Scientology A New Religion

[Rasputin]

Scientology is a body of teachings and related techniques developed by American author L. Ron Hubbard over some thirty years beginning in 1952 as a self-help philosophy, an outgrowth of his earlier self-help system, Dianetics. It claims to offer an exact methodology to help humans achieve awareness of their spiritual existence across many lifetimes and, simultaneously, to become more effective in the physical world. The name "Scientology" is also used to refer to the often controversial Church of Scientology, the largest organization promoting the practice of Scientology, which is itself part of a network of affiliated corporations that claim ownership and sole authority to disseminate Dianetics and Scientology.

A stated goal of Scientology is to "rehabilitate" the thetan (roughly equivalent to the soul) to regain its native state of "total freedom." Church spokesmen and practitioners attest that Hubbard's teachings (called "Technology" or "Tech" in Scientology terminology) have saved them from a plethora of problems and enabled them to better realize their highest potential in business and their personal lives.However, outside observers—including journalists, lawmakers, and national governing bodies of several countries—have reached conclusions about Scientology that are sharply at odds with the Church's self-representations. These include allegations that the church is an unscrupulous commercial enterprise that harasses its critics and brutally exploits its members.

Although some scholars and a few governments accept Scientology as a bona fide religion, it has also been characterized as a pseudoreligion, a cultor a transnational corporation.

[Rasputin]

The Church says that Scientology is concerned with "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others and all of life." By contrast, Dianetics is more narrowly focused on getting rid of the reactive mind, the "bank" of traumatic memories known as engrams which are said to inhibit one's success and happiness.Scientology also covers topics such as ethics and morality (The Way to Happiness), drug and chemical residues as they relate to spiritual wellbeing (the Purification Rundown), communication, marriage, raising children, work-related problems, education (Study Technology), and the very nature of life (The Dynamics).

Scientology practices are structured in sequential series or levels, reflecting Hubbard's belief that rehabilitation takes place on a step-by-step "gradient"; for example, that the negative effects of drugs must be addressed before other issues can be "handled". Scientologists follow a sequence of courses that culminate in the esoteric advanced strata of Scientology's teachings. This is described as a passage along "the Bridge to Total Freedom", or simply "the Bridge," in which each step of the Bridge promises a little more personal freedom in some particular area of life.

Some central tenets of Scientology:

A person is an immortal spiritual being (termed a thetan) who possesses a mind and a body.
The thetan has lived through many past lives and will continue to live beyond the death of the body.
Through the Scientology process of "auditing", one can free oneself of "engrams" and "implants" to reach the state of "Clear", and after that, the state of "Operating Thetan". Each state is said to represent recovering the native spiritual abilities of the individual, and to confer dramatic mental and physical benefits.
A person is basically good, but becomes "aberrated" by moments of pain and unconsciousness in his or her life.
What is true for you is what you have observed yourself. No beliefs should be forced as "true" on anyone. Thus, the tenets of Scientology are expected to be tested and seen to either be true or not by Scientology practitioners.
Psychiatry and psychology are evil and abusive.
Scientology claims to offer "exact" methods of spiritual counseling to help people achieve awareness of their spiritual existence, while enhancing their effectiveness in the physical world. The exact nature of all of existence is said to be stated in Hubbard's Scientology and Dianetics Axioms.

According to the Church, the ultimate goal is to get the soul (thetan) back to its native state of total freedom, thus gaining control over matter, energy, space, time, thoughts, form, and life. This freed state is called Operating Thetan, or OT for short.

[Rasputin]

The central practice of Scientology is "auditing" (from the Latin word audire, "to listen"), which is a one-on-one communication with a trained Scientology counselor or "auditor". The auditor follows an exact procedure toward rehabilitating the human spirit. Most auditing uses an E-meter, a device that measures very small changes in electrical resistance through the human body when a person is holding onto tin cans and a small current is passed through them.

