SCIENTOLOGY
Belief in Deity: Belief in Deity: Scientology considers the belief in a God or gods as something personal and therefore offers no specific dogma. The nature of the Supreme Being is revealed personally through each individual as s/he becomes more conscious and spiritually aware. There exists a life energy or force (Theta) beyond and within all. Incarnations: There are no particular human incarnations of God as the universal life force (Theta) is inherent in all. All humans are immortal spiritual beings (thetans) capable of realizing a nearly godlike state through Scientology practices. Origin of universe/life: All is a manifestation of the universal spirit, which is all that actually exists. After death: Rebirths continue until one consciously confronts all pre-birth, current life, and previous life traumas and realizes one's true nature as a "thetan," immortal spirit -- transcending matter, energy, space, and time. Achieving this state enables the spirit to escape the cycle of birth and death, to operate independently of the physical universe, and become one with God. Why evil? Painful experiences and harmful acts in one's pre-birth, current, and past lives become imprinted in the reactive mind and lead to irrational behavior. Departures from rational thought and untrue ideas ("aberrations") can result in wrongdoing. Salvation: Salvation is achieved through the practices and techniques of Scientology, the ultimate goal of which is to realize one's true nature as an immortal spirit, a Thetan. The path to salvation, or enlightenment, includes achieving states of increasingly greater mental awareness -- Pre-Clear, Clear, and ultimately Operating Thetan. An Operating Thetan is a spirit who can control matter, energy, space, time, thought and life. Practitioners ("Auditors") are regarded as ministers and counselors who assist others to achieve self-enlightenment. Utilizing a device called an 'E-Meter,' Auditors help others to identify their pre-birth, current, and past life disturbances, which are obstacles to happiness and spiritual enlightenment that need to be revealed and released, often cathartically, in order to become Clear. Undeserved suffering: Suffering occurs as part of the spirit's entrapment here in the physical universe. Only when the individual is aware of his spiritual nature can he identify his barriers within the universe and overcome them, rising out of a lower state and into a higher state of happiness and freedom. Contemporary Issues: Scientology has founded and supports many social programs, which are based on founder L. Ron Hubbard's principles, particularly in the areas of drug abuse and crime rehabilitation, opposing what they regard as the abuses of conventional psychiatry. Scientology strongly favors the use of their methodology for spiritual/mental healing over the use of conventional treatment. Their stance on elective abortion appears to be liberal. Their current stance on homosexual behavior appears accepting, provided that Scientology's ethical standards are met. Based on the belief that you cannot free yourself spiritually without working to free others, Scientologists persistently introduce others to Scientology, often offering free 'stress tests' using a device called an 'E-Meter' to passersby during street fairs.
Belief in Deity: Belief in Deity: Scientology considers the belief in a God or gods as something personal and therefore offers no specific dogma. The nature of the Supreme Being is revealed personally through each individual as s/he becomes more conscious and spiritually aware. There exists a life energy or force (Theta) beyond and within all. Incarnations: There are no particular human incarnations of God as the universal life force (Theta) is inherent in all. All humans are immortal spiritual beings (thetans) capable of realizing a nearly godlike state through Scientology practices. Origin of universe/life: All is a manifestation of the universal spirit, which is all that actually exists. After death: Rebirths continue until one consciously confronts all pre-birth, current life, and previous life traumas and realizes one's true nature as a "thetan," immortal spirit -- transcending matter, energy, space, and time. Achieving this state enables the spirit to escape the cycle of birth and death, to operate independently of the physical universe, and become one with God. Why evil? Painful experiences and harmful acts in one's pre-birth, current, and past lives become imprinted in the reactive mind and lead to irrational behavior. Departures from rational thought and untrue ideas ("aberrations") can result in wrongdoing. Salvation: Salvation is achieved through the practices and techniques of Scientology, the ultimate goal of which is to realize one's true nature as an immortal spirit, a Thetan. The path to salvation, or enlightenment, includes achieving states of increasingly greater mental awareness -- Pre-Clear, Clear, and ultimately Operating Thetan. An Operating Thetan is a spirit who can control matter, energy, space, time, thought and life. Practitioners ("Auditors") are regarded as ministers and counselors who assist others to achieve self-enlightenment. Utilizing a device called an 'E-Meter,' Auditors help others to identify their pre-birth, current, and past life disturbances, which are obstacles to happiness and spiritual enlightenment that need to be revealed and released, often cathartically, in order to become Clear. Undeserved suffering: Suffering occurs as part of the spirit's entrapment here in the physical universe. Only when the individual is aware of his spiritual nature can he identify his barriers within the universe and overcome them, rising out of a lower state and into a higher state of happiness and freedom. Contemporary Issues: Scientology has founded and supports many social programs, which are based on founder L. Ron Hubbard's principles, particularly in the areas of drug abuse and crime rehabilitation, opposing what they regard as the abuses of conventional psychiatry. Scientology strongly favors the use of their methodology for spiritual/mental healing over the use of conventional treatment. Their stance on elective abortion appears to be liberal. Their current stance on homosexual behavior appears accepting, provided that Scientology's ethical standards are met. Based on the belief that you cannot free yourself spiritually without working to free others, Scientologists persistently introduce others to Scientology, often offering free 'stress tests' using a device called an 'E-Meter' to passersby during street fairs.
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