Scientology
From Science Fiction to Space-age Religion
by John Weldon
from the Christian Research Journal, Summer 1993, page 20. The
Editor-in-Chief of the Christian Research Journal is Elliot Miller.
SUMMARY
The Church of Scientology is a controversial new religion developed
by L. Ron Hubbard as an extension of his earlier psychological
theories of Dianetics. Drawing on ideas from Buddhist and Hindu
religious philosophy, science fiction, and Western concepts in
psychology and science, L. Ron Hubbard produced a religion that
sees all human beings as immortal spirits (thetans) who have forgotten
their identity and become deceived by the very universe they mentally
emanated in order to amuse themselves. Scientology claims it can free
the thetan to realize his or her true nature and powers through certain
controversial procedures that allegedly heal the mind and free the
spirit.
Although the church claims its beliefs are not incompatible with
Christian faith, an evaluation of what Scientology teaches in the areas
of God, man, the creation, salvation, and death proves this is not so.
Scientology is a powerful new religion whose teachings are
inconsistent with the beliefs of orthodox Christian faith.
Ours is an age of religious cacophony, as was the Roman Empire of
Christ's time. From agnosticism to Hegelianism, from devil-worship to
scientific rationalism, from theosophical cults to philosophies of
process: virtually any world view conceivable is offered to modern
man in the pluralistic marketplace of ideas. Our age is indeed in
ideological and societal agony, grasping at anything and everything that
can conceivably offer the ecstasy of a cosmic relationship or of a
comprehensive Weltanschauung [world view]. -- John Warwick
Montgomery.[1]
One of the most intriguing and controversial items found in today's
religious marketplace is The Church of Scientology. The church was
founded by Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (1911-1986) in California in
the 1950s as an extension of his earlier nonreligious theory of
Dianetics.[2] (Dianetics is believed to deals with mind and body;
Scientology with the human spirit, although they necessarily overlap in
places. According to the church, technically, "para-Scientology" is that
branch of Scientology involving past lives, mysticism, the occult, and
so forth.[3] For our purposes, the term Scientology is employed in its
broadest sense.)
Today Scientology boasts over 700 centers in 65 countries and is one
of the wealthiest of the new religions. Celebrities such as Tom Cruise,
John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, and Sonny Bono are only a few of the
Hollywood faithful who actively endorse Scientology. But this new
religion also has its critics, as still-circulated issues of Readers Digest
(May 1980, September 1981) and Time magazine (May 6, 1991)
reveal.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENTOLOGY
The basic tenets of Scientology result from an eclectic mixture of
Eastern philosophy and the personal research of Hubbard into a
variety of disciplines, as well as the "data" uncovered from "auditing."
Auditing is Scientology's "counseling" or extensive examination of the
present life and "past lives" of the "preclear," or initiate. In one of its
many definitions, Hubbard has described Scientology as "the Western
Anglicized continuance of many earlier forms of wisdom."[4] These
include the Vedas, Taoism, Buddhism, Judaism, Gnosticism and early
Greek civilization; and the teachings of Jesus, Nietzsche, and Freud.
According to Hubbard, "Scientology has accomplished the goal of
religion expressed in all Man's written history, the freeing of the soul
by wisdom."[5]
Scientology divides the mind into two components -- the analytic and
the reactive, roughly parallel to the conscious or rational mind and
unconscious or irrational mind. Experiences of extreme shock, pain, or
unconsciousness cause "engrams," or sensory impressions, to be
recorded in the reactive mind. These mental pictures are, in turn, the
cause of our emotional and even many physical problems today.[6]
They can be dislodged only through Scientology.[7]
While these memory pictures are perfectly recorded, they lay dormant
in the brain until restimulated by a similar incident. When restimulated,
they cause conditioned, stimulus-response behavior which is
counterproductive to one's well-being. Thus, when the brain sees a
similar situation to a past threatening experience -- even though it is
not now a threat to survival, it responds as if it were, producing a form
of inappropriate and self-defeating behavior. For example, a boy falls
out of a tree just as a red car passes by and is knocked unconscious.
Later, even as a man, red cars (even red things) may restimulate the
episode in various ways and cause irrational reactions. This man may
thus refuse to ride in a red car and may even get ill or dizzy when
confronted with the possibility.
In this sense, we are all more or less conditioned beings -- "machines"
that simply respond to their operator (i.e., the reactive mind).