The auditing process is intended to help the practitioner (referred to as a preclear or PC) to unburden himself or herself of specific traumatic incidents, prior ethical transgressions and bad decisions, which are said to collectively restrict the preclear from achieving his or her goals and lead to the development of a "reactive mind". The auditor asks the preclear to respond to a list of questions which are designed for specific purposes and given to the preclear in a strictly regulated way. Auditing requires that the preclear be a willing and interested participant who understands the questions, and the process goes more smoothly when he or she understands what is going on. Per Church policy, auditors are trained not to "evaluate for" their preclears; i.e., they are forbidden from suggesting, interpreting, degrading or invalidating the preclear's answers. The E-meter is used to help locate an area of concern.

Scientologists have claimed benefits from auditing including improved IQ, improved ability to communicate, enhanced memory, alleviated dyslexia and attention deficit problems, and improved relaxation.

During the auditing process, the auditor may collect personal information from the person being audited in a manner similar to a psychotherapy session or confessional. The Church maintains that its auditing records are kept confidential, although at least one organizational directive specifically authorized the use of these auditing records for purposes of "internal security".Auditing records are referred to within Scientology as "PC (preclear) folders" and are said to be stored securely when not being added to during auditing sessions.

[Khorsheed]

Hm .. it seems that alot of new religions are popping out for us everyday .. heh !

[Rasputin]

The Church of Scientology

The Church of Scientology has claimed to have as many as 10 million members as of 2006,though actual membership figures it has released indicate a far smaller total. Third party estimates of Scientology's worldwide membership range from less than 100,000[32] to approximately 500,000. According to a 2001 survey published by the City University of New York 55,000 people in the United States would, if asked to identify their religion, have said Scientology.

The first Church of Scientology was incorporated in Camden, New Jersey as a non-profit organization in 1953. The Church forms the centre of a complex worldwide network of corporations dedicated to the promotion of L. Ron Hubbard's philosophies in all areas of life. This includes:

Drug treatment centres (Narconon);
Criminal rehabilitation programs (Criminon);
Activities to reform the field of mental health (Citizens Commission on Human Rights);
Projects to implement Hubbard's educational methods in schools (Applied Scholastics);
A "moral values" campaign (The Way to Happiness);
A political action committee, (Citizens for Social Reform) to promote social programs with legislators at the US federal and state levels;
World Institute of Scientology Enterprises, or WISE, which licenses Hubbard's management techniques for use in businesses;
A consulting firm based on Hubbard's management techniques (Sterling Management Systems);
A campaign directed to world leaders, as well as the general public, to implement the 1948 United Nations document "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (with particular emphasis on the religious freedom elements).
Within the church, members are arranged in a hierarchically pyramid ranked structure,with higher level members holding authority over lower ranked subordinates, especially as evidenced by the Sea Org.

[Rasputin]

Scientology and celebrities

The Church of Scientology has consistently sought to recruit artists and entertainers, particularly Hollywood celebrities. The Church runs special recruitment facilities for public figures designated Celebrity Centres (CCs). There are eight of these centres across the world, though Hollywood is the largest and most important. Scientologists give this description.

L. Ron Hubbard recognized the importance of the artist to society. Thus he created Celebrity Centre International — a Church of Scientology that specializes in delivering Dianetics and Scientology services to celebrities, professionals, leaders and promising new-comers in the fields of the arts, sports, management and government.

The sites are not celebrity-exclusive and offer courses to non-celebrities at all levels; most visitors are non-celebrities.

Publicity has been generated by Scientologists in the entertainment industry. The most well-known of these figures include John Travolta, ***stie Alley, Beck, Isaac Hayes, Tom Cruise, and Cruise's converted wife Katie Holmes.

