My Scientology Blog

Scientology and Drugs - Attitudes and Rules

2009-11-11T10:08:00.004-05:00

Eric asked: I know Scientology opposes the drugging of society, but I am unclear as to precisely what extent it stands in opposition to drug consumption, i.e. absolute opposition vs. nuanced opposition.

What, if anything, does Scientology have to say, for example, about "moderate" caffeine and/or alcohol consumption? Are Scientologists discouraged from drinking beer and caffeinated soda?

Hey Eric,

Great question.

The Church does its utmost to not interfere in people's lives. So there are no rules about what you can and can't do regarding drugs - other than the usual laws of the land.

It has been found that certain drugs affect Scientology Auditing, so there are rules about how long you have to wait after (for example) drinking a beer or taking a painkiller before you can get auditing.

The church policy about physical illness is that you should go to a competent practitioner in that field: e.g., an MD, a chiropractor, a nutritionist, etc. At that point it's up to the practitioner.

As to attitudes of Scientologists to drugs, there are some survey results here: Use Of Drugs/Alcohol.

The following data on attitudes to drugs is from my own experience and observations.

Illegal drugs: They are illegal, so we don't touch them.

Legal drugs that have been proven to be safe: if you need a drug because of a medical situation and it has been prescribed by a competent practitioner then you should take it. Ditto for over-the-counter stuff.

Scientologists are individuals. Most that I know are very careful about drugs and we have workable alternatives to them. For example, I'd say a Scientologist was less likely to take a painkiller for the pain from an injury than your average Joe, because we have alternative, very workable methods of handling pain (See Scientology Assists). But if you need a medical drug and it's the usual thing to take then you take it.

Here is an example: a friend of mine had a burst appendix. It was pretty severe and she needed a major operation to handle the peritonitis caused by it (she still has a 6 inch scar from this operation). After the operation she was put on Vicodin for the post-op pain - a powerful and potentially addictive painkiller. As soon as I could, I gave her a course of Scientology Assists and next day she didn't need the Vicodin anymore, she was able to go down to aspirin. After some more assists she didn't need any drugs at all.

Legal drugs that have been proven to be dangerous and to cause harm but are still on the market because the drug manufacturer makes billions from them: We are opposed to these. We don't take them. Examples of this sort of drug: Psychiatric Drug Side Effects Search Engine.

Other miscellaneous drugs such as alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, etc.: Some drugs can get in the way of Scientology Auditing. For example, you can't get auditing within 24 hours of drinking alcohol because it has been found that it will interfere with your spiritual progress. Same goes for some other drugs such as aspirin. So there is no restriction on you having a beer, just that you can't get auditing for 24 hours afterwards.

I've never seen anything regarding most other "minor" drugs such as caffeine or tobacco, it's personal choice.

My own personal preference is to stay away from any kind of drug as much as possible. If I have a physical problem then I'll first try something natural, if it doesn't work then I'll try something stronger, but I'll try to apply the Scientology principle of gradients. E.g., If I had a nasty systemic virus such as Chronic EBV, then maybe I'd start with dioxychlor, if it didn't handle it I'd move on to something stronger and more medical like doxycycline and if that didn't work then acyclovir (BTW: that's an actual example I know of). Of course, all this would be done under the guidance of a competent practitioner, the Church would not be involved in this sort of medical treatment in any way.

I hope that answers your question.

Church of Scientology Washington D.C.

2009-11-04T22:02:00.003-05:00

The new Church building in DC was opened last weekend and here is a short video of the ribbon cutting taken be one of the people there:

Recent Allegations

2009-11-02T12:41:00.001-05:00

A couple of unreliable yet noisy media outlets have recently publicised allegations made by a former Scientologist against the leader of our religion, David Miscavige.

If you read these allegations and are wondering about their accuracy then you should read this: Mark "Marty" Rathbun.