Scientology believes this restimulation is fairly automatic. In other
words, we are not free beings: we are slaves of an "aberrated"
(reactive) mind. Scientology maintains that through Dianetic and/or
Scientology therapy, we can be directly exposed to our engrams,
"erase" them, and become "clear," or in control of our behavior ("at
cause") rather than at the mercy of a damaged reactive mind ("at
effect").
Unfortunately, Scientology informs us, through reincarnation we have
all been accumulating engrams for trillions of years. Thus, to resolve
hidden engrams, not only must the initiate be mentally whisked back to
reexperience the damaging events of this life, but of many past lives as
well.
According to Scientology, each person is really a thetan, an immortal
spirit who has been so damaged by engrams that he has forgotten he
is immortal and even forgotten he is a thetan. Thetans have absolute
control over their bodies, but, sadly, they think they are bodies (a
terrible fate) and hence are bound by the MEST (matter, energy,
space, time) universe. Each time a body dies, the thetan must enter
another body, but this brings with it all its trillions of years'
accumulation of engrams. Thetans thus are no longer free, but are in
bondage to the material universe.[8] Scientology claims it can free the
thetan.
THEOLOGICAL PRESUPPOSITIONS
In light of the religious claims of Scientology I will emphasize the
theological presuppositions of the church in six fundamental categories
-- God, man, creation, salvation, death, and the supernatural.
GOD
In the Church of Scientology the concept of God would appear to be
panentheistic (believing that all finite entities are within, but not
identical to, God),[9] although monotheism could also be assumed.
What the church refers to as "the Supreme Being" is purposely left
undefined and not particularly relevant in Scientology theory or
practice. It is variously implied to be, or referred to as, "Nature,"
"Infinity," "the Eighth Dynamic," "all Theta" (life), and so forth. Usually
the individual Scientologist is free to interpret God in whatever manner
he or she wishes.[10]
MAN
Scientology maintains that in his true nature, man is not the limited and
pitiful body and ego he mistakenly imagines himself to be. He is a
thetan whose fundamental nature is basically good and divine. He is
not morally fallen; rather he is simply ignorant of his own perfection.
His only "Fall" was into matter, not sin. How did this Fall come about?
Apparently, trillions of years ago thetans became bored, so they
emanated mental universes to play in and amuse themselves. Soon,
however, they became more and more entranced in their own creation
until they were so conditioned by the manifestations of their own
thought processes that they lost all awareness of their true identity and
spiritual nature.[11]
They became hypnotized and trapped by MEST. Compounding the
problem was the accumulation of endless engrams throughout trillions
of years of existence. The final result was a pitiful creature indeed -- a
materially enslaved entity existing as a mere stimulus-response
machine. Today only slavery to the reactive mind and bondage to the
MEST universe (i.e., the physical body and environment) are what
remain of once glorious spiritual beings. Thus, the Scientology concept
of man is described in Scientology: A World Religion Emerges in the
Space Age as follows:
The PERSON in Scientology is (and discovers himself to be) a Thetan
(spiritual being) of infinite creative potential who acts in, but is not part
of, the physical universe....
The Eternal Indestructible Self (Atman) of the Hindu Upanishads early
foreshadowed the Scientology concept of the Thetan....
The Thetan is also considered to be the innate source of his own
projected universe, which overlaps the created universes of other
Thetans in a great community of souls. Thus is formed the world of the
senses, in relation to which, like the Hindu "Lila," or "Divine Play,"
each Thetan plays the Game of Life in concert with its spiritual
partners....
As a Being descends...into Materiality, the manifestations of his
communication become heavier and more dense, and his experience
of reality deteriorates.[12]
CREATION
The universe was not created by a single supreme being ex nihilo (out
of nothing), thus having a separate existence of its own. Instead, the
Scientology universe constitutes a subjective, mental emanation or
"projection" of the thetans, having merely an agreed-upon (and not
actual) reality. Thus, the entire physical universe is a Game, a product
of thetan ingenuity (designed for escaping boredom) which apparently
emanates from an original thetan consensus to "create" in
pre-history.[13]
As a product of thetan minds, the universe is capable of endless
manipulation by an aware or spiritually enlightened thetan. Thus,
Scientologists may view psychic powers developed through their
church practices as a confirmation of this teaching. But for a densely
ignorant thetan (principally, all non-Scientologists) the universe is a
deceptive and deadly spiritual trap. Ignorant thetans are bound by
engrams and think they are only physical bodies. As a result, they are
weak, impotent creatures enslaved to a material universe that inhibits
self-realization of their nature as an immortal spirit.[14] In essence, the
material creation as we know it is not only an illusion but also a
positive evil -- that is, a powerfully destructive barrier one must
overcome in order to advance spiritually.[15]
SALVATION
This pitiful thetan slavery to MEST and his own conditioned ignorance
continued for millennia until L. Ron Hubbard discovered the secret
nature of humankind and pioneered a solution to the thetan's misery by
developing a universal plan of salvation. Through Scientology auditing,
engrams may be neutralized and the thetan made increasingly
self-aware or "enlightened." By various techniques a practical
methodology was developed to enable the initiate to recognize his (or
her) spiritual existence, to separate from the MEST body, and to
begin to exert mental control over the MEST universe. In other
words, the initiate may eventually achieve a state of "clear" and then,
by progressing through numerous levels of "Operating Thetan" ("OT"),
increasingly achieve self-realization. (An "Operating Thetan" is one
who is more and more aware of and "operating" according to his true
thetan abilities.)
