Recently Tom Cruise has usurped John Travolta's position as the craziest celebrity Scientologist. He has brought the religion or cult (depending on whom you ask) back in the public's focus based on his recent antics. So this naturally brings up the subject as to what kind of credibilty this belief system has.

Some say Scientology is a religion like any other that has received unfair treatment by the media. While others claim it is a dangerous cult that extorts millions of money from its followers.

It is very difficult to come across an unbiased examination of Scientology. Websites devoted to the subject are either completely for or against it. I have yet to seen impartial material on the subject.

However, here is the opinion I have been able to form thus far:
Any religion or organized faith that is secretive about their details concerns me. Many religions of the world are focused on attracting more members, with some that will actually show up and your front door step to tell you all of the wonderful details of their faith. Furthermore, if you take a look at the Scientology website you will see that it reall doesn't tell you much. Oh, there are a lot words on the website, but nothing much is said.

The general public has gained knowledge about some of the Scientology practices through leakage of specific documents and from the words from defected members of the past couple of decades. Here are a few of the items that surfaced.

-People are inhabited by alien souls or entities. It is these aliens souls or entities, dispatched by the evil alien Xenu millions of years ago to help deal with an overpopulation problem on Earth, that cause the sickness and problems that we as humans experience (okay, that may be the most crazy premise for a faith system that I have ever heard).

-Scientology has an established and rigid hierarchy. You learn about the beliefs and practices in levels or stages. To move up to the next one costs the individual a signifant amount of money (I've heard in the neighbourhood of a hundred thousand dollars - hmmmm..... kind of like penance in Catholicism, but more costly and accomplishes less). This is perhaps why so many celebrites are members, because they are the only ones that can afford it. Doesn't that just seem intrinsically wrong? It sort of sounds like a pyramid scheme to me.

-Moving through this heirarchy is not just indicative of learning about the religion. But also an instensive, sort of psychotherapy. I suppose the idea is to clear you mind, so to speak. This is an almost Buddhist similarity, however, in Buddhism it's all on the individual. The descriptions I have read about this process, through both leaked document and by anti-scientology groups, make it seem unclear as to whether it is a mental process or just brain-washing. It sounds like for an individual to accept much of the teachings of Scientology, it would require a slow brainwashing process.

-There are also a whole load of other accusastions against Scientology. The Church of Scientology is constantly in court over some sort of offense, from fraud to extortion, or they are suing some public outlet from publication of their documents (again, what would they have to hide). They face charges that are similar to those filed against Mafia groups.

-The founder of the religion L. Ron Hubbard, is a filmmaker and pulp-ficiton writer of the 1930s. The word from anti-Scientology groups is that he started it to as a means to make money, but he soon started to believe his own propaganda.

Again, the legal entanglements and accusations of less than repectful acts, could be the result of bad press. But this accusations have going on for a couple of decades now. Even in compared to other religions, their principles just seem so far-fetched that it is hard not to raise an eyebrow. Now you have celebrities, like Tom Cruise, spouting off to every media outlet like he is some sort of expert in psychology and pharmacology because he has read the writings of L. Ron Hubbard.

I can understand why many celebrities turn to Scientology. Many celebrites are emotionally unstable people, and therefore could be more willing to accept these kind of teachings. This is actually parodied in the movie "Bowfinger" with Steve Martin and Eddie Murhpy, but the institution is called "Mind Head."

Anyway you look at it things just do not add up with Scientology.

What are some of the things that scientology promotes to get people to join?
How do members become members?
What is Scientology's side to this? There must be something attractive or charming about it if there enough people to believe it and enough people to "anti" it.

(side note, not trying to join up)

Charles Manson was one of the highest degree of Scientology.

Apparently you have to pay a shhit load of money to move up in the degrees.

Sounds sincere

i did some research awhile back about scientology after realizing that many celebrities subscribed to this "brand" of religion... could not make much sense of it other than science > beliefs.

my conclusion about scientology is it's the "hip" thing in Hollywood.

A/B-List Celebrity: "Tom Cruise is a Scientologist? What the hell is that? Let's check it out and become a member! After all it is TC!"

Celebrity osmosis... go figure.

Im still very unclear as to what this scientology believes and how it recruits. Any good sites around? Or is everyone pretty much in the dark?

It's extremely tough to get unbiased information regarding Scientology.

The Scientology website is www.scientology.org (I think). and the big anti-Scientology website is www.xenu.net.

okay, Ill dig around. Thanks