If you wonder about the reliability of ex-members and what they have to say about their former religion (and this doesn't just apply to Scientology - witness the havoc caused by ex-members of Opus Dei and how Dan Brown used their outrageous allegations in his book, "The Da Vinci Code") then you should read what sociologists have to say about these "apostates":

- The Reliability of Apostate Testimony About New Religious Movements
- Apostates and New Religious Movements

A telling paragraph from the second article:

Neither the objective sociological researcher nor the court of law can readily regard the apostate as a creditable or reliable source of evidence. He must always be seen as one whose personal history predisposes him to bias with respect to both his previous religious commitment and affiliations, the suspicion must arise that he acts from a personal motivation to vindicate himself and to regain his self-esteem, by showing himself to have been first a victim but subsequently to have become a redeemed crusader. As various instances have indicated, he is likely to be suggestible and ready to enlarge or embellish his grievances to satisfy that species of journalist whose interest is more in sensational copy than in a objective statement of the truth.

Another (anonymous) one bites the dust

2009-11-01T11:56:00.005-05:00

Although I feel sorry for a guy who is most likely a pawn in the criminal hand of Anonymous, he still broke the law and now has to face the consequences:

Federal Crime Charges against Anonymous

Anonymous member indicted by US State Attorney

On Wednesday, October 28, 2009, a federal Grand Jury in Los Angeles indicted Brian Thomas Mettenbrink, a member of the cyber hate group Anonymous, for his part in the January 2008 attempted destruction of Scientology websites owned by the Church of Scientology.

Mettenbrink, 20, is charged with conspiracy and “transmission of a code, information, program, or command to a protected computer.” The indictment states that he obtained a computer program from an Anonymous website and executed a “DDOS” attack from his dormitory at Iowa State University against Church computers in Los Angeles. A DDOS (distributed denial of service) attack occurs where a large amount of malicious Internet traffic is directed at a website or a set of websites, with the intent to overwhelm and shut down the websites.

Mettenbrink is the second member of Anonymous to face criminal charges relating to this attack. In May 2009, Dmitriy Guzner, then 18, pleaded guilty to computer hacking charges for his role in the attack on Church computers. He is currently awaiting sentencing.

Scientology is a worldwide religious movement with more than 8,000 Churches, Missions and groups in 165 countries. The Church and its members dedicate their time and resources to numerous humanitarian programs that Scientology has become known for around the world, including combating drug abuse, immorality, illiteracy and human rights violations.

Scientology and the Da Vinci Code

2009-10-30T06:19:00.011-04:00

The other day, a co-worker who has the subtly and diplomatic skills of a charging rhino (I'll call him Bill), asked another co-worker (Joe) who the woman and child were in the picture on his desk. Joe replied that it was the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. Bill went on to extract from Joe that Joe was a Catholic. Bill the rhino then asked Joe if he'd read the Da Vinci Code and what he thought about it. Joe (who does have some diplomatic skills) said he hadn't and attempted to move the subject off to something less controversial, but Bill persisted.

Being a mediator at heart, I jumped in and said a couple of things about the book that directed the rhino charge elsewhere and saved Joe from further embarrassment.

Having read a couple of the books referenced in the Da Vinci Code and not having a foot in either camp, I sent Joe a link to an FAQ, that authoritatively and accurately debunks Dan Brown's assertion that "all descriptions of [..]documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate" and are based specifically on the fact that "in 1975 Paris' Bibliothèque Nationale discovered parchments, known as Les Dossiers Secrets" which reveal the story of the Priory of Sion. (See The Da Vinci Code Faq.)

As I said, I have read a couple of the books that are referenced in the Da Vinci Code and I must say they make fascinating reading and I can understand how they could have influenced Brown to write his book. They are filled with fascinating speculations and intriguing deductions but they are not filled with much in the way of facts.