DEATH
Death for Scientology is sometimes a blessing, for it may permit the
release of the soul from the prison of the body (i.e., the evolution of
the thetan [soul] into a higher state of awareness). Nevertheless, in
another sense death is an event so appallingly ordinary (indeed, one
which each person has passed through trillions of times) that it is, in
effect, an irrelevant incident, almost inconsequential in the larger
scheme of things.[16]
THE OCCULT
The employment of psychic powers and out-of-body episodes (e.g.,
as a means for the thetan to re-realize his or her true powers) is
indicative of the church's acceptance of the realm of the occult.
Further, Hubbard's own son goes so far as to affirm that "black magic
is the inner core of Scientology."[17] Hubbard himself allegedly
confessed that a spirit entity guided him throughout his life[18] and a
number of scholarly researchers have verified the occult nature of
Scientology.[19]
CRITIQUE
Despite many successful attempts by the Church of Scientology to
inhibit criticism,[20] there remains a sizable literature available to the
researcher. Particularly helpful are: (1) government investigations and
reports, (2) transcripts of innumerable court proceedings (whether
Scientology functions as plaintiff or defendant), (3) scholarly review in
any number of fields related to Scientology theory (e.g., philosophy,
medicine, psychology, sociology, theology, ethics), (4) analysis by the
popular press and investigative reporting, in both printed and visual
media, and (5) the published literature of current and former
members.[21]
Scientology and/or Dianetics are certainly not without testable claims,
even though the church alleges Hubbard has at no time made any
claims for them.[22] Still, Hubbard believed -- among many other
things -- that his philosophy and methodology (1) are superior in
mental health expertise, (2) (Dianetics) can be 100 percent successful
and increase one's I.Q., (3) can solve humankind's major problems,
and (4) are a rational and proven science (except where they impinge
on the study of the spirit).[23] But before Dianetics had evolved into
Scientology, it had been examined and critiqued by a variety of
investigators and invalidated as to its basic claims.[24]
Neither are most of the claims of Scientology established. For
example, one of the great legal minds of our century is Oxford
educated Lord Chancellor Hailsham. He has twice held the highest
office open to lawyers in England, that of Lord Chancellor, as well as
being the Minister of Education and Minister of Science and
Technology. He comments, "I do not find [Scientology's]
philosophical conceptions adequate to support [its] theories...the
factual basis on which they claim to have produced good results on
individuals do not seem to me to be fully substantiated."[25]
As to its mental health claims, the application of Scientology
techniques has allegedly harmed some people. Problems can arise
from occult activity, Scientology processes, and auditor
inexperience.[26] They include hallucinations and irrational behavior,
severe disorientation, strange bodily sensations, physical and mental
illness, unconsciousness, and suicide.[27] (As the notes will reveal,
most of the above hazards were admitted by Hubbard himself,
although he maintained they only occurred through misapplication of
the "technology" of Scientology.)
Hubbard also claimed that Scientology is a proven science that is
rational and utilizes scientific principles. However, Hubbard's methods
contradict this assertion and reveal that scientifically his research
methodology is questionable or unreliable.[28] Even his own son
claims that for the multimillion bestseller Dianetics: The Modern
Science of Mental Health he did no research at all....what he did,
really, was take bits and pieces from other people and put them
together in a blender and stir them all up -- and out came Dianetics!
