCHR's more recent exploits was to cast doubt on Eli Lilly's psychoactive drug Prozac, denying effective treatment to thousands of troubled patients. Much to Scientology's chagrin, the international medical community has seen fit to ignore CCHR as well.
Thus, Dianetics grew purely from an ill-advised psuedo-scientific endeavor. It never addressed the supernatural, and treated the spirit (thetan) in a secular fashion similar to Freud's id.
[1] "An Experimental Investigation of Hubbard's Engram Hypothesis (Dianetics)", [alternate] [alternate] by Fox, Davis, and Lebovits. Psychological Newsletter (Dept. of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY) 1959, 10:131-134
Metamorphosis to Religion
"L. Ron Hubbard is widely rumored to have said The way to make a
million dollars is to start a religion. ... the short answer is
that it's almost certainly true.", Don Lindsay, Start a Religion FAQ [Frequently Asked Questions].
Dianetic auditing requires that the "basic" engram, upon which later similar engrams are tied, must be found to clear the entire chain. In need of an answer to explain why Dianetics didn't work, Hubbard claimed that the "basic" may lie outside of this lifetime, i.e. in a "Past Life". Hubbard's unsupported medical claims for Dianetics' capabilities were coming under increasing scrutiny from the FDA. Hubbard finally "found religion" in Past Lives.
In a 1953 letter , Hubbard is seen to be increasingly desperate to find people that would pay for his dubious therapy. He proposes adding a "religion angle" to Scientology to avoid the legal pitfalls of claiming to be a science. Unfortunately, Hubbard tried to have it both ways. He simultaneously called Scientology a secular mental therapy to attract scientific-minded people, then he called Scientology a religion to foil FDA scrutiny. William Barwell, a.r.s. poster, has compiled a list of Hubbard quotes, circa 1952-1962 in which Hubbard denies that Scientology is a religion.
The conversion of Scientology from a secular self-help group to a full-blown religion literally happened overnight. It all came together in response to various problems Hubbard was having with his "technology". There were numerous IRS tax audits over Scientology's interesting accounting system. Scientology adherents were reluctant to part with large amounts of after-tax income. Hubbard's ill-conceived medical claims for Scientology, a "scientific technology", was drawing ever-increasing FDA scrutiny. Scientology was suffering from a poor image as a cult. Religion has a positive public relations value and is protected by the US Constitutions First Amendment. Thus it is much more egregious to persecute a religion than it is to speak out against a quack therapy - the former may be a Hate Crime, while the latter is good citizenship. In response to all of these motivations, Hubbard issued HCOPL Oct 29 1962 in furtherance of obtaining tax exemption in England and the US:
"Scientology 1970 is being planned on a religious organization basis throughout the world.
"This will not upset in any way the usual activities of any organization. It is entirely a matter for accountants and solicitors."
HCO PL October 29, 1962, RELIGION
Thus, Scientology became a religion because Hubbard said it was. True
to form, Hubbard's proof was by repeated vehement assertion. He ordered
the establishment of various religious trappings
such as calling his staff ministers , using clerical
collars, calling auditing spiritual counselling, and the steep
prices were called fixed donations . Hubbard even wrote a few
"religious services", such as Marriage and Confession.
As early as 1969, religious scholars were questioning whether
Scientology was a religion or an alternative psychotherapy. Joseph Martin
Hopkins, associate professor, Department of Bible and Philosophy,
Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, questions whether Scientology is a Religion or
a Racket in this 2-part article in Christianity Today.
This essay by Stephen Kent from
Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol. 11, No. 1, 1996, explores
the superficial acquaintance of Scientology with Eastern religions, and
points to social and political pressures behind Hubbard's portrayal of
Scientology's Eastern roots.
"Although some social scientists insist that Scientology is a religion,
the more appropriate position to take is that the organization is a
multi-faceted transnational that has religion as only one of its many
components.
Scientology - Is This a Religion?,
Kent, 1997.
OT I and II increases the thetan's awareness by sharpening their powers
of observation (OT I: "spot a person") and unburdening them of implants
(OTII: Goals Problems Mass). This e-mail exchange
with Dennis Erlich discusses some of the theory behind GPMs and OT
levels. [Note: Dennis, an OT VII, held the post of Chief Cram
Officer, Flag Land Base. A "Cram Officer" oversees remedial training
of OT-level auditors. Flag Land Base is Scientology's premier training
facility. This post could be characterized as the highest technical
position attainable in Scientology.]
When the Advanced Technology was published on the Web, Scientology sued
for copyright violations. This undemocratic suppression of information
caused a "protest" in the Netherlands which even included one member of
parliament. Karin Spaink's
copy of the
Fishman Affidavit is the first to survive a legal challenge by
Scientology.
OT III contains the
"creation story" of Scientology. There are two major events in
Scientology, aptly named Incident I and Incident II. Incident I deals
with the creation of this universe by bored thetans who suddenly agree
upon one of many realities:
Incident II details Earth's further degradation and entanglement with
implants. It details how an evil galactic space tyrant named
Xenu solved an overpopulation problem 75 million years ago by:
Since there were no higher level beings on Earth 75 million years ago,
these disembodied spirits began inhabiting lower life forms, climbing
the evolutionary chain to the bodies of primitive apes, passed from
generation to generation to present-day man. Over time, these spirits
degraded. They forgot their former abilities, went to sleep, took drugs
(don't ask how), or grouped themselves together into clusters that
thought they were one spirit, based on their common memories. Because
there were more spirits than bodies, some of them became content to
control a single body part, such as an elbow or knee. Hubbard, in the
NOTs, intimates that psychosomatic illness is caused by these spirits
attacking the only body part over which they have control, causing
localized pain.
