...The modern day equivalent of a heretic, would of course be the iconic Tom Cruise, who has become the celebrity face of The Church of Scientology. Cruise, born in 1963, joined a divinity school at the young age of fourteen, with the hope of becoming a priest, however left after only a year and found his passion for performing. In the following years, his acting career may have been on the rise, but his religious choices were on the decline. At the age of twenty-five, Cruise married a woman by the name of Mimi Rogers. “It was through Rogers that the actor became a student of Scientology, the religion founded by writer L. Ron Hubbard. Cruise credited the church with curing his dyslexia, and he soon became one of its leading proponents” ("Tom Cruise.)....
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...’The perspective for the Church of Scientology being awarded a charitable status’’ Charity is a humanitarian act, a voluntary help given with the essence of not take something in exchange back. Furthermore religion and charity are interrelated and this can be observed not only from acts of church to support impoverished people, it can be seen also through the history and basic principles of religion. For example, many religions have the concept to help the weak person next to us as the ideal. Generally the charity commission approves charities for the advancement of religion (under statute) but this will be under conditions. However not all religions are available for charitable purpose under the modern law. Problems arise when religions such...
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...demonstrated in the documentary, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief. The religion...
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...different words to describe their actions, from cyberterrorism to hacktivism. I would like to isolate my examples only to the group activities of Anonymous, but the questions raised would affect any person or group embarking in hactivism. Is it ethical to use hacking, is it a form of first amendment speech, or is it a malicious attack on another entity? As an example, let’s take a look at the attacks of Anonymous against another controversial group, the Church of Scientology. In 2008, a video was leaked of actor Tom Cruise extolling the virtues of Scientology. The Church immediately claimed that showing this video violated it’s copyright, and sent cease and desist requests to the websites hosting it to have them taken down. According to Fox News, in response, Anonymous “set up a web site to coordinate a string of attacks using phone, internet, and fax methods, which it called ‘Project Chanology’.” Anonymous would encourage it’s members to act as a denial-of-service attack, in an effort to bring down Scientology web sites. They would also exploit vulnerabilities in the site using hacking techniques. They would also use “black faxes” or fax sheets of black paper, to use up...
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...What is Scientology? Scientology is a body of religious beliefs and practises, initially a program of ideas called Dianetics developed by L. Ron Hubbard in 1954. On the Scientology website, they claim it is a religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one’s true spiritual nature, one’s relationship to self, family, groups, Mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe, and the Supreme Being (What is Scientology [APA] n.d.) Scientology is about control and greed as shown through an examination of the criminal history, the bizarre religious practices, and the negative perspective on medicine. There has been a history of criminal activity since 1954, in the time it has...
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...church would focus on various Scientologists’ futile attempts to get at that dang ruin” (Collier,1). Now while Collier was able to see past the Scientologists’ attempts many people who are desperate enough to trust anything resembling salvation will follow Scientology. Janet Reitman, a New York TImes Reporter, shows the promise Scientologists offer after the personality tests. “ They suggested Life Repair, a $2,000 package of one-on-one private auditing sessions, which she said would help me handle my everyday problems” (Reitman 1). Some people get into Scientology without even knowing it. Scientology has many sister-companies, such as Narconon, a company supposedly dedicated to helping former drug users get rid of their addiction. Many people...
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...What Is Scientology? Evelyn Kalman/ June 17, 2013 Scientology was developed by L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1950s as a religion which claims to offer a precise path which will reveal one’s true spiritual nature and provide complete understanding of self, Mankind, and all life forms in general as well as the material and spiritual universe, and the Supreme Being. Scientology claims to be spiritual, not of the flesh. It addresses one’s spirit rather than body or mind and believes that Man has a purpose in life. The religion of Scientology is based upon fundamental truths which include theses such as: man is an immortal spiritual being; his experience extends well beyond a single lifetime; and his capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized. Scientology declares man to be good and proposes that his spiritual salvation is based upon himself, his fellowship with others, and his brotherhood with the universe. In Scientology, one is not asked to accept any concept on faith alone; the ultimate goal of the belief is true spiritual enlightenment and freedom for all and to enable man to improve his lot through comprehension (Official Church). Scientology is founded upon a long tradition of religious practice. It is said to draw on the wisdom of some 50 000 years from various religions; however it is considered to be a new belief. It bridges Easter philosophy with Western thought, constituting man’s first real application of scientific methodology to spiritual questions...
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...What does “Scientology and the prison of belief” mean to you? Before watching the film “Going Clear” in class, I had not heard exactly what Scientology actually was. I knew the basics; Ron Hubbard had pretty much made up an elaborate story and it was working wonderfully in having people willingly give their money to him. So I was very interested in knowing more, just never had the chance to look into it further. Therefore I was very glad to hear that we would be watching a documentary over Scientology, but I had not realized it would, for lack of a better phrase, blow my mind. I was not prepared to see the intense, yet deceitful truth of what Scientology actually was or is. “Scientology and the prison of belief”, I find this phrase to be very ironic, mainly because it was the individual’s own beliefs in Scientology that kept them there, or made them do the things they did. It was indeed like a prison. Scientology seemed to lure you in by offering you great things, like a better life and happiness. We all want these things in life, so when someone...
