[quote=“Bu Lai En”]The cult of Scientology is a bunch of brain-wahing nutballs whose main purpose is to fleece as much money as possible out of their followers.
Brian[/quote]
and how does this make them different from …uhm…any other religion?
At the very least it’s a matter of degree.
Brian
So basically it is a religion.
At the very least it’s a matter of degree.
Brian[/quote]
ain’t that the truth? 
I didn’t want to use the word cult.
I don’t see how the silliness of their story differs from the silliness of many religious stories except for the tolerance people have for them.
If scientologists had the right people in power in these other coutries, they’d be religions there too.
Maybe they should take notes from the Mormons.
There are various defintions and characteristics of cults and what seperates them from religions.
They use manipulative mind-control techniques.
They have secret knowledge (often as you go up levels you get more knowledge). Why would a religiont hat wants to actually help peopel keep the knowledge that may help them from non-members?
Bad things are supposed to happen if you leave.
The urge you to cut youself off from non-members.
The ‘truth’ differes at different levels of the cult (eg once you reach a higher level you find out the real reasons).
There’s other things I forget at the moment,but this site may be interesting:
Do a little research about scientology and you’ll see it is better classed as a cult than a religion.
Brian
I don’t like to think about the differences any more. I did my home work long ago.
If cults just brainwash “stupid” people, what’s wrong with them? It can only make it easier to identify these idiots, right?
Go cults go!
I’ve been to several Scientology Organisation and have taken several courses and received spiritual counselling too.
Of all the religions I have studied I have found some interesting points and truth in what scientology has to provide. It is more of a practical religion rather than one of believes.
It has helped me a lot and still does in my everyday life. I think it is a matter of trying it for yourself and see if it works for you.
It’s as real as any other religion: it exists as an organized supernatural belief system, but what it teaches is BS.
[quote=“igorveni”]I’ve been to several Scientology Organisation and have taken several courses and received spiritual counselling too.
Of all the religions I have studied I have found some interesting points and truth in what scientology has to provide. It is more of a practical religion rather than one of believes.
It has helped me a lot and still does in my everyday life. I think it is a matter of trying it for yourself and see if it works for you.[/quote]
Doesn’t sound like a cult to me. Or maybe it does? Do we mean Wako cult or Cult of the Dead Cow ( cultdeadcow.com/ ) cult?
I think the people that have it out for cults are a part of CAC (Cult Agaist Cults). The word cult is all messed up in my book. I think it carries too many different meanings and is used too sweepingly to be a useful.
Alls I know is I did some reading up on Scientology once and it didn’t seem like the thing for me (and oh so many things aren’t).
I might become enlightend and have a group of followers. Would that be considered a cult? What definition of cult should I be using?
I’m confused. I think it’s time to read the good book.
[quote=“igorveni”]I’ve been to several Scientology Organisation and have taken several courses and received spiritual counselling too.
Of all the religions I have studied I have found some interesting points and truth in what scientology has to provide. It is more of a practical religion rather than one of believes.
It has helped me a lot and still does in my everyday life. I think it is a matter of trying it for yourself and see if it works for you.[/quote]
Well, Igorveni is a cool dude, so I have to take what he says here at face value. Scientology counselling probably does provide some useful guidance, although I doubt it is any more useful than any other kind of counseling guidance one might get.
The problem is that it is widely believed that this organization is structured as a cult, which intentionally presents a useful, touchy-feely, accepting face to beginners, then slowly starts to suck you in, brainwashing you, until in the end you are being fed BS, milked for money, cut off from friends and relatives who might provide a continued grounding in reality, etc. So Igorveni and others, pls. find your counseling in safer venues, and avoid this dangerous cult!!!
If you want to do Dyanetics, they will tell you to think of a time when you were happy. Then think of a time when you cried. Think of a time when you saw something surprising, etc. It goes on and on and on and after awhile you will regress to a past life and eventually to the time when the aliens came.
Just for the meditation, it is all right. I don’t know why they have to get into aliens and brain implants and that stuff.
I think that the War of the Worlds will suck. Mainly because of Sir Steven. He will turn it into some kind of feel good alien love fest where all the kids are so much smarter than the adults. Except Tom Cruise.
Is he gay or what?
[quote=“Richardm”]I think that the War of the Worlds will suck. Mainly because of Sir Steven. He will turn it into some kind of feel good alien love fest where all the kids are so much smarter than the adults. Except Tom Cruise.
Is he gay or what?[/quote]
I will never doubt the predictive powers of Richard again.
I’m sorry, but why is this “cult” any more dangerous than any other?
Modern pyschological counselling and some spirtualism. So what?
All cults are dangerous. They progressively brainwash you and cut you off from reality. I didn’t say they were more dangerous than any other.
It’s directed by Spielberg? GROAN. Maybe I’ll give it a miss. Thanks for the warning.
Sure, that Catholic cult is one of the worst so I’m told.
Look, a cult makes you wear hooha pointy hats and purple shoes and tries to hitch rides on comets.
Show me why this is a cult.
The special effects and sound were cool though. I liked it when the aliens went WAAAAAHAHAHAHAAH!!!
(ok, I think I better go to sleep)
I reject your definition of cult, as well as your style of discussion. Others in this thread have done a much better job of reasonable debate, and have already discussed the cultishness of this group. Care to re-read the thread, turn your brain on, and join them in reasonable style of discussion?
I reject your definition of cult…[/quote]
DB, what would be a good definition to follow? Merrium-Webster’s definitions seemed kind of lacking.