And it makes one wonder, with all this fuss that the Church of Scientology is making, there must be some religious intolerance around. Let's see exactly who is being intolerant of other religions.
Does the Church of Scientology practice religious tolerance itself? To learn about the core beliefs of Scientology, one, naturally, looks to L. Ron Hubbard who created every bit of Scientology's scripture.
Upon investigation, we find that Hubbard was very, very intolerant of all other religions. Very intolerant. And, because whatever Hubbard said is considered by the Church of Scientology to be irrefutable Truth, his attitude of intolerance is taught to all Scientologists. Of course, this intolerance is never taught at the lowest levels where the church is still pretending that one can "be a Scientologist without giving up their religion of choice." But, eventually the intolerant "wisdom" of L. Ron Hubbard is revealed--and taught--as Absolute Truth.
Hubbard maligns other religions in many lectures and writings. One quote from Hubbard about Jesus Christ is rather famous now:
Somebody somewhere on this planet, back about 600 BC, found some pieces of R6, and I don't know how they found it, either by watching madmen or something, but since that time they have used it and it became what is known as Christianity. The man on the Cross. There was no Christ."R6" is a reference to Hubbard's claim that false memories were "implanted" in people millions or billions of years ago as a huge, evil method of control. Hubbard taught that these evil, false memories are the basis of all major religions on earth. In the following quote, he claims that the basis of Islam is just another false memory implant:- L. Ron HubbardThe Class VIII [Auditor's] Course, "Krakatoa and Beyond", Oct 3, 1968
..finds this enormous stone hanging suspended in the middle of a room. This is an incident called the Emanator by the way. ...and this thing is by the way the source of the Mohammedan Lodestone that they have hanging down there,...Hubbard says this about other religions:
...that, eh, when Mohammed decided to be a good small-town booster in ah Kansas, Middle-East, or something of the sort.
By the way, the only reason he [Mohammed] mocked that thing up, is the trade wasn't good in his hometown. That's right. You read the life of Mohammed.- L. Ron Hubbard
Whats Wrong with this Universe: A Working Package for the Auditor, L. Ron Hubbard, 9 Dec 1952.
I wonder what these people [of other religions] are all worshiping? It can’t be God.Religious tolerance? You will not find it in the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard. And these concepts are taught by Scientology. Scientology teaches religious intolerance, straight from Hubbard.
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Religion is always different than truth. It has to be, BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN CONTROL PEOPLE IS TO LIE TO THEM.
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Organized religion tries to control, so therefore it must be lying.- L. Ron HubbardLecture 25 June 1952: Technique 88: "Overt Acts, Motivators & DEDs" Continued
So, what does the Church of Scientology mean when they talk about "religious tolerance"? They mean they should be accepted as a religion by everyone even while their teachings do not tolerate any other religion. It's a one way street.
Further, the church means, by "religious tolerance," that everyone must ignore the crimes of the Church of Scientology, the abuses and the fraud, or they are being "intolerant" of the religion of Scientology.
Do you see what that means? This is very revealing! If protesting the crimes, abuses and fraud of the Church of Scientology is "religious intolerance", it means the church is claiming those crimes, and the abuse and fraud are actually part of the religious practices of Scientology. Yes, that's what they are actually claiming!
But wait, there is even more evidence of the church's intolerance of other religions.
What happens if someone looks into Scientology, but ultimately leaves? What if someone finds out their religion of choice is not tolerated by Scientology's teachings, and they leave the Church of Scientology? If the church is "tolerant" of other religions, that would be OK, wouldn't it?
But no. Once you have bought a book or taken a service, you are counted as "a Scientologist". And you may never, ever leave Scientology. Leaving Scientology is considered a "high crime" by the church:
SUPPRESSIVE ACTSIf one is guilty of such a "Suppressive Act" one is declared "an Enemy" of the church. And Enemies of Scientology may be
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Public disavowal of Scientology or Scientologists in good standing with Scientology organizations.
Public statements against Scientology or Scientologists ...Church Policy Letter, 23 DECEMBER 1965, SUPPRESSIVE ACTS - SUPPRESSION OF SCIENTOLOGY AND SCIENTOLOGISTS
... deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.Hows that for "religious tolerance"?
The Church of Scientology demands that we be "tolerant of other religions" but the Church of Scientology teaches, and practices, religious intolerance.
hypocrisy: The act or practice of a hypocrite; a feigning to be what one is not, or to feel what one does not feel; a dissimulation, or a concealment of one's real character, disposition, or motives; especially, the assuming of false appearance of virtue or religion; a simulation of goodness.The Church of Scientology is guilty of vast hypocrisy. They bleat about "religious tolerance" but do not practice it.Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
Religious tolerance is very important. So, Church of Scientology, why don't you practice it?!