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...Scientology: A Look at its History, Theology, Cosmology, and Current Status Religion, a remnant of the ancient world, before science, before concrete evidence, was used to explain the unexplainable. A constant in human culture, religion has concretely been about the relationship between either a supernatural deity or supernatural deities and nature. It sets up the morality of the people, explains the transitoriness of life, but most importantly, it gives people a sense of meaning and purpose. Now, with all those things in mind, replace religion, in the most general and abstract sense, with Scientology. Scientology, since its birth, has been the subject of criticism not only by outsiders, such as the media, but by former members, as well. As...
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...Why are people so attracted to Scientology? Why are many public figures involved in a religious cult that gets bad press? Well, The Church of Scientology is publicized in social media, shedding a negative light on this religion. In another reality, what many people do not see is that Scientology contains very workable techniques for improving self-confidence, tuning up memory, mental alertness and increasing one’s sense of self-worth and well-being (Rinder, 2013). Scientology can give you strong emotional highs, which increases your confidence and enthusiasm. From a spiritual point of view, and despite its negative aspects, Scientology can act as one of the many channels that can help one to awaken his or her spiritual potential. Scientology and Buddhism share a fundamental belief that you must look for yourself. Buddhism identifies as a state of enlightenment obtained by worldly desires. Buddhism religion practices...
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...Scientology Scientology started as a religion in the early 1950s called Dianetics, invented by the founder of Scientology, self-proclaimed Doctor L. Ron Hubbard; the Doctor in front of his name is short for “Doctor of Scientology.” Hubbard at the time was a science fiction writer, famous for publishing under multiple pen names because his work was so entertaining (Phelan). As Hubbard’s life fell into turmoil he made the jump from a Science Fiction Writer; to religious leader. Dianetics focused on, “offering an alternative path to overcoming physical and mental stress,” as opposed to the normal way, of psychology or psychiatry (Church of Scientology). Dianetics also was referred to by Hubbard as, “an organized science of thought built on definite...
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...The United States of America is a melting pot of many different people, religions and beliefs. Though many people have strong beliefs about certain religions, unlike many countries, the US allows people to practice any religion that they please. Throughout the years, many faiths have been the center of controversy. However, one particular belief system known as Scientology is the most controversial religion of the 20th century. Scientology was founded in 1952 in the United States of America by a man named L. Ron Hubbard. Although it is an actual religion, many people view Scientology as a trend. However, just like any other religion, Scientology has its own churches, beliefs, practices, and scripture. The word Scientology was created by Hubbard that derived from the Latin word Scio which meant “Knowing in the fullest meaning of the word” (Melton). The actual definition of Scientology is "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, universes, and other life" (Melton). Hubbard began his journey while studying the human mind which led him to write many of his publications. Slowly, he began to further his studies by teaching classes which taught people how to become “auditors” which would allow them to teach these beliefs to others. His teachings used an array of methods that focused on the study of the mind and the problems that many people faced. Hubbard then researched other elements to the brain which he then called “thetan”. Thetan was the observer but...
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...Cruise’s life changed when he became in a relationship with Mimi Rogers, his first wife. “It was through Rogers that the actor became a student of Scientology, the religion founded by L. Ron Hubbard” (″Tom Cruise – Biography – Film Actor, Producer – Biography.com″). Cruise has three children, two whom he and Nicole Kidman adopted and his daughter from his last marriage with Katie Holmes. “Tom Cruise has admitted that Katie Holmes filed for divorce in part because of his involvement in the controversial Church of Scientology” (″Tom Cruise Admits Katie Holmes Divorced Him To Protect Suri from Scientology″). Even though, Scientology ruined his marriage, Cruise still stood...
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...Scientology vs. Islam For my term paper, I chose to compare two religions that most Americans are not familiar with the principles of: Islam and scientology. I will look into the differences that these religions present and examine different parts of their them. Over the course of this paper I’ll look at seven aspects of these religions, which include their origins and histories, size, their view on the purpose of life and the roles that humans play, their beliefs of on the afterlife, specific practices they take part in, and the texts from which their religion can be applied from. First of all, the origins and histories of these two religions differ greatly. Islam is considered to be the youngest of the seven great world religions, dating back to its creation in seventh-century Saudi Arabia. The prophet Muhammad introduced Islam in 610 AD after experiencing an “angelic visitation.” Muslims believe that Qu’ran, which is the holy book of Islam, were the preexistent and perfect words from Allah. Muhammad dictated the Qu’ran. Muhammad is loosely credited with the origin of Islam, although many Muslims believe that Islam existed way before Muhammad was even alive. And although Muhammad dictated the Qu’ran, the Qu’ran states that Muhammad was not the originator. The Qu’ran instead states that God wrote the Qu’ran, who in turn had the angel Gabriel dictate it to the prophet Muhammad (“Origin”). In contrast, the church of Scientology was formed just 55 years ago, in 1954. The...
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...Introduction: In America, the Amish religion began in the early 1700s--its small following has been growing in America ever since. Scientology has roots in the 1950s, and has significantly grown in popularity due to endorsements from very influential celebrity followers. The Branch Davidian once held a considerable following; however, in 1993, that came to a fiery end. In the United States, there is a growing interest in smaller religious groups; groups, that when looked further into, are at the center of much adversity. With growing popularity, juxtaposed with growing controversy, what is it that compels society to join these almost secular groups, instead of the traditional ideologies the nation was founded upon? At the arrival of this...
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