Christianity vs. Scientology

[The Duke of Vandals]

Christianity vs. Scientology:

Doctrine: Impossible at face value. Christians believe in a cosmic Jew who fathered himself. Scientologists believe we're cosmic souls descended from aliens.

Openness on teachings: It's tempting to point at how closed-lipped Scientologists are about their beliefs and compare it to modern Christians who are all too happy to explain all about Jesus and their beliefs. However, this short sighted view doesn't take into account the CENTURIES that Christianity was spoken only in Latin by educated clergy to ignorant masses who were unable to question or research what the church told them.

Money: While Scientologists do their best to milk money from their followers, Christianity doesn't need to do this as it's had 1600 years to become the established religion of Western culture. If we compare "donations", we find that Christianity doubtlessly has more cash. Scientology, desperate to establish itself, has no choice, but to be more aggressive. Regardless, the name of the game is money. Both churches have it. Both churches get it from their followers.

The list goes on. There's the fact that both churches are against science they see as threatening to the church (evolution for Christianity... mental health drugs for Scientology). Both groups have the agenda of gaining more converts and having those converts have babies which the faithful indoctrinate into the fold.

Question for debate: how similar are Scientology & Christianity? Is it a case of the pot calling the kettle black when Christians speak out about the ills and idiocies of Scientology?

[Vanguard]

Christianity vs. Scientology:

Doctrine: Impossible at face value. Christians believe in a cosmic Jew who fathered himself. Scientologists believe we're cosmic souls descended from aliens.

Openness on teachings: It's tempting to point at how closed-lipped Scientologists are about their beliefs and compare it to modern Christians who are all too happy to explain all about Jesus and their beliefs. However, this short sighted view doesn't take into account the CENTURIES that Christianity was spoken only in Latin by educated clergy to ignorant masses who were unable to question or research what the church told them.

Money: While Scientologists do their best to milk money from their followers, Christianity doesn't need to do this as it's had 1600 years to become the established religion of Western culture. If we compare "donations", we find that Christianity doubtlessly has more cash. Scientology, desperate to establish itself, has no choice, but to be more aggressive. Regardless, the name of the game is money. Both churches have it. Both churches get it from their followers.

The list goes on. There's the fact that both churches are against science they see as threatening to the church (evolution for Christianity... mental health drugs for Scientology). Both groups have the agenda of gaining more converts and having those converts have babies which the faithful indoctrinate into the fold.

Question for debate: how similar are Scientology & Christianity? Is it a case of the pot calling the kettle black when Christians speak out about the ills and idiocies of Scientology?

To an extent, yes. I've always thought it a little unjust to scrutinize the Scientologists though - similarities with Christianity notwithstanding. Of course, when talking about large enterprises such as these aren't their inevitably going to be similarities?

[The Duke of Vandals]

To an extent, yes. I've always thought it a little unjust to scrutinize the Scientologists though - similarities with Christianity notwithstanding. Of course, when talking about large enterprises such as these aren't their inevitably going to be similarities?

Were I Christian, I'd ask myself, "If I'm dismissing Scientology because it has no evidence and indoctrinates its followers, how can I be sure Christianity hasn't done the same thing to me? After all, Christianity has a 16 century head start."

[Rathpig]

There are numerous points where Scientology is much worse:

1). Scientology charges fees for "religious" services. A person cannot advance in Scientology without paying very large sums of money. Higher positions in the organization and even immunities from the organization's "ethics" police can be obtained through purchase. The entire point of Scientology appears to be to separate it's adherents from as much money as possible.

Christians are expected to tithe 10% of their income, but nothing in the doctrine withholds "salvation", information, or religious services based on payment of fees.

This is a major difference in the two ideologies.

2). Scientology withholds medical treatment from it's members and has been directly involved in numerous death related to these practices. The organizations methodologies have lead directly to psychosis in it's members who are then denied treatment by qualified professionals. In addition to these episodes, the organization is connected to numerous very suspicious "suicides", "accidents", and disappearances of members who wanted to leave the cult. The Lisa McPherson case alone is evidence of systematic criminal negligence.

http://whyaretheydead.net/

For all of the historic crimes of Christianity we can not blame that religion for being directly responsible for doctrine-related death in the past three decades. Christianity killed many people, but Scientology is killing people now.