The OT levels are primarily aimed at reattaining our pre-Incident-I
God-like state. Much of the emphasis is on ridding ourselves of these
thetans (or Body Thetans, or simply abbreviated "BTs").
These spiritual parasites infest our bodies, cause us pain, confuse us
with counter-intent, and generally prevent us from being God. The
OT levels are about the exorcism of BTs and clusters.
The method of exorcism is to contact the BT, ask its name, relate
Incident I, and then Incident II. At some point during the process, the
BT is supposed to realize "I'm me!", that is, that he is independent of
the thetan controlling the body of the Scientologist, departing to
presumably pick up another body at the local maternity ward. This
process continues until there are no more BTs to contact. In higher OT
levels, the Scientologist finds out that some of the BTs are unconcious,
on drugs, or asleep. There are procedures for exorcising these BTs as
well, involving increasing the awareness of the Scientologist in his
search for BTs.
According to HCOB 23.9.78 I, "The EP [End Phenomena, completion] of the
Rundown is when: the Pre-OT has a transparent body and a clear area
around it to some distance (barring perception of other people's
difficulties) and when he realizes he is alive and very much himself."
Ariane Jackson, OT8 completion, posted this
summary of OT8 to a.r.s. Ariane, whose native tongue is French,
answered some followup questions posed by
Roger Gonnet, who has
graciously translated to English. Other ex-OT8s (those who leave the
"Church" are stripped of their "spiritual" credentials) have confirmed
Ariane's account. Also note that Ariane mentions that the OT5 in Fishman is no
longer valid. This indicates that the "Church" of Scientology
occasionally reworks the upper levels, making research more difficult.
One must be careful to state the timeframe of the material being
discussed.
The Advanced Technology also includes the "L"s (lists) - L10, L11, and
L12. These are lists of questions upon which a person is audited. The
L10 Rundown is reported to have an "8th [God]
Dynamic Sec[urity] Check" for those who profess a religion rather
than Scientology.
The "Church" of Scientology is absolutely rabid about protecting the
secrecy of the NOTs, through scorched-earth litigation based on
copyright and trade secret law. People, both general public and
lower-level Scientologists, are prevented from seeing this material
because the "Church" demands hundreds of thousands of dollars to reveal
this "spiritual technology". Latest estimates are $365,000
(not a typo!) to advance through OT VIII, the highest level.
At these rates, only the idle rich can afford spiritual salvation,
Scientology-style.
Hubbard's missives direct the life of Scientologists much like the Bible
directs the life of Christians. Hubbard's writings speak volumes for
the ethical values of both Hubbard, and by extension Scientology. These
ethical values are reflected in the many lawsuits and criminal
investigations into Scientology.
Scientology claims that auditing is similar to Catholic
confession. While both practices involve telling ones deepest
secrets to someone else, what Scientology does with the information is
particularly egregious. Ex-Scientologists (Dennis Erlich in particular)
have had their "confessional material" (preclear folders) culled for
damaging information to be used for blackmail purposes in case of
defection. Mary Sue Hubbard (Worldwide Guardian) is believed to have
started this practice in the 1970s. In Erlich's case, a Scientology
poster (perhaps an OSA agent) admitted to this
practice. In stark contrast, the Roman Catholic Church's Code of
Canon Law, canons 983, 984, and 1388, absolutely prohibits any sort
of betrayal of information revealed in the confessional, or any use of
that information to the detriment of the the person confessing. Direct
violation of the confessional seal has a penalty of automatic and
immediate excommunication, which cannot be lifted by anything short of a
papal pardon.
Since Scientology is a business-cum-religion, one of the biggest areas
of criticism is their emphasis on obtaining
money. A letter from a Scientology
"Reverend" , as reported in The Scandal
of Scientology by Paulette Cooper, touches on another area of
criticism - Scientology's penchant for harrassing, legally or otherwise,
anyone whom they perceive as an "enemy". These two fundamental doctrines
have served to alienate Scientology from both individuals and governments
over the years.
The unethical and criminal behavior of the "Church" of Scientology,
driven by Hubbard's policies, bulletins, and lectures, continues to be
uncovered on a.r.s. and documented on countless web sites. Marina Chong's A.R.S. Web
Page Summary classifies and indexes the thousands of pages in the
critical web. The most recent example of criminal behavior can be seen
on The Lisa
McPherson Memorial Page, which details the tragic death of a young
woman at Flag as a result of Hubbard's "100% Standard Tech".
Throughout his life, Hubbard was critical of organized religion in
general and Christianity in particular. Hubbard appears to have gone
out of his way in the upper-level lectures [3]
to gratuitously denigrate God, Christianity, and the Roman Catholic
Church. At the highest levels of Scientology, the adherent is expected
to renounce their previous faith [4][5][8]. One former OT-8 has sworn an affidavit
[6] regarding how Scientology attempted to forcibly
deprogram his belief in Christianity.