I re-read the Da Vinci Code FAQ and was struck by the idea that, in all probability, millions of people now believe that the Priory of Sion exists and that Christ was married-with-kids. And all based on the attempts of an impoverished French would-be aristocrat to ascend to the thrown of France followed by the machinations of a TV producer attempting to improve his ratings by embellishing an already outrageous story.

It's a frightening commentary on how gullible people are. Just because a fiction writer says at the start of his book that something is true doesn't mean it is, but apparently millions of people are willing to just accept it without question.

So what has all this got to do with Scientology? Well, if you are foolish enough to start hunting around the Internet for web-sites about Scientology you will find many that say extremely alarming, damaging and downright nasty things about Scientology and the Church of Scientology and, like Dan Brown in his opening note to the Da Vinci Code, they will assert that what they are saying are "facts".

Of course I can simply tell you, "It's a pack of lies" and then you can say, "So how can I tell if your blog isn't just a pack of lies also?" And the answer is that, without further research, you can't.

So, here is what I suggest:

If you are not interested in further research then please don't believe any of it. Don't believe the detractors and don't believe me. Just stay completely neutral on the subject. Allow Scientologists the same rights as anyone else when it comes to what they believe and what religion they wish to practice (See: Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
If you are willing to do some further research then buy a basic book on the subject (such as Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health or Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought), read it and then use the practical methods the book gives you to improve your life or the lives of others. At that point you will be able to evaluate for yourself if the subject is valid or not.
Another thing you can do is go to a Church of Scientology (Scientology Church Locator) for a free introductory lecture or a low priced introductory service. That way you get to see what the subject is, use the practical methods of the subject to see if they work and meet real-life Scientologists so you can observe people who use the subject daily in their lives. Then you can make up your own mind based on personal, first-hand experience.

Is it a deal?

-

Scientology in France - Some Facts

2009-10-28T13:00:00.000-04:00

At last some facts about the case in France:

Church Of Scientology Defeats Attempt To Curtail Freedom To Practice The Religion In France

Here is the article for those who don't want to click the link (I've highlighted some interesting bits):

The Paris Correctional Court has rejected the recommendations of prosecutors in a case against a Paris Scientology Church, a Scientology bookstore and six individual Church members. The Court cited the absence of any complainants coming forward despite the intense media surrounding the trial and that the defendants had acted out of sincere religious conviction as reasons for refusing the draconian sanctions sought by the government. The Court imposed no restrictions on the Church’s activities.

Throughout the month-long trial held in May and June 2009, the Church decried the case as a heresy trial and an example of the discriminatory treatment to which new religious movements are treated in France—treatment that has been condemned by international human rights bodies. In its annual International Religious Freedom Report issued on October 26, 2009 the United States State Department said that “discriminatory treatment” of Scientologists in France “remained a concern.”

The case arose out of the five-month participation in Scientology religious practices in 1998 by the main civil party. This included studying Scientology Scriptures and receiving spiritual counseling. The donations made by the plaintiffs were returned to them in full well before any case was heard. In 2006, the prosecutor recommended the case be dismissed because there was no evidence of any wrongdoing and because all donations had been returned.

Instead, the court succumbed to pressure from anti-religious extremists in government and turned it into a heresy trial in violation of the rights of the Scientologists under French law and under the European Convention on Human Rights.

This is in marked contrast to the treatment of Scientology in other countries where Scientology is formally recognized as a religion. The European Court of Human Rights has on two recent occasions found that Churches of Scientology in Russia are entitled to the protection of religious freedom guaranteed by Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Today’s decision means that Scientologists remain free to practice their religion in France, despite the best efforts to the contrary by anti-religious extremists. While the fines and suspended sentences issued by the Court will be appealed, they will have no effect on Church activities and the rapid expansion the Church is experiencing will continue.

