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Can somebody please explain to me what exactly is Scientology? (lemmy.world)

submitted 9 hours ago by taturquoise@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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Daughter and this classmate of hers have been dating since August. She told us him & his whole family are Scientologists. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t know anything about it until she mentioned it, my first thought was “oh, they believe in science? That’s cool”. Then I looked it up online… and I still don’t understand anything. Most sources say it’s a bad thing, but I don’t get what it’s all actually about, as in doctrine, beliefs, activities, etc. I don’t even understand if it’s an actual religion or one of those pay-to-level-up self-care courses. One of the most confusing things I’ve ever read about. So if anyone could explain it straight to the point, I’d be very grateful.

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[-] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 9 points 8 hours ago

A sci-fi author who considered himself somewhat of a renaissance man created what he thought was a novel approach to psychology which was not accepted by the scientific community. He then made it into a religion to get it going and get tax breaks. As head of the religion he eventually was surrounded by sycomphant yes men zealots and over time he convinced himself it was real as a religion and was like its prophet holy man and expanded on it with sci fi elements that were only revealed to the cult memebers as it was run like multi level marketing where you buy the secrets of yourself and the universe. He died and like in any corpo cult the top ones are the most psychotic.

[-] curbstickle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 6 hours ago

I don't believe in the slightest he though he created a novel approach to psychology.

He has other books he's written where, plain as day, he points out the absurdity of religion and people following it. He put out a sci-fi book as a self help book because he thought it was funny and would make more money. He then made it a religion because he knew people were easily manipulated.

I am basing this on other things i've read from him, such as the Mission Earth series. I don't believe in the slightest that he believed in any of it, from the junk science on up.

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[-] xmunk@sh.itjust.works 11 points 9 hours ago

A cult.

[-] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 3 points 6 hours ago

A doomsday cult set up as a religion so they can dodge taxes.

[-] NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world 2 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

Depends a lot, whether you are in Usamerica or not.

They are the classical gang of cultists who manipulate people into donating all of their money (by buying "courses" and reaching "levels"), and then some more. People who have escaped are seriously damaged, emotionally.

But if you are in Usamerica, they have made some courts grant them full rights like any real church.

[-] ShareMySims@sh.itjust.works 4 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

You've already had some great replies, but in case you want to watch something rather than read, in addition to the Leah Remini documentary series, Louis Theroux also made a documentary (I'm pretty sure there were earlier ones, but the current one is dominating the search results and I can't find them on wiki or imdb) that is very good.

[-] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 4 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

You should ask your daughter about Scientology.

Does she explain it like it's ridiculous, or credible?

You might want to show her that clip from South Park if she doesn't realize it's batshit crazy.

Teach her (don't force her, that never works) before she falls in with a cult and you lose her forever.

[-] taturquoise@lemmy.world 5 points 7 hours ago

I asked her (and the boyfriend) and she's just like us, also doesn't get what it's all about, because the guy himself won't "share information with non-members"!!!

[-] SkunkWorkz@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago)

It’s probably because he doesn’t really know either. It’s because they lock information about the religion away from the low ranking members and they are discouraged from looking it up online. Members can reach higher levels, known as Operating Thetan Levels, by donating money.

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[-] ogmios@sh.itjust.works 4 points 7 hours ago

I went into one of their "churches" once to ask what they were about, and they literally would not tell me anything unless I either bought a book or stayed there to watch a video along with them.

[-] taturquoise@lemmy.world 3 points 7 hours ago

I just commented something related to this; the boyfriend does this exact same thing!!! He won’t talk about anything.

[-] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 3 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Not a joke.

https://youtu.be/0FyKQ3HrmII

[-] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 3 points 8 hours ago

The most concise way to think about it is to think Freemasonry combined with Star Trek.

[-] betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 6 points 7 hours ago

Star Trek

... if you bought your Star Trek from a version of Wish that was also bought from Wish. Knock-offs all the way down.

[-] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 3 points 7 hours ago

I was thinking more along the lines of original Star Trek, where you had aliens posing as Greek gods, disembodied immaterial Galactus hands stretching out from planets, and parallel universes where evil versions of the characters can cross over from, and yet where at the end of the day, the characters can nod their heads and give a toast to "the godless universe".

It was very much like Doctor Who if Doctor Who didn't just explain everything with a simple "it's all wibbly wobbly".

[-] betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world 3 points 7 hours ago

I see what you're saying, Star Trek just has too many redeeming qualities that could have made Scientology cool if they'd become StarTrekology instead.

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[-] JusticeForPorygon@lemmy.world 1 points 6 hours ago

Oh boy...

[-] neidu3@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 hours ago

Scientology is the very definition of pay-to-level-up. Unless you're famous, then you can stay for free due to the PR. Travolta, Tom Cruise, and many more are sciientologists, and it's reasonable to believe they are shielded from the darker side of the cult.

[-] Today@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leah_Remini:_Scientology_and_the_Aftermath

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this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2024

126 points (99.2% liked)

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