Scientology is quick to claim religious persecution whenever someone
criticises their scripture or religion. (As Hubbard surmised, exposing
fraudulent business practices is good citizenship, while "persecuting"
a people for their religion is a hate crime.) Scientology makes
exaggerated accusations of others to divert attention away from their
own shortcomings. In fact, Hubbard's own words taken in total show
that Scientology's Founder and by extension Scientology itself has no
respect for any belief system except its own.
"THE HALVER: ...One of the processes thetans used on MEST
bodies was a half-light, half-black gun which shot out a wave. Half of
this wave, usually the black, hit the right side of the victim's body,
the other half, in the same explosion, usually the light side, hit the
left side of the victim. This had the effects of causing him to be two
people.
Commentary:
Commentary:
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"The subject who, under the hands of a hypnotist operator,
conceives an enormous agreement with the hypnotist, is experiencing
faith as it is commonly understood. In this state the subject can
perceive anything which the hypnotist may direct.", Scientology
8-8008 , L. Ron Hubbard, Faith-Distrust
Commentary:
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Prior to founding Scientology, Hubbard gave a lecture entitled "What's Wrong
with This Universe: A Working Package for the Auditor" on December 9, 1952.
In it, Hubbard describes some of the "between lives" implants that supposedly
occur to us after we die and before we reincarnate.
One of these implants, called "The Emanator", is supposedly the origin
of Islam. Hubbard claims that The Emanator was the source of the
"Mohammedan Lodestone". Hubbard further describes the Prophet Muhammad as a
small town booster that mocked up [made up] Islam only because business
wasn't good in his hometown.
[7]
Further, Muslims respect and love Jesus. See Quran, 3:45, 4:171, 19:16-33,
21:91. Islam teaches that Jesus was a true and genuine messenger of God. See
Quran, 61:14. The Quran rebukes those who reject Jesus. See Quran, 2:87,
4:156-158. Muslims believe in the miracles that Jesus performed by God's
leave. See Quran, 5:110.
The Quran states:
In contrast, the Church of Scientology teaches in its secret Class 8
Auditor's [ministerial] class that, like Islam, Christianity is the result
of an evil memory "implant" designed to control people.
[8]
Hubbard goes on to state that there was no Jesus, and that Christianity
is based on watching the behavior of madmen. In Class 8, Lecture 10,
Hubbard states that the leaders of the Christian Church used brainwashing,
invented Christ, and siezed power.
Scientology's admits that its promise that there is no "necessity to leave
your current . . . mosque." is a lie. In its application for tax exempt
status, the Church of Scientology told the IRS:
Commentary:
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The history of the Israelites, from Exodus to Kings, contains many
examples of false gods, and the consequences of worshipping them. The
Golden Calf. The utter destruction of the false gods of Jericho and
Canaan. The temptations of the false gods of Babylon. The desecration
of the Temple by Antiochus Epiphanes during the Maccabean period.
Throughout history, the Israelites differentiated themselves as a
culture from the Gentiles through steadfast worship of one God.
Scientology has been criticized for its emphasis on money. Internally,
Scientology uses money as a statistic for many measures of success -
gross income, donations by IAS members, the size of the "war chest",
the size of Sea Org reserves, etc. HCO PL 9 Mar 1972 contains the
instructions: "MAKE MONEY.... MAKE MORE MONEY.... GET OTHERS TO MAKE
MONEY. Scientology's worship of money and possessions (graven images
of heaven, earth or sea) is idolatry and a direct violation of the Law
in Exodus 20.
While Scientology officially denies it, L. Ron Hubbard is venerated
to near-diety status. Even though Hubbard is dead, every Org has an
office for him, just in case he returns. There is a picture of him in
every Scientology Org. Shouts of "hip hip hooray" (the closest
Scientology ever comes to "worship") are directed at it. To advance in
Scientology, one must study Hubbard's words (and there are a lot of
them compared to the Torah), which competes for the Scientologist's
time sometimes to the exclusion of all other study.
Hubbard dabbled in Middle Eastern magic with the OTO and Golden Dawn,
and some of the conepts were incorporated into Dianetics: the Modern
Science of Mental Health. Bits and pieces of Chaldean magic as
recorded in Daniel creates a background of mysticism in Scientology.
(More on the OTO and Golden Dawn in the Christianity section).
"Good Lord, I'd hate to be guilty of that overt. But never mind - you
aren't either. That guy is GONE (I hope!)", HCO BULLETIN OF MAY 11,
AD13
Commentary:
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Perhaps most objectionable is Hubbard's corrupt selling of spiritual
salvation at steep prices. Scientology progressively demands money from
the adherent for each gnosis. The adherent is given the option of
either paying for the next "service" or face an existence of appalling
spiritual degradation. In effect, Scientologists are spiritually held
hostage by their "Church" until large sums of money have been paid.
Hubbard set up Scientology as circles within circles; a spiritual
treadmill without end. If the adherent does not exhibit their new-found
abilities, it is the adherent's fault (the "technology" and Hubbard are
infallible) and they must re-take their courses and auditing. Of course,
since it was the adherent's fault, they must again pay the "fixed donation"
for the "services". Since the end product (God-like control over matter,
energy, space, and time) is unattainable, the system serves to transfer
sizeable sums into the Scientology organization.
Commentary:
Although Hubbard was a devout follower of Crowley, Crowley appears to have
spurned Hubbard's and Parson's "research". In a letter to another OTO
member, Crowley wrote "I get fairly frantic when I contemplate the idiocy
of these louts".[1]. In this "research" of the OTO
9th degree, Hubbard and Jack Parsons attempted to conjure the Anti-Christ
through the "Whore of Babalon" in a sex-magick ritual at the Pasadena OTO.
