PHOTOS: AP Worldwide Photos

by william g. wells

What do Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Jenna Elfman, Danny Masterson, and Juliette Lewis have in common? * Successful careers? Certainly. Wealth? Definitely. Fame? Yep, that too! * And, along with six million other people worldwide, they all share the same religion: The Church of Scientology. Of this religion, actress Kirstie Alley said, “To tell you the honest-to-God truth: without [it] I would be dead. I can personally highly recommend it.” Singer Isaac Hayes said, “It is the path to happiness and total spiritual freedom.” Countless other celebrities have given similar recommendations and testimonies about it.

Founded in the 1950s by writer and adventurer L. Ron Hubbard, the Church of Scientology (CoS) has claimed numerous high-profile spokespeople in the past 20 years. But even though most Americans have heard of it, very few know what it is all about. Most people have heard of Dianetics, but that best-selling book is only the first gateway into a strange, sometimes secretive religious organization. Reports of brainwashing, torture and abuse have frightened some people, and constant legal battles with the government have given them a cult-like reputation. But what matters for Christians is not what the world or the media thinks, it’s what God thinks. Let’s examine Scientology and find out what’s at the center of this mysterious, modern American religion.

The Basics
Based on the teachings of the late L. Ron Hubbard (more well-known as a science fiction writer than a religious leader), Scientology is a religion that tries to unlock the potential of every human being. Each person’s soul, called a thetan, has the possibility of becoming divine and gaining great power. This requires breaking free from the behaviors and constraints their own mind and history have placed on them. These learned behaviors or conflicts from past lives are called engrams. The goal of Scientology is to help people clear away these engrams through special counseling sessions (auditing) so that they can see their full potential. Hubbard believed that man is good and rejected the teaching that man has a sinful nature. He believed, “It is despicable and utterly beneath contempt to tell a man he must repent, that he is evil.”

real life religion
The idea of breaking bad habits and having a positive mental attitude are good goals, but what about believing that the soul is divine, or that repentance is unnecessary? And how do Scientologists apply their beliefs in real life? Check out the facts below.

01 The Good  Scientologists teach some positive moral values. They have aggressive anti-drug and anti-smoking campaigns. Their drug rehabilitation program, Narconon, has had a high success rate. They are actively involved in education programs for children and rehabilitation for criminals. The Way to Happiness, a booklet distributed by the CoS, promotes a moral and ethical code that teaches children: “honor and help your parents,” “don’t be promiscuous,” “don’t do anything illegal,” “do not murder,” and “be industrious.”

02 The bad  The Church of Scientology has had major problems practicing the values they teach. The CoS may preach honesty and good citizenship, but they are also on record as having more legal problems than any other major religious group. They also hold the record as the “most litigious” religious organization in the United States (from “Scientology” by Kurt Van Gorden in Kingdom of the Cults). In 1977, eleven members of the CoS were indicted for covert spying against the United States government in an operation that included over 5,000 Scientologists. Other even more serious charges of brainwashing members, extorting large amounts of money, and threats made against investigators make it tough to trust the ethics of Scientology. Some ex-members have even claimed to be tortured or prevented from leaving.

03 The ugly  L. Ron Hubbard has led a suspect life for a spiritual leader. Rumors that Hubbard started Scientology as a money-making scheme or a fake religion may or may not be true. But apart from those, Hubbard is known for his bizarre background in-cluding his interest in the occult and black magic. Credited sources for his book Dianetics include pagan shamans, Sioux medicine men and mo-dern psychology. Hubbard is known to have been a bigamist (he married his second wife while still married to his first wife), and numerous quotations show his belief in extraterrestrial life, reincarnation and evolution. Far from being a moral role model, Hubbard seemed mainly interested in growing the wealth of his organization, by any means necessary. He even claimed that lying, cheating and violence were acceptable to use against opponents of Scientology, even though his other public writings contradicted that.

04 The even more ugly  The CoS has many marks of a cult. Besides bizarre beliefs, the Church has raised suspicions about the ability of members to leave without restraint. Members are often isolated from their families and drained of their personal savings through psychological manipulation. The devotion of members is given not to a living God and His Word, but rather to the writings of one man, L. Ron Hubbard. The fact that members often pay to receive spiritual services such as auditing should also raise concerns.

sharing with scientologists
Karen Pressley, formely employed in Scientologist international management, escaped from Scientology in 1998, and has since become a Christian. She now works in Direct Evangelism at the North American Mission Board. Here are her thoughts about how to share with Scientologists:

listen and be loving. Forget about any hype you’ve read in celebrity magazines or any of their propaganda about themselves that might intimidate you. The simple truth is, they are lost, they are separated from God and most likely, they have never heard the gospel. The most important thing is to not be curt, short, cold or antagonistic to them, even if they are that way to you. The only way they’ll accept anything you say is if you are “different” by demonstrating God’s love through your attitude toward them.

pray for them. Pray that God would convict them of their sin. Pray that their eyes would be opened to the truth. Pray that their hearts would be softened to the gospel. And pray that they would be protected from the Evil One.

determine each member’s level of involvement. If they are new, they have not been as heavily indoctrinated as they will be by the time they are at the state of Clear. Find out if they are satisfied with their services and how much money they have spent trying to find out “the truth.” Let them know that although they are being told they have to pay to find “total spiritual freedom,” receiving eternal life through Christ is a free gift from God.

establish personal relationships. Allow them to get to know you a bit, so they can see how much you love the Lord and all the changes He has made in your life. Get them to tell you a bit about their background before they became a Scientologist, find out what led them to their involvement in Scientology, and what they were looking for. As with any member of a false religion or cult it is important to demonstrate your commitment to God and your genuine desire to have a relationship with that person, not as a convert but as a friend.

Visit www.thekristo.com for a cool gospel presentation to share with your friends.