Let's talk about Scientology. Obviously I enjoy taking a look at all the groups out there that could be considered radical (by any stretch of the imagination). I'm pretty sure Scientologists are as radical as they get.
Scientology, for those who don't know, was founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1952. The word meansthe study of truth in Latin, and is founded off the belief that man isan immortal
spiritual being. (Check out the official Scientology Web site: http://www.scientology.org.)
The creed of Scientology is based on the belief that man's abilities are entirely unlimited, even if he doesn't realize it. However, using the word belief is slightly wrong. Scientologists believe there is no belief ... kind of. What they believe is that no one should be asked to believe or accept anything. To them, just following the principles is enough to show one the way to enlightenment. That which is true for you is what you have observed to be true.
It would take much more than 500 words to describe Scientology, so I'll just stick with the basics. At least the ... interesting ... ones.
So that automatically means the Thetans, of course. The Thetans are what Scientologists believe to be immortal beings attached to human bodies that span multiple lifetimes. Thetans are considered to be the most important component of a life triumvirate: the body, the mind, and the Thetan itself, which is the spirit or you. Scientologists believe that the Thetan is the underlying being of a human entity.
The lore surrounding the Thetans holds that, 75 million years ago, Xenu, the alien leader of the Galactic Confederation, came to Earth to deposit a large number of people. He gathered the people around volcanoes, then detonated hydrogen bombs inside the volcanoes. The Thetans clustered around the bodies of the people and became fused with them during the resulting tumult, fusing the being with the body.
Wow.
I have to say I'm a big supporter of a religion (and yes, it is technically a religion; Hubbard declared it as such when he founded the sect and the first church was established in New Jersey) that sounds like it was born out of a cheap science fiction novel. There are some pretty crazy, far-fetched beliefs out there, but one that places its basis at the feet of an alien conglomerate that planted humans on the planet seems a farther stretch than most.
Many celebrities, such as John Travolta, Tom Cruise, and Katie Holmes, are Scientologists. So remember, next time you're watching Grease, that's an alien being dancing around the amusement park. Not to mention that pilot in Top Gun.
One last point on my very brief overview: psychology, who needs it? Scientologists are radically opposed to the field of psychology, particularly when utilized in the field of psychiatry. Some even go as far as to claim that psychology alone is responsible for World War II and the respective successes of Stalin and Hitler.
I believe the message we're supposed to be getting is that we should place all our faith in the alien spirits attached to our bodies rather than the analysis of the human mind. Just trust Tom Cruise, I suppose. He should know what he's talking about. After all, there's an alien spirit attached to his consciousness.
- Alex Menrisky is a freshman studying journalism. Send him an email at am532707@ohiou.edu.
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Opinion
Alex Menrisky