Crowley/OTO supporters
[5]
point out that what Hubbard was doing and what he became do not represent
OTO teaching. The OTO website
outwardly represents the OTO as being a gnostic magician's sect. The
word "Babalon" may make Jews and Christians uneasy, but it is quite
possible that the OTO is decended from the traditions of the Chaldean sorcerers
that are described by the Jewish prophets Daniel and Jeremiah during the
Babylonian exile period ca. 600 BCE. Crowley also studied Egyptian magick
and Egyptian sorcerers are mentioned in Exodus.
"The Whore of Babylon" is a reference to the Christian Book of
Revelations, and is associated with the coming of the Anti-Christ,
Satan's representative on Earth during The Apocalypse (end of the world)
in which Satan is finally defeated. The Hebrews' Babylonian Exile period,
as recorded in the prophets Daniel and Jeremiah, is associated with worldy
temptations leading away from God (a goal of Satan). In the Book of
Daniel, the word of God is victorious over the Chaldean sorcerers and
magicians. ...and sorcery and magic bring us full-circle back to the OTO,
Aleister Crowley, Hubbard, and Scientology.
Sorcery and magic are specifically proscribed in both Jewish and Christian
law. The Jewish Law explains that magic does not originate from God,
therefore it is Man creating an idolatrous system (Deuteronomy 12(?),
also Daniel 1,2). Christianity follows Judaism's lead for the same reason
with references to "sorcery" in Acts and Revelations.
Whether Crowley (and by extension Hubbard) were "Satanists" is a contentious
issue[6]. "Satanic" is an ambiguous term. From
the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic perspective, Satan leads people away from
God. In fact, Crowley and Hubbard did not worship Satan as an entity - they
worshipped themselves and the power they could wield through their magick.
In essence, their magick was about getting power over others and becoming
God. While Crowley and Hubbard did not overtly worship Satan, they
certainly forwarded Satan's agenda of leading people away from God.
Hubbard adapted Crowley's exhortation "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole
of the Law.", then created Scientology. Today, the Church of Scientology
International, in the guise of the Religious Technology Center, controls
Scientology, Orgs, and Scientologists through copyrights. If the
Scientologist does not obey CSI/RTC and pay steep license fees, use of the
copyrights is revoked and access is denied to the "scriptures". "Religious
freedom" comes for the price of total obedience to Hubbard's organization.
Scientology doctrine contains many references to controlling or being
controlled. Atack [2] lists one of Hubbard's magic
self-affirmations to be "You can be merciless whenever your will is crossed
and you have every right to be merciless." Hubbard directed the lives of
his followers in minute detail, and exiled anyone who crossed his will to
the Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF). [RPF has been variously described
as either a gulag by critics or a boot camp by the "Church".]
"Crowley's Cross" is found on the reverse side of the Thoth Deck
[Tarot Cards] and (apparently) used in OTO magic[k] rituals. The artwork
for the Thoth Deck is by Frieda Harris. The cross bears some similarities
to the Golden Dawn cross,
another magic[k] group which the young Crowley joined. Paul Hume, 4th
degree OTO, has kindly summarized the relationships
between the Golden Dawn, OTO, Crowley, and the Thoth Deck.
Commentary:
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After attaining OT VIII, the Scientologist has come to accept that God
not only does not exist, but also believes that God is just another
implant that must be audited out like any other false memory. In this
manner, Scientology binds the minds of its believers, then warehouses
their spirits for the remainder of their life. From the Christian point
of view, Hubbard's system is evil to the extreme; Scientology is a
system of spiritual treadmills away from God.
This page has accumulated
Copyright © 1997, 1998 by Perry Scott. Permission is granted to reproduce
this website (http://www.ezlink.com/~perry/CoS/Theology) or portions of this
website for noncommercial purposes, provided the author is acknowledged and
this website URL is included. New information constantly becomes available
on this website and readers deserve the most up-to-date information.
Because Scientology has made such a legal pest of itself around the world,
reproduction of any part of this package beyond the bounds of Fair Use
by the Church of Scientology, its affiliates, agents, and especially its
lawyers is expressly DENIED.
Religious Scholars' Opinions
[Note: This section is rather unbalanced, as only negative opinions are
currently presented. In fact, Scientology is quick to point out a number
of positive opinions on their website. However, these positive views tend to
assume an overly-broad definition of "religion"; a definition that could
include the sport of soccer as a religious activity! As time permits, I will
be working on including some positive viewpoints for completeness. -perry]
Opinions of Former Scientology Staff Members
Many European Governments Deny Scientology's Religious Status
Webster's definition of religion refers to a relationship between
God and humanity. Because Scientology, as a self-improvement therapy,
lacks any mention of God, then from a
definitional view , Scientology is not a religion. For this reason,
many governments do not recognize Scientology's religious status.
Scientology Doctrine
Advanced Technology
In 1995, the mysterious and secret Advanced Technology began
appearing on a.r.s. The Advanced Technology includes the Operating
Thetan (a.k.a. "OT") and New Era Dianetics for Operating
Thetans (a.k.a. "NOTs"). Michael Robinson provides an excellent
summary of the OT levels .
