The Church of Scientology: Religion or Cult?

Introduction: Religion or Cult?

The Church of Scientology is one of the most controversial and high-profile new religious movements, 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 of how the organization works, functions, and entraps its members. The Church of Scientology is far more famous than other cults because of its high-profile celebrity members, most notably Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and Isaac Hayes. It is one of the clearest examples of how difficult it can be to differentiate between a religion and a cult, given that so many world religions also hold unconventional beliefs and engage in social or psychological control to some degree. Yet a closer examination of the Church of Scientology reveals that the organization much more closely resembles a cult than a traditional religion.

Secrecy and Restricted Knowledge

One reason why Scientology can be classified as a cult is that it is relatively secretive. All religions have degrees of secrecy and esoteric knowledge available to elite members but not to the general public; Scientology, however, takes secretiveness a step further. Interestingly, the Scientology website does nothing to refute the accusations of secrecy, even as it expressly claims to be a religion and not a cult. According to Olson, scholars have had a difficult time understanding or contextualizing Scientology because so little is known about the organization's structure or governance. "There is very little hard evidence" about Scientology, given that many of its most important documents and doctrines are shrouded behind paywalls of secrecy.

Financial Structure and Business Operations

Another reason why the Church of Scientology more closely resembles a cult than a religion is its system of escalating membership fees. The organization will not disclose how much members are required to pay once they progress past the initial stages of membership, but given the massive investments it has made in commercial properties around the world, the dues must be substantial. Moreover, the Church of Scientology has spent millions on legal representation in response to fraud allegations and ethical violations that have generated numerous lawsuits against it (Gilbert). At times, the Church of Scientology is itself the plaintiff, filing defamation and related suits against media organizations such as Time and The Washington Post, as well as against former members (Gilbert). The organization has been notorious for exploiting its tax-exempt status as a recognized religion to conduct business activities. Many countries have not extended Scientology the same consideration as the United States government and the IRS. Belgium is among the most prominent examples, openly rejecting Scientology's claim to being an authentic religious faith. In response, Scientology dismissively deflects by stating, "Belgium labeled Hasidic Jews and even the YWCA as 'cults'" (Church of Scientology).

The Church of Scientology is heavily invested in real estate and operates like a business. According to Thangavelu, "the church has a money-making business model" (1). The organization also receives funding from wealthy members, including celebrities. Writing for Investopedia, Thangavelu reports that the Church of Scientology brings in $200 million in annual revenues, of which $75 million comes from membership dues. The church also reduces labor costs by relying on unpaid volunteers for many of its operations (Thangavelu 1). An offshoot organization called the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE) serves as the commercial arm of the Church, illustrating how cleverly the organization distinguishes legally between its various functions in order to retain its tax-exempt status. By some estimates, the Church of Scientology is worth $1.75 billion, with the primary sources of that valuation being extensive real estate holdings in high-value urban locations such as London and New York (Thangavelu 1).

Mind Control, Coercion, and Member Manipulation

One of the defining functions of a cult is control. Religions use social and psychological control to varying degrees — the Catholic Church and Protestant Christian denominations have historically used fear as a manipulative tool, and have also employed colonialism and oppression as instruments of political, economic, and social dominance. Islam and other world religions have likewise been implicated in abuses of institutional power. Scientology, however, manipulates its members to a degree that no mainstream religion can reasonably be said to match. One way the Church of Scientology exerts control is by dictating who members may and may not marry. As Orth points out, the Church selects mating partners for members, a policy that directly and adversely affected Tom Cruise's relationships with Nicole Kidman, Penélope Cruz, and Katie Holmes (1).

Even with this information publicly known, the Church of Scientology continues to deny that it is a cult. On its website, the organization states that it "maintains every individual should think for themselves... Scientology is not authoritarian, but instead offers a technology one can use and then decide whether it works for them" (Church of Scientology 1). Based on the testimonies of former members — and the loved ones of current and former members — this characterization could not be further from the truth. The television show South Park has repeatedly addressed the claim that the Church of Scientology psychologically controlled Isaac Hayes, leading to a falling out between him and the show's creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Even former senior officials of the organization, such as Mike Rinder, have spoken out forcefully against the Church for promoting a "culture of violence and abuse" (Gilbert 1). Marty Rathbun, who actually helped the Church of Scientology secure its tax-exempt status in the United States, is now one of its most outspoken critics (Gilbert 1). Scientology cannot earnestly deny its status as a cult.