The Secular Roots of Scientology
Scope and Purpose
This web site was created to promote the scholarly study of the
religious beliefs of Scientology, and compare them to other religious
belief systems. Scientology claims to be compatible with nearly all
other religious belief systems, a claim which is not supported by the
available evidence. While the preponderance of research has been
oriented toward Christianity, people of all faiths are welcome to
contribute to this page.
The source material used in this document includes:
- HCOBs, HCOPLs, and Lectures (Scientology "scripture") by L. Ron
Hubbard, founder of Scientology.
- Previously secret Advanced Technology, including the
Operating Thetan and New Era Dianetics for OT Series,
by Hubbard.
- Various critical texts, including Bare Faced
Messiah, Russell Miller.
- Various web pages.
- Internet newsgroup alt.religion.scientology articles, various authors.
This page is under construction and under review. Please report
errors in fact or form to Perry Scott.
If you have or know of material that may contribute to this
web, please contact me.
Introduction
In 1981, the Church of Scientology forwarded the claim to me that they
were "an applied religious philosophy" and compatible with Christianity
(Scientology
continues to make this claim).
I accepted it at face value. "Why would they lie about it?", I
reasoned, "They're a Church!" I signed up for a couple courses.
However, as I read their material, it was clear that a belief in
reincarnation was implicit to Hubbard's doctrine of Whole-Track
(past lives) auditing, which is a central tenet of Scientology. At that
point, I declined to supplant my own religion with Scientology and
drifted away from the Church.
More than a decade later, I found Scientology being discussed on the
Internet newsgroup
alt.religion.scientology . I was attracted by wild tales of
Scientology's upper level "scriptures" that sounded more like a bad
science fiction novel than they did salvation for the soul.
Moreover, critics were being harrassed by Scientology's lawyers. The
"Church" was threatening to sue people for quoting as little as six
lines of their copyrighted scripture! I learned that the "Church" of
Scientology prevents people from seeing their Advanced Technology
through litigation, both on grounds of copyright infringement and trade
secret law. The reason: the "Church" demands hundreds of thousands of
dollars to reveal their "spiritual technology". Latest estimates are
$365,000
(not a typo!) to advance through OT VIII, their highest level.
At these rates, only the idle rich can afford spiritual salvation,
Scientology-style.
As I dug deeper into the Advanced Technology and other Upper Level
doctrine, I began to find more and more material that confirmed my
decision from a decade before. I learned that Hubbard was not only
lying about being compatible with Christianity, I read and heard
Hubbard denigrating Christianity in the upper level
lectures which are safely hidden from public scrutiny. Worse, Hubbard
was revealed to be a Satanist, studying under Aleister Crowley, even
taking upon himself the name of "The Beast" upon Crowley's death.
For those of you who are saying "OK, so Hubbard was anti-Christian,
so what?", my reply is that Hubbard was an equal-opportunity bigot.
Hubbard blasphemes the God of Abraham, simultaneously offending Jew,
Christian, and Muslim alike. Hubbard says that
Islam and Christianity are implants [false memories], as well as
claiming that his "Technology" can create equals to Buddha. He
takes a broad brush to "religion" in general being guilty of exploiting
false memories (which only Hubbard was able to find) in order to control
people. So, while there are a preponderance of Christian references
on this Web, it is only because my research has been in that direction
and that Hubbard blasphemed the God of Abraham most often (which makes
those references easiest to find.) If your religion was targeted by
Hubbard and you don't see the reference here,
send some mail and I would be
happy to correct the error.
Scientology is a gnostic [gnosis: to know] system in every sense of
the word. The material is doled out on The Gradient at steep
prices. Each course is a prerequisite for the next. The church
member is compelled to take that next course to secure their spiritual
salvation or be condemned to sliding back to a state of degradation.
Scientology takes a lifetime to learn; the opportunity cost of such a
religious system is a lifetime diverted away from seeking God. Hubbard
set up the system as circles within circles, a spiritual treadmill without
end. After attaining OT VIII, the Scientologist has come to accept that God
not only does not exist, but also believes that God is an implant that must be
audited out like any other false memory. In this manner, Scientology
binds the minds of its believers, then warehouses their spirits for the
remainder of their life. From the Christian point of view, Hubbard's
system is evil to the extreme; Scientology is a system of diversions
away from God, an accomplishment that Satan would be proud to call his own.
This Web is my response to the bald-faced lies that were told to me in 1981.
(Yes, had they told me right up front that they were a Satanic cult, I
would have never bothered with this.)