Note that there is no God or other divine intervention. Thetans
(spirits that inhabit you and me) simply agreed upon reality and it
came into being. The shock of creation caused spiritual trauma to some
thetans, even rendering them unconcious to the present day. To make it
painfully obvious, Hubbard is saying that all of us are God - we've just
forgotten how to be omnipotent.
Scientology Practice
Hubbard, a penny-a-word writer, created millions upon millions of words
directing the affairs of Scientology and Scientologists. Hubbard's
communications come in the form of Hubbard Communications Office
Bulletins (HCOBs), Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letters (HCO
PLs), articles for Scientology magazines, "research" journals, speeches,
and internal letters to "Church" directors. There is so much material
that Hubbard had to write a doctrine on "Senior Source", directing which
material could supercede others in case of conflict.
Scientology and Religion in General
Hubbard believed that religion was based on the implants from R6 (see
Advanced Technology ). According to Hubbard,
people throughout history have found pieces of R6 and used them to
control or enslave other people. Thus, as a matter of Scientology
doctrine, all religions are based on abberations caused by the
reactive mind. The purpose of Scientology is to free us from the
reactive mind and thus by extension, all religions. In this way,
Scientology is diametrically opposed to religion [1]. While incompatibility with other religions is common
among belief systems, the crucial difference is that Scientology
lies [2][7] to its new
recruits, saying they are compatible with all religions.
References
Hubbard Maligns Religion
Note: to comply with the provisions of Fair Use, some of this
commentary errs on the side of tedium. Besides being opposed to
religious freedom, Scientology is apparently opposed to scholarly
freedom as well.
Hubbard on the Basis of Religion
These sequential passages are from History of Man by L. Ron
Hubbard, as reported in Advance #138. Note that a "thorough
checkout" on HOM is required to attain OT VIII, the highest level in
Scientology.
"The halver was rigged up with religious symbols and it truly lays in
religion. There is a devil on one side, a symbol carried in the light,
angels on the other side. Sometimes it was very fancy and was
complicated with dolls in the shape of nudes, angels, devils, strung on
wires to slide and dance."
"It did terrible things to the victim: it gave him a conflict, one side
with the other, one being good: the other being bad. It gave him
sexual compulsion all mixed up with religious compulsion so that an
overdose of indulgence would send him to church sometimes into a life of
crime. It was a control factor used to keep the community fighting
itself."
"The halver lies as a basic under sexual malpractice, under religious
fervour. It shows up in almost every preclear as being in chronic
restimulation. It is the one the auditor runs as an overt act when the
preclear has a sexual or religious motivator."
"Remember that the restimulation of a motivator when one does an overt
act is not natural but a consequence of having a body and implants about
bodies. You will find some of this "you do wrong, you'll get it right
back" in the halver and similar incidents."
Hubbard on Faith
"There is no more over-rated quality in existence than faith.
Hubbard on Religion's Effectiveness
"Christianity and a million other -anities have struggled with this
problem [the identity between theta (spirit) and mest (the material
world)] and the result is a pot-pouri of answers, none of which
reconcile the problem." History of Man, p.39)
Hubbard on Religious Zeal
"Based on over a thousand hours of research auditing, analyzing the
facsimiles of the reactive mind, and with the help of a Mark V
Electrometer. It is scientific research and is not in any way based upon
the mere opinion of the researcher...The contents of this HCO bulletin
discover the apparent underlying impulses of religious zealotism and the
source of the religious mania which terrorized Earth over the ages and has
given religion the appearance of insanity."
HCOB 11 May, 1963.
Hubbard on Poverty
"It is all very well to idealise poverty and associate wisdom with
begging bowls, or virtue with low estate. However, those who have done
this (Buddhists, Christians, Communists and other fanatics) have dead
ended or are dead ending.", HCOPL 21 Jan 1965
Hubbard Maligns Buddhism
Hubbard on Buddha
"Everywhere you are
I can be addressed
But in your temples best
Address me and you address
Lord Buddha
And you then address
Meitreya."
The Hymn of Asia
Hubbard on Buddha's Spiritual Authority
"Neither Lord Buddha nor Jesus Christ were OTs according to
evidence. They were just a shade above clear". Certainty
magazine, Vol 5 #10.
Scientology and Islam
Scientology publicly claims that people can practice Scientology and
religion of choice at the same time. This is only an "acceptable truth"
[1]
for public relations purposes and getting people to join Scientology.
The introductory book "What is
Scientology?" states:
"In Scientology there is no attempt to change a person's beliefs or to
persuade him away from any religion to which he already belongs."
[2]
Scientology further states:
"Scientology is all-denominational in that it opens its membership to people
of all faiths." . . . Membership in Scientology does not mean that there is
any necessity to leave your current church, synagogue, temple or mosque."
[3]
Scientology claims that it is compatible with other religions:
"Scientology respects all religions. Scientology does not conflict with other
religions or other religious practices"
[4]
In truth, the advanced levels of Scientology teach that all religions are
the result of mental implants[5]. Prior to founding
the Dianetics movement, L. Ron Hubbard studied Occult Magick[6] in an attempt to achieve power. Hubbard came to believe
that thetans (everyone) could become God by ridding themselves
of the mental implants that prevented them from achieving that goal.
"Say "We believe in God, and the revelation given to us, and the revelation
given to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes, and that given to
Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord: We make no
distinction between one and another of them, and to Him we are submitters."