All the examples in the book -- some 200 "real-life experiences" --
were just the result of his obsessions with abortions and unconscious
states....In fact, the vast majority of those incidents were invented off
the top of his head. The rest stem from his own secret life, which was
deeply involved in the occult and black magic. That involvement goes
back to when he was sixteen.[29]
Further, researchers who have examined the only "scientific"
instrument in Scientology allegedly capable of producing "data" have
concluded it is useless as to its claimed abilities. This instrument is the
"E-meter," an electric meter which is used to "locate" engrams. The
E-meter accurately measures variations in the electrical resistance of
the human body, like a galvanometer. But "none of the Scientology
theories associated with, or claims made for, the E-meter is justified.
They are contrary to expert evidence...."[30]
SCIENTOLOGY ETHICS
Scientology maintains a strong position outwardly on ethical issues:
The practice of Scientology results in a higher level of ethics and
integrity....[31]
Millions already believe the Ethics of Scientology carry more weight
and honesty than the traditional and confused laws of nations.[32]
The Church of Scientology International memberships -- your link to
other honest ethical people.[33]
Unfortunately, Scientology does not always live up well to its own
ethical confessions, partly because its ethics seem to be valid only for
those it deems worthy of them. For example, critics of the church may
be treated as enemies.[34]
We should also note that Scientology has its own unique definitions for
terms. Thus words used in the above quotations -- such as ethics --
carry not only accepted meanings but also Scientological ones.[35]
TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION
This brings us to a related problem in Scientology: its subjective use of
terms so that data is manipulated to conform to the alleged discoveries
and truths of Scientology. Perhaps the most fruitful area to begin with
is by noting Hubbard's expertise as a science fiction writer. In fact,
many of the themes one finds in Scientology can also be found in his
science fiction works.[36]
For Hubbard "life is a game," and this is about the only thing that gives
it any real meaning.[37] The various exploits of thetans in the past
trillions of years are their lila (or sport) -- the games they play to keep
eternal boredom at bay. Certainly many critics would contend that the
adventures of thetans -- as chronicled in, for example, Hubbard's A
History of Man and Have You Lived Before This Life? -- should be
ranked among his science fiction work. From the latter book consider
one alleged "past life" incident of a Scientology counselee as
uncovered by a Scientology auditor using his E-meter:
The preclear was on Mars without a body 469,476,600 years ago,
creating havoc, destroying a bridge and buildings. The people were
called by an alarm to temple. PC [preclear] went and broke the back
pew, and the Temple tower. He wandered in town and saw a doll in a
window, and got entrapped [inside the doll] trying to move its limbs.
People seized it, beat it up, and threw the doll out of the window (30
ft. drop). The doll was taken roughly to the Temple, and was zapped
by a bishop's gun while the congregation chanted "God is Love."
When the people left, the doll, out of control, staggered out and was
run over by a large car and a steamroller. It was then taken back to
the Bishop, who ordered it to be taken (in a lorry with others) to dig
trenches or ditches for 2,000 years. (The whole incident took nearly
2,000,000 years.) Then it was taken and the body was removed and
the PC was promised a robot body. The thetan (PC) went up to an
implant station and was put into an ice-cube and went by flying saucer
and was dropped at Planet ZX 432.[38]
Hubbard himself confesses that truth is so strange one cannot actually
distinguish between science fiction and science fact (a revelation he
also found useful for rejecting or manipulating the "illusions" of
conventional knowledge). For example, Hubbard once noted, "One of
the closest pieces of work to a thetan is Alice in Wonderland....He
can mock up [invent, make] white rabbits and caterpillars and Mad
Hatters. He'd find himself right in his element."[39] And, "When you
look at man's location in the MEST Universe and what he has or has
not been through the picture is just incredibly wild...it's just too
fantastic for words, so of course, nobody would believe it."[40]
If we recall Hubbard's teaching on the material creation we remember
it is an illusion: "The MEST universe can be established easily to be an
illusion...."[41] It is not that the universe does not exist, rather, it has
no objective, independent reality. It is a frivolous mental game created
and played by thetans. Conventional reality simply results from the
primordial thetan agreement ("mock-up") and no more.[42] Thus,
"objective" reality is simply a temporary subjective manifestation of the
mind of thetans.
