SCIENTOLOGY for BEGINNERS

Scientology is hot. Since the release of the HBO-documentary Going Clear, where the religion was scrutinized, internet can’t stop writing about it. Scientology thanks it’s fame to famous followers like Tom Cruise and John Travolta and has always been controversial, but why exactly?

History
The Scientology church was founded by the American novel and science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. The new religion was a follow through of his self-help book Dianetics that claims it can help people reach a higher level of spiritual and mental being. Within the church there are different levels to surpass. The select group that has reached the highest level, among them Tom Cruise, are said to have developed telekinetic and telepathic powers.

Starfuckers
According to the Scientology church it has over 15 million followers worldwide. In reality it’s more in the line of 500.000. This includes Tom Cruise an John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Beck, Jenna Elfman, Priscilla Presley and many more celebrities. This high star-factor is not a coincidence, it’s everything but. The scientology church was always predestined to win over celebrity souls. L. Ron was quick to observe the effect of the attractive powers famous movie and pop stars had on the people, and welcomed them with open arms. Once in they received special treatment like, for example, use of the specially designed Celebrity Center in Hollywood.

Aliens
That L. Ron is a science-fiction writer becomes very apparent when one researches how the religion describes the creation of the earth. It mentions an alien dictator by the name of Xenu, that crashed his spaceship on planet earth 75 million years ago, bringing the Thetans along with him, the immortal souls of aliens that, to this day, harass humans.

anti-psychiatric
L. Ron had serious intentions to have his work, Dianetics, published in a medical journal. His method however did not receive the recognition from the medical world he had hoped for, much to his dismay, he was furious. Scientology holds contempt against psychiatric practice and especially the use of prescribed medicine that they consider “barbaric”. They believe these problems can easily be solved using the methods available at the Scientology church.

A sect or a company?
In the USA Scientology was founded as a church and still enjoys substantial tax benefits. In the Netherlands, Spain and Australia they also have churches but in Sweden the organization is seen as a company, in Germany and France they are considered a sect. The sales of books and courses are caught up in a kind of pyramid game where huge profits are made.

Disappearing woman
The wife of Scientology leader David Miscavige hasn’t been seen in public since 2006. Her absence was reason for actress Leah Remini, who left the church last year, to report her as a missing person with the police. According to insiders the wife of the big leaders spends her days in one of their famous punishments camps after having committed several mishaps.