3). Scientology operates it's own secret police force to spy on it's members and harass it's former members. Scientology operates like a paramilitary organization for the purpose of enforcing it's doctrine and quieting dissent. In addition to this, the organization using the legal system to attack anyone that voices opposition to their methodology.

This is much different from modern Christianity.




On these three points alone it is evident that the similarity between Christianity and Scientology is great. One doesn't need to point out the actual metaphysical beliefs of Scientology to show they are more of a organized criminal enterprise than a "church".

Watch the Tom Cruise video and you will see the dangerous cult aspect of Scientology on full display. Cruise is at the higher levels of Scientology, and based on his own words and behavior, it seems to have driven him batshit insane.


http://gawker.com/5002269/the-cruise-in ... o-suppress

[The Nice Centurion]

[Replying to The Duke of Vandals in post #1]
Mental Health Drugs are not "science" in itself and cannot heaithily be compared to evolution.

As for scientology being more a criminal organization than a church - Have you even touched the unending Crime History of Christianity?
Karlheinz Deschner wrote that down in 10 volumes.

[Purple Knight]

Question for debate: how similar are Scientology & Christianity? Is it a case of the pot calling the kettle black when Christians speak out about the ills and idiocies of Scientology?

I've always thought so. Any difference hinges on one religion being true and the other, not. But with that admission comes the natural advantage of age. If Christianity really is a glob of lies, we now have no way of knowing so, whereas we know exactly who made up Scientology and exactly when he did it.

[TRANSPONDER]

To an extent, yes. I've always thought it a little unjust to scrutinize the Scientologists though - similarities with Christianity notwithstanding. Of course, when talking about large enterprises such as these aren't their inevitably going to be similarities?

Were I Christian, I'd ask myself, "If I'm dismissing Scientology because it has no evidence and indoctrinates its followers, how can I be sure Christianity hasn't done the same thing to me? After all, Christianity has a 16 century head start."

I would imagine that Mainstream Christian tolerance (not much more than that) of LDS would be based on 'At least they revere Jesus'. Scientology is a foreign religion. It has nothing more to do with Christianity than Shinto does. But there are times ALL religions stand together, and that is when secularism threatens. The Only time I ever saw Islam, Christianity and Judaism stand shoulder to shoulder was after the Tsunami where the wave of 'why doesn't God do something?' was even more damaging.

The same with the time IRS went after Scientology. The religions stayed quiet for all I saw. They weren't going to come out and defend this Sci -Fi fanfic convention of a religion, but they knew if the 'Religion' claim didn't keep a business tax -free, then nobody was safe.
Even saw Christians spokebods standing together with Moonies representatives on one occasion, and I run out of tolerance at that stage.
But then we see all sorts of odd things, like happily smiling Christians throwing Bibles on a bonfire. Can you credit it? It was because they weren't KJV. There's a sort of wabble between crazy stuff for dogmatic reasons, and political accommodations where needed.

[TRANSPONDER]

To an extent, yes. I've always thought it a little unjust to scrutinize the Scientologists though - similarities with Christianity notwithstanding. Of course, when talking about large enterprises such as these aren't their inevitably going to be similarities?

Were I Christian, I'd ask myself, "If I'm dismissing Scientology because it has no evidence and indoctrinates its followers, how can I be sure Christianity hasn't done the same thing to me? After all, Christianity has a 16 century head start."

I would imagine that Mainstream Christian tolerance (not much more than that) of LDS would be based on 'At least they revere Jesus'. Scientology is a foreign religion. It has nothing more to do with Christianity than Shinto does. But there are times ALL religions stand together, and that is when secularism threatens. The Only time I ever saw Islam, Christianity and Judaism stand shoulder to shoulder was after the Tsunami where the wave of 'why doesn't God do something?' was even more damaging.

The same with the time IRS went after Scientology. The religions stayed quiet for all I saw. They weren't going to come out and defend this Sci -Fi fanfic convention of a religion, but they knew if the 'Religion' claim didn't keep a business tax -free, then nobody was safe.
Even saw Christians spokebods standing together with Moonies representatives on one occasion, and I run out of tolerance at that stage.
But then we see all sorts of odd things, like happily smiling Christians throwing Bibles on a bonfire. Can you credit it? It was because they weren't KJV. There's a sort of wabble between crazy stuff for dogmatic reasons, and political accommodations where needed.