Such a universe, of course, cannot give true objective knowledge
about things, for things per se have no independent existence and are
capable of endless manipulation by an aware thetan. For Hubbard,
only an unaberrated thetan (i.e., one who by means of Scientology is
truly enlightened) knows things as they really are and, apparently,
Hubbard was the most enlightened thetan of all. Thus, for
Scientologists who agree, that which Hubbard says is true is that
which really is true, no matter how fantastic or disharmonious with
currently accepted knowledge.[43]
SCIENTOLOGY AND CHRISTIANITY
Despite the fact that as late as 1971 (close to 20 years after the
Church of Scientology was founded) at least one book by Hubbard
carried the straightforward claim that "Scientology...is not a
religion,"[44] it has become a religion and one in competition with the
Christian church. Consider a survey conducted by the Church of
Scientology itself. This poll, which involved over 3,000 members,
determined that the background of Scientologists is predominantly
Christian (roughly 40 percent Protestant and 26 percent Catholic). A
full 70 percent of those with Christian backgrounds affirmed that they
still considered themselves practicing members of their Christian faith,
which means that almost half (47 percent) of those polled still consider
themselves Christian.[45]
These findings combined with the additional facts that 37 percent of
those surveyed had received college degrees and 80 percent were
from the middle class indicate that Scientology constitutes an
appealing and powerful organization with an educated class of people,
most of whom have been recruited from Christian churches. And yet
the response of Christianity to this situation has been almost
nonexistent. Just as the Scientologist who considers him or herself a
Christian does not recognize the inconsistency of that position, the
Christian church has not yet recognized the risk Scientology poses to
its own fold.
In a rational universe two contrary religions might be false, but both
cannot be true. Thus, if the Christian world view is true (and I have
shown elsewhere how this may be reasonably established on
revelational-empirical grounds -- using the strict measure of legal
criteria[46]), then that which contradicts it cannot be true.
In the area of theology, there are several key issues that people have
pondered most consistently -- and most personally. They concern the
area of theology proper (the existence and nature of God) as well as
the questions of revealed theology (does God exist for me?),
anthropology (who or what am I?), soteriology (how can I be
saved?), and thanatology (what happens when I die?).
These questions raise the issues of the nature of God, man, salvation,
and death. No issues are more fundamental or important -- for to
answer these questions in error will, like a philosophical leaven,
spread corruption throughout one's world view. Below we will briefly
compare and contrast Scientology's answers to the questions with the
answers provided in the Bible.
GOD
As noted, Scientology is fundamentally panentheistic. It teaches that
there are a multitude of thetans who, "collectively" with all life, could
be said to comprise the Supreme Being (see note 9). This contradicts
the biblical teaching that there is only one sovereign and perfect
Creator God from all eternity -- without beginning or end, immutable,
who exists in three Persons, and is infinitely holy, just, and loving (e.g.,
Gen. 1:1; Isa. 43:10-11; Acts 5:3-4; Isa. 61:8; Mal. 3:6; 1 Tim. 2:5;
Titus 2:13; 1 John 4:8-10).
MAN
Scientology teaches that man is an immortal spirit like the atman in
Hinduism. As in Hinduism, man may be considered a deity of sorts
who has forgotten he is divine.
The Bible rejects the idea that man is an ignorant god who needs only
enlightenment or self-realization. Man is a creation of God, made in
God's image. His problems do not result from engrams or boredom,
but from sin and self-centeredness (Rom. 3:10-18; Eph. 2:1-3).
If there is one supporting pillar of Scientology upon which everything
rests, it is the concept of thetans. Nearly everything of importance in
Scientology is predicated on the existence of thetans and their
conforming to the status Hubbard has given them. Obviously, if there
is no thetan as Hubbard defines it, the practices of Scientology are
without justification.
Consider the biblical view. There is only one eternal God in the
universe (Isa. 43:10-11). He created man (body and spirit) as a finite
creature at a point in time (Gen. 2:7). Hence it is impossible that divine
beings such as Scientology's thetans can exist. Biblically then,
Scientology's philosophy, techniques, solutions to problems, and final
goals are based upon underlying presuppositions that are inherently
incorrect.
Put more simply, if no thetan exists, then most of Scientology is based
on error. For "almost the entirety of Scientology consists of discovery
and refinements of methods whereby the Thetan can be persuaded to
relinquish his self-imposed limitations."[47]
Nevertheless, because Scientology deals with the mind and certain
practical considerations (e.g., communication skills) it may also use or
discover relevant information about human psychology. Unfortunately,
if such data is placed into an overall world view that is false or
questionable, even though the data may be true, it may be misused in
support of an errant philosophy.
For example, during Scientology counseling, the auditor (counselor)
may extract certain feelings or information from the initiate that indicate
an irrational fear of falling and a problem with vertigo. This
observation may be true. But because the more enlightened auditor
has already interpreted the initiate as a thetan ignorant of its many
lifetimes, and because his E-meter has supposedly "located" an
engram (the incident related to experiencing dizziness) from ten trillion
years ago, the auditor may interpret such information wrongly -- as a
past-life incident where the person is falling out of a spaceship.