The Church of Scientology has grown from one Church in 1954 to more than 8,000 Churches, Missions and groups in 165 countries today. The Church sponsors an international human rights education initiative as well as the world’s largest non-governmental drug education program. Four new Churches have opened in 2009, most recently the Church of Scientology of Rome on October 24, with a new Church opening in Washington, DC, on October 31. In April, three new Churches were dedicated: in Malmo, Sweden; Dallas, Texas; and Nashville, Tennessee. The Scientology religion has expanded more in the past year than in the past five years combined and more in the past five years than in the past five decades combined.

Scientology In France

2009-10-28T09:48:00.001-04:00

Here is the "Official statement of the Church of Scientology" in France regarding the recent court decision that you may have heard about in the media.

If you can read French then the original is here: Pour le tribunal, la Scientologie doit continuer ses activités

Here is a translation that I ran through Babel Fish. Not the best English, but understandable:

For the court, Scientology must continue its activities

First of all, and it is perhaps most important, the Court recognized today that the Church of Scientology was to continue its religious activities in France.

It could not escape the reality which there exists a broad community of happy Scientologists to practice their religion. It also noted that in spite of the extraordinary media pressure around this lawsuit, no new complaint had been deposited in 10 months since the beginning of the lawsuit.

The UNADFI was declared inadmissible once again as a civil part, which proves again that it does not have any legitimacy to be involved in the businesses concerning the religious minorities, and that the million subsidies which it received from the State are not enough to make it credible in front of Justice.

Concurrently to that, the Church denounces a lawsuit in heresy, an enquiry of modern times and this since the beginning. The judgments pronounced in total contradiction with the requisitions of withdrawal of case of origin are the result of carefully orchestrated political pressures which seem to have weighed on the court.

“We will not give up. The religion of Scientology develops more than ever and its recognition in France is inescapable, as in the other countries. We believe that nobody has the right to say to the French what they must think and what they must believe as regards religion”, declares the spokesperson of the Church Celebrity Centre.

We support the French Constitution and the European Convention of the Human rights, whereas the campaigns of Georges Fenech and Miviludes are criticized within certain international organizations because of the threat which they carry against freedom of worship. The international report/ratio of the American State Department on the religious liberty which has just left recalls once again that “the discriminatory treatment towards the Witnesses of Jéhovah and the Scientologists continues to lend to concern”.

The Church of Scientology was founded in 1954. Today there exists more than 8000 Churches of Scientology, missions and groups in 165 countries. The Church sponsored the most important initiative of education to the human rights in the world as well as the greatest nongovernmental programme of prevention against drug.

The Scientology makes great strides without precedent, with a more significant development during the last twelve months than during the five previous years, that the five last years being higher than the 50 previous years combined.

Last weekend, the inauguration of the new Church of Scientology of Rome gathered 6000 people. The next week, the Church of Scientology of Washington DC will settle in its new buildings in the middle of the city.

===============

Oh, no. Despite the best laid plans of mice, the Church of Scientology continues to expand at an exponential rate. Too bad :)

Scientology is here to stay

2009-10-27T21:12:00.005-04:00

While Martin Bashir and the French government are busy attacking Scientology, the religion continues to grow at an exponential rate.

One could look at the timing of the most recent attacks from the SP Times and Nightline and be surprised that they both occurred during major international Scientology gatherings and celebrations (one in June and one in October) when the Church staff members who would normally be handling such media machinations are at their most busy. One could perhaps get the idea that these attacks were carefully timed and coordinated. But the joke is that these attacks merely shove the subject into the public eye and cause more people to become interested and want to find out about Scientology.

It's a phenomenon that I've noticed since I got into Scientology over 30 years ago. I recall an incident in England when a TV station broadcast a standard hatchet job and for the following month the Churches in the UK were inundated with new people wanting to find out more.

You have to wonder at people who attack a religion which runs the biggest non-governmental anti-drug campaign in the world. Who are the attackers working for? Drug companies? Drug cartels?

You have to wonder at people who attack a religion which runs the biggest human rights educational campaign in the world. Who are the attackers working for? Oppressive governments? Corrupt governments?

