Avoiding Evil

History:
Scientology started out with a guy by the name of L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard was an author who wrote books, magazines, articles, and movie scripts about different topics, searching all the while for the common ground that connected people. He was essentially look for what it was about people that was the same for all. While writing a book that was never published in 1938, he got an idea for another book that he published in 1950 called Dianetics. This created a small crowd of followers as people read the book and began to believe what he was writing. In 1951, Hubbart founded Scientology as a religious philosophy and three years later the first Scientology church was formed in 1954 in Los Angeles.

Belief:
Scientologists believe in a mind, body, and spirit that is separate from each other. We are essentially spiritual beings that are basically good from the beginning of our long existence (eternity). Christians believe that we are inherently bad and sinners by nature, Scientologists would disagree claiming that we are, by nature, good creatures.

Everything in the world has a life force living inside of it, known as Thetan. The ultimate goal and purpose of all life is for all beings to survive for eternity. How is this possible? The best way that you can survive is by doing the most good you possibly can through your individuality, family, groups, mankind, all living things, the physical universe, spirits, and God. If you do the most good for as many of these dynamics and relationships as possible, then you are well on your way to living forever.

If you have ever used or seen a tape recorder before then you will know exactly how Scientologists believe the mind works. The mind is like a recorder, constantly working in your life, recording moments, both good and bad, in this life and in your past lives. Because your mind contains short clips of data from your past lives, it is possible to search your mind to understand what is wrong with your spirit. Auditors are people who listen. They attempt to help you find the painful moments in your unconscious mind from your past lives and deal with them so that you can live a happier life.

A Scientologist believes that God exists but His identity is a matter of personal awareness and conviction. Jesus was one of many gret teachers. You’re on a search to understand yourself, others, life and God. Your job is to help others and make the world a better place.

A Scientology church is a meeting place for people to study and receive counseling. They are actively involved in their communities through things like drug rehabilitation, park cleanups, revitalizing neighborhoods, fighting AIDS and more.

Salvation: Scientology offers a path to spiritual awareness and leaves it to the individual to come to his or her own awareness of God.

Belief about Jesus: They believe that Jesus existed, but he wasn’t God, and the Bible isn’t the way to figure out who Jesus was.

Pantheistic: Members get to decide who they believe God is on their own, sort of make him up as they go.

Afterlife: Scientologists believe that your spirit is immortal; it never dies. But when you die you don’t go to heaven or hell. Instead, you are reincarnated on this earth over and over again for eternity.

Facts:
There are 8 million Scientologists worldwide with 3 million in the USA.

There are many celebrities who are Scientologists including John Travolta, Tom Cruise, and Jenna Elfman.

“Scientologists believe that Jesus was one of many great teachers, but they don’t believe that what He said was true. That doesn’t make any sense-how can you think someone’s a great teacher but think that what they said is false and worthless? If there is no one true God, no creator in church, then who decides if you’ve done enough good deeds? Who decides what your life will be like when you come back? And if you’re here on earth forever, what’s the point really?” - Why So Many Gods? by K. Etue