[9]
[10]
"Footnote 6: Although there is no policy or Scriptural mandate expressly
requiring Scientologists to renounce other religious beliefs or membership in
other churches, as a practical matter Scientologists are expected to and do
become fully devoted to Scientology to the exclusion of other faiths. As
Scientologists, they are required to look only to Scientology Scriptures for
the answers to the fundamental questions of their existence and to seek
enlightenment only from Scientology."
[11]
For further information regarding Scientology, please see these
World Wide Web Internet sites:
References
HCO Policy Letter of 13 August 1970, L. Ron Hubbard
The Missing Ingredient, - L. Ron Hubbard, 13 August 1970.
Credits
Special thanks to anonymous a.r.s. poster "colticew@hotmail.com" for
providing a template and much of the text for this section.
Hubbard Maligns Islam
These three quotes occur in succession in Whats Wrong with
this Universe: A Working Package for the Auditor, L. Ron
Hubbard, 9 Dec 1952.
Real Audio [114KB]
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Hubbard on the Lodestone
"..finds this enormous stone hanging suspended in the middle of a room.
This is an incident called the Emanator by the way. ...and this thing
is by the way the source of the Mohammedan Lodestone that they have
hanging down there,..."
Hubbard on Mohammed
"...that, eh, when Mohammed decided to be a good
small-town booster in ah Kansas, Middle-East, or something of the sort."
Hubbard on Mohammed's Motives
"By the way, the only reason he mocked that thing up, is the trade wasn't
good in his hometown. That's right. You read the life of Mohammed."
Hubbard on the Casbah [sic]
"And he's got a black one and it sort of hung between the ceiling and
the floor, I don't know, maybe they call it 'Casbah' or something ...
Anyway, anyway, that thing is a mockup of the Emanator!"
Hubbard on the Roots of Islam
"The Emanator is bright, not black.
And so, your volunteer, who insists on a sightseeing trip,
goes in and this thing is standing in the middle of the room,
and it's going 'wong wong wong wong wong' and he says: "Isn't that
pretty?". It sure is, and then he says "Mmmgrmrm ponk"
Why, I'll tell you, they cart him from there, and they take him
in and they do a transposition of beingness."
Miscavige on Religions of the Last 2000 Years
"For while you've often heard it said 'we are the only major religion to
emerge in this 20th century,' the truth is more than that. In fact,
we are the only new religion. Not a reinterpretation of some ancient
doctrine, but the only original scriptural voice in the last 2,000
years.", International Scientology News #7, David Miscavige
[ecclesiastical leader], March 13, 1998
Scientology and Judaism
"..as a practical matter Scientologists are expected to and do become
fully devoted to Scientology to the exclusion of other faiths",
Exemption of CST Under Section 501(c)(3) As a
Church on October 1, 1993. (CST is Scientology's parent corporation.)
No other Gods before Me
Scientology, through auditing, seeks to unburden man from his reactive
mind, allowing him to attain God-like powers. This end is not compatible
with Judaism, both in tradition and in Law. It is probably not by
coincidence that the first commandment given to Moses (Exodus 20:1) is
"I am the LORD your God who brought you out of bondage in Egypt. You
shall have no other gods before me." Thus, the worship of self by making
oneself into a god ala Scientology is forbidden by the Law.
Knowledge is only from God
Scientology is a systematic revealing (or gnosis) of mystical knowledge
whereby the thetan's powers are unlocked. Jewish tradition teaches that
knowledge, especially spiritual knowledge, comes from the LORD alone.
The prophets, both major and minor, are shown as having knowledge from
God, and not of themselves. For example, the Book of Daniel contains
examples in nearly every chapter that the power and knowledge of God, as
revealed through Daniel, is superior to the false gods of the Chaldeans
and Babylonians. The Chaldeans and magicians are repeatedly unable to
interpret dreams, solve riddles, or prophesy like Daniel who speaks the
word of the LORD.
Creation
If the Jewish creation account is contrasted with that of Scientology
(Incident 1), the Operating Thetan levels can be seen as an attempt to
undo the effects of mankind's progressive downward spiral and
re-establish the thetan's latent powers over MEST. In Jewish terms, the
Scientologist seeks to be God of Creation. Genesis 3:4-6 records
Mankind's first sin - the sin of wanting to be gods:
4 And the serpent said to the woman, you surely shall not die: 5 For God
knows that the day you eat of the tree, your eyes shall be opened, and
you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw
that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes,
and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit of the
tree and ate, and gave it also to her husband with her; and he ate.
Scientology holds that many gods (thetans) brought the world into being
by mutual agreement. These thetans are not to be worshipped, since
everyone is a thetan. Judaism holds that heavens and earth were
created by the LORD alone. The LORD is to be served to the exclusion
of all other gods.
The Sabbath
Scientology does not recognize a Sabbath for its staff. Again, the
emphasis is on "production" and money. This is a direct violation of
the Law of Moses.
Reincarnation
While Scientology teaches that people have been reincarnated billions
of times, there is no such tradition in the Torah.
Hubbard on the Creator
"I imagine when we finally manage to communicate with beetle under rocks
and free them, we'll no doubt find the Creator of Heaven who 43 +
Trillion years ago designed and built the Pearly Gates and entrapped us
all.
OT7-48
1. Find some plants, trees, etc., and communicate to them
individually until you know they received your communication.
2. Go to a zoo or a place with many types of life and communicate
with each of them until you know the communication is
received and, if possible, returned.
