# Scientology and "secret information" religions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 9, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759 "2011-02-09T14:42:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/41 "2011-02-09T21:00:30Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > That said, if they sold stock to the public, it would be worth selling everything that you own to buy all in, as they know how to make $$$ hand over fist, giving the gaming/porno/hard drug industry, OPEC, and the Gambino Family a run for most successful “entrepreneur” on the planet. Word. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/42 "2011-02-09T21:17:14Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Do Mormons audit tax returns? Serious question. Aside from one’s personal issues with lies to God, does the Church really know if you tithe or not? Dogzilla has more hands-on experience in this than I do, but I do know that some LDS folks are in fact requested to present their W2s. FWIW, my old boss was asked to do the same by a Catholic priest (or someone in the parish administration) when he was asking about becoming active again. He declined, and never went back. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/43 "2011-02-09T21:29:07Z")
I ve never heard of the Moromn church asking to review W2 forms, tax returns, or anything of the sort. In fact, tithing is voluntary, and those who do not tithe are in no way ridiculed or exposed to any form of humiliation. Sure, it’s presented as a duty as found in the Bible, but that’s about the extent of it. In some cases, non-tithers may be denied temple recommends, but that’s not a hard rule. Yes, I _was_ an active member for several years some time ago. Been there, done that. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/44 "2011-02-09T21:31:50Z")
Followup: I’ve been assured that the LDS-showing-W2 stories I’ve heard are almost certainly specious. I am sorry. Ignorance fought. That said, this does happen in some churches in other denominations. The culture of money is very fluid from congregation to congregation. My congregation used to share who contributed what, but this is when they were very small. We wouldn’t think of it today. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/45 "2011-02-09T21:36:19Z")
As a Baha’i, I’ve heard some people theorize that ours is a ‘secret religion’ because non-Baha’is are not allowed to attend the 19-day Feast. The fact is, nothing secretive or anything is going on there. It’s just that the Feast is when the members of a given community vote on stuff like, how much money should we send to National for the Temple fund? and stuff like that. Non-Baha’is are not allowed to contribute to the fund, therefore are not allowed to vote or voice opinion on how the funds are spent. Of course, one could argue that since non-Baha’is are not allowed at Feast (they are certainly welcome at other Devotional gatherings and celebrations and such), you only have the word of an ‘insider’, and I may well be lying about it. But like someone else said upthread, there are always people leaving and joining and such, and believe me, if goat sacrifice were taking place (that’s usually what I tell people when they ask; “Oh, you can’t come; Feast is when we sacrifice the goat. What do you think we ‘feast’ on? Bwahahahaha”) it would pretty much be out in the open by now, I would think. The truth is, Feast (at least the voting part) is pretty boring. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/46 "2011-02-09T21:38:28Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > The Mormons are master PR experts, and their take on Christianity is radically different than mainstream Christian denominations. > > That said, if they sold stock to the public, it would be worth selling everything that you own to buy all in, as they know how to make $$$ hand over fist, giving the gaming/porno/hard drug industry, OPEC, and the Gambino Family a run for most successful “entrepreneur” on the planet. [Moderator Note] Comparing the Mormon Church to the drug and porno industry and the Gambino family is not exactly avoiding religious jabs. Let’s refrain from side commentary of this nature. Colibri General Questions Moderator **THIS GOES FOR EVERYONE AND FOR ALL RELIGIONS, SCIENTOLOGY, MORMONISM, LAMAISM, OR WICCA.** Thank you for your attention. ---
**Author:** ![cedman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cedman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cedman)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/47 "2011-02-09T22:10:35Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > _snip_ their take on Christianity is radically different than mainstream Christian denominations. This surely cannot be a BAD thing, ya think? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/48 "2011-02-09T23:01:02Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > the [Druze religion](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Druze) is secretive.(It’s a breakaway sect of Islam, with about a million followers.) The believers are not allowed to read their own sacred texts, unless they take the vows and join the clergy. This is true, but there are some things about the Druze religion that are well-known. For instance, Druze believe in reincarnation, but that Druze only reincarnate into other Druze. In case you don’t know, Israeli Druze are not considered to be Muslims or Arabs - they’re just Druze, and they are obligated to serve in the Israeli Army. A Druze guy once told me that a friend of his got out of serving in the army by telling them that he was the reincarnation of a Syrian Druze. (Note: I can’t swear to the veracity of this anecdote.) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/49 "2011-02-09T23:08:46Z")
… ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/50 "2011-02-09T23:26:04Z")
Calling a religion a fraud that has been legally deemed such in more than one 1st world country is not a religious jab; it’s a fact. Invalid modding. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/51 "2011-02-10T00:05:23Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > Calling a religion a fraud that has been legally deemed such in more than one 1st world country is not a religious jab; it’s a fact. Invalid modding. **MODERATOR WARNING**. **An Arky**. If you’ve been reading along in this thread, you’ve seen \*\*Colibri \*\*have to step in FIVE times with Moderator Notes and Instructions, not warnings. One of them above was to take complaints about the Moderators/Moderation to a thread in ATMB. It doesn’t belong here. TAKE YOUR COMPLAINT ABOUT THE MODERATION TO ATMB. THE END. **samclem** Moderator. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/52 "2011-02-10T00:09:19Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > In some cases, non-tithers may be denied temple recommends, but that’s not a hard rule. I can assure you that it is ABSOLUTELY a hard, set-in-stone rule. NO non-tithe paying Mormon gets a temple recommend. Period. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/53 "2011-02-10T00:50:38Z")
I think that Scientology can be separated from all of the other religions, because it is not only a religion, it is a healthcare system. Scientology maintains that most (if not all) human ills are caused by “body thetans”-that somehow get stuck to you and mess you up (how they do this, I don’t know). Hubbard (the founder) maintained that once you are “clear” (that is, rid of your thetan infestation) you will be smart (IQ \>200) healthy, and basically immortal. To get to this “clear” state, you must spend upwards of $200,000. Plus, if you learn about the secret stuff (before you are ready), it will kill you (you will get pneumonia and die).Scientology also prescribes some rather weird rituals (like the “purification rundown”) that has been fatal to a number of people. All of this came out of the sick mind of a failed science fiction writer, who dreamed this stuff up in the 1950’s. Wanna know more about Xenu? Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!:eek: ---
**Author:** ![AshenLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@AshenLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AshenLady)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/54 "2011-02-10T00:54:20Z")
I guess it’s all the Jews fault.😃 Seriously though, if I had to choose, to live in Mecca or Salt Lake City or Xenu or Jerusalem…I’d pick anyplace in Jamaica…I’d rather be Rasta. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759/55 "2011-02-10T01:18:20Z")
> [@AshenLady](#): > > I guess it’s all the Jews fault.😃 > > Seriously though, if I had to choose, to live in Mecca or Salt Lake City or Xenu or Jerusalem…I’d pick anyplace in Jamaica…I’d rather be Rasta. **MODERATOR WARNING** **AshenLady**. While I’m closing this thread before it spirals even more out of control, you’re a threadshitter, pure and simple. Bringing up the Jews(yet again!) is extraneous. Where you choose to live is extraneous and no one cares. Keep this up and you’re out on your ass. **samclem** Moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-and-secret-information-religions/570759.md?page=2)