Its followers believe theyre on a mission to save the universe but detractors call it a cult. Church of scientology official response to janet reitmans book. The church of scientology maintains a wide variety of beliefs and practices. Church of scientology statement concerning leah remini.
Also, i was told not to cite it in any written work as apparently this edition is heavily edited and that the older edition was the one that had all the correct. He later moved to a more religious approach to the human condition, which he called scientology. Scientology, international movement that emerged in the 1950s in response to the thought of l. The dictionary defines ethics as the study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by the individual in his relationship with others. Ethics is reason and the contemplation of optimum suni. The ethics it pretends to have can be summed up as give your money, lots. See a pdf of this letter here, and a pdf here of cos response to a set of questions i posed in an email. According to the church of scientology, ethics may be defined as the actions an individual takes on himself to ensure his continued survival across the dynamics. Scientology comes from the latin sera knowledge and the greek logos study and means knowing how to know or, the study of wisdom, scieutology was discovered, developed and organized by 1.
Mar 17, 2015 the church of scientology was founded in 1954 by l. All religions develop ethical rules, ethical standards, and ethical values that guide conduct in the everyday, ordinary situations and circumstances of personal and social life. In the scientology volunteer ministers course ethics and conditions, l. The organization doesnt present itself as a religion, but as a technology that leads people to true spiritual release and freedom. The church of scientology pretends high ethical conduct while abusing its own staff, and scamming out huge donations. The core belief of the religion is that humans are immortal alien beings who have forgotten their true nature. According to new religions expert gordon melton, scientology has overcome one controversy after another, each of which inhibited growth in one country or the other for a brief period, but the overall trend has been one of continuous expansion. For the first time man can learn how to put his own ethics in and climb back up the chute. According to the church of scientology, ethics may be defined as the actions an individual takes on himself to ensure his continued survival across the. It is hard for me to believe that joseph yanny was the only scientology attorney asked to take part in a blackmail scheme. Throughout the ages, man has struggled with the subjects of right and wrong and ethics and justice. Mar 17, 2015 scientology s ethical system is based on reason, not divine revelation. The documents appear to have been smuggled out by a breakaway scientology group collectively known as the freezone. Ron hubbards teachings, scientology ethics is predicated on the idea that there are degrees of ethical conduct.
Urban, 2011, princeton university press princeton, nj, 9780691146089, 268 pp. It isnt actually about ethics it is about what the church of scientology calls ethics and apparently it is about how they use their so called ethics system to keep adherents in line. Scientology a belief system developed in 1953 by l. An analysis of the pdf metadata dates the document collection to 1995. Scientology emerged in the early 1950s as a movement that found its inspiration in the voluminous writings of l. Today, this church of scientology, as it is called, says it is peoples spiritual problems that it is concerned with now. Add the churchs record of frivolous suits by the hundreds, and it certainly leads one to wonder how many of the churchs 100 lawyers are ethicaly in the red.
The church of scientology was founded in new jersey in 1953. It is a process of social learning, like any other except with demented content. The purpose of ethics is said to be paving the way for getting tech in. On every continent, in several countries, abused exscientologists tell their. The church of scientology spends millions and millions a year to lawyers to protect them from lawsuits and indictments. Commissioner of payroll tax 1983 is recognized as a landmark legal decision, establishing the standard for the definition of religion and religious charities in both australia and new zealand, and, indeed, throughout the commonwealth of nations. Everything included in the book is a tool to raise your own condition, to improve the environment and the. Lafayette ronald hubbard was an american author of science fiction and fantasy stories, and the founder of the church of scientology. But dianetics was also quietly undergoing a rebirth, changing its name to scientology and adding a new element religion which enabled it to avoid paying american income taxes. The modern science of mental health and established a series of organizations to promote dianetics. Inside scientology it is the most controversial religion in america, and the most mysterious. In the following series of twelve short articles, we.
It will become evident that the establishment of this organizational system has critical implications for the scientology culture. Based on case studies at advanced levels, it is predicted that any. The scientology system of ethics is based wholly on reason. Urbans the church of scientology provides a history of scientology from its cold war origins to the present.
When one is ethical, it is something one does oneself by choice. Church of scientology collected operating thetan documents. The church and the movement have been the subject of a number of controversies, and the church has been described by government inquiries. The church has no dogma concerning god, and each persons concept is probably different.
The scientologist contains critiques, an ongoing analysis, interesting and informative articles on the subject of the scientology religion and philosophy of lafayette ron hubbard and related subjects this site is operated by independent scientologists and is neither endorsed by, nor associated or affiliated with the corporate company known as the church of spiritual technology or its. The first scientology church was incorporated in december 1953 in camden, new jersey by l. Scientology is one of the wealthiest and most powerful new religions to emerge in the past century. Eeoc,1 the supreme court approved the socalled ministerial exception. More importantly, the book frames this history as a case study investigating the largest questions in religious studies. With this book you can learn the technology of ethics and use it to keep your feet firmly on the road to freedom. Ethical reponsabilities for lawyers involved with the. Ron hubbard, his wife mary sue hubbard, and john galusha.
