Scientology: Its Origins and Its Implications for Society
What is scientology? Most people don't really have any idea, other than that its mentioning conjures up vague notions of a cult in the minds of many. Scientology is relatively new, as far as religions go, but it has captured a rather large worldwide following in a short amount of time. In fact, since its founding, scientology has experienced a phenomenal amount of growth, and has attracted adherents worldwide. Yet the religion is still shrouded in a lot of mystery and misunderstanding. This is why it is important to know about scientology now, so that we as human beings are able to make informed decisions regarding it whenever the religion comes into contact with us or our family and friends. This paper examines the religion of scientology, its origins, its principles, and public perceptions regarding the religion.

Scientology was founded in the 1950s by…...

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References

Cooper, Paula. "From Dianetics to Scientology." The Scandal of Scientology. n.d. www.clambake.org/archive/books/tsos/sos-01.html

Future Prediction of Scientology." Scientology.Org. 1996.  http://www.scientology.org /wis/wiseng/30/30-idx.htm

Lisa McPherson's Death." Fact Net. n.d.  http://www.factnet.org/scientology/Lisa_McPherson_Scientology_Deaths.html?FACTNet 

Scientology: Its Background and Origins." What is Scientology? 2000.  http://www.whatisscientology.org/html/part01/chp02/index.html >.

Church of Scientology

The Church of Scientology has established over seven hundred centers in sixty-five countries (Urban). The church functions as a guide, offering a variety of courses designed to inform the individual about Scientology, personal counseling called auditing, designed to get rid of unwanted emotions, habits, and psychosomatic illnesses, and purification rundown, a procedure to free one's self from the harmful effects of drugs and toxins ("Scientology: Inside a Church of Scientology").

Controversy over the Church of Scientology

hile the church is well-known for its high-profile celebrity patrons such as Tom Cruise, Kirstie Alley, and John Travolta, it has also been attacked by government agencies, anti-cult groups, and the media as a swindling business and a brainwashing cult. L. Ron Hubbard has been described as the man who solved the riddle of the human mind by the Church of Scientology, a mental case by the FBI and hopelessly insane by his former…...

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Works Cited

Hubbard, L. Ron. Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, Los Angeles, CA: Bridge Publications Inc., 2007. Print.

"History of Scientology." Religion Facts, 20 January 2013. Web. 30 March 2013.

"Scientology: Inside a Church of Scientology." Scientology.org, YouTube, 30 June 2008. Web. 30 March 2013.

Urban, Hugh B. The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion, Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 2011. Print.

Scientology
Introducing a New Religious Movement, one must be as objective as possible. I, for instance, could choose to tell you that L. Ron Hubbard founded the Church of Scientology in 1954 and marketed it as an organization for social reform that essentially became the global force it is today, with (young, professional, stylish, racially-diverse) adherents providing positive sound bites on Scientology.org that promote (in naturalistic, community-oriented settings) the religion as a confidence booster, a tool for improving grades, and a way to help the community. I could also introduce it by noting Hubbard's now notorious admission (cited in numerous letters and interviews in Russell Miller's are-Faced Messiah as well as in science-fiction writer Lloyd Arthur Eshbach's autobiography Over My Shoulder and reported by investigative journalist Eugene Methvin in 1980) that "Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best…...

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Bibliography

"The Aims of Scientology." ScientologyReligion.org. Web. 29 June 2011. This NRM-

member source of information gives an idealistic and utopian vision of what the religion desires to effect.

"Learn How to Communicate with Ease and Confidence." VolunteerMinisters.org.

Web. 29 June 2011. This NRM-member site gives a shallow introductory course on how effective communication may be achieved; its tutorial essentially provides no information and gives no detail on effective communication skills.

Scientology as Cult
The Cult of Scientology

Many controversies have arisen regarding Scientology, which was started in 1952 and declared itself a religion in 1953 when it was incorporated as the Church of Scientology. Scientology can be identified as being both a cult and a complex pyramid scheme in which people are coerced or convince to donate money in order to attain spiritual salvation. Scientology has encountered several legal, ethical, and moral dilemmas during its brief history and demonstrates many characteristics that allow for the "religion" to be classified as a cult.

