# Scientology - did Hubbard renounce on his deathbed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 12, 2002, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-did-hubbard-renounce-on-his-deathbed/128087 "2002-09-12T06:32:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-did-hubbard-renounce-on-his-deathbed/128087/1 "2002-09-12T06:32:30Z")
I was wandering along the street today and the Dianetics apostles were doing their thing, soliciting converts, and that got me to thinking about scientology’s origins etc. I have read (here and elsewhere) about how Hubbard did or did not mention that aphorism about getting rich by starting a religion. My question, though, concerns another rumour I vaguely recall from somewhere to the effect that on his deathbed Hubbard revealed that scientology was a hoax, he’d just dreamed the whole thing up as an enormous practical joke/means of getting rich. Any substance to that rumour (or am I just being confused by deep seated memories that for a small fee Dianetics will clear me of)? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-did-hubbard-renounce-on-his-deathbed/128087/2 "2002-09-12T09:26:43Z")
Dunno. His son, however, did publish a book a number of years ago that the Hubbard estate tried to surpress. Supposedly the cover photo of the second edition was going to be a real mind blower once the publisher got the lawsuits settled. You might try to see if you can find a copy of that, it might have some answers. (If you do find it, lemme know the title and if its worth reading, wouldja?) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-did-hubbard-renounce-on-his-deathbed/128087/3 "2002-09-12T11:50:44Z")
I never believe in deathbed confessions – I haven’t come across one that wasn’t either wholly unbelievable, or a rumor started by people against the supposed recanter. Ron de Wolf’s book was entitled \*\* L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?\*\*. With a title like that, you know what the author thinks. I’ve got a copy. Nowhere in this book does the author (Hubbard’s son) say anything about a deathbed confession. It’s fascinating reading, but be warned that de Wolf is not much more trustworthy than his father. Miller, author of the Hubbard bio **The Bare-Faced Messiah** , points out at least one place where it’s in error. A lot of other stuff is so over-the-top that you doubt if even so over-the-top personality as Hubbard would’ve done it. It’s not very well written, and lacks an index. It was co-authored with a guy who ran a Hubbard “mission” in California, and those parts seem trustworthy and interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-did-hubbard-renounce-on-his-deathbed/128087/4 "2002-09-12T13:23:33Z")
> [@](#): > > He was just Ron, and I kinda liked him, mostly because he wrote well, and I never felt he took all that Scientology nonsense seriously but knew how to make a good buck… – Harlan Ellison, in the introduction to _Angry Candy_ I know that doesn’t answer the question, but it shows how a friend of Ellron felt. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-did-hubbard-renounce-on-his-deathbed/128087/5 "2002-09-12T14:00:26Z")
There is a popular rumor amongst creationists that Darwin, on his deathbed, recanted his theory of evolution – proving they would have you believe, that evolution is a fraud. I’m no Scientologist, but it seems to me that a deathbed recantation, even if true, is of very little probative value to the question of whether the teachings are true. They should, I would think, stand or fall on their own merits. Even if Darwin admitted to making the whole thing up, there exists sufficient independent evidence of evolution to give it credibility. Similarly, the mere fact that Hubbard “recanted” proves nothing about the validity of Scientology. - Rick ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-did-hubbard-renounce-on-his-deathbed/128087/6 "2002-09-12T14:47:43Z")
According to **Bare Faced Messiah** when Hubbard died he was living on a secluded ranch and was surronded by Scientologists. So even if he had given a deathbed recantation it would have likely been suppressed. Also Hubbard died of a cerebral hemmorage which sounds like it would have been pretty sudden and not allowed for a parting soliliquoy. Here is a link to an online version of the book which is very entertaining. [http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/bfm/bfmconte.htm](http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/bfm/bfmconte.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-did-hubbard-renounce-on-his-deathbed/128087/7 "2002-09-12T16:13:09Z")
I’d rather doubt it. I did my senior thesis in High School on Scientology, and there was no evidence whatsoever of such a confession. Additionally, LRH’s personality kind of dictates against such things. He’s far more likely to write some new book proclaiming himself god on his deathbed than recant. ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2002, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientology-did-hubbard-renounce-on-his-deathbed/128087/8 "2002-09-12T17:19:21Z")
And just to hijack a little on the “getting rich by starting a religion” bit, here’s an article that goes into it in detail: [http://www.tafkac.org/religion/hubbard\_heinlein\_bet.html](http://www.tafkac.org/religion/hubbard_heinlein_bet.html) Quick summary: it’s a pretty safe bet that the legend is true.