The church of scientology was founded in 1954 by l. The church has grown more in the past decade than in its first 50 years combined under the ecclesiastical leadership of mr. Ron hubbard, the belief in god, the goal of spiritual freedom, its religious services and communities, the church s organization of churches and missions, and its humanitarian groups. Scientology s system of ethics is designed to motivate members to expand church membership, as members ethical level is tied to their performance in recruiting new members. The thetan has had innumerable past lives, some of which, preceding the thetans arrival on earth, were lived in extraterrestrial cultures. When one is ethical, it is something he does himself by his own choice.
Its ethics system proves to be of especial interest for the reason that scientology institutionalizes a contex tualist model straus, 198 1 linking deviance, identity and reference group. All private investigators are hired by their lawyers. A short list includes source, the delphian, advance. Ron hubbard, a writer who introduced his ideas to the general public in dianetics. The breakthrough in scientology is that we do have the basic technology of ethics. By teaching people how to recognize exact conditions of existence, and how to apply formulas and steps to these conditions, they can find themselves much improved, and the quality of life. The sea org is an elite religious order of the church and acts as scientologys evangelical wing. The australian high courts decision regarding the scientology religion in church of the new faith v. Guidelines for conduct have been formulated in a set of ethical codes.
Ron hubbard defined evil or unreasonable behavior the two terms are synonymous as that which brings about the destruction of individuals, groups, or inhibits the future of the race. Payasyougo scientologists are indoctrinated into believing that any critical information about their church are all lies forwarded by special interests groups. Read frequently asked questions about the scientology religion, what scientologists believe, dianetics and auditing, founder l. Is it true the church of scientology considers itself the.
The science of ethics and justice has long been at the core of humanity. Scientologys ethical system is based on reason, not divine revelation. A person is not hypnotized or brainwashed suddenly one day and a slave thereafter. By that time, the hubbard association of scientologists international hasi had already been operating since 1952 and hubbard himself had already been selling scientology books and technologies. True, in the absence of anything else, a moral code can. Foundation, construction and use of a church, establishments, tutorial schools, parsonages, centers of training and other centers, for the teaching, dissemination and administration of the religion of scientology, which aspires to the religious and ethical.
Aug 21, 2018 according to the official church of scientology website, there are now more than 11,000 churches, missions and groups in 184 nations, and the movement welcomes more than 4. Jan 01, 2014 the church of scientology spends millions and millions a year to lawyers to protect them from lawsuits and indictments. The church of scientology is a cult created by l ron hubbard elron in 1952 as an outgrowth of his earlier selfhelp system called dianetics. The church of scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a business or a new religious movement. Church of scientology statement janet reitmans book inside scientology. Hubbard pointed out, are essentially laws of conduct laid down from accumulated experience out of ages past and thus may no longer be entirely relevant to survival, ethics consists wholly of rationality toward the highest level of survival for all dynamics. The church s official position declares that the logic of scientology ethics is inarguable and based upon two key concepts. Ron hubbards spaceage mysticism is a moneymaking scam and sinister.
From the basic principles of scientology, the answer to life, the universe and everything in it may not be quite as simplistic but is certainly obtainable from the axioms and in various books, tapes and technical bulletins by lafayette ron hubbard. The core belief says that a human is an immortal, spiritual being that is resident in a physical body. The church of scientology needs ethical lawyers with. Ethics and conditions official church of scientology. According to the official church of scientology website, there are now more than 11,000 churches, missions and groups in 184 nations, and the movement welcomes more. Well known for its highproi le celebrity patrons such as john travolta, kirstie alley, and tom cruise, while boasting over seven hundred centers in sixtyive countries, scientology has also been attacked by government agencies, anticult groups, and the media as a swindling business and a brainwashing cult. Miscavige, a visionary parishioners and church staff hold in the highest regard for carrying out the legacy of the scientology founder through the renaissance the religion is now experiencing. Ethics may be further defined as the actions an individual takes on himself to ensure his continued survival across the dynamics. The same dictionary defines justice as conformity to moral right, or to reason, truth or fact. Church of scientology official response to janet reitmans. In scientology, ethics is defined as rationality toward the greatest good for the greatest number of dynamics parts of life, such as self, family, groups, etc. The church of scientology also has a system of religious ethics. Ron hubbard has rolled out a comprehensive set of tools to live our lives by. Social control in scientology 2 than we look at the air we breathe.
What are the legal, economic, and ethical stakes of such a definition. Unfortunately there are some problems with the organisation and with hubbard as a person. The church of scientology, 40th anniversary 1994 all of the above publications have official standing within the church of scientology, nearly all being writings of l. As we will see, scientology epitomizes the historical trend toward rationalization of social control noted by spitzer 1979. The code of a scientologist outlines basic principles of moral behaviour.
In scientology terminology the materials represent ot operating thetan levels i to viii and nots. Ron hubbard, scientology is a religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of ones true spiritual nature and ones relationship to self, family, groups, mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the supreme being. We are only as human as our justice system, and as we treat each other. Scientology and the study of religious secrecy article pdf available in nova religio 204. The scientology ethics system includes a body of technology called conditions formulas. Notice how that second sentence qualifies the first and. As a person becomes more aware of himself, others, the environment and god, each person attains his own certainty as to who god is and exactly what god means to him. The church exercises overall ecclesiastical management of the scientology religion.
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