It cost me both time and money to find the truth, time that I can never
regain. I have a right and duty under the First Amendment of the US
Constitution to both practice my religion as well as speak out against
the dangers of Scientology. Scientology presents a whitewashed exterior
and most Christians, Jews, and Muslims are unaware of the dark interior.
Finally, a note of thanks to all the contributors to
alt.religion.scientology which are included here. It has been quite a
education. If you happen to be surprised to find your post
here and wish it removed, please contact me. I have assumed that a
newsgroup post has an implied license to copy.
Doctrine Comparison
An article from The Christian Research Journal
, Summer 1993 describes the philosophy and theological
presuppositions of Scientology and provides a comparison between
Scientology and Christianity. It is a well-done scholarly work,
complete with a rich set of references. This article is a good place to
start because it avoids much of the jargon that is inherent in any
reading of Scientology doctrine.
Stephen Kent published an essay on
Scientology's Relationship With Eastern Religious Traditions in
Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol. 11, No. 1, 1996,
page 21.
In 1996, the
mysterious and secret Advanced Technology appeared on a.r.s.,
which include the Operating Thetan (a.k.a. "OT") and New
Era Dianetics for Operating Thetans (a.k.a. "NOTs"). OT III contains part of the
"creation story" of Scientology, detailing how an evil galactic space
tyrant named Xenu solved an overpopulation problem 75 million
years ago by:
- transporting undesirable people to Earth
- placing them in various volcanoes
- blowing them up with H-bombs
- catching the thetans (spirits) with electronic ribbons
- showing them bad movies (a.k.a. the R6 implants) to confuse them.
These spirits went on to inhabit the bodies of primitive apes, being
passed from generation to generation to present-day man. OT III and
NOTs are about exorcising these spirits. In the words of Dave Barry,
I am not making this up. In case you didn't know, Hubbard got
his start writing for pulp science fiction magazines.
The Church of Scientology is absolutely rabid about protecting the
copyrights and trade secrets of the NOTs. Rather than risk a
lawsuit by quoting or discussing more here, the reader is referred to
these pages:
Scientology Doctrine, Christian Heresies
Rebecca Hartong compares the heresies of
Scientology to the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church.
Jon Atack reports on Hubbard and the Occult,
with references.
Gnosticism
Reincarnation
- Tilman Hausherr comments on Have You
Lived Before This Life?, a Scientology text dealing with the Past
Lives doctrine.
- Peik Stromsholm debunks the claim made
in Have You Lived Before This Life? that reincarnation
was once part of the Christian religion and then removed by a conspiracy
of bishops at the Synod of Constantinople. Apparently, this claim is made
in other occult texts.
Satanism
Hubbard Denigrates Christianity
Scientology is quick to claim religious persecution whenever someone
criticises their scripture or religion. However, in true Scientology
form, they make exaggerated accusations of others to divert attention
away from their own sin. It reminds me of Jesus' parable of motes and
beams.
Note: I'm working on more commentary for this section, please
be patient.
- Hakan Jarva summarizes anti-Christian and
anti-God passages from The Philadelphia Doctorate Course.
- "Somebody somewhere on this planet, back about 600 BC found some
pieces of R6. And I don't know how they found it, either by watching
madmen or something, but since that time they have used it and it became
what is known as Christianity. (draws on a cigarette) The man on the
cross. There was no Christ. But the man on the cross is shown as
Everyman." The Class VIII [Auditor's] Course, "Krakatoa and
Beyond", Oct 3, 1968, aboard the Apollo. Hear it in Hubbard's own words! (624 KB
.wav file).
Commentary:
- According to Hubbard's OT III cosmology, all of
us on Earth were implanted 75 million years ago with false memories
which he collective calls "R6". These implants cause us to do all sorts
of crazy things, but Hubbard's auditing can break the power of
the implants. Here, Hubbard says that Christianity is nothing more than
a religious system built on parts of the R6 implants. The behavior of
the mentally ill was used as a model for Christianity. Do you know someone in the Roman Catholic
Church who might want to know about this?
- While Hubbard never specifies the "somebody" or the "somewhere",
he does specify the time (600 BC). It is difficult to guess what
actual event to which he may be referring. If others can make a connection
to this date, please contact me; I'm clueless on this one.
- The death of Christ on the cross was foreshadowed in Psalm 22, which
is dated at around 1000 BC during the reign of King David:
"(1) My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?...(14) I am poured out like
water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is
melted within my breast; (15) My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue cleaves to my jaws; thou dost lay me in the dust of death.
(16) Yea, dogs are round about me; a company of evildoers encircle me;
they have pierced my hands and feet - (17) I can count all my bones -
they stare and gloat over me; (18) they divide my garments among them,
and for my raiment they cast lots."
