Insider vs. Outsider Views of the Church of Scientology

Introduction: Framing Scientology Objectively

When introducing a New Religious Movement, one must be as objective as possible. One approach is to note 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, and racially diverse adherents providing positive testimonials on Scientology.org promoting the religion as a confidence booster, a tool for improving grades, and a way to help the community. Another approach is to begin with Hubbard's now-notorious admission — cited in numerous letters and interviews in Russell Miller's Bare-Faced Messiah, 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 way would be to start his own religion" (Lindsay; Methvin). To view Scientology as objectively as possible, this paper will compare, contrast, and analyze an insider's view with an outsider's view of the religion.

An Insider's View of Scientology

According to the International Church of Scientology's official website, Scientology "is a religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one's true spiritual nature and one's relationship to self, family, groups, Mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the Supreme Being" ("What is Scientology?"). It attracts followers by addressing the socio-political concerns of the day generally associated with conservative-minded individuals: a Scientologist "believes that Man is far more than a product of his environment, or his genes" ("What is Scientology?").

While there appear to be certain tenets of Scientology — for example, "Man is an immortal spiritual being," "His experience extends well beyond a single lifetime," and "His capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized" — the religion also appeals to a Protestant, non-sectarian ethos by proclaiming that it "is not a dogmatic religion in which one is asked to accept anything on faith alone. On the contrary, one discovers for oneself that the principles of Scientology are true by applying its principles and observing or experiencing the results" ("What is Scientology?"). Finally, Scientology appeals to the Romantic and Enlightenment doctrine associated with the French Revolution — which has essentially formed the bedrock of modern philosophy with its motto "Liberty, Fraternity, Equality" — by stating that "the ultimate goal of Scientology is true spiritual enlightenment and freedom for all" ("What is Scientology?").

Scientology also claims to "bridge Eastern philosophy with Western thought" — and yet "it is something one does, not something one believes in" ("What is Scientology?"). Therefore, while it proclaims to be a "religion," it does not proclaim to set forth a creed. It attempts to present itself as a way of life, somewhat like Buddhism, and as a "religion" more along the lines of the John Birch Society or Freemasonry. Then again, as one goes deeper into the Scientology website, one comes across an actual Scientology creed — which raises a question: what is a creed if not an expression of belief, coming from the Latin credo, meaning "I believe"?

The confusion one may experience is somewhat reduced by the understanding that Scientology is built on the philosophy developed in Hubbard's Dianetics. In Dianetics, Hubbard defines man as a spirit that happens to have a mind and a body. Many readers were impressed by Hubbard's arguments, and several foundations were established to assist him with further research into mind, body, and spirit. It is this spiritual dimension that Scientology addresses. Because the spiritual had long been associated with the religious, Scientologists in Los Angeles established "the first Church of Scientology in February 1954" ("What is Scientology?").

However, what Scientology actually is remains imprecisely answered on the official website. The creed, once it is finally reached, reads more like the Declaration of Independence than the centuries-old Nicene Creed of the Catholic Church, which sets forth specific dogma. Rather than clearly explaining its ethos, Scientology.org relies upon positivistic jargon and the extensive body of research by its founder as proof of its rational and scientific basis: "The full story of the development and codification of Scientology can be found in scores of books, more than 15,000 pages of technical writing and more than 3,000 taped lectures" ("What is Scientology?"). Essentially, Scientology is a library unto itself — and for those who lack the inclination to explore that library, Scientology offers its various creeds (the Creed of the Church, of the True Group Member, and of the Good and Skilled Manager) and four codes, which serve as a simplified rendering of the results of Hubbard's work.

To use one example of a Scientology code, consider the Auditor's Code. This code employs several terms given new definitions by Hubbard: "Auditor," for instance, is not used in the context of taxes, but in the sense of one who merely examines. There is also mention of the "Clear" and the "preclear" — words left undefined within the Code itself. Nonetheless, the first article of the Code establishes the absolute authority of the preclear: "I promise not to evaluate for the preclear or tell him what he should think about his case in session." Further examination implies that a preclear is a novice on the beginning road to Scientology. The object of the Auditor appears to be guiding the preclear in the same way a physician would help a patient — but, as in Freudian psychoanalysis, the preclear is expected to arrive at conclusions independently, as revealed in article 25: "I promise not to advocate Dianetics or Scientology only to cure illness or only to treat the insane, knowing well they were intended for spiritual gain." Overall, the Auditor's Code resembles, in some respects, the seal of confession to which a priest is bound.

Perhaps the most famously recognized Scientologist is Tom Cruise. To elaborate upon what a Scientologist believes and the conviction with which those beliefs are held, consider several examples from an interview with Cruise about Scientology. According to Cruise, a Scientologist "has the ability to create new and better realities and improve conditions… Being a Scientologist, you look at someone and you know absolutely that you can help them." Cruise thus appears to associate esteem, confidence, and personal power with Scientology. He describes his conversion in this manner:

"So for me it really is KSW ['Keeping Scientology Working'] and it's just like, it's… it's something that, uh… I don't mince words with that, you know, with anything that LRH ['tech' — Scientology policy] does — but that policy to me has really gone pfft [makes a motion of cutting the air with his hand like a knife] — boy — and I — I — there was a time I went through and I said you know what… when I read it I, you know, I — just went, phoo! — this is it, it's exactly it." ("Tom Cruise Scientology Video")

Cruise goes on to offer an analogy for what being a Scientologist is like — and it appears that being a Scientologist is like being a duty-bound Samaritan in a role superior to that of ordinary citizens: "Being a Scientologist… when you drive past an accident… it's not like anyone else — it's you drive past, you know you have to do something about it because — you know you're the only one that can really help" ("Tom Cruise Scientology Video").