Critics say the attention and care given to celebrity practitioners is vastly different from that of noncelebrity practitioners. Andre Tabayoyon, a former Scientologist and Sea Org staffer, testified in a 1994 affidavit that money from not-for-profit Scientology organizations and labor from those organizations (including the Rehabilitation Project Force) had gone to provide special facilities for Scientology celebrities, which were not available to other Scientologists:

A Sea Org staffer ... was taken along to do personal cooking for Tom Cruise and Miscavige at the expense of Scientology not for profit religious organizations. This left only 3 cooks at [Gold Base] to cook for 800 people three times a day ... apartment cottages were built for the use of John Travolta, ***stie Alley, Edgar Winter, Priscilla Presley and other Scientology celebrities who are carefully prevented from finding out the real truth about the Scientology organization ... Miscavige decided to redo the meadow in beautiful flowers; Tens of thousands of dollars were spent on the project so that Cruise and [Nicole] Kidman could romp there. However, Miscavige inspected the project and didn't like it. So the whole meadow was plowed up, destroyed, replowed and sown with plain grass."

Tabayoyon's account of the planting of the meadow was supported by another former Scientologist, Maureen Bolstad, who said that a couple of dozen Scientologists including herself were put to work on a rainy night through dawn on the project. "We were told that we needed to plant a field and that it was to help Tom impress Nicole ... but for some mysterious reason it wasn't considered acceptable by Mr. Miscavige. So the project was rejected and they redid it."

Diana Canova, who experienced Scientology both before and during her period of TV stardom, expressed it in a September 1993 interview: "When I started, I wasn't in television yet. I was a nobody - I'd done some TV, but I was not one of the elite, not by a long shot - until I did Soap. Then it became…I mean, you really are treated like royalty."

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Controversy and criticism

Of the many new religious movements to appear during the 20th century, Scientology has, from its inception, been one of the most controversial. The Church has come into conflict with the governments and police forces of several countries (including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany) numerous times over the years, though supporters note that many major world religions have found themselves in conflict with civil government in their early years.

The many legal battles fought by the Church of Scientology since its inception have given it a reputation as an extremely litigious organization, characterized by forcing litigants to enter into a lengthy and costly legal process.

The ongoing controversies involving the Church and its critics include:

Repeated claims of brainwashing and mind control.
Scientology's disconnection policy, in which members are encouraged to cut off all contact with friends or family members critical of the Church.
The unexplained death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson.

The use of high-pressure sales tactics to obtain money from members.
Multiple criminal activities by Scientologists, both those committed for personal benefit (Reed Slatkin, Gabriel Williams, and others) and those committed on behalf of the Church and directed by Church officials (Operation Snow White, Operation Freakout, Fair Game, and others).
Numerous differing, and sometimes conflicting, accounts of L. Ron Hubbard's life, in particular accounts of Hubbard discussing his intent to start a religion for profit, and of his service in the military.

Scientology's harassment and litigious actions against its critics and enemies.
Some critics charge Scientology with being a cult of personality, with much emphasis placed on the alleged accomplishments of its founder.
Scientologists claim that government files, such as those from the FBI, are loaded with forgeries and other false documents detrimental to Scientology [citation needed], but have never substantiated this accusation.
Lobbying search engines such as Google and Yahoo to omit any webpages that are critical of Scientology from their search engines (and in Google's case, AdSense), or at least the first few search pages .

[Rasputin]

Scientology and other religions

Scientology teaches that it is fully compatible with all existing major world religions and that it does not conflict with other religions or other religious practices;the Church has however been questioned by other religious groups.

The Church of England complained in March 2003 to the Advertising Standards Authority about the Church's advertising poster promoting Narconon--the drug rehabilitation program based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard. The poster claimed "250,000 people salvaged from drugs." The Church of England Diocese of Birmingham challenged the claim. Upholding the complaint, the ASA considered that, "without clarification, readers were likely to interpret the claim '250,000 people salvaged from drugs' to mean that 250,000 people had stopped being dependent on street or prescription drugs because of Scientology. The Authority "accepted that more than 250,000 people had undertaken the Church's Drug Purification and Drug Rundown programmes, which were designed to free people from the effects of taking drugs," but "the Authority understood that, within Scientology, the concept of 'drug use' referred to a variety of behaviours that ranged from heavy use of street drugs to occasional ingestion of alcohol or prescription medicines and exposure to chemical toxins."