Hubbard on Hebrew Prophesy
" Old therapies include the 2000 yr ago plus or minus
Aoscuplepian drug treatment (hillabore) which produced a
conclusion and coma, and in which the nut practitioner made
up as a God and "visited" the patient in a "dream". This
outfit was all over the ancient world.
"
- L. Ron Hubbard, Resistive Cases, Former Therapy, HCOB 23 Sep
1968.
Hubbard on Leadership
"When you move off a point of power, pay all your obligations
on the nail, empower all your friends completely and move off with
your pockets full of artillery, potential blackmail on every
erstwhile rival, unlimited funds in your private account and the
addresses of experienced assassins and go live in
Bulgravia and bribe the police."
- L. Ron Hubbard, The Responsibility of Leaders, HCO PL 12 Feb 1967.
Hubbard on Following the Law
"Use the rules until they prevent you from doing your job. But if these
stop you, then to *hell* with the rules! Get the show on the road."
- L. Ron Hubbard, HCOPL 19 March 1968
Scientology and Christianity
Scientology Doctrine, Christian Heresies
Gnosticism
Scientology, as told by Scientologists, means "knowing how to know".
(More correctly, it means "the study of knowing", but Hubbard never
felt a need for pedantic accuracy.) Thus, Scientology is a gnostic
[gnosis: to know] system in every sense of the word[1]. Through training and auditing, the
Scientologist is unburdened of his Reactive Mind, and attains
the Godlike state of Clear and Operating Thetan, and has the power to
transform matter, energy, space, and time. Attainment of Godhood
through special revelation is a hallmark of Gnostic belief systems[2]
Reincarnation
The basis of Scientology vs Dianetics lies in the concept of the "Whole
Track" (See Metamorphosis to Religion), which
at its basis implies a belief in "Past Lives" or reincarnation. This
belief is openly presented to new adherents. Scientology claims [1] that reincarnation was at one time a Christian
belief, but was removed from the Bible by a conspiracy of bishops in 553
AD. This claim is apparently common in occult texts and is patently
false [2][3].
Magic and the Occult
Hubbard was active in black magic[k] prior to writing Dianetics.
Corydon's cronology [1] is supported by letters from
Aleister Crowley of the Ordo Templo
Orientis, a magician's sect organized in Europe in the early 20th
century. Atack [2] goes further by suggesting
that Dianetics (and by extension, Scientology) is an extension of Hubbard's
black magik "research" of that time. Gerry Armstrong [3
], Hubbard's biographer, also confirms Hubbard's black magick rituals,
as does L. Ron Hubbard, Jr.[4]. Hubbard himself
confirms his links to Crowley in The Philadelphia Doctorate Course, which
was written after Hubbard visited Crowley's estate and assumed the mantle
of "The Beast":
"Now, he could simply say, "I have action." A magician - the magic
cults of the eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth centuries in the
Middle East were fascinating. The only modern work that has anything to
do with them is a trifle wild in spots, but it's fascinating work in
itself, and that's work written by Aleister Crowley, the late
Aleister Crowley, my very good friend. And he did himself a
splendid piece of aesthetics built around those magic cults. It's very
interesting reading to get hold of a copy of a book, quite rare, but it
can be obtained. the Master Therion, T-h-e-r-i-o-n, The Master Therion
by Aleister Crowley. He signs himself "The Beast"; "The Mark of the
Beast, 666." Very, very something or other, but anyway the ...
Crowley exhumed a lot of the data from these old magic cults.", The
Philadelphia Doctorate Course, L. Ron. Hubbard, Tape #18, Dec 5,
1952.
Real Audio (USA) [296K]
Real
Audio (UK) [296K]
References
Neo-Paganism
"We tend to forget that the so-called "cult" phenomenon, like the New Age
movement itself, is hardly anything new: It's essentially an attempt at a
"revival" of sorts of ancient pre-Christian paganism in all its forms, but
merely wearing modern "clothes" --e.g., pseudo-scientific terminology,
allegedly "innovative" or "new" philosophies, and the like.",
sloopjohne@aol.com in a theological discussion
with inducto@aol.com of Scientology in its neo-pagan context and its
relationship to Christianity.
The Scientology Cross
[This section has been attacked by Scientology Legal! They didn't
like my use of their trademarked cross (a "religion" with TRADE
marks!?!), so your browser just got it from www.scientology.org
rather than www.ezlink.com.]
Cross from Scientology website
Crowley's Cross (Messiah or Madman?, Corydon)
Hubbard Maligns Christianity
Note: since Christianity accepts the Jewish Torah as Canon, see also
Hubbard Maligns Judaism.
Hubbard on the Origins of Christianity
"Somebody somewhere on this planet, back about 600 BC found some
pieces of R6. And I don't know how they found it, either by watching
madmen or something, but since that time they have used it and it became
what is known as Christianity. (draws on a cigarette) The man on the
cross. There was no Christ. But the man on the cross is shown as
Everyman. So of course each person seeing a crucified man, has an
immediate feeling of sympathy for this man. Therefore you get many PCs
who says they are Christ. Now, there's two reasons for that, one is the
Roman Empire was prone to crucify people, so a person can have been
crucified, but in R6 he is shown as crucified." The Class VIII
[Auditor's] Course, Lecture 10: "Krakatoa and Beyond", Oct 3, 1968,
aboard the Apollo.
Hear it in Hubbard's own words!
