Freedom of religion is precious to Americans. It was given in the Constitution, and they intend to protect it like the treasure it is. There are a few problems that arise from this Constitutional right, though. The boundaries that define a religion and dictate what is allowed in the name of freedom are blurry. For instance, the group of Scientology has long been a subject of controversy. Is it really a religion; are its practices and tactics legal and moral; and should it be allowed to continue to operate under the term “religion”?

            Scientology was created in 1954 by L. Ron Hubbard and is based on his book, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. Hubbard was a science fiction writer who published over 200 books before he died in seclusion in 1986. In Scientology, there are three levels on “The Bridge to Total Freedom”. A person enters Scientology as a “public”, and then takes several courses to learn about and achieve each stage in The Bridge. The first level states that all mental and physical problems can be attributed to negative memories called “engrams”. It also breaks down the body into three parts: body, spirit and mind. The second stage is what most practicing Scientologists are familiar with. This stage ascribes the spirit to an entity called a “thetan”. It also states that when a person has all their engrams removed by Scientology, they become a “clear”. The third stage of “The Bridge to Total Freedom” is a highly secretive state and is usually not reached by most Scientologists. This stage asserts that people are actually clusters of dead space aliens (or thetans). [i] Basically, Scientology asserts that all problems are merely mental and can be fixed through “auditing” by Scientology practitioners.

            A major question here is whether or not the practices of Scientology actually work. According to an article on Operation Clambake (www.xenu.net), most Scientologists who leave the church do so because of the church and it’s practices, not the actual beliefs of Scientology. The technology of Scientology is mainly about taking responsibility for one’s actions and their consequences. As one “ex-churchie” says, “we like the tech but hate the church.” [ii]  As for the Church of Scientology’s assertions that their practices can heal physical and mental illnesses, the FDA actually sued the Church in 1963 for fraudulent medical practices. Scientology uses a device called an “e-meter” to audit their members, and they claim that correct use of an e-meter can cure cancer, arthritis, and asthma; among other things. In their case, the FDA called the e-meter a fraudulent healing device. The suit was finally settled years later, with the FDA declaring that all e-meters be labeled as non-medical devices. [iii]

            Obviously, some of Scientologist’s beliefs are questionable, and this is apparent from the way they are taught and practiced. For instance, it is estimated that to cross the entire Bridge to Total Freedom, a member must pay in excess of $350,000 for classes and auditing. For this reason, very few members ever progress past the second stage. If the church of Scientology is intent on helping those in need (as they say they are) why do they charge exorbitant prices? If their interest really lies in helping all humans become “clears” why take the opportunity away because of cost? There are claims that the third stage actually asserts that Jesus Christ did not exist, though Scientology on a whole claims it has much in common with Christianity. Members that actually make it to the third stage must take all Upper Level courses aboard the Freewinds, a ship registered to Scientology through Panama. [iv] What are they teaching that is so classified it must be taught at sea? Another questionable practice of Scientology is that while they claim to be able to cure all mental issues, they also try to pinpoint and reject those with mental health histories. Again, if Scientology is really seeking to help people achieve better lives with their practices, why not help those who really need the help? The Church also retaliates against what they call “Squirrel Groups”- or anyone practicing Scientology outside of the official Church. The Church of Scientology has actually infiltrated some of these groups and sued them to prevent their possession of Scientology scriptures. One would think that a Church promoting beliefs as the only way to a happy life would want anyone to possess them, whether within the Church or not. [v]

 Scientology Fact or Fiction continued....