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Location: In a little house on the prairie - literally
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You can listen to Hubbard's own words. He laughs about it being all fake, but like most con artists, gets his subjects to believe it is all their idea, not his.
"I’m just kidding you mostly,’ he said. ‘I don’t believe any of these things and I don’t want to be agreed with about them … All I’m asking is that we take a look at this information, and … let’s see if we can’t disagree with this universe, just a little bit."
Well, some years ago I heard one of the local angry radio blowhards going off on some fringe religion of some celebrity (I forget who and what - but I don't think it was Scientology). However, the point stands. I'll never forget his exact words, dripping with contempt:
"That's not even a real religion! It's just a made-up one!"
Scientology undoubtedly has adherents who buy into all its assertions and undoubtedly some who don't but are just cynically using it for their own ends. I fail to see how this differentiates it from any other religion. Every religion surely was founded in whole or in part by people knowingly making things up and falsely claiming to believe what they were selling. The fact that I find it more obnoxious that some other faiths has no bearing on whether it is 'real'.
IT was invented by a science fiction writer. He was not a prophet, leader or spiritual figure. You look at Jesus, he was a political and spiritual figure; just like many Hebrew prophets whose teachings form the Torah. Hubbard wrote fiction fantasy. They talk about aliens and some really weird stuff. It has no sound structure or basis. It's a combination of New Age, sci fi and pop psychology. There's no real tradition that has any meaning as in Christianity and Judaism.
[Scientology] was invented by a science fiction writer. He was not a prophet, leader or spiritual figure.
He was a tax evader, mainly. He lived on a large boat at sea for years to evade the IRS. He got some of his followers to crew it for nothing in exchange for sitting at his feet so they could listen to his drivel.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Canaletto 1697
It's a combination of New Age, sci fi and pop psychology. There's no real tradition that has any meaning as in Christianity and Judaism.
A fair characterization, although I have come to the opinion that the Judeo-Christian traditions have more meaning than Scientology only in a "twice nothing is still nothing" kind of way.
Well, some years ago I heard one of the local angry radio blowhards going off on some fringe religion of some celebrity (I forget who and what - but I don't think it was Scientology). However, the point stands. I'll never forget his exact words, dripping with contempt:
"That's not even a real religion! It's just a made-up one!"
Scientology undoubtedly has adherents who buy into all its assertions and undoubtedly some who don't but are just cynically using it for their own ends. I fail to see how this differentiates it from any other religion. Every religion surely was founded in whole or in part by people knowingly making things up and falsely claiming to believe what they were selling. The fact that I find it more obnoxious that some other faiths has no bearing on whether it is 'real'.
As are all of them. In another 1000 years it will likely be taken as seriously as Christianity or Islam.
He was a tax evader, mainly. He lived on a large boat at sea for years to evade the IRS. He got some of his followers to crew it for nothing in exchange for sitting at his feet so they could listen to his drivel.
I thought we were talking Hubbard, not Noah. The Bible, version 4.3. Sequels struggle against the original.
Hmmmm. A "religion" started by a science-fiction writer.....lol.
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The Bible, version 4.3. Sequels struggle against the original.