The definition of a cult depends on the perspective that is being taken. For the purpose of this report, a universal definition, as opposed to a secular or Christian definition will be applied to Scientology. The universal definition of a cult contends that a cult is "any group which has a pyramid type authoritarian leadership structure with all teaching and guidance…...

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Works Cited

Behar, Richard. "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power." Time Magazine. 6 May 1991. Web.

Accessed 19 August 2011.

Cooper, Paulette. "The High Cost of Scientology." The Scandal of Scientology. Web. Accessed

19 August 2011.

Scientology proposes a range of unique therapeutic interventions. One is the tone scale, which posits a tonal correspondence to human emotional states. Auditing is also a central Scientology practice. An auditor is an advanced Scientology practitioner who monitors another. Devices like the "eMeter" are used during the auditing process. No scientific validity whatsoever lends credibility to the eMeter or to any of the therapeutic interventions and the Scientology eb site does not claim otherwise.

One of the main goals of Scientology is for the individual to attain a mental and spiritual state called "Clear." Once the Clear state is achieved, the individual supposedly receives the true version of the story of creation. That creation story sounds more like science fiction than religion, involving alien beings. Scientology claims to encourage moral and ethical living, and undoubtedly many of its members benefit from the Church. However, membership and its services is expensive. The…...

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Works Cited

Church of Scientology. "What is Scientology." 2008. Retrieved Oct 20, 2008 at  http://www.scientology.org /religion/presentation/pg006.html

Operation Clambake. "What is Scientology?" Retrieved Oct 20, 2008 at  http://www.xenu.net/roland-intro.html 

Robinson, B.A. & Buttnor, Al. "About the Church of Scientology." Religious Tolerance.org. Feb 2, 2008. Retrieved Oct 20, 2008 at http://www.religioustolerance.org/scientol1.htm

What's Wrong with Scientology?" Retrieved Oct 20, 2008 at  http://www.scientology-lies.com/whatswrong.html

Auditing helps the practitioner remove the "implants" that prevent one from being happy and fulfilled.
In accordance with its systematic maps of human consciousness, the Church of Scientology and its social organization are hierarchical and rigid. Members pass through stages of development during which they improve their self-awareness and overall intelligence. Human progress and personal growth is described as a series of dynamic impulses. When Hubbard first codified his beliefs in the Dianetics literature he outlined four of these dynamic impulses, referred to simply as "dynamics." The dynamics have been described as basic human instincts for survival (obinson & Buttnor 2006). Basic survival instinct is the First Dynamic, focused on the individual ego and its needs. The Church of Scientology describes the First Dynamic as "the effort to attain the highest level of survival for the longest possible time for self," ("Dynamics of Life"). The First Dynamic also includes the…...

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References

Adherents.com "Major Religions Ranked by Size." Retrieved May 1, 2007 at  http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Scientology 

About L. Ron Hubbard." An Introduction to Scientology. Church of Scientology International. Retrieved May 1, 2007 at  http://www.scientology.org /interview/lronhubbard_3.html

American Saint Hill Organization. Retrieved May 1, 2007 at  http://www.scientology-asho.org/index.htm 

Behar, R. (1991). "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power." Time Magazine. May 6, 1991, p. 50. Retrieved May 1, 2007 at  http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Fishman/time-behar.html

His experience extends well beyond a single lifetime." Third, pain, suffering, and evil are due not to external forces but to "engrams," or the negative mental imprints gathered through traumatic experiences in current and past lives. In this sense Scientology promotes similar beliefs to Eastern religions and New Age ideologies.
Fourth, the Church of Scientology advocates social service and remains particularly concerned with problems related to drug abuse. The Church is active in disadvantaged communities, especially those with drug abuse and criminal problems. Worldwide, the Church of Scientology has established missions that ostensibly help the most disenfranchised people on the planet achieve peace.

The tenets of Scientology are more practical than theological, and in many ways the ideology resembles a New Age self-help program. Although the Church of Scientology claims that faith is unnecessary, practitioners are nevertheless expected to believe that Scientology teachings offer the only solutions to their worldly problems.…...