If we realize that the entire purpose of Scientology is to help a
(biblically) nonexistent thetan realize its true nature, we must conclude
that it does not deal in the realm of reality. If no thetan exists, what
else may a Christian inquirer into Scientology conclude?
SALVATION
Salvation in Scientology progresses from personal ignorance and
bondage to matter into gnostic enlightenment and freedom from the
MEST body and universe. At an ultimate cost of tens of thousands of
dollars, one is progressively "saved" from engrams by knowledge
(Scientology beliefs) through good works (Scientology auditing and
practice, etc.) to arrive at the highest state of "operating thetan."
The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that salvation is a free gift. One
is redeemed from sin on the principle of grace, simply through faith in
Christ's atonement (Eph. 2:8-9; John 6:47; Heb. 11:1; 1 John 2:2).
DEATH
Scientology claims that death is endlessly repeatable through
reincarnation and is hence almost inconsequential. Death, however, is
at least potentially beneficial in that it may permit the release of the
soul from the prison of the body.
Biblically, death is a one-time event that carries either the most
sublime of blessings (eternal heaven) or the most horrible of
consequences (eternal hell). Death leads to an irreversible fate for
both the saved and the lost and thus human beings have one lifetime
only to make their peace with God (Heb. 9:27; Matt. 25:46; Luke
26:19-31; Rev. 20:10-15).
In conclusion, Scientology does not conform in basic world view or
particular teaching with Judeo-Christian revelation in any sense;
indeed, examined as a whole, it fundamentally rejects Christian faith.
Hubbard rejected Christ's deity and mission as figments of
unenlightened minds and therefore Hubbard's philosophy "is not
interested in saving man, but it can do much to prevent him from being
'saved.'"[48]
We may observe that Scientology does entertain a fine goal in
attempting to improve the world and man's lot within it, whether
materially or spiritually. Many practitioners are dedicated and selfless
in seeking such ends. Nevertheless, each Scientologist must weigh the
scales of his or her own conscience to determine the best manner in
which to achieve such goals. If man is not a thetan as Scientology
claims, but a fallen being in need of redemption as Christianity teaches,
what will have been the fruit of a lifetime of work?
It would be wise for Scientologists with a Christian background
(indeed, for all Scientologists) to listen to the words of Jesus afresh:
"For what will a man be profited if he gain the whole world and
forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"
(Matt. 16:26) And, "This is eternal life, to know Thee, the only true
God and Jesus Christ, whom Thou has sent." (John 17:3)
NOTES
1 John Warwick Montgomery, Faith Founded on Fact (Nashville:
Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1978), 152-53.
2 L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics Today (Los Angeles: Church of
Scientology of California, 1975), III; and LRH Personal Secretary
Office, ed., What Is Scientology? (Los Angeles: Church of
Scientology of California, 1978) 209; cf. Christopher Evans, Cults of
Unreason (New York: Dell, 1975), 17-134 for early problems and
controversies.
3 L. Ron Hubbard, The Creation of Human Ability (Los Angeles: The
Publications Organization Worldwide, 1968),
189.
4 Ibid., 177.
5 Ibid., 180; cf. Church of Scientology Information Service,
Department of Archives, Scientology: A World Religion Emerges in
the Space Age (1974), 3-17.
6 Impact or injury must be involved for an engram to register. "The
engram is the single and sole source of aberration and psychosomatic
illness." (Hubbard, Dianetics Today, 43, 47; cf. 37-106 and especially
38-59.)
7 E.g., Hubbard, Dianetics Today, 947-51; L. Ron Hubbard, The
Volunteer Minister's Handbook (Los Angeles: Church of Scientology
of California, 1976), 551-52; cf. the comments of former 14-year
member Cyril Vosper in The Mind Benders (London: Neville
Spearman, 1971), 164-66, and member Peter Gillham in Telling It
Like It Is: A Course in Scientology Dissemination (Phoenix: Institute
of Applied Philosophy, 1972), 26.
8 See L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology: A History of Man (Sussex,
England: L. Ron Hubbard Communications office, 1961), 12-76,
especially 53-60 for a discussion of alleged evolutionary dynamics and
their impact on one's current life. Cf. the discussion in Evans, 38-47
and Roy Wallis, The Road to Total Freedom: A Sociological Analysis
of Scientology (New York: Columbia University Press, 1977), 103-4.
