Hm. But the CoS claims copyright and trademark over all of their religious documents, identifying them with the group quite strongly.
Another thing-walk into any Catholic church, catch hold of a priest, and ask him to explain Catholicism-he’ll be happy to do so.
Walk into a Scientology center and do the same thing-you’ll have to pay out the ass for years to finally find out what it’s all about.
You could spend the money… or could make a review of what’s already known about it. A third rate science fiction writer creates a corporate-religion that involves space aliens. In order to further confuse the religious/faith aspect of it he names it scientology.
Sounds like the world’s biggest practical joke to me. The flee market “stress relief” scam is just the icing on the cake.
That doesn’t make as much difference as you seem to think it does. The Free Zoners still exist and still practice their faith. That’s empirical evidence of my thesis.
That is, however, strong evidence of the non-religious nature of the CoS.
The mystery is part of the appeal. Knowing the secret confers status on the believer. They can lord it over those of lesser “holiness” and feel like they’re really special. Lower-status believers have something to work for.
Part of me thinks that a pay-for-salvation religion was due right about now. We’re so wrapped up in conspicuous consumption that a fee-based religion could be seen as just another way of flaunting wealth. “Not only am I holier-than-thou, but I had to pay a couple of hundred thousand to get here!”
More importantly, “I paid my weekly tithe. I’ve done my part. Now excuse me while I do a line of a teenage Thai hooker’s ass. Man, this road to eternal post-life happiness kicks ass!”
-Joe
Okay, I’ll give you that. But could you please explain Theosophy? I mean, explain it in a way that is actually makes sense?
Is it any worse than other religions? Scientologists, after all, have not yet started any wars, which is more than you can say for Catholics, Protestants, or Sunnis. the question the OP asks is not “is Scientology cool?” It’s “Is it really different from other religions?”
The answer has already been given; the only difference is that we haven’t had centuries of getting used to it to forget how weird it is. Scientologists beleives in “thetans” and that’s weird. But you were raised in a church that involves ritual magical cannibalism, and everyone seems to be okay with that.
In that vein, let’s not forget that there were religions that employed real cannibalism in their ritual practices.
Catholics are supposed to believe it IS real cannibalism. They’re eating real human flesh and drinking actual human blood. Why it still taste like bread and wine is just one of those mysteries, but that’s not the point; it’s supposed to be actual cannibalism.
Mystery religions aren’t anything new; neither is a religion asking for money. As Lissa said, it’s a way of making believers feel special; you get “knowledge” the “unenlightened” don’t, and the fact that it costs money is “proof” of how valuable that “knowledge” is. People often do overvalue things that you overcharge them for.
I know relatively little about Catholicism , is this actually what they intend? Are you serious?
Yes, this is correct. (Although of course, Catholics don’t regard it as “cannibalism.”)
Yes. < google for cite > Link
Yup. Transubstantiation; the bread and wine miraculously becomes the body and blood of Jesus.
No, that part is explained: the miracle of transubstantiation occurs in the espohagus, after the bread and wine has already passed the taste receptors in the tongue.
And of course if one throws up after taking communion, then the miracle goes into reverse and the blood and chunks of Jesus-flesh turn back into wine and bread.
I know you are joking, but when I was a kid this was regarded extremely seriously. If someone got sick after communion a priest had to rush down and make sure the host - the body of Christ - was disposed of properly. I recall being extremely distressed myself when I sneezed after communion after I had returned to my seat and got fragments of the host on my hands. I licked them up as quickly as possible and hoped nobody saw (and that I got every fragment).