Perspective

What Factors of the Evolving Religion Scientology Draws Followers from All Walks of Life to Join in Worship?

In modern society, many new age organizations have risen from obscurity, commanding followers with the promise of improving their lives. Many of these societies claim to be religions, seeking approval from those outside the walls of their beliefs, but many are judged to have clandestine goals, distant from aiding the wellbeing of followers. There is a constant debate over whether Scientology is a religion or a cult that will continue for decades. However, what is more interesting, is the search for how Scientology commands so many supporters and continues to grow and flourish among all of its criticism.

Scientology has garnered a substantial amount of media attention from the reality that so many celebrities are taking a vested interest in the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard and the practices of the religion. Just a few of the A-list celebrities included on this list are John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Kirstie Alley, and Lisa Marie Presley. Including celebrities the religion is growing at a steady rate. According to a U.S. Census study, there were 55,000 Scientologists in the United States alone in 2001. The goal of Scientology, differing from most religions whose goal is to get closer to God, is to discover the truth of oneself and use this information to improve spiritually and morally. One argument is that self-interest required for the practices is what draws followers to the religion. Another is that it the religion gives non-secularists the opportunity to believe in something less spiritual than typical religions or even provide a pastime for those looking for something different. In reality, it is most likely a combination of factors that draw different groups of people to the mystical and unique religion.

Potential Questions:

What does Scientology offer members different from typical religions to garner such a devoted following?

What is required of members upon joining the relgion?

How does Scientology appear to be growing and what methods are employed to do so?

Why does the organization insist on being so private and secretive if it offers members a life improving philosophy?

When creating Scientology, what were L. Ron Hubbard’s initial goals and does the current state of the religion resemble his image?

Scientology’s Foundation and the Mysterious Auditing Process

Scientology’s roots are in the science-fiction writings of L. Ron Hubbard. The organization came to existence in the mid-20^th century upon the publication of his book Dianetics. Hubbard is widely considered the founder of the religion and his 5,000 writings and 3,000 tape-recorded lectures are used as the fundamental teachings in the religion. Scientology’s founder L. Ron Hubbard himself does not consider Scientology a religion, but instead an applied religious philosophy used to improve the state of one’s life. Hubbard laid the foundations of religion and guided its expansion until his death in 1986. Scientology churches basing their teachings on Hubbard’s teachings exist on 6 continents and continue to actively recruit new members.

Scientologist’s main form of prayer or self-meditation is called auditing. As instructed by L. Ron Hubbard, the goal of auditing is to restore beingness and ability in a person. The process by which this goal is attained includes eliminating the disabilities and magnifying the abilities of a person. Auditing is more a form of personal counseling than a type of prayer. A Scientologist uses the process to gauge their own existence and advance in the direction of how they would like to ideally be. Ministers in the Scientology religion are trained and qualified auditors, and better their members through the auditing process. The auditing process between a member, or a preclear, and an auditor, takes place during a pre-arranged auditing session. The auditor uses a specific process in such sessions to guide a preclear to find out things about themselves that can be improved.