You have to wonder at people who attack a religion which runs the biggest moral standards campaign in the world. Who are the attackers working for? Organized Crime? Anonymous?

You have to wonder at people who attack a religion which runs the biggest non-governmental volunteer disaster and emergency services organization in the world. Who are the attackers working for? Arms dealers? Media Moguls?

It's hard to fathom the depths of depravity you'd have to reach to attack such a religion, but unfortunately there are people who have descended to those depths who do just that. Some of them work for the SP Time and Nightline and the French government. But don't worry. Deep down in the cinder block they have in place of a soul, even they know that they are attacking the good guys, and they will eventually do something to stop themselves.

Actually I feel sorry for them. Can you imagine having to live with someone like that? Well they have to live with someone like that 24/7 - themselves.

So, despite the cockroaches getting under our feet, Scientology is expanding at an unprecedented rate, and that expansion will continue. So, just in case anyone reading this is from any of the groups listed above (you know, the drug cartels, the corrupt governments, etc.), I'm sorry to have to burst your bubble, but you may as well give up now, because Scientology is here to stay.

Scientology Wedding Details

2009-10-23T07:51:00.004-04:00

Well, I had thought of writing a sort of blow-by-blow, running commentary so you could see the exact steps of the wedding of my friends, but after a few paragraphs I realized it was kinda boring.

You see other than the actual words of the ceremony a Scientology wedding is pretty much the same as any other wedding. If the bride and groom want it to be formal and have a lot of pomp and circumstance then it will be formal with a lot of pomp and circumstance. If they want it to be informal and casual then that's how it will be.

The atmosphere of my friends' wedding was informal. There was a bride, a groom, a matron of honor, a best man, a minister, family, friends, a photographer, a sister with a video camera, a little boy as the ring bearer, a little girl as the ... not sure of the name, but she scattered flower petals before the bride as she walked down the aisle.

At the end of the ceremony the bride and groom kissed. The bride threw the bouquet for the unmarried girls to catch, the groom threw the garter for the unmarried guys to catch. There was a reception with food and music afterwards.

It was pretty much like a million other weddings that take place in the US every year.

Sorry I couldn't be more controversial.

Scientology Wedding

2009-10-17T13:23:00.005-04:00

Today two of my good friends are getting married and it was me that introduced them. I don't usually go in for matchmaking but these two just seemed really suited for each other so I thought I'd give it a try. Looks like I got it right :)

There was a lot of hoopla a couple years back when Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got married and a lot of mis-information about how we Scientologists go about getting married. The ceremony is simple and (I think) intimate. The words are aimed at creating a shared agreement about the future together and the realities of married life. My favorite of the alternative wordings also has quite a bit of gentle humor in it and is very poetic. Others prefer the more traditional sort of wording, but that's just me.

My two friends are not celebrities, but they will be having a similar ceremony (although not in a location as fancy) as the Cruise's wedding. I wish them every happiness.

For more info you can check out these links:
- Scientology Wedding Service
- Marriage Solutions
- FAQ: What is a Scientology Wedding Ceremony?
- Scientology Wedding

Mental Health Declaration of Human Rights

2009-10-12T09:15:00.003-04:00

These are important rights. Watch the video and realize that everyone, no matter their mental state, needs these rights.

Scientologists don't believe in ...

2009-10-11T12:50:00.003-04:00

See my post on a related blog: Celebrity Scientologists - Scientologists don't believe in ...

Get your facts from the correct source.

Real Learning and Education

2009-10-03T22:52:00.003-04:00

This video gives you an overview of the impact and successes of the most effective method of study in existence. I have used "Study Technology" (which is described in the video) personally to keep myself ahead in a constantly changing field (software development). Without study technology I'd have been antiquated years ago.

Watch this video, find out more and become a success in your life and career. If you have kids then this will help ensure they will get a great education.

