Some Christian congregations, particularly in lower income, urban areas, are turning to an unlikely source for help — the Church of Scientology.
Scientologists do not worship God, much less Jesus Christ. The church has seen plenty of controversy and critics consider it a cult. So why are observant Christians embracing some of its teachings?
Two pastors who spoke recently with CNN explained that when it comes to religion, they still preach the core beliefs of Christianity. But when it comes to practicing what they preach in a modern world, borrowing from Scientology helps.
The Rev. Charles Kennedy, of the Glorious Church of God in Christ, a Pentecostal church in Tampa, Florida, and the Rev. James McLaughlin, of the Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas, are among the theological hybrids.
“in the distance, I hear the sound of flapping white coats approaching…”
(John Major)
“No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.” H. L. Mencken
Scientology: progressive Mormonism.
I have never understood how anyone can take Scientology seriously. When I was in law school in the civil procedure class, we read a bunch of cases about L. Ron Hubbard (a master at playing the legal system) and the government’s battle to not grant him legitimate religion status for taxation and other purposes. I remember reading a case when they finally got Hubbard to testify under oath. He basically admitted he created the religion on a bar bet when a friend told him his science fiction works were like a religion. Hubbard thought he could actually create a religion…and he did.
I thought Scientology was expensive. How can these guys afford it?
They sound like left coast Episcopalians, not that there’s anything wrong with that, in offering buddhism, tao, great spirit, wiccan, celtic paganism, and who knows what else to practice what they preach in the modern world. What have I missed all these years?
I have never understood how anyone can take Scientology seriously.
It’s the spiritual vacuum. People are searching and they will embrace whatever makes them feel better. We too often throw away rational thought in exchange for comfort.
One of the best articles explaining scientology that I have read is by Janet Reitman. It was in Rolling Stone in 2006. Here is a link to the full article, well woth the read:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/9363363/inside_scientology
So, Scientology offers so much spiritual fulfillment for its members and creates such a rewarding spiritual place for them that the founder expressed his satisfaction by….Committing suicide?
Hmmm….mrb
Scientology isn’t a religion. It’s an crooked extortion racket disguised as one.
Good thing we don’t have to deal with that…… in…. our….. church……………………….Oh well.
As an aside, what’s with all the closed comments today?? Elves afriad we’re gonna hurt somebody’s feelings? Or do you have to get permission to run certain pieces and part of that permission involves us not having the right to comment here?
I’m just curious as to what guides the “comments/no comments” criteria.
thanks..mrb
Perhaps they are really teaching Dianetics? Scientology, but without the evil aliens. 🙂
BfT19 [#7], thanks for the link to the Rolling Stone article; it was indeed worth the read.
[url=http://www.vulcanhammer.org/?p=376]I see that the “Bologna Club” is on the move again.[/url]
Scientology is the success of L. Ron Hubbard’s bet that he could design a religion. That he was a science fiction author was inadequate success. Now he’s a scifi author and religious leader – both in the transmortality senses of the words.
At the ‘office’ I had an e-mail advertisement for a new Sci-Fi anthology under the heading “L. Ron Hubbard presents”
I answered “How can he present anything when he’s been dead for at least 30 years?”
No reply.
When will ‘Christian’ leaders learn — Jesus doesn’t want us to be ‘Christian AND ____ ‘ anything! He wants us to follow HIM, and Him alone — wholly, entirely, without reservation. There is no “I’m a Christian Hindu” or “I’m a Christian Yogi” or “I’m a Christian Muslim” or “Christian Scientologist”.
He put it plainly: “You cannot serve two masters!”
*(I think the only valid addendum to the word Christian may be “Jew” as in “Messianic Jew”, for isn’t that what Jesus wanted in the first place?)
Advanced Scientology doctrine/praxis, Operating Thetan Technology Level 8, the so-called, “wall of fire” “Tech Level” states that L Ron Hubbard understood himself to be the Anti-Christ. I am not making this up. This has been documented in the copyrighted Scientology “Tech manuals” of which this is an indirect reference not a direct quote (no copyright infringement)
We don’t have to believe that Hubbard actually was the anti-Christ to view this as an alarming and repugnant claim.
Scientologists believe that if they read the OT 8 Tech before they are properly prepared by doing the previous 7 tech levels, they will get very sick and probably die.
This thing is not merely silly but very dangerous. Any Christian who willingly cooperates with it is genuinely putting his soul in great danger, and any pastor who allows it to infiltrate his flock is throwing the sheep to the wolves.