Plan of Salvation for Scientiologists

[_EAllusion]

*golf claps*

[_truth dancer]

Last night I visited the X scientologist MB along with Scientology.org.

Wow... change a few words around and you have RFM and LDS.org.

It seems all those religions/cults/organizations who believe their way is the one and only, have similar issues. Leaving these groups presents similar difficulties and challenges. Leaders respond similarly to their former believers.

Why and how humans believe is a fascinating topic...

td

[_beastie]

*golf claps*

GOLF claps????

Sheesh, I thought it merited at least a snicker. ;)

[_Sethbag]

What about the Plan of Salvation for Scientologists? More or less likely to be accurate and true than the LDS plan?

I'm tempted to say it's less likely to be true than the LDS plan, but I know that's just my bias toward the faith and worldview I grew up with. In reality, the LDS plan utterly fails to square with the ancient history of this Earth, the lifeforms on it, and the 200,000+ year timespan that human beings have lived on this planet. It utterly fails the sniff test where Mormon God acts just like the capricious, vicious, jealous gods of other ancient civilizations, in the Old Testament.

And, seriously, what's wierder, the idea that there are billions of human spirits as Thetans that are wandering around Teegeeack, I mean Earth, looking for live human hosts to attach themselves to, or the idea that the Creator of the Entire Universe chooses an untrustworthy farmboy, who can't keep his dick in his pants, and trains him up to be the one man who tells the World what it is this Creator of the Entire Universe needs for us all to know by having him bury his face in a hat with a magic rock in it and tell his neighbors that he sees buried treasure in the rock and that if they give him some of their money, he'll tell them where this treasure is?

I mean seriously, are body thetans and Emperor Xenu and all that Scientology bullsh** really any whackier than Joseph Smith's magic rock in the hat trick being how the Creator of the Entire Universe trains him to be able to receive the knowledge that everyone else in the world needs to hear?

[_beastie]

I strongly believe how weird any religion appears depends entirely on whether or not the person considering the religion has been heavily culturally exposed to the religion all his/her life. I think the very basic tenets of Christianity would sound utterly bizarre to someone never exposed to it. I mean, really - there's a God who created us somehow, and is going to judge us and send lots of us to hell to suffer for all eternity, for all manner of bad behavior including not believing the "right" thing - and the only way this omnipotent God can avoid damning us to this fate is to somehow arrange for his son to be born and killed? Somehow that death/blood of that magical son has some sort of magical power to erase the sins of mankind? And all we have to do to escape this fate is believe the right thing - kind of like how Peter Pan fans used to save Tinkerbell???? Are you kidding me??? I think all religions are weird like this.

I don't necessarily believe that the simple belief in a higher being is quite as weird, but maybe that is because our entire planet is under that cultural influence. But once that belief gets dressed up in religion, man, it is always weird.

In regards to who gets the weird gold medal between Mormonism and scientology, in our culture, it's probably scientology because it goes totally outside Christianity. That makes it weirder by default. Bill Maher once said it best - Mormons should be glad that scientology exists, so something can seem stranger than their religion.

In fact, I wonder if anyone has attempted to explain the weirdness factor of religion. I understand the evolutionary advantages to religious belief, but why do human beings end up making those beliefs so weird? What's up with that? Off the top of my head, I'd guess that religions have to be differentiated because their main purpose is tribal, so the details have to identify members of the tribe. But does that mean it has to end up so weird? Maybe so, once you're adding details to something nonexistent thing in the first place. And maybe being willing to believe in details that strain credulity demonstrates the strength of loyalty to the tribe?

[_truth dancer]

A few years ago my fabulous TBM DH came with me to participate in a Native American event with Matthew Fox a fascinating man in my opinion. Along with a lecture there was an interactive chant/dance ritual.

It was, shall we say, a bit out of my DH's comfort zone. (To say the least). LOL

Anyway, he was a fabulous sport as always and on our drive home he mentioned how strange the chant was and I very nicely said... "honey, umm, what do you think they would think about the LDS temple rituals?

We both had a good laugh.

:-)

td

[_Scottie]

In regards to who gets the weird gold medal between Mormonism and scientology, in our culture, it's probably scientology because it goes totally outside Christianity. That makes it weirder by default. Bill Maher once said it best - Mormons should be glad that scientology exists, so something can seem stranger than their religion.

Something I find humorous is how many LDS laugh at how WEIRD the FLDS are.

[Guest]

In fact, I wonder if anyone has attempted to explain the weirdness factor of religion. I understand the evolutionary advantages to religious belief, but why do human beings end up making those beliefs so weird? What's up with that? Off the top of my head, I'd guess that religions have to be differentiated because their main purpose is tribal, so the details have to identify members of the tribe. But does that mean it has to end up so weird? Maybe so, once you're adding details to something nonexistent thing in the first place. And maybe being willing to believe in details that strain credulity demonstrates the strength of loyalty to the tribe?

I think it comes from the way religions are formed in their cult stage. You generally have a dynamic leader who is opening new communication and new information. That is was what causeed the members to be engaged. They don't want to hear the same old stuff or they would just go to the church on the corner.

The excitement is that anything might happen. The leader at any point could mutter some new fact that changes everything. That is exciting! It is also the fuel that gets religions started.

Unfortunately, it creates baggage that must be dealt with down the road. This is why so many cults collapse under their own weight. Probably the ultimate success of a religion has to do with how well it can manage the aftermath of its dynamic leader.

[_beastie]

I think it comes from the way religions are formed in their cult stage. You generally have a dynamic leader who is opening new communication and new information. That was what causes the members to be engaged. They don't want to hear the same old stuff or they would just go to the church on the corner.

The excitement is that anything might happen. The leader at any point could mutter some new fact that changes everything. That is exciting! It is also the fuel that gets religions started.

Unfortunately, it creates baggage that must be dealt with down the road. This is why so many cults collapse under their own weight. Probably the ultimate success of a religion has to do with how well it can manage the aftermath of its dynamic leader.

That is an excellent point.