- After establishing the origins of Christianity upon the ravings of
the mentally ill, Hubbard goes on to deny the existence of Christ, saying
instead that all men share the implant of the cross, which is part of
R6. Thus, according to Hubbard, responding to Christ is simply being
under the control of a false memory implant.
- Hubbard takes a puff of his cigarette before delivering his punchline
in an example of showmanship.
- The highest auditor class is XII, so Class VIII is fairly high. It
is my understanding that these auditors typically deliver the clearing
and lower OT levels of processing. In any case, Class VIIIs are
well-indoctrinated and predisposed to accepting Hubbard's claims without
question. These auditors then go on to "counsel" lower-level church
members with this "knowledge" of R6 and God.
- "The Roman Catholic Church, through watching the dramatizations of
people picked up some little fragments of R6." Class 8 Course,
Lecture 10, Oct 3, 1968
Commentary:
- "Dramatizations" are the actions that people perform in response to
their engrams or false memories. Hubbard's theory of R6 includes the
command "to forget" and Hubbard is claiming that parts of R6 occasionally
surface. The Roman Catholic Church apparently saw these and invented
Christianity. Note that Hubbard's time line is incorrect; Christianity
preceeded the Church of Rome. Of course, the Churches in Greece and other
parts of Asia Minor also escape Hubbard's attention.
Choosing the Church of Rome as the progenitor of Christianity is like
saying clams were the progenitors of human beings (which Hubbard also
happened to claim in History of Man).
- This reference is quite close to the previous reference and
could be another interpretation of the same passage. However, the mention
of the Roman Catholic Church by name makes this sentence appear to be
unique and therefore genuine.
- "Also the Christian Church used [and uses] implanting [with a
squirrel version of the 7s']. These gangsters were the Nicomidians from
lower Egypt who were chased out for criminal practices [Implanting
officials]. They took over the Niocene Creed just before the year zero,
invented Christ [who comes from the crucifixion in R6 75 million years
ago] and implanted their way to 'power'. The original Nicomidians date
about 600 BC and people who were Christ date at 75 million years ago."
- L. Ron Hubbard, Resistive Cases, Former Therapy, HCOB 25 Nov
1971 (?), also quoted by Bent Corydon in L. Ron Hubbard, Messiah or
Madman?, 1992.
Commentary:
- I have not found this passage in Messiah or Madman, so
I do not know the Scientology scripture from which it is taken. I have
only one unsure reference to HCOB 25 Nov 71.
- The 7s refers to a Scientology auditing process.
- Implanting refers to the insertion of false memories into
people's minds, implying that the Christian Church exerts mind control
over its followers. While it may be true that some cults with Christian
backgrounds use mind control, it is untrue that the Christian Church in
general and as a matter of doctrine uses mind control. In typical
fashion, Hubbard accuses others of his own crimes; Scientology uses a
subtle form of mind control (I prefer the term "thought shaping") to keep
their adherents in line. Bob Penny, former member, wrote an essay on
Social Control in Scientology, which is found in the FACTNet
archive.
- I cannot fathom how the Christian Church could "take over" the
Nicene Creed, since the Creed is a formulation of Christian dogma and
did not exist before Christianity. The Nicene Creed was a result of
the First Council of Nicea, in 325 AD. Hubbard misstates both the time
and place in this case.
- There is not a "year zero" in the commonly used BC/AD or BCE/ACE
(Before/After Christian Era) systems commonly used for such numbering.
The sequence goes: 3 BC, 2 BC, 1 BC, 1 AD, 2 AD, 3 AD, ...
- Again, Hubbard asserts that Christ never existed and is part of
R6, the bad movies that were shown to everyone on Earth 75
million years ago.
- Heaven is a false memory. A short
article about The Helatrobus Implants.
- "You will find the cross as a symbol all over the universe, and the
CHRIST LEGEND as an implant in preclears a million years ago.",
Professional Auditors Bulletins, vol. 2, p. 26 , copyright 1954.
Commentary:
- Here, Hubbard claims that the cross is a common symbol. Taken with
Hubbard's teaching of Past Lives, the implication is that the
cross is just part of the baggage we carry around in our Reactive
Mind. Thus, it's appearance in Christianity is spurious. This is
at odds with the historical record; this form of execution is documented
outside of Christianity.
- Again Hubbard asserts that Christ is a myth, a false memory.
- The Professional Auditor's Bulletins are a primary source
of information for Scientology Auditors or spiritual counsellors.
This information is not publicly available.
- "Neither Lord Buddha nor Jesus Christ were OTs according to
evidence. They were just a shade above clear". Certainty
magazine, Vol 5 #10.