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References

BeliefNet. "What Scientologists Believe." Retrieved April 23, 2007 at  http://www.beliefnet.com/story/80/story_8057_1.html 

Scientology." Wikipedia. Retrieved April 23, 2007 at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology 

Scientology: Web site. Retrieved April 23, 2007 at  http://www.scientology.org

The economic and social dynamic of the Church of Scientology is one of its most controversial aspects. Accusations of cult-like behavior center on the extreme social control and monetary necessities attendant on being a member of the Church of Scientology (Ogle 2010). The actual extent of these circumstances is a matter of great debate, but it is known that Scientologists originally come from all walks of life, including highly varied and disparate social, economic, national, and ethnic backgrounds (Peckham 1998).

All of the factors listed above have the potential for effecting the collection of data in a physical health assessment. The cultural and social controls practiced by the Church of Scientology make many Scientologists mistrustful of non-Church members, especially medical practitioners (Kent 2002). The specific religious and spiritual beliefs of Scientologists is also a major factor in this area. Again, the reluctance to submit to the assessment and a lack of…...

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References

Bainbridge, W. & Stark, R. (1980). "Scientology: To be perfectly clear." Sociological analysis 41(2), pp. 128-36.

Kent, S. (2002). "The Globalization of Scientology: Influence, Control and Opposition in Transnational Markets." Religion 29(2), pp. 147-69.

Ogle, a. (2010). "Travolta flies aid, Scientology to Haiti." Accessed 31 January 2010. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jeF5ussei3k0K7yvLch535NNxuYQ

Peckham, M. (1998). "New dimensions of social movement/countermovement interaction." Canadian journal of scientology 23(4), pp. 317-347.

The final belief is that man is good in his inner self.
The basis of scientology is eight dynamics, which address the core issues of human survival from the perspective of man as a spirit. The eight dynamic is God, and adherents are free to interpret God according to their own understanding (eldon, 1993). To achieve connection with God and ultimate freedom adherents engage in the practice of auditing and training. hile the central beliefs have experienced little modification, the "technology" and the steps to traverse the "bridge" have changed. These alterations are a financial boon to the organization.

The Church of Scientology International (CSI) acts as the main organizing and guiding body for other churches and groups. The CSI "also provides the broad planning and direction needed to support the Church's international growth" (hat is, 2010). The CSI also engages is staff training on the "technology" of scientology. Another organ…...

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Works Cited

"Church of Scientology International." Encyclopedia Britannica, 2010. Encyclopedia Britannica

Web. 15 Sept. 2010

Nikos, Passas, and Manuel Escamilla Castillo. "Scientology and its 'Clear' Business." Behavioral

Sciences & the Law 10.1 (1992): 103-116. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web.

The Church of Scientology is one of the most controversial and high profile new religious movement, more commonly called a cult. Although the Church of Scientology itself strongly objects to being called a cult, an abundance of evidence from former members has led to damning exposures into how the organization works, functions, and entraps its members. The Church of Scientology is much more famous than other cults because of its high-profile celebrity members, most notably Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and Isaac Hayes. The Church of Scientology is one of the perfect examples of how difficult it can be to differentiate at all between a religion and a cult, given that so many world religions also have outlandish beliefs and engage in social control or mind control to a degree. Yet a closer examination of the Church of Scientology does reveal that the organization much more resembles a cult than a…...

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Works Cited

Church of Scientology. “Is Scientology a cult?” 2017.

Gilbert, Sophie. “It’s Not Easy Being Scientology.” The Atlantic. 26 Mar, 2015. https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/03/its-not-easy-being-scientology/388634/

Gilgoff, Dan and Tricia Escobedo. “Scientology: What Exactly Is It?” CNN. 19 April 2017. http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/22/us/believer-what-is-scientology/index.html

Olson, Cassidy. “Pay to Pray.” Butler Unieversity URC. http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/urc/2014/englishlit/17/

Orth, Maureen. “What Katie Didn’t Know.” Vanity Fair. Oct 2012. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2012/10/katie-holmes-divorce-scientology

