Is scientology any less valid than any other world religion?

[Meeker]

We may have had a thread similar to this at some point, so forgive me if I'm repeating.

I was talking with a friend the other day and somehow or another Tom Cruise came up. He said how much he disliked Cruise because scientology was crazy and such. Keep in mind that this friend isn't religious at all and probably has never been to a church service in his life. Anyways, I said that while I thought scientology was ridiculous, it really wasn't any more ridiculous than any other organized world religion.

Obviously people with strong religious beliefs are going to disagree with my statement, so this is mainly directed at those who don't believe in an organized religion. Is scientology any worse of a religion than others? Should you disdain a scientologist any more or less than you would a follower of any other world religion? (Including the possibility of not having any disdain, of course).

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I would say Scientology is less valid because it, unlike Christianity, Buddhism, &c. was founded specifically to take people's money.

[Stranger in a strange land]

Scientology preaches things that are falsifiable, the other religions generally don't.

[Daniel Z]

     I would say Scientology is less valid because it, unlike Christianity, Buddhism, &c. was founded specifically to take people's money.

[Lunar]

I think Scientology has a legal rather than theistic foundation.

[Meeker]

But should scientologists (not the leadership, the true believers) be consider any more "crazier" or "wrong" than the followers of any other world religion?

[© tweed]

Scientology preaches things that are falsifiable, the other religions generally don't.

funny, I was just thinking about how most of the 'old' religions are unfalsifiable

although some LDS claims are falsifiable, but they are 'new Abrahamic'

[Tyrion The Unbanned]

no, it is not less valid because everyone's beliefs deserve a say, whether they believe in a galactic emperor, one god, or many.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

But should scientologists (not the leadership, the true believers) be consider any more "crazier" or "wrong" than the followers of any other world religion?

Define "belief". Define "followers". Define "crazy" and Define "wrong".

Semantics are so important in debates like this.

[Meeker]

But should scientologists (not the leadership, the true believers) be consider any more "crazier" or "wrong" than the followers of any other world religion?

Define "belief". Define "followers". Define "crazy" and Define "wrong".

Semantics are so important in debates like this.

Should those people who accept the doctrine of scientology as presented by the leadership of the chuch be viewed with any greater disdain (or lack of disdain) than people who accept the doctrine of any other religion as presented by the leadership of their respective churches?

[Tetro Kornbluth]

But should scientologists (not the leadership, the true believers) be consider any more "crazier" or "wrong" than the followers of any other world religion?

Define "belief". Define "followers". Define "crazy" and Define "wrong".

Semantics are so important in debates like this.

Should those people who accept the doctrine of scientology as presented by the leadership of the chuch be viewed with any greater disdain (or lack of disdain) than people who accept the doctrine of any other religion as presented by the leadership of their respective churches?

As a group (ie. as "scientologists")? Yes.

As Individuals? Depends on the circumstances.

However I will point out that the very existence of scientology highlights a certain disjuncture in the social world - at least by many people who become scientologists (this is NOT to say purely that religious conversion has a purely materialistic cause btw.)

[pbrower2a]

$cientology is a religion of force and fraud. It's a new form of divination with psychobabble instead of animal entrails. It's a wealth cult, and it is extremely obscurantist. It has little to offer as moral guidance, distinguishing itself to its detriment from other major religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mormonism, Bahai Faith, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto....) It has nothing to learn. Can anyone imagine trying to learn from a $cientology "philosopher"?

Little more shall I say, for I don't want to face any lawsuits from the Church of Greed.

[Daniel Z]

But should scientologists (not the leadership, the true believers) be consider any more "crazier" or "wrong" than the followers of any other world religion?

I would say no since especially at the lower levels Scientology is basically just a type of psychiatry.

[Citizen James]

In just about any other faith, they will tell you exactly what they believe - up front.  You can talk to any member of any clergy and they will try to answer your questions to the best of their ability.  There may be some hand waved explanations, or even a "God only knows" or two, but they will not demand money up front - or expensive 'classes'/'training' to get this information.  $cientology is pretty unique in that regard.

[Psychic Octopus]

I don't consider it a religion. It's just a "church" for a bunch of freaks in hollywood.

First Bold:

See Cult

Second Bold:

See Tom Cruise

[Josh/Devilman88]

Christianity, Islam and Judaism are based off real people who have walked the Earth. Scientology believe that we lived on another plants before we were born on Earth....

[Verily]

Christianity, Islam and Judaism are based off real people who have walked the Earth. Scientology believe that we lived on another plants before we were born on Earth....

Just for the record, the religious figures of Judaism (and of the Old Testament generally) are largely if not completely unattested. For example, there is currently essentially no archaeological evidence that there was ever a substantial Jewish population in Egypt in pre-Roman times, let alone that the entire Jewish population had relocated there.

[Josh/Devilman88]

Christianity, Islam and Judaism are based off real people who have walked the Earth. Scientology believe that we lived on another plants before we were born on Earth....

Just for the record, the religious figures of Judaism (and of the Old Testament generally) are largely if not completely unattested. For example, there is currently essentially no archaeological evidence that there was ever a substantial Jewish population in Egypt in pre-Roman times, let alone that the entire Jewish population had relocated there.

Yes there is, them big things that are pointed up in the sky... Just picking, I don't much about archaeolgical evidence so I can't say there is or isn't.

[pbrower2a]

In just about any other faith, they will tell you exactly what they believe - up front.  You can talk to any member of any clergy and they will try to answer your questions to the best of their ability.  There may be some hand waved explanations, or even a "God only knows" or two, but they will not demand money up front - or expensive 'classes'/'training' to get this information.  $cientology is pretty unique in that regard.

$cientology is Nature's way of telling you that your money is too big for your intellectual pretensions and your common sense.

 

[Purple State]

Christianity, Islam and Judaism are based off real people who have walked the Earth. Scientology believe that we lived on another plants before we were born on Earth....

Just for the record, the religious figures of Judaism (and of the Old Testament generally) are largely if not completely unattested. For example, there is currently essentially no archaeological evidence that there was ever a substantial Jewish population in Egypt in pre-Roman times, let alone that the entire Jewish population had relocated there.

Yes there is, them big things that are pointed up in the sky... Just picking, I don't much about archaeolgical evidence so I can't say there is or isn't.

Heh, as a Jew I appreciate the attempt, but there is no evidence of Jews in Egypt. And I would imagine that there would have been reports of the plagues somewhere in the world, considering that Egypt was a major center of its time.

That said, there is evidence that many Jewish figures, such as David, did exist at some point in history. Whether some of the greater aspects of the story are more metaphorical does not mean that this civilization didn't exist.

On the other hand, scientology is made up. Their figures have ever existed and are ridiculous.

[12th Doctor]

Well, as I have always said, I try to keep an open mind, because if I were to tell someone who had no idea what Christianity was that some guy was God, and he died for my sins and rose from the dead, and we eat his body and drink his blood, I would probably sound insane.

That being said, Scientology is still very difficult to validate as a real belief system.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

     I would say Scientology is less valid because it, unlike Christianity, Buddhism, &c. was founded specifically to take people's money.

This

Plus, I like this too:

$cientology is Nature's way of telling you that your money is too big for your intellectual pretensions and your common sense.