In May 2001, the Russian Orthodox Church criticized Scientologists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Unificationists and Mormons as being dangerous "totalitarian sects".

The Lutheran Church in Germany has at times criticized Scientology's activities and doctrines, along with those of several other religions. According to the U.S. State Department's 2004 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, "The Lutheran Church also characterizes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Church of Christ, Christian Scientists, the New Apostolic Church, and the Johannish Church as 'sects,' but in less negative terms than it does Scientology."

The Roman Catholic Church has not made official doctrinal pronouncements specifically related to Scientology. Certain beliefs that are widely associated with Scientology, such as reincarnation, are specifically rejected by the Catholic Church as being incompatible with Catholic belief and practice. Scientology is also, according to a number of religious scholars, a form of gnosticism, which would make it hard to reconcile with Roman Catholicism and other denominations that regard gnosticism as a heresy.

Scientology's claim of religious compatibility to entry-level Scientologists is soon modified by the additional teaching that the various levels of spiritual prowess which can be reached through Scientology are more advanced than those attainable in other religions. Critics maintain that, within Scientology, "spiritual abilities" tends to be synonymous with "mystical powers" rather than with "inner peace". Hubbard himself cautioned against the unwise or improper use of powers in his book History of Man.

In its application for tax-exempt status in the United States, the Church of Scientology International states:

Although there is no policy or Scriptural mandate expressly requiring Scientologists to renounce other religious beliefs or membership in other churches, as a practical matter Scientologists are expected to and do become fully devoted to Scientology to the exclusion of other faiths. As Scientologists, they are required to look only to Scientology Scriptures for the answers to the fundamental questions of their existence and to seek enlightenment only from Scientology.

Based on an interpretation of Buddhist writings which described, among other things, a man from the west with hair like flames around his head who was said to be due to return some 2,500 years after the first Buddha, the red-haired Hubbard sometimes identified himself with Maitreya, the Buddha of the future.

The revealed beliefs in Scientology at higher levels become increasingly contradictory with other religions. The concept of past lives in Scientology is at odds with Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Beliefs concerning the origins and age of the Earth, the root of evil, and the nature of man make it impossible to uphold the beliefs of most other religions while also being a Scientologist.Hubbard claimed that Islam was the result of an extraterrestrial memory implant, called the Emanator, of which the Kaaba is supposedly an artifact. Mainstream religions, in his view, had failed to realize their objectives: "It is all very well to idealize poverty and associate wisdom with begging bowls, or virtue with low estate. However, those who have done this (Buddhists, Christians, Communists and other fanatics) have dead ended or are dead ending."

Critics claim that a select group of advanced practitioners eventually discovered that Hubbard had left little doubt in his writings and lectures about the dim view he took toward existing major religions. In some of the teachings Hubbard had intended only for this select group, he claimed that Jesus had never existed, but was implanted in humanity's collective memory by Xenu 75 million years ago, and that Christianity was an "entheta [evil] operation" mounted by beings called Targs (Hubbard, "Electropsychometric Scouting: Battle of the Universes", April 1952). Some critics have claimed that one of the highest levels, OT VIII, tells initiates that Jesus was a pederast (it is decidedly unclear whether the version of OT VIII in the Fishman Affidavit, where this claim originates, is genuine). Thus, critics claim, Hubbard makes clear his belief that advanced Scientologists are to identify Jesus and Christianity more as a force of evil than as a force for good.

[Rasputin]

Scientology as a cult

In some instances, former members have claimed the Church used information obtained in auditing sessions against them.While such a claim would be actionable as extortion, blackmail or harassment within most legal jurisdictions, no such claim has to date been legally confirmed against Scientology based solely upon use or revelation of auditing records.