[ 624 KB .wav ]
[ 58 KB Real Audio ]
[Full quote
Real Audio]
[Download Real Audio player]
Hubbard on the Basis of Christianity
"The whole Christian movement is based on the victim. Compulsion of the
overt-motivator sequence. They won by appealing to victims. We can win
by converting victims. Christianity succeeded by making people into
victims. We can succeed by making victims into people.",
HCOB 18 July, 1959, under "Historical Note".
Hubbard on the Roman Catholic Church
"The Roman Catholic Church, through watching the dramatizations of
people picked up some little fragments of R6." The Class VIII
[Auditor's] Course, Lecture 10: "Krakatoa and Beyond", Oct 3, 1968,
aboard the Apollo.
Hubbard on the Leaders of the Christian Church
"
Also the Christian Church used (and uses) implanting
(with a squirrel version of the "7s"). These gangsters were
the Nicomidians from lower Egypt who were chased out for criminal
practices (implanting officials). They took over the
Niocene Creed before the year zero, invented Christ (who comes
from the crucifixion in R6 75m years ago) and implanted their
way to "power". The original Nicomidians date about 600 BC
and people who were Christ date at 75m years ago.
"
- L. Ron Hubbard, Resistive Cases, Former Therapy, HCOB 23 Sep
1968.
Hubbard on Heaven
"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 disbelieve in a Big Thetan but there was certainly
something very corny about Heaven et al. Now I have to apologize. There
was a Heaven. Not too unlike, in cruel betrayal, the heaven of the
Assassins in the 12th Century who, like everyone else, dramatized the
whole track implants - if a bit more so. The symbol of the crucified
Christ is very apt indeed. It's the symbol of a thetan betrayed.",
- L. Ron Hubbard, HCOB 11 May, 1963
Hubbard Again on Heaven
"Further, we have our hands on an appalling bit of technology where the
world is concerned. With rapidity and a Meter it can be shown that Heaven
is a false dream and that the old religion was based on very painful lie,
cynical betrayal."
- L. Ron Hubbard, HCOB 11 May, 1963
Hubbard on the Cross and Christ
"Religion does much to keep the assumption in restimulation, being
basically a control mechanism used by those who have sent the preclear
into a body. You will find the cross as a symbol all over the universe,
and the Christ legend as implant in preclears a million years
ago.", Professional Auditors Bulletins, vol. 2, p. 26 ,
copyright 1954.
Hubbard on the "Chaos" caused by Christ
"A few operating thetans - scarcity - could lead to trouble. Witness
the chaos resulting from the activities and other-determinism technology
of one operating thetan 2,000 years ago." - PAB 31, Duplication
Hubbard on Christ's Spiritual Authority
"Neither Lord Buddha nor Jesus Christ were OTs according to
evidence. They were just a shade above clear". Certainty
magazine, Vol 5 #10.
Hubbard on Love
"Love, if you have ever noticed, does not much care where it sites
on the tone-scale as we find a young man deeply in love starving himself
to death (a characteristic of apathy) and a young girl in love in dreamy
enthusiasm which makes her bloom. We find love used in Christianity
about twelve feet below 0.0 [death] and in New York precisely at 2.5 on
the tone scale." Professional Auditor's Bulletin No. 8, "Viewpoint
Processing, p. 50 in _PABs_ Book 1, May 1953 to April 1954.
Hubbard on the Soul
"Now we say this thing called a thetan is capable of producing all
sorts of things, and we say this is THE person. So therefore, we differ
enormously from the Christian statements on the subject. They say,
'you, son, must save your soul.' The fellow says, 'I don't have one!'
So therefore, the christian religion cannot possibly be true...and they
lose all kinds of converts this way. Somebody saving his soul is doing
something very interesting. He evidently has something set up over
here, that has probably, mass, that he says is his soul! And then he
goes about saving it and it turns out to be a demon circuit called
"Mama," or something. Now he expects THIS to go to heaven. (laughs)",
Clearing Congress Lecture (videotape), L. Ron Hubbard, 1958.
[113KB streaming Real Audio]
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Hubbard on the "Christ Game"
"You'll find, by the way, another man at this stage, and his preclears
will shift the identities and borrow facsimilies. Like men, there's
what they call 'The ChristGame' and that game has been played and
played and played and play..., honest to Pete, these cards are just
so thin, they've been laid down amongst the coffee cups, and so forth,
of the whole universe. You'll find out thousands of years before the
year 1 AD, Earth, you will have facsimilies and dolls made up like Christ.
Fact one: a million years ago is occasionally rigged with Christ and the
devil and an angel. It's a fascinating thing, it's an old game. Here on
Earth, there was undoubtably a Christ. One of the reasons he was ... he
swept in so suddenly ah, and he, he would go forward so hard, is he had
a good assist back of him in terms of an implant.",
Philadelphia Doctorate Course, Tape #24, L. Ron Hubbard, 1952.
[Real Audio]
Refuting Scientology's Compatibility Claims
Controversy on alt.religion.scientology: Is Scientology Compatible
with Christianity?
A review of his material makes it clear that Hubbard knowingly lies to
low-level Scientologists about being compatible with Christianity. It
is painfully clear that Christian Scientologists must eventually
renounce Christianity to reach Scientology's highest levels. The Michael Pattinson affidavit details how a
celebrity ex-OT7 was swindled and how Scientology attempted to coerce
him into believing that Scientology is the only valid religion.
Related Web Links
points against
OSA/DSA INVEST SEC since April 7th, 1997.