On Sunday afternoon I had a pleasant stroll down Tottenham Court Road, London. Whilst walking through one of London’s popular shopping areas i noticed several hundred copies of L. Ron Hubbard’s most famous publication "Dianetics". These books were peering out of a window belonging to the Church of Scientology. I look up and see "68 Tottenham Court Road – The Church of Scientology" looming down me on judgementally. How a sign with no personal message could intimidate me is beyond my intellect, but nonetheless it did.
Inside the building were a several signs offering a "free stress test" and two gentleman dressed smartly in white shirts and black trousers. The idea of a stress test appealed to me, but would the Church of Scientology be my location for a stress test? Quite simply, no. Because right then my stress was high enough. My lovely stroll, ruined by what I believe (and it’s my right to believe) to be a shameless corporate cult.
This "religion" refuses to discuss its ideas, philosophies and beginnings with anyone unless payment is received. It’s my understanding that in the UK religion is no longer subsidised by the government, so funds have to be appropriated from somewhere. Christian churches offer their services for free but ask for donations from their patrons. I don’t have to go to church to learn about the Christian belief because I can purchase a bible in any number of book shops. The same can be said for Juadism, Islam, Sikhism and Buddhism. So why not scientology?
Is it because their leader Mr Hubbard was quoted saying: “If you want to make a little money, write a book. If you want to make a lot of money, create a religion”? Or is it the ludicrous ramblings about thetans, exploding vocanoes, negative energy and Xenu (See South Park and Wikipedia)?
If the truth was known about Scientology then people could make up their own minds about whether that religion is right them. But for this privilege thousands of pounds are required.
Just imagine how annoyed you would be if you spent thousands on discovering that Scientology is based on the principle that on another planet, criminals and other social nasties were injected with a glycerol-based serum (which would kill a person) and transported to Earth by a plane. Through space. Upon their arrival on Earth these criminals were dropped into vocanoes, which were induced to erupt by dropping H-bombs to clense (or kill) their souls. As a result thetans (negative energy) were released and floated around Earth until Xenu turned up. Xenu, with his satanic beard, captured the thetans and then placed them in some of the very first human beings. Scientologists said that these Thetans are the reason why humans are so sad, depressed and stressed. By the way, who the fuck is Xenu?! What is a Xenu? At least with Islam and Christianity followerers receive some notion of what the main protagonist of their faith is, no matter how philosophical or cryptic he/she/it is.
Sounds slightly sadistic doesn’t: "Gee, what do we do with all the criminals? I dunno, burn them to death in a foreign land?" "Yeah sounds good". Nice to know that that is the basis of a religion, isn’t it!? What a fucker eh? All that money just to hear horse-shit created by a mediocre science-fiction novellist. And if it is true (which it isn’t) why would someone want to follow an ideology with such a horrible history.
If any scientologist cares to enlighten me about their "religion" by sharing its roots, then please go ahead. The floor is yours.
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