Thangavelu, Poonkulali. “A Look Into Scientology’s Business Model.” Investopedia. Rhttps://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/060915/look-scientologys-business-model.asp

https://www.scientology.org/faq/scientology-and-other-practices/is-scientology-a-cult.html

eligion the Church of Scientology
The first pre-publication excerpt, entitled "Dianetics, A New Science of The Mind," from a new speculative non-fiction work by L. on Hubbard appeared in the May 1950 issue of the pulp magazine Astounding Science Fiction. It was prefaced by a note from the magazine's editor stating "I want to assure every reader, most positively and unequivocally, that this article is not a hoax, joke, or anything but a direct, clear statement of a totally new scientific thesis." (Miller 153). The book version of Dianetics appeared not long after, and sold well, especially after being given a promotional mention in Walter Winchell's newspaper column (Miller 145). Sixty years afterward, Hubbard's speculations are enshrined as a religion, the Church of Scientology -- although there are many persons who consider it to be less a religion and more, as its debut might indicate, like truly astounding science fiction, involving…...

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References?

Atack, Jon. A Piece of Blue Sky: Dianetics, Scientology, and L. Ron Hubbard Exposed. London: Lyle Stuart, 1988.

Crews, Frederick C. Follies of the Wise: Dissenting Essays. New York: Avalon, 2006.

"Cruise Tangles With Matt Lauer." MSNBC, June 28, 2005. Accessed on January 22, 2011, at:  http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/8344309/ns/today-entertainment/ 

Hubbard, L. Ron. Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. New York: Hermitage, 1950.

Therefore, it is in charge of scripture. The Church of Scientology is the management body of the religion, and is in charge of planning and coordinating Scientology expansion. There are over 7,300 Scientology groups in 163 countries around the world, with 87,000 volunteer ministers. It is difficult to estimate the number of practicing Scientologists, but estimates range from several hundred thousand to several million. However, it is suggested that Scientology "is the fastest growing religion in the world, by percentage growth per year" (Robinson and Buttnor).
The main Scientology symbol is composed of an "S" to represent Scientology, an upper triangle, representing knowledge, responsibility, and control, and a lower triangle representing affinity, reality, and communication (Robinson and Buttnor). There is another Scientology symbol, an eight-pointed cross, representing the Eight Dynamics of Existence (Robinson and Buttnor). These dynamics help explain some of the ceremony in Scientology. The First Dynamic is self-survival,…...

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Works Cited

Robinson, B.A. And Al Buttnor. "About the Church of Scientology: Symbols, History, Beliefs,

and Practices." Religious Tolerance. 2 Feb. 2008. Web. 2 Nov. 2010.

Is Scientology a Religion? One common objection raised against so-called New Age religions like Scientology is that they are not truly faith-based systems, but function more as businesses or cults. Scientologists and atheists and agnostics alike, however, have objected to this distinction, arguing that there is little difference between conventional Christianity and newer faiths. In fact, scholar and podcaster Reza Aslan has argued that the only difference between Scientology and other religions is its age, given that it was founded in the 1950s by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard (Gilgoff and Escobedo).
It is true that when Christianity was just beginning, it was a persecuted and marginalized religion. It originally sprang up as a distinct sect of Judaism, but gradually spread to the gentile community, thanks to the preaching of Paul (“Early Christians”). While Judaism was a religion very much located in the belief structures of the ancient Israelites, the Apostle…...

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Works Cited

“Early Christians.” The Roman Empire. PBS. Web. 29 October 2020.

 Gilgoff, Dan and Escobedo, Tricia. “Scientology: What Exactly Is It?” CNN. 22 March 2017.

Web. 29 October 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/22/us/believer-what-is-scientology/index.html

Nededog, Jethro. “How Scientists Costs Members Up to Millions of Dollars.” Business Insider.

12 Mar 2016. Web. 29 October 2020. https://www.businessinsider.com/scientology-costs-leah-remini-recap-episode-3-2016-12

https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/christians.html

Nursing and eligion Practice
ELIGION AND NUSING PACTICE

Nursing success depends on the ability to put the patient in a state of rest and comfort as much as it is about administering the prescriptions of the doctor. To secure the rest of the patient, nurses need to understand their needs and show respect to their beliefs and values. This requires courteous and open communication with the patient and adopting a patient-centric orientation. Along with other factors, the religious background of the patient makes a lot of difference to their values and expectations. eligious doctrines and practices may differ across religions and denominations such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, Seventh Day Adventists and Scientologists and may impose restrictions on certain kinds of interaction between nurse and patient or on certain forms of treatment. Moreover, people with a different religious background are not usually aware of such differences. Therefore, it is necessary for nurses to…...