The Anderson Report, an official inquiry conducted for the state of Victoria, Australia, found that the auditing process involved a form of "authoritative" or "command" hypnosis, in which the hypnotist assumes "positive authoritative control" over the patient. "It is the firm conclusion of this Board that most scientology and dianetic techniques are those of authoritative hypnosis and as such are dangerous. ... the scientific evidence which the Board heard from several expert witnesses of the highest repute ... which was virtually unchallenged - leads to the inescapable conclusion that it is only in name that there is any difference between authoritative hypnosis and most of the techniques of scientology. Many scientology techniques are in fact hypnotic techniques, and Hubbard has not changed their nature by changing their names." Hubbard was an accomplished hypnotist, and close acquaintances such as Forrest Ackerman (Hubbard's literary agent) and A. E. van Vogt (an important early supporter of Dianetics) witnessed repeated demonstrations of his hypnotic skills. Licensed psychotherapists have alleged that the Church's auditing sessions amount to mental health treatment without a license [citation needed], but the Church disputes these allegations, and claims to have established in courts of law that its practice leads to spiritual relief. So, according to the Church, the psychotherapist treats mental health and the Church treats the spiritual being.

In France, the Church of Scientology was categorized as a sect (or cult) in the 2468 report of the Assemblée Nationale (the legislative body), in 1995. A more recent government report (1999) categorized the church as an "absolute sect" and recommended that all its activities be prohibited.

Fifteen of the sixteen German states, stating that Scientology had anti-democratic tendencies, have to a greater or lesser degree and for varying periods placed Scientology and Scientologists under state surveillance since the early 1970s. No criminal or civil charges have been brought as a result of this surveillance. Two German states and the ruling political party, the CDU (Christian Democratic Union), have passed rules or regulations limiting the participation of Scientologists in politics, business and public life. In several court cases Scientology lost filed complaints against continued surveillance because the courts held the opinion that Scientology still pursues anticonstitutional activities. In Berlin surveillance ceased because the court prohibited the use of paid undercover agents. In Saarland surveillance was stopped by the court because there was/is no current danger recognizable.

Allegations of Scientology's cult status may be attributed to its unconventional creation by a single authoritative and charismatic leader.The Church indoctrinates its members, providing very little initial knowledge of the inner secrets of the organization. In order to reach this knowledge parishioners are required to advance forward in rank through study and payments to the Church, the incentive of which is the stepped acquisition of promised powerful secrets and gaining of supernatural abilities

[Rasputin]

Scientology - Church of Scientology Official SiteThe official site of the

Church of Scientology. Offers video and audio presentations, as well as virtual tours of churches.

https://www.scientology.org/

[Sepideh_UK]

Oh Cool...!!
Cheerz Redwine..

[Rasputin]

Rev. John Carmichael, Church of Scientology

There are a lot of myths that fly around about your religion, could you please tell us about some of the basics of Scientology?
First of all let me say, the best way to find out about Scientology (or anything else, for that matter) is to look for yourself. And that's not difficult - there are several Churches of Scientology in New York; the one at 227 West 46th Street is open from 9 am til 10 pm, seven days a week. Or buy a book -- even get one from the library -- by L. Ron Hubbard. Dianetics (means "through the mind") is the book that started it all in 1950, and became a bestseller and has remained a perennial bestseller. Having said that, here's the short version:

Scientology is a unique and practical religion, one which contains tools people use to lead better lives, lives of greater self-respect and respect for others, greater happiness and understanding. The name means, "study of wisdom," or "knowledge in the fullest sense of the word." So it is about knowing, not believing, and no one is expected to take anything in Scientology on faith.

It's based on the premise that the individual is an immortal spiritual being, seeking to survive, basically good, and with tremendous potentials not currently realized. Because we believe the individual is basically good, Scientology is based on restoring to the individual his or her own freedom. In freedom the individual also finds responsibility and happiness.