9 On panentheism see Scientology: A World Religion Emerges,
21-24; L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics and Scientology Technical
Dictionary (Los Angeles: Church of Scientology of California, 1975),
429; L. Ron Hubbard, Ceremonies of the Founding of the Church of
Scientology (Los Angeles: The American St. Hill Organization, 1971),
41; Reality magazine, no. 121, 3; Hubbard, The Creation of Human
Ability, 277; Advance, no. 35, 14-15; no. 36, 6.
10 Hubbard, What Is Scientology? 200. Wallis (112n.) observes that
God "does not figure greatly in either theory or practice."
11 See notes 8 and 9.
12 Scientology: A World Religion Emerges in the Space Age, 21-24.
13 Ibid. Cf. Hubbard, The Creation of Human Ability, 9-21;
Hubbard, Technical Dictionary, 432; and L. Ron Hubbard,
Scientology 8-8008 (Los Angeles: The American St. Hill
Organization, 1967), 106-8.
14 Ibid.
15 Ibid. and L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology: The Fundamentals of
Thought (Los Angeles: American St. Hill Organization, 1971), 91, 98;
Edward Lefson and Ruth Minshull, comps. When in Doubt
Communicate: Quotations from the Works of L. Ron Hubbard (Ann
Arbor, MI: Scientology Ann Arbor, 1969), 73, 123; Advance, no.
19, 114.
16 E.g., cf. L. Ron Hubbard, "Death," Advance, no. 24, 9, 22 and L.
Ron Hubbard, Have You Lived Before This Life? (Los Angeles: The
Church of Scientology of California, Department of Publications
Worldwide, 1968), passim.
17 "Penthouse Interview: L. Ron Hubbard, Jr.," Penthouse, June
1983, 113 (CRI files). Cf. Brent Corydon and L. Ron Hubbard, Jr.,
L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman? (Secaucus, NJ: Lyle Stuart,
1987), 307, 333.
18 Corydon and Hubbard, Jr., 256.
19 E.g., Wallis, 122; Harriet Whitehead, "Reasonably Fantastic:
Some Perspectives on Scientology, Science Fiction and Occultism," in
Irving Zaretsky and Mark P. Leon, Religious Movements in
Contemporary America (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press,
1974), 582.
20 See Reader's Digest, May 1980, September 1981; Newsweek,
20 November 1978; Christianity Today, 20 February 1975.
21 Among the official government reports are those by Australia
(1965), Britain (1971), South Africa (1972), and New Zealand
(1969). Popular press reports include Today's Health, December
1968; Life, 15 November 1968; Parents magazine, June 1969;
Christianity Today, 21 November 1969; The Nation, 22 May 1972;
Reader's Digest, May
1980, September 1981; as well as The Washington Post, Wall Street
Journal, London Sunday Times, Los Angeles Times, St. Petersburg
Times, etc. Among critical books are Corydon and Hubbard, Jr., L.
Ron Hubbard, Messiah or Madman? Vosper, The Mind Benders;
George Malko, Scientology: The Now Religion; Robert Kaufman,
Inside Scientology; and Evans, Cults of Unreason. Among television
investigations are ABC News Close-Up, New Religions: Holiness or
Heresy? 2 September 1976, and NBC Primetime Saturday, 14 June
1980. Scholarly treatments include Wallis, The Road to Total
Freedom.
22 What Is Scientology? 5.
23 The tremendous extent of Hubbard's claims can be found in ibid.
and L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics Today, VIII, 94, 108-15, 618, 962;
Handbook for Preclears (Los Angeles: The American St. Hill
Organization, 1971), 5-6; L. Ron Hubbard, Self-Analysis (Los
Angeles: The Church of Scientology of California, 1968), 178; Evans,
78-79; L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought
(Los Angeles: American St. Hill Organization, 1971), 119; L. Ron
Hubbard, Science of Survival (Sussex, England: L. Ron Hubbard
College of Scientology, 1951), 3; Advance, no. 25, 4, 16; Hubbard,
Dianetics Today, 115; Advance, no. 43, back cover; no. 25, 4-5, 16;
no. 55, 18; What Is Scientology? 199; Evans, 78-79; L. Ron
Hubbard, Scientology 8-80, 7; L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology 8-8008
(Los Angeles: The American St. Hill Organization, 1952), 47.
24 See "Book Review," Journal of the American Medical Association,
29 July 1950, 1220-2; Post-Graduate Medicine, October 1950;
Newsweek, 16 October 1950; "Dianetics," Consumer Reports,
August 1951; "Questions and Answers," Today's Health, November
1950; Robert Lee Smith, "Scientology," Today's Health, December
1968; Anderson, 94-97.