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References

Banja, J.D. (2010). Overriding the Jehovah's Witness patient's refusal of blood: A reply to Cahana, Weibel, and Hurst. Pain Medicine, 10(5), 878-882. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2009.00648.x.

Charles, C.E., & Daroszewski, E.B. (2012). Culturally competent nursing care of the Muslim patient, Issues in Mental Health Nursing. 33(1), 61-63. doi: 10.3109/01612840.2011.596613.

Cort, M., & Cort, D. (2008). Willingness to participate in organ donation among Black Seventh-Day Adventist college students. Journal of American College Health, 56(6), p. 691-697. Retrieved from EBSCO Academic Search Primer.

Effa-Heap, G. (2009). Blood transfusion: Implications of treating a Jehovah's Witness patient. British journal of nursing, 18(3), 174-177.

Furthermore, the policy seems to put a burden on the hospital to help provide those services, which seems to put an undue burden on the hospital. Writing policies that guaranteed access would be permitted, but did not in any way guarantee facilitation of that access would seem to be a better policy.
One of the least understood religious groups in the United States is the Church of Scientology. There is a strong belief that members of this religious group are adverse to modern medical care, a belief that I shared before researching their organization. However, from the information that I could find, Scientologists are not opposed to modern medicine. On the contrary, the Church of Scientology has an official policy of not being involved in either medical diagnosis or treatment of medical illnesses. They believe that underlying illness inhibits a person's spiritual journey, so that they encourage members to seek…...

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References

Church of Scientology. (2012). Do Scientologists use medical doctors? Retrieved March 6,

2012 from Scientology Newsroom website:  http://www.scientologynews.org/faq/do-scientologists-use-medical-doctors.html 

Hmong shamans help at Valley hospitals. (2009, November 10). Retrieved March 5, 2012 from Fresno Bee website: http://www.fresnobee.com/2009/10/10/1669868/hmong-shamans-help-at-valley-hospitals.html

Topic Sentence: The influence of Scientology on social media in America is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that prompts discussion on the intersection of religion, technology, and public discourse.
Various aspects of Scientology, such as its use of social media platforms for recruitment and promotion, its polarizing presence in online communities, and the controversies surrounding the organization's online practices, contribute to its significant impact on the digital landscape. Through an analysis of these different elements, we can gain a better understanding of how Scientology shapes the way information is disseminated, conversations are conducted, and beliefs are formed in the realm of....

Topic Sentence:

Scientology's influence on social media in America is multifaceted, shaping both the dissemination of its doctrines and the public's perception of the organization.

Body Paragraphs:

1. Scientology's Social Media Strategy

Scientology has embraced social media as a powerful tool for outreach and promotion. The organization maintains active presences on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, where it shares content designed to pique curiosity and attract new followers. This content often focuses on the personal experiences of Scientologists, highlighting their perceived benefits from the practice. By showcasing positive testimonials and success stories, Scientology aims to cultivate a favorable image and dispel negative....

Thesis: The influence of Scientology on social media in America is significant, as the organization utilizes various platforms to promote its beliefs and attract new members. Through targeted campaigns and strategic use of online platforms, Scientology shapes public perception and maintains a strong presence in the digital sphere. Additionally, the controversial practices of the organization often spark debates and discussions on social media, further highlighting its impact on online discourse in the United States.
One key aspect of Scientology's impact on social media in America is its use of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to disseminate its message and....

Thesis:

The rise and proliferation of Scientology in the United States has profoundly impacted the social media landscape, shaping public perception, fostering controversies, and influencing how individuals navigate online spaces.

Introduction:

In the digital age, social media has become a ubiquitous and influential force, connecting billions of people worldwide. Scientology, a highly controversial religious organization, has actively leveraged social media to promote its doctrines, recruit new members, and engage in public relations. This thesis explores the complex and multifaceted relationship between Scientology and social media in America, examining its consequences for public perception, societal discourse, and individual experiences.

Impact on Public Perception:

Scientology's presence on....