How this is done is the whole subject of Dianetics (the precursor and substudy of Scientology) and Scientology, and is just too much to explain here. In brief, the Church provides: 1) courses in the fundamentals of life and their application, and 2) a kind of one-on-one application called "auditing" (from the Latin, audire, meaning to listen) -- it's not called counseling, because the auditor does not tell you what to think about your problems or their solution. Instead, you find out for yourself what has kept you from solving your own problems -- and from knowing your own spiritual nature, as well.

Millions of people around the world have found the applied philosophy of L. Ron Hubbard enormously valuable - from dealing with an inability to study, to coming to their own conclusions about the age-old questions about the universe -- so much so, that Scientology and Dianetics now include some 7,500 Churches, missions and groups in 163 countries.

What is the typical timeline for someone joining Scientology?

There doesn't seem to be one route or schedule which is "typical." People generally hear about Scientology and Dianetics from a friend, or they read a book, and it makes a huge lot of sense. They see someone they know being calmer, more energetic, happier, and they say, "I want some of that!" And they come in to a Church, find a course which gives them Scientology tools to handle the area of life they want to deal with, and find it works.

Some people will just read books by L. Ron Hubbard, off and on, for years, before they take a beginning course. Others, eager to change their lives for the better, will dive right in. But when a person applies Scientology to better conditions in their lives, at that point they can fairly consider themselves a Scientologist.

What is the most common reason someone comes to join the church?

Of all the things people are looking for, Scientologists I've talked to about this, say that they were looking for better, longer-lasting, more honest relationships with others. But whether it was relationships, personal stability in life, or just getting an effective perspective on the spirit and life, people who join Scientology do so because they find what they learn is effective.

But there are some people who join Scientology not because they are looking for anything for themselves. They want to help someone else -- to get someone off drugs, or overcome a difficult time in their lives -- and they find Scientology helps them do that.

What can someone expect to learn through the religion that might be different from what one would learn through another religion?

Scientology doesn't claim to have a monopoly on truth. It's focus is different, however, because of its practical methods of helping people reach their own conclusions, and finding their own truths.

Recently a couple, Theresa Duncan and Jeremy Blake, killed themselves. They had mentioned the Scientologists following them - do you have a comment on this?

It's especially tragic when creative people take their lives - their delusions were certainly bizarre.

How many Scientologists would you estimate there are in NYC?

Difficult to know, as we don't have the same kind of rolls as other Churches -- perhaps 40,000 people have taken services at the Church.

What can one expect to walk away with by taking a stress test?

Well, people who participate find it helps them find out what is causing them stress. Obviously, we wouldn't be doing it if it weren't very popular. For some people it is just interesting, for some people -- people who feel that "everything" is stressing them out -- it is a life-saver. If you take a stress test, and find out what's causing you stress, you might want to do something about it. And the person at the Stress Test table will explain how Dianetics applies to that, and urge you to check it out for yourself.

Please share your strangest "only in New York" story.

Truly, the strangest thing I come across in New York, and it happens much too often, is people who say "I am my brain." That's like someone saying, "I am my spleen," or "I am my foot." It's a person saying that he, himself, does not exist. No doubt they think this is "science," or something, but it's just nonsense, and it is bizarre.

Which New Yorker do you most admire?

I most admire one of the executives I work with at the New York Church of Scientology, who has enormous dedication, huge ability to get things accomplished, a keen understanding of people, their strengths and foibles, and a real care about what goes on.

Given the opportunity, how would you change New York?

There are more psychiatrists in this area than anywhere else, and although New Yorkers are too straight-ahead to be completely fooled, we are bombarded by propaganda from shrinks and their allies hoping to justify human rights abuses like the psychiatric drugging of millions of kids in US schools. People should be more informed about what a growing number of medical doctors and human rights advocates are saying about this, for instance at www.cchr.org.

Under what circumstance have you thought about leaving New York?