Applied Scholastics

Meet a Scientologist: Astra, Dancer

2009-10-03T15:21:00.002-04:00

Meet a Scientologist: John, Personal Trainer

2009-10-02T15:20:00.001-04:00

Meet a Scientologist: Kenton, Race Car Driver

2009-10-01T15:17:00.002-04:00

Meet a Scientologist: Marc, Medical Inventor

2009-09-30T15:13:00.001-04:00

This is a pretty cool invention:

Scientology Books - Cost

2009-09-28T14:56:00.001-04:00

Sophie said (regarding this post Scientology Materials Guide Chart):
Well in order to buy not even half the materials, here is what my bill came out to be so far: $2,040.00

How come I can read all of the famous writings such as the bible for free in a church but i have to spend up to 2,000 bucks just to get some of the beginning books in Scientology?

Hey Sophie,

Thanks for the question.

First of all, the materials on the Materials Guide Chart are not just the beginning books of Scientology. They are ALL the books and lectures and they range from beginning books to advanced technical books and lectures.

Only someone who is intending to thoroughly study all of Scientology would be buying that much.

I think your confusion could come from the fact that these materials are called "The Basics" but in this case that does not mean "beginning" it means the foundations or fundamentals of the subject. The Basics are all the books and lectures and that is a huge body of knowledge.

Beginning Scientology Books For Free

If you want to read all the beginning books of Scientology, you can do so for free by going to your local library. The Church has been involved in a campaign for a couple of years now to get these books into all libraries throughout the world. I don't know where you live, but I believe that all libraries in Western Europe and North America now have these books.

Also if you wanted to go into a Scientology Church and read the beginning books in the Church library then I don't think anyone would complain.

Cost of getting a basic idea

If you want to get a basic idea of what Scientology is and you want to buy the books rather than go to the library then you can get Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought for $15 or Scientology: A New Slant on Life for $15. These are brand new editions that have very extensive glossaries, special fonts to make them easier to read, and more.

Checking on Amazon, I see that a new Christian Bible ranges from $9.99 to $26.39, a new Koran goes from $5.59 to $54.50 so I'd say the prices are comparable. (I didn't include Kindle editions.)

Cost of all the beginning books

Now if you want to buy all of the beginning books then there are seven of them and they cost $15 each, which comes to $105. These books don't just tell you about the philosophy of Scientology, they also give you practical things you can do to improve your life and the lives of those around you right here and now.

There is also a beginning book package that contains 7 paperback books, 2 workbooks, 7 audio books (unabridged = 34 CDs) and that comes to $250, which is just under $36 for each book and audio book combination - pretty reasonable for audio books.

You can see all the beginning books and audio books here: Scientology Beginning Books and Audio Books

Cost of the "Basics"

If you intend to study the entirety of Scientology: every book and every lecture ever made, then we are talking millions and millions of printed and spoken words, so obviously it is going to cost a lot more than for seven beginning books.

However, the library project has been putting these materials into libraries too so you can probably find them there also.

Did that answer your question?

Scientology Auditing versus Secular Therapy

2009-09-26T12:56:00.005-04:00

Sophie said:

How is Auditing different from seeing a therapist and talking about your feelings and working on them and what not? Therapists usually don't prescribe drugs so how is it different?

That is an excellent question.

Unless you have a good understanding of what auditing is then you may not see much difference between Scientology Auditing and secular therapy. In fact the differences are so many and so great that a book could be written on the subject.

But to save you from a huge discussion, I'll try to keep it short and to the point.

The End Product

Here is an example of a typical secular therapy session: Typical Therapy Session. As you can see the end product and how long it takes to achieve is described like this:

On average, clients stay in therapy for one year. Some feel better much sooner, and some continue for much longer. The length of time it will take for you to feel better varies depending on your temperament and the particular issues you bring forward.

So "feeling better" is the end product and it take about a year to achieve.