Commentary:
- OTs are Scientology's highest spiritual level, and
Clears are at the next lowest spiritual level. Scientology "technology"
transforms people into Clears by the tens of thousands, all of whom are
spiritual equals to Jesus Christ, whom Christians hold to be God
incarnate on Earth. Thus, Scientology is creating God.
- While I must admit a lack of understanding with respect to Buddhism,
the implication that Scientology is producing hundreds of Buddha every
year is extraordinary. If there are Buddhists who would like to explain
this statement in the context of their religion, I'd be happy to listen.
- "Christianity and a million other -anities have struggled with this
problem [the identity between theta (spirit) and mest (the material
world)] and the result is a pot-pouri of answers, none of which
reconcile the problem." (History of Man, p.39)
- " Love, if you have ever noticed, does not much care where it sites
on the tone-scale as we find a young man deeply in love starving himself
to death (a characteristic of apathy) and a young girl in love in dreamy
enthusiasm which makes her bloom. We find love used in Christianity
about twelve feet below 0.0 [death] and in New York precisely at 2.5 on
the tone scale." Professional Auditor's Bulletin No. 8, "Viewpoint
Processing, p. 50 in _PABs_ Book 1, May 1953 to April 1954.
Commentary:
- "It is all very well to idealise poverty and associate wisdom with
begging bowls, or virtue with low estate. However, those who have done
this (Buddhists, Christians, Communists and other fanatics) have dead
ended or are dead ending.", HCOPL 21 Jan 1965
Scientology Claims Compatibility with
Christianity
Religious Practice
The Secular Roots of Scientology
Scientology's roots are in the self-help movement of the 50's and 60's.
Prior to Scientology and its predecessor Dianetics , L. Ron
Hubbard was a science fiction writer for the various pulp fiction
magazines of the time. He was overheard on several occasions as saying
to the effect, "if you want to make a million dollars, you have to start
a religion". And he did. Bare Faced Messiah
cronicles the transformation from Dianetics into the religion of
Scientology.
The conversion of Scientology from a secular self-help group to a
full-blown religion literally happened overnight. It all came together
in response to various problems Hubbard was having with his brainchild:
- Tax Problems
- There were numerous IRS audits over Scientology's interesting
accounting system.
- Reluctance of some of Scientology adherents to part with large
amounts of after-tax income.
- FDA scrutiny over Hubbard's ill-conceived medical claims for
Scientology, a "scientific technology".
- Poor image of Scientology as a cult. Religion has a positive
public relations value.
- The First Amendment guarantees of religious freedom. It is much
more egregious to persecute a religion than it is to speak out against a
quack therapy. The former may be a Hate Crime, the latter is good
citizenship.
Some disagree with Hubbard that Scientology is a religion
- The Swiss government refuses to hear a
case by a Scientologist claiming religious discrimination.
- The German government considers Scientology
to be a business, subject to taxation and regulation. The German
government also lists "Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland,
Italy, Luxemburg [sic], and Spain, as well as Israel and Mexico".
- The Greek government raided and shut down
KEPHE, the Athens Scientology mission.
- "When I look through the ceremonies and the affidavits, I am
left with the feeling that there is nothing in it of reverence for God
or a deity, but simply instruction in a philosophy. There may be belief
in a spirit of man, but there is no belief in a spirit of God. This is
borne out by the opening words of the book of ceremonies. It states:
'In a Scientology Church Service we do not use prayers, attitudes of
piety, or threats of damnation. We use the facts, the truths, the
understandings that have been discovered in the science of Scientology.'
Lord Denning MR, Court of Appeal, England, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th
July 1970.
- Hubbard himself claims Scientology is not a religion.
"Society, thirsting for more control of more people substitutes religion for
the spirit, the body for the soul, an identity for the individual and
science and data for truth. In this direction lies insanity, increasing
slavery, less knowingness, greater scarcity and less society.
Scientology has opened the gates to a better World. IT IS NOT A
PSYCHO-THERAPY NOR A RELIGION [emphasis added]. It is a body of knowledge
which, when properly used, gives freedom and truth to the individual."
The Creation of Human Ability, June 1953. Editions as late as
1971 contain this passage as well.
Thus, Hubbard
declared Scientology to be a religion, ordering the
establishment of various religious trappings such as calling his staff
ministers , using clerical collars, calling auditing spiritual
counselling with his steep prices called fixed donations .
Hubbard even wrote a few "religious services", such as Marriage and
Confession. If you ask around on a.r.s. you will find some perspectives
on the miraculous transformation of Scientology.
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times since April 7th, 1997.
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