Never -- where could you go after New York? Not that I haven't thought of going somewhere else in the summer, somewhere cool and green -- but then I'd certainly be bored in a few days!

What's the best subway line?

The 2-3 line - I can get from Midtown to Harlem in 30 minutes, for $2. What kind of deal can beat that?

[Rasputin]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A video of actor Tom Cruise touting himself and fellow Scientologists as "authorities on the mind" has appeared on the Internet, coinciding with a new biography that examines his role in the movement.

The origin of the footage, which the Church of Scientology said was a video shown at a 2004 International Association of Scientologists meeting, was not clear. It popped up on several Web sites and some took it down after copyright claims by the church.

Cruise, shown wearing a black turtleneck sweater and speaking while the musical theme to his hit movie "Mission: Impossible" played in the background, said he was dedicated to changing people's lives.

"It's a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist and it's something that you have to earn," he said.

"We're the authorities on getting people off drugs. We're the authorities on the mind. We're the authorities on improving conditions," he says. "We can rehabilitate criminals. Way to happiness. We can bring peace and unite cultures."

In the video, which could be seen on www.gawker.com, Cruise explained what made Scientologists different from others.

"Being a Scientologist, when you drive past an accident it's not like anyone else. As you drive past you know you have to do something about it because you know you're the only one who can help," the Oscar-nominated actor said.

Cruise is one of the best-known Scientologists. The movement has a following among some Hollywood celebrities but is condemned as a cult in some quarters, including by the German government.

SCIENTOLOGY VS PSYCHIATRY

Cruise's ties to Scientology, and his outspoken adherence to its rejection of psychiatry, have frequently drawn attention. In June 2005 he publicly attacked actress Brooke Shields for revealing that she had taken medication as treatment for postpartum depression.

In a subsequent appearance on NBC's "Today" show, Cruise called psychiatry a "pseudo science" and told interviewer Matt Lauer: "You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do."

The Church of Scientology said in a statement that the video was Cruise's acceptance speech after he was awarded the religion's "Freedom Medal." It was shown to 5,000 church parishioners and guests.

"While the video can be seen in any Church of Scientology, what has appeared on the Internet is a pirated and edited version of a 3-hour event," the church said.

The Internet site Gawker.com said the video had "been passed around privately by reporters and writers investigating Cruise's ties to Scientology," which was founded more than 50 years ago in Los Angeles by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.

On Tuesday, in a 15-page statement posted on the NBC "Today" show Web site, the church disputed claims made in the book "Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography" by British author Andrew Morton.

"Insinuations that Mr. Cruise is second-in-command of the Church are not only false, they are ludicrous," the statement said. "He is neither 2nd or 100th. Mr Cruise is a Scientology parishioner and holds no official or unofficial position."

Cruise's lawyer, Bert Fields, has described material in the book to Reuters as "outrageous, sick stuff" and said that it "is actionable," although he declined to comment on legal issues.

He slammed what he called a "sick comparison of (Cruise's) child to 'Rosemary's Baby"' as a "grotesque lie." Morton wrote that some Scientologists wondered if Cruise's wife, actress Katie Holmes, "had been impregnated with Hubbard's frozen sperm."

But Morton, also author of a 1992 book on Britain's Princess Diana, told Reuters on Tuesday that Cruise was "a very important figure inside the church, it's nonsense for them to say he's just a parishioner."

According to www.scientology.org, Scientology "is the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others and all of life. The religion comprises a body of knowledge extending from certain fundamental truths." Those truths include man being an immortal, spiritual being whose experience "extends well beyond a single lifetime."

[maryam9]

Psychiatry and psychology are evil and abusive.

??????????????
So if your son/daughter is born with a mental illness they cant go to get help or treatment because its "evil" ??


ok..............

[Rasputin]

??????????????
So if your son/daughter is born with a mental illness they cant go to get help or treatment because its "evil" ??


ok..............

Scientology is like the other religions... alaki and hachalhaft ! i am just putting here info for users .