# I'm Considering joining the Church of Scientology! Am I insane? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 17, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331 "2012-11-17T18:16:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/21 "2012-11-17T18:54:59Z")
You’re not insane. A lot of people have become members of the Church of Scientology and are happy enough with it. But realize that it can be fairly expensive…auditing doesn’t come cheap, and that their might be pressure on you to cut off relationships with people critical of the Church. That being said, though, I hope you find what you’re looking for. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/22 "2012-11-17T18:56:03Z")
> [@ConfusedMan](#): > > Maybe to you. But I could not follow or have faith in a religion or God where the story is obviously just that, made up. How does Scientology even remotely fit this description? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/23 "2012-11-17T18:56:28Z")
> [@ConfusedMan](#): > > Maybe to you. But I could not follow or have faith in a religion or God where the story is obviously just that, made up. 😕 And yet you choose the one religion whose originator _straight up admitted that he completely made it up_? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/24 "2012-11-17T18:56:57Z")
Have you thought about a name for your spaceship? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/25 "2012-11-17T18:57:19Z")
> [@ConfusedMan](#): > > Maybe to you. But I could not follow or have faith in a religion or God where the story is obviously just that, made up. 😕 From the OP: > [@ConfusedMan](#): > > I know Scientology is a cult started by a science fiction writer that admitted to starting the church to make money. ---
**Author:** ![ConfusedMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@ConfusedMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ConfusedMan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/26 "2012-11-17T19:01:02Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > 😕 And yet you choose the one religion whose originator _straight up admitted that he completely made it up_? :dubious: No he admitted he started the church to make money but he \*\*did not \*\*make up the events as I already stated, Hubbard was having unconscious recollections of real events that took place millions of years ago. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/27 "2012-11-17T19:01:10Z")
Why would you be looking for religion if you don’t believe in God? You can find a similar spritual like peace by just examining your own place in the universe. I struggle myself with a concept of God and the roll he plays but have never found a religion that comes close to my beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![LeeshaJoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@LeeshaJoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LeeshaJoy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/28 "2012-11-17T19:06:31Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > What is it about “religion” that makes it “good”? / What do you want religion to do for you? This. I have lived 30 years without religion and am perfectly happy about it. What makes you want a religion? ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/29 "2012-11-17T19:06:55Z")
> [@ConfusedMan](#): > > No he admitted he started the church to make money but he \*\*did not \*\*make up the events as I already stated, Hubbard was having unconscious recollections of real events that took place millions of years ago. Pretty convenient for someone who is starting a church to then have “unconscious recollections of real events that took place millions of years ago.” How is this not setting off your bullshit detector? ---
**Author:** ![ConfusedMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@ConfusedMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ConfusedMan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/30 "2012-11-17T19:09:39Z")
> [@LeeshaJoy](#): > > This. I have lived 30 years without religion and am perfectly happy about it. What makes you want a religion? I want something to believe in but I can’t believe in something that’s not credible. If your happy good for you but at this point in my life I am not happy and I am turning to religion like many millions do. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/31 "2012-11-17T19:13:50Z")
Why did you reject Buddhism? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/32 "2012-11-17T19:15:35Z")
> [@ConfusedMan](#): > > No he admitted he started the church to make money but he \*\*did not \*\*make up the events as I already stated, Hubbard was having unconscious recollections of real events that took place millions of years ago. :rolleyes: Okay then. Good luck with that. I’m out. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/33 "2012-11-17T19:18:17Z")
Are you insane? IDK but you are certainly gullible, or think we are. ---
**Author:** ![ConfusedMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@ConfusedMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ConfusedMan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/34 "2012-11-17T19:23:11Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > Why did you reject Buddhism? Buddhism has too many ethics especially pertaining to drugs and alcohol, Buddhists have to refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness. I enjoy a stiff whiskey or two and I also like a relaxing smoke sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Silophant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Silophant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silophant)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/35 "2012-11-17T19:26:12Z")
> [@ConfusedMan](#): > > Then I asked my self which sounded more plausible? The Christian belief that a Jewish zombie who was his own father can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him you accept him as your master. > > Or Xenu, who was the ruler of the Galactic Confederacy which has 26 stars and 76 planets including Teegeeack (Earth) and came here to dump his excess population 75 million years ago before being deposed. And brought billions of our ancestors in a spaceship that resembled a DC-8 and lined then up around volcanoes and killed them using hydrogen bombs lowered into volcano’s. Well, when you put it that way… yeah, still Christianity. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/36 "2012-11-17T19:32:12Z")
> [@ConfusedMan](#): > > After debating with myself for some time I decided that the Xenu story seems more plausible than what the Bible, Qur’an, Mormons, Creationists etc have come up with. I think you lost that debate. Why does the fictitious Xenu story seem more plausible? What’s wrong with invisible gold plates translated by 2 talking stones? ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/37 "2012-11-17T19:36:19Z")
> [@ConfusedMan](#): > > Buddhism has too many ethics especially pertaining to drugs and alcohol, Buddhists have to refrain from intoxicants which lead to loss of mindfulness. I enjoy a stiff whiskey or two and I also like a relaxing smoke sometimes. You need to reconcile to yourself that you just put “getting your drink on” as more important than plausibility. Because any problem that you have with “angels” are just as real for “aliens.” Good luck, mate. I hope you have money to burn. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/38 "2012-11-17T19:45:24Z")
Please consider [The Church of the SubGenius™](http://www.subgenius.com/slaq.htm) first. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/39 "2012-11-17T20:00:47Z")
> [@B.Serum](#): > > Because any problem that you have with “angels” are just as real for “aliens.” Except for the fact that angels don’t come to Earth in DC-10s and latch onto your soul, making actual scientific inquiries into the workings on the human mind fraudulent by causing all the bad emotions. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331/40 "2012-11-17T20:14:45Z")
you narrowed it down to Christianity and Scientology? What made you reject Judaism, Islam or Hinduism as being less credible? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-considering-joining-the-church-of-scientology-am-i-insane/641331.md?page=3)