I was looking on their main webpage and to me it looks more like a business than a religion, religions have daily free services in their churches but this one doesn't, why do we have to pay for books and courses and take free stress tests if we know that this isn't helping us get over stress or anything like that, I took the free personality test they had and they said i was highly depressed which i'm not i feel very happy and very satisified.
So my question is should they be allowed to continue to act like a religion when clearly they are not? No, they are good at business. The stress test is nothing but a primitive lie detector they call the e-meter and they can manipulate it so it shows that you do need their auditing.
Scientology is a dangerous cult and they use rather nasty methods to try to shut up their critics. They are NOT a church. People who get involved have a high chance of dying at their hands too. They tell EVERYBODY that something is wrong with them when they take that rediculus test. That's how they get you in. They probably told you that only scientology has the technology to help you with that, right?!
And for your first question, my answer is NEITHER. It's nothing more than a money grabbing cult. When it first started it was not a religion. hubbard made a point of telling people that it is not a religion. They only put the religious spin on it to avoid paying taxes, to seem more credible and to hide behind the protection that is given to real religions. You know, the ones that believe in God. yes, accusations are common that they use cult brainwash/control tactics. From what I've read on them they have all the safeguards and legal agility that organized crime does. It is a business and always has been. It is hard to imagine it acting as anything else, and I very much doubt their higher-ups would approve of the lack of cash flow.
Anonymous has declared war on the Church of Scientology 鈥?ask them why
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Anonymousu... most religions act more like businesses than spiritual tools. the christian and catholic churches and many other churches are just out to get money. from what i was told scientology was created to cater to rich people to make more money for its founder. Where have you been? Scientology is somewhat of a cult .. Desperate people give these Scientology leaders all of their money, but they eventually commit suicide anyway. The leaders don't even believe it .. They just do it to rob the saps. Every religion has different ways to collect funds for its activities. Scientology believes in the exchange system. They don't do collections. Sunday services, ethics services and marriage services are FREE! The claim to be a religion in order to receive tax breaks. They are a big fraud. So, no they should not continue to act like a religion. Scientology is clearly a business. Why? Religion is the business of fanatics, loons, suckers and con men. OK, first act more of learning English. From Scientology's perspective, it's simply not to their advantage to act as a business instead of a religion. Religions get many protections that businesses do not get, so for example, they can run it as a business, while being free from taxes a business would normally have to pay.
Plus, when someone points out their wrongdoings they can simply claim "religious freedom" or "religious persecution", rather than admitting to or dealing with the problem. Again, this is an advantage religions have over businesses. So, this is why Scientology wants to act as a religion, instead of calling themselves a business.
As for "should they be allowed to continue to act like a religion when clearly they are not", well, in the United States we have freedom of religion, and the laws have very loose guidelines on what legally counts as "religion" (for example, legally speaking atheism is a religion in the US), so since Scientology has managed to squeeze themselves within those guidelines they are legally a religion in the US. Note that in some other countries they are simply a philosophical organization, because they just take advantage of whatever laws protect them the most in each country, rather than going for consistency.
Still, freedom of religion is meant to protect all religions, not just the popular ones, so there is no legal way to prevent them from calling themselves a religion in the US. Scientology is more of a business, for the Bible says, Exodus 20:3 (Whole Chapter)
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exodus 23:13 (Whole Chapter)
And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
Deuteronomy 5:7 (Whole Chapter)
Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
Deuteronomy 6:14 (Whole Chapter)
Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
Deuteronomy 11:16 (Whole Chapter)
Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them;
Deuteronomy 11:28 (Whole Chapter)
And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
Deuteronomy 13:2 (Whole Chapter)
And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
Deuteronomy 13:6 (Whole Chapter)
If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
Deuteronomy 13:13 (Whole Chapter)
Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;
Deuteronomy 17:3 (Whole Chapter)
And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;
Deuteronomy 18:20 (Whole Chapter)
But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
Deuteronomy 28:14 (Whole Chapter)
And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Deuteronomy 28:36 (Whole Chapter)
The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.
Deuteronomy 28:64 (Whole Chapter)
And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.
Deuteronomy 29:26 (Whole Chapter)
For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them:
Deuteronomy 30:17 (Whole Chapter)
But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;
Joshua 24:14 (Whole Chapter)
Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
Judges 2:17 (Whole Chapter)
And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.
Judges 2:19 (Whole Chapter)
And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
Judges 10:13 (Whole Chapter)
Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
1 Samuel 26:19 (Whole Chapter)
Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.
1 Kings 9:6 (Whole Chapter)
But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them:
1 Kings 11:4 (Whole Chapter)
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
1 Kings 11:10 (Whole Chapter)
And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.
2 Kings 5:17 (Whole Chapter)
And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD. |