25 Lord Chancellor Hailsham, "The Door Wherein I Went," The
Simon Greenleaf Law Review 4, 1984-85, 51. 26 E.g., John
Ankerberg and John Weldon, The Facts on the Occult (Eugene, OR:
Harvest House, 1992); L. Ron Hubbard, The Book of Case
Remedies, Clearing Series 2, expanded ed. (Los Angeles: American
St. Hill Organization, 1971), insert A3 (after p. 24); L. Ron Hubbard,
Dianetics 55! (Los Angeles: The American St. Hill Organization, 1973
edition), 157-59; Hubbard, Scientology: A History of Man, 50;
Hubbard, The Creation of Human Ability, 1, 134, 171; Hubbard,
Dianetics Today, 466, 933; Vosper, 98.
27 Anderson, 12, 83, 92, 126, 133; Hubbard, The Creation of
Human Ability, 149, 175-76, 241, 267; Hubbard, Scientology 8-80,
52-53; Hubbard, Dianetics 55! 167-69; cf. Hubbard, Scientology: A
History of Man, 75; Hubbard, Dianetics Today, 535, 623; Robert
Kaufman, Inside Scientology: How I Joined Scientology and Became
Superhuman (New York: Olympia Press, 1972), 153, 160, 164,
200-201, 219-24, 241; Book of Case Remedies, Second Series,
expanded ed., 29; Technical Dictionary, 209-10, 365; Hubbard,
Have You Lived Before This Life? 170; Reader's Digest, May 1980,
89; September 1981, 28; Willamette Week (Portland, OR), 3
September 1979, 15.
28 E.g., Vosper, 78-79; Anderson, 95-97, passim.
29 Penthouse, 113; cf. Corydon and Hubbard, Jr., 270-71.
30 Kevin Anderson, Report of the Board of Inquiry into Scientology
(Melbourne: AC Brooks Government Printer, 1965), no. 9, 95-97.
This report is difficult to locate but contains invaluable information. Cf.
Evans, 63-66; Wallis, 197.
31 What Is Scientology? 77.
32 Vosper, 132.
33 Source magazine, no. 22, 1.
34 See Hubbard, Introduction to Scientology Ethics (Los Angeles:
American St. Hill Organization, 1973), 49; Richard Behar, "The
Thriving Cult of Greed and Power," Time, 6 May 1991, 50-57;
Eugene H. Methvin, "Scientology: Anatomy of a Frightening Cult,"
Readers Digest, May 1980, 86-91 (part 2: Sept. 1981, 75-80).
35 For illustrations see the definitions in the Scientology Technical
Dictionary.
36 Compare Scientology theory with Hubbard's science fiction
works, e.g., Ole Doc Methuselah, Slaves of Sleep, Death's Deputy,
The Final Blackout, The Dangerous Dimension, The Tramp, Fear,
King Slayer, and Typewriter in the Sky.
37 E.g., L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology: A New Slant on Life (Los
Angeles: The American St. Hill organization, 1971), 38-39; Lefson
and Minshull, 40.
38 Hubbard, Have You Lived Before This Life? 63-64.
39 L. Ron Hubbard, "Making an O.T. -- Part Two," Advance, no.
33, 6.
40 L. Ron Hubbard, "What's Wrong with This Universe?" Advance,
no. 45, 4.
41 Hubbard, Scientology 8-8008, 133.
42 Ibid., 106-8; Hubbard, The Creation of Human Ability, 249.
43 See e.g., Vosper, 28-42; Wallis, 249-50.
44 Hubbard, The Creation of Human Ability, 1971 printing or earlier,
251.
45 What Is Scientology? 246-47; cf. Wallis, 72.
46 E.g., see John Ankerberg and John Weldon, Do the Resurrection
Accounts Conflict and What Proof Is There That Jesus Rose from the
Dead? (Chattanooga, TN: Ankerberg Theological Research Institute,
1990, esp. section III).
47 Vosper, 31.
48 Hubbard, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health
(Sussex, England: Publications Organization Worldwide, 1968), 105.
Cf. 408; Hubbard, The Volunteer Minister's Handbook, 348-49;
Wallis, 104.
End of document, CRJ0155A.TXT (original CRI file name),
"Scientology: From Science Fiction to Space-age Religion"
release A, August 31, 1994
R. Poll, CRI
Copyright 1994 by the Christian Research Institute.