When a person begins with Scientology Auditing often the first thing they do is a specific set of actions called "Life Repair" which are aimed at handling the upsets and difficulties the person is encountering in their current life. On average it takes 25 hours of auditing and at the end of that time the person's current life issues will be handled. They won't just "feel better" they will feel great and the things that were bothering them won't be bothering them anymore.

So that's the lowest, simplest, beginning form of Scientology Auditing and in a few days you will have not only reached, but completely surpassed the "feeling better" of secular therapy.

If you go to this link: Scientology Bridge you will see a full list of the abilities that you gain from the Scientology Auditing that comes after Life Repair.

Here are a few examples of what you get from Scientology Auditing:
- Ability to freely communicate with anyone on any subject.
- Ability to recognize the source of problems and make them vanish.
- Relief from the hostilities and sufferings of life.
- Freedom from the upsets of the past and ability to face the future.
- Moving out of fixed conditions into ability to do new things.
- Freedom from cruel impulses and chronic unwanted condition.

And there's plenty more. These end products far surpass anything there is in secular therapy.

The Precision

Another big difference is that Scientology Auditing is made up of very specific actions that have been tested and honed thoroughly over the years until they get a specific named result every time. The person delivering these actions to an individual is called an Auditor and he or she is very thoroughly trained so they do it right every time.

The actions an Auditor delivers are called "processes" and they range from very simple (such as "Remember something real" - it assists memory) to very complex (such as 12 questions/directions given in a very specific order with many internal variations possible) but each and every one is precise and has a carefully defined end product.

There is nothing comparable in secular therapy

What's wrong with you is ...

In Auditing the Auditor NEVER EVER tells a person what to think about what they just came up with, NEVER EVER tells them what is wrong with them, NEVER EVER makes disparaging remarks about what they did or didn't do or say and NEVER EVER interprets what the person says or feels. That is very different to secular therapy such as psychoanalysis where the analyst reads sexual significance into the person's statements and interprets his condition for him.

In Auditing the person comes to their own conclusions and realizations. To have a conclusion forced upon you is worse than useless and can actually be very detrimental, so it is forbidden in Scientology Auditing.

We actually have a code of conduct called the Scientology Auditor's Code, which all Auditors follow.

The Biggest Difference of All

The biggest difference that I see between Scientology Auditing and secular therapy is that Auditing is based on the idea that you are a spiritual being with enormous potential abilities which, although not currently realized, can be achieved.

Secular therapy is usually based on the idea that a human being is just an animal and is limited by genetics. So "feeling better" is the highest goal because you are just a body and that's the best you can do with a body. Spiritual freedom and spiritual ability are foreign concepts to the secular therapist.

Other References

- Scientology Auditing: Comparison to Earlier Therapies
- All About Scientology Auditing
- A Description Of Scientology Auditing
- What Is Auditing?

Well, Sophie, has that answered your question?

Scientology and Homosexuality

2009-09-09T19:40:00.004-04:00

mikeytriumphs asked:

My question is this: I have been interested in Scientology for several years, but cannot bring myself to visit a Church or start a course. I am gay, and I have heard that Scientology places gay people very low on the tone scale, and says we're (like most churches do) bad or immoral people. I just don't agree with this.

Will Scientology services try and change me? Can I be both gay and a Scientologist? What exactly does the Church say about this issue?

The only policy that the Church applies regarding the area of sexual relationships is called "Second Dynamic Rules" - The Second Dynamic is a term we use to describe the area of life covering sex, family and children.

The policy was written by L. Ron Hubbard and begins with: "It has never been any part of my plans to regulate or attempt to regulate the private lives of individuals."

It's a two page policy so I won't quote the whole thing, but bottom line is that the Church stays out of it, but if an individual has their progress in Scientology impeded because of a husband's, wife's or other's activities in that area then the person affected can ask for a "Chaplain's Court" where a minister arbitrates between the two parties and if it is proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did impede the other person's progress then there are penalties.

