Have searched and do not find this on the forum. Do you feel this is an actual religion or merely an occult posing as a religion? As you may know, I do believe in a higher power often identified as God. I do not belive in any particular religion. More of a relaxed spiritualist. Is there a member of this church amongst us who can elaborate on this subject ?
@Gloria Mitchell No, but I have heard Tom Cruise is heavily involved, or was. This: 12 Celebrities Who've Been Affiliated With the Church of Scientology... Leah Remini. ... Tom Cruise. ... John Travolta. ... Jenna Elfman. ... Kirstie Alley. ... Giovanni Ribisi. ... Juliette Lewis. ... Erika Christensen.
@Frank Sanoica ...Cruise is still s biggie there. Remini went public few years ago about her leaving and the harrasment she has suffered since. The others are still members and there are other celebrities who are still there and some others who have left.
Tom Cruise and John Travolta are big supporters/members, but it seems to be more a cult than a valid religion. I define a cult as any belief system that has secret rites or initiations that are closed to the general public. By that definition, it is a cult.
I have watched the series with Lean Remini, made after she left Scientology. Really an eye-opener and almost unbelievable the things that go on. Definitely cultish and I recall the big court battles over getting tax-exempt status for the cult... errrr, "organization."
@Don Alaska Like the Council on Foreign Relations once was, scurrilous as it was, sort of revealed it's presence, partially, publicly, and now Global Relations requiring utmost privacy are handled by some new scurrilous group, I suppose. Frank
L. Ron Hubbard did not originally consider Scientology to be a religion. That came about when they wanted to avail themselves of the advantages of a religion, I suspect.
As a church they get many benefits and make millions of dollars selling their snake oil...I will refrain my my other comments- I could get clobbered
I may get clobbered as well, but I think anyone willing to spend thousands/millions on some half baked theology that promises they can become gods of the universe need professional therapy. There is no excuse for someone to be that gullible.
On this religion issue and some members on another group call Atheism a religion so I guess it is....but my dad could never come out and it was in the last 3 months of his life which I took care of him, was he able to say He Never Believed. I said "Dad, now you tell me, we could have had so much to talk about"...but he would have been crucified by everyone. My mother was the power religion person and we followed her rules and the church. Dad never did but could never say WHY. I finally got off the fence in my early 60's after the one woman play put on by Julia Sweeney "Letting Go Of God".... came out of that theater convinced where I needed and wanted to be. Julia is on the Board of Directors now at Freedom From Religion Foundation in Madison, WI. If this does not belong here, moderators can delete.
There are many non-believers on this forum. It has been a topic of discussion many times, and hopefully you can further the discussion without becoming hostile or insulting to others who don't share your "beliefs." I am agnostic, and still searching for my personal answers.