Scientology

• Founder - L. Ron Hubbard

• History & Adherents

• Definitions

• Teachings

• Anti-Catholic foundation

• Is it a cult?

• Web sites

L. Ron Hubbard

• Born Nebraska 1911

• George Washington U 1929-1932 Flunked out

• Entered US Navy in WWII –1942-1945

• Recovery from injuries?

• Successful Science Fiction writer in 1940’s

• Dianetics - the Science of Mental Health – 1950

• Church of Scientology – 1954

• Death – 1986

History of Church

• Dianetics – 1950

• 1^st “clear” – 1950?

• Multiple thetan teaching

• IRS investigation – revoking tax exempt status – late 1960’s

• Arrest and conviction of Hubbard’s wife and other senior COS officers – late 1970’s

• Recruitment of Travolta, Cruise and other celebrities

• Hubbard dies – 1986

Definitions

• Engram – physical aberration in reactive mind

• Thetan – reincarnated spirit millions of years old

• Reactive Mind – irrational mind found in cells

• Analytical mind – rational mind found in brain

• Clear – all engrams transferred to analytical mind

• Xenu – Galactic warlord from million of years ago

• Auditing – Scientology’s method of engram removal

Teachings - Dianetics

• Two minds – reactive and analytical

• Engrams cause mental problems, psychosomatic illnesses

• Implanted when unconscious and in pain

• Must be brought to surface and neutralized through auditing process

• Refiled in analytical mind

• When all done – patient is “clear” – superhuman qualities

Problems with Dianetics

• Hubbard’s “facts” and experiments are not documented

• Only attempt to duplicate by non-Scientologists ended in failure to detect engrams

• Where are the clears?

Teachings-Scientology

• Body contains multiple thetans

• Thetan is immortal, God-like

• Tricked into living in our MEST universe

• Reincarnated over millions of years

• After removing engrams, must remove thetans, for a price, of course!

Anti-Catholic Foundation

• Darwinism – Hubbard’s concept of Genetic Entity, invasion by thetans

• Reincarnation

• Gnosticism

- Secret knowledge

- Body infected with multiple souls

- Spirit world superior to

MEST universe

Is It a Cult?

• Separation from family members

• Doubters/debunkers are persecuted

• Litigation

• Sleep and sense deprivation

• Monopoly of money and time

- No doubt!

Web sites

• www.scientology.org - pro-scientology

• www.xenu.net - anti- scientology

Reincarnation Apologetic

• Heb 9:27; Matt 10:28, CCC 1013, 362-367

• People are body/soul composites

• Early Church Fathers taught against this beginning with Irenaeus

• No memory of previous lives

• How can we be enlightened?

• Knowledge does not equal virtue

• What about Matt 11:13-14?