The only example of this I know of was where a husband had an affair that so upset his wife that her spiritual counseling was seriously affected and he had to make restitution to her.

I hope that answers you questions.

The guy who leads the Church of Scientology

2009-08-21T13:41:00.001-04:00

So with all the great things I've been talking about over the last couple of days the obvious question is: Who is behind all this expansion?

The answer is Mr. David Miscavige. He has been the leader of the Church since the 1980s and has taken it into the greatest period of expansion it has ever seen.

You can read more about him below.

References:
David Miscavige And The Scientology Renaissance
David Miscavige: The Peacemaker
David Miscavige: International News
David Miscavige Biographies and Articles
Mr. David Miscavige
David Miscavige Opening Speechs
A Most Special Guest, Mr. David Miscavige

Scientology: Social Betterment Campaigns

2009-08-20T13:57:00.000-04:00

I've been talking a lot about the huge expansion of Scientology and perhaps if you are not a Scientologist you are thinking, "Big deal, so the Church is expanding, so what?"

Well, believe it or not, all this expansion benefits you too. The Church and its members sponsor many social betterment campaigns which help improve life for everyone, not just Scientologists.

For example,

The massive human rights campaign that the Church sponsors: Human Rights.
The largest non-governmental anti-drug campaign in the world: Foundation for a Drug Free World.
The campaign to bring about a calmer and safer world: The Common Sense Guide to Better Living
The largest non-governmental volunteer disaster relief force in the world: Volunteer Ministers

These programs benefit all of mankind, not just members of the Scientology religion. As the Church of Scientology expands, so do these programs and so do the benefits felt by all.

Ideal Churches of Scientology

2009-08-19T13:16:00.001-04:00

It's not an easy thing to meet the world wide demand for Scientology, but in 2004 David Miscavige came up with a way to do it.

It is called the Ideal Orgs Strategy and the idea behind it is to transform all existing Churches of Scientology into Ideal Churches of Scientology. So what does Ideal mean?

Here is a quote from L. Ron Hubbard that gives you an idea:

You are creating an island of friendliness, decency and succor in the sea of a violent world.... Sometime in the future the islands will become the sea.

A more formal definition would be: An Ideal Org (for “organization”) is a Church configured to provide the full services of the Scientology religion to its parishioners and to the community.

You can read more about it here: Meeting the Global Demand for the Scientology Religion

More Scientology Expansion in Florida

2009-08-18T12:56:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I wrote about the Fort Harrison hotel, today I'm writing about the building right next door to it, which is called the "Scientology Mecca" because it represents the spiritual center of the religion.

This beautiful building will be delivering some of the most advanced and spiritually beneficial services that exist in Scientology. When the renovations on the Fort Harrison were completed, the final phase of construction began on the Scientology Mecca. You can read more here: Planned to Perfection: Scientology Mecca Enters Final Construction Phase.

Scientology Expansion: The Fort Harrison

2009-08-17T12:40:00.000-04:00

The Church of Scientology's spiritual headquarters is the "Flag Land Base" in the Florida city of Clearwater. The HQ used to be on a ship, but moved to Clearwater in 1975, hence the name "Flag Land Base".

Clearwater is a beautiful city, with one of the best beaches in the world, so its a great place to visit or to live in. Thousands of Scientologist live here and thousands more visit every year to avail themselves of the services offered at Flag.

Not surprisingly the Church is the largest property tax contributor on the tax rolls of downtown Clearwater. And also not surprisingly is very active in maintaining and improving its properties.

Just this March the renovations of the Fort Harrison hotel, a cultural landmark purchased by the Church in 1975, were completed and the building reopened. The work done to beautify the FH was just a typical example of what the Church and its members are doing all over the world to new Church buildings that are being purchased as part of the enormous expansion Scientology is experiencing.

You can read more about it here: Fort Harrison Grand Re-opening