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To add to your expose, there are also many churches that have been labeled as "suppressive" (i.e. evil intended) by the Church of Scientology (p. 164 of the PDF file):
ReplyDeleteWikileaks: Church of Scientology Office of Special Affairs and Frank Oliver
P.S.: Thanks for your great blog, one of my favorite re. Scientology.
Thanks R. Hill! Nice addition to the subject, I hadn't seen that list.
ReplyDeleteSimply amazing! So many people, so many groups that the Church of Scientology has decided are its "enemies".
I see the church even considers the Self Realization Fellowship a "suppressive" group! That is crazy!
Love your blog...I enjoy the way you write...
ReplyDeleteGreat topic, great blog, as usual. Glad to see that Cousin Jethro didn't wear you out!
ReplyDeleteThanks Milly!
ReplyDeleteNo, but I see that we wore poor Cousin Jethro* out, tho'!
(*On Topix, for those reading this)
just bill, you must think that some readers have a dirty mind! LOL!:)
ReplyDeleteLOL! Hadn't thought of that -- but I guarantee that some readers do have dirty minds!!
ReplyDeleteOh, my!
Hey, just discovered your blog a few days ago and am reading through the archives. This is the best blog on Scientology I've seen -- very evenhanded but not at all forgiving of the COS' crimes.
ReplyDeleteI want to point out an ambiguity in the phrase "religious tolerance." I think you need to distinguish two things it can mean:
(1) Refraining from criticizing other religions; refraining from trying to suppress other religions by unlawful means.
(2) Not necessarily refraining from criticizing other religions; but still refraining from trying to suppress other religions by unlawful means.
My point in making this distinction is that criticizing other religions does not mean you are not tolerant of them. Tolerance in this sense means that you disagree with another's views but you acknowledge their right to have them and do nothing (besides perhaps persuasion) to stop them from having them. If you only accept (1) as a definition of religious tolerance, then you are actually being intolerant by criticizing Scientology. But of course you aren't.
In my view, if you can fulfill (2) you are religiously tolerant. It's the following that is intolerant:
(3) Trying to suppress other religions by unlawful means.
What is "unlawful"? Well, as an American I mean whatever violates the freedom of religion clause in the 1st Amendment and associated legislation. Your mileage may vary.
As much as I dislike the COS, I don't think they have actually used unlawful means to attack other religions, LRH's ravings about "There was no Christ" notwithstanding.
Anyway, again, great blog! Keep up the good work.
Thanks for your input and your compliments.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some very good points. Was Hubbard tolerant or intolerant of other religions? How about critics of Scientology?
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, tolerance is, "The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others."
I, personally, do not agree with the beliefs of many religions. Obviously, this is not intolerance, it is personal opinion. If I say I don't agree, that also is not intolerance. If I say why I don't agree, that still is not intolerance. All that is simply personal opinion.
So, where does it cross the line? When does disagreement become intolerance? I think that can be a fuzzy line. And groups like the Church of Scientology work to make it fuzzier when it fits their agenda.
I think it is clear that, if someone is stopped from the practice of their belief system, then you have intolerance.
With that in mind, I would say that neither Hubbard, Scientology, nor Scientology critics are engaging in true "religious intolerance".
But that really isn't the point of this article, is it? The point of the article is that the Church of Scientology should not cry "religious intolerance" for behavior that they, themselves engage in every day and that Hubbard engaged in.
Either they should stop calling simple disagreement "religious intolerance", or they should stop their own "intolerance" first, before pointing the finger elsewhere.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThanks for replying. I don't really have anything to quarrel with in your comment -- my point was pretty tangential, just trying to clarify the way you presented things.
BTW, I think the (potential or actual) religious intolerance in the COS comes from the authoritarianism that basically defines them. I know from personal experience that well-trained Scientologists, for all their talk about "freedom," really believe only in "control." "Freedom" means the freedom to do as you're told by your higher-ups.
Thanks. No, I didn't take your comment as a quarrel, I just thought it brought up a really good point about what really is "tolerance" and "intolerance".
ReplyDeleteYou are very right about what Scientologists consider important, it is control.
Everything they learn has to do with control -- specifically, how to control others. But, as you say, they end up being controlled and docilely "following orders". I guess that's what you get when control is all-important.
This is an old thread but isn't it funny how Hubbard had to trash all other religions as "made up"--either for money or by stealing data? Ho, ho.
ReplyDeleteThe worst of all of this is that Hubbard never really though that Scientology was a religion and only took up the mantle of "church" to avoid the taxman. You can slam Moses, Muhammad, and the Buddah for this, that, or the other, but at least they weren't retitling their movements to avoid income entaglements!
ReplyDelete