The Art of Scientology...
One man's view...

Back in the 60's I encountered my first taste of Scientology in their headquarters, Los Angeles, California. I had come down to La Jolla Institute to study at a summer seminar on meteorology and the ocean and on a weekend escape, I chanced upon a group of Scientology advocates who were playing on the beach. Being a former theology student, I had more than a passing familiarity with Ron Hubbard's various quasi-religious and philosophical works as set forth in his original book “Dianetics” which was, for a time, required reading at most theological schools throughout the United States. During the course of that summer, I increasingly became as involved as one could be at that time without becoming one of their members, as I was and still am intellectually curious how cults come into being, and of some of their various histories evolved.

I rapidly found out that if I asked “hard” questions, such as the relationships between their corporations, various churches and other companies they deployed at that time, I was discouraged politely but firmly from ever asking those kinds of questions again. If I persisted, and I did upon several occasions, I was ignored entirely. Several highly-veiled threats were made of what would happen if I persisted in asking questions, most of which I ignored.

You have to remember that was over forty years ago, and today, according to various sources, the size of the Scientology base has trebled or even quadrupled, largely depending upon whom you believe. Perhaps a good source of current information about Scientology would be that you read the Wikipedia.org website on Scientology, which is located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology

The “net wars” between Anonymous and various other Internet groups and the Church of Scientology are nearly legend now. For reference sake please refer again to the Wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_%28group%29 to learn what little is known about this shadowy but highly-active group that seem intent upon removing Scientology from the Internet entirely.

If you perform the requisite research, and I'll concede it can be a time-consuming process indeed, perhaps you will understand why I state categorically in my opinion that Scientology is not only a dangerous cult with far-reaching implications, but has powerful lawyers that have repeatedly attempted to shut down any persons or organizations that criticize or question any part of their religious activities, operations or history.

Moreover, they are among only a few world religions that are specifically banned in many foreign countries. One of the more glaring examples of the tremendous power this cult exerts involves The Cult Awareness Network which listed the Church of Scientology at the top of their cult list, until they went into bankruptcy from suits initiated by Scientology (1996). Ultimately, they were bought in Bankruptcy Court by the Church of Scientology (1997), which now operates the new Cult Awareness Network as a promotional arm of the church. (Wikipedia).

Have you ever been involved with Scientology? How aware are you about it? Who is telling the truth: the Scientologists or Anonymous?

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Dave

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