Cruise also gives an interesting view into the psychology behind Scientology and its mission, at least as he perceives it:

"I won't hesitate to put in ethics on someone else, you know… 'cause I put it ruthlessly in on myself… and I think that, uh… I respect that in, in others… and… uh, you know, I'm there to help, and we're here to help… and my opinion is — is that, look, you're — you're on board, or you're not on board — okay? — but just — if you're on board, you're on board just like the rest of us — period…. We are the authorities on getting people off drugs. We are the authorities on the mind. We are the authorities on improving conditions; Criminon [a group that works with convicts]… we can rehabilitate criminals…. Way to happiness — we can bring peace… uh… and unite cultures… uh… that, once you know these tools and you know that they work, it's… it's not good enough that, uh, I'm just doing okay." ("Tom Cruise Scientology Video")

The impression Cruise gives is that the Scientologist's mission is to help — presumably through various social reform programs. To find out more about these programs, however, one must look elsewhere.

ScientologyReligion.org states the goal of Scientology in strikingly utopian terms: "A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights" ("The Aims of Scientology"). This goal, visitors are told, is achieved through "Scientology technology," and a link directs them to VolunteerMinisters.org. That site offers a series of introductory tutorials such as "Find the Real Cause of Conflicts," "Learn to Communicate with Ease and Confidence," and "How to Study." The video on communication shows several scenes of pleasant and effective exchanges alongside scenes depicting communication breakdowns. The video then offers a simple formula: the speaker is Cause, the listener is Effect, and the space between them is Distance. It alludes to a number of other factors contributing to successful communication without detailing them — implying that to learn Scientology's full set of tools, one must become a Scientologist.

An Outsider's View of Scientology

Roland Rashleigh-Berry, an ex-Scientologist, provides the following alternative vision of Scientology:

"The Church of Scientology is a vicious and dangerous cult that masquerades as a religion. Its purpose is to make money. It practices a variety of mind-control techniques on people lured into its midst to gain control over their money and their lives… The results of applying their crackpot psychotherapy (called 'auditing') is to weaken the mind. The mind goes from a rational state to an irrational one as the delusional contents of the subconscious mind are brought to the surface and are assumed to be valid." (Rashleigh-Berry)

While Cruise, Scientology.org, ScientologyReligion.org, and VolunteerMinisters.org say little about the actual mythological dimension of the religion, Rashleigh-Berry details the process through which outsiders are drawn in, how they are developed, and at what point they are educated about "the story of Xenu" (Rashleigh-Berry):

"Applying their oversimplified and inapplicable rules in life… isolates and alienates the person from society so that they withdraw from normal society and into their 'Scientology' society… The science fiction content of Scientology is revealed to them after they have reached the state they call 'Clear,' meaning freed from the aberrations of the mind… On the 'advanced' levels (called OT levels) above the state of 'Clear' they encounter the story of Xenu. Xenu was supposed to have gathered up all the overpopulation in this sector of the galaxy, brought them to Earth and then exterminated them using hydrogen bombs. The souls of these murdered people are then supposed to infest the body of everyone. They are called 'body thetans.'"

Rashleigh-Berry then describes how Scientology's Ethics function as a ploy appealing to "a person's natural tendency to do good." Rather than a course in the humanities, however, "Ethics is redefined by Scientology in such a way that to be ethical is to be a better Scientologist and obey the 'church.' Young people… are very keen to contribute to the world and to be ethical… Many of them join an elite group called the 'Sea Org' where they become brainwashed slaves" (Rashleigh-Berry). Jesse Prince, a former Sea Org member, relates that "the Sea Organization is the actual nexus that controls the scientology empire. Sea Organization personnel are authorized to take over and control scientology organizations and to demote personnel, move bank accounts and run the corporation as if the SO personnel were employees or representatives of that corporation but they are not."

Eugene Methvin further discusses the claims of Hubbard, Scientology, and the mythology behind it:

"Today's earthlings are material manifestations of eternal spirits who are reincarnated time and again over the eons. But, Hubbard claims, our earthly troubles often result from ghostly mental images which he calls 'engrams' — painful experiences either in this life or in former incarnations. Hubbard's original book created a sensation; he claimed to have 'cleared' 270 cases of engrams, thus greatly increasing the subjects' I.Q.s and curing them of assorted ills from arthritis to heart troubles. Later Hubbard said that Scientology eradicated cancer and was the only specific cure for atomic-bomb burns. To detect engrams, Hubbard adopted a battery-powered galvanometer with a needle dial wired to two empty tin cans. Charging $150 an hour, a Scientology 'minister' audits a subject by having him grip the tin cans and answer detailed questions about his present or past lives. The needle's gyrations supposedly detect the engrams. By causing the subject to 'confront' the engrams, the 'minister' claims to 'clear his memory bin,' thus raising both body and mind to a superhuman state of 'total freedom.'"

Methvin goes on to recount the method by which Scientologists audit their new converts. The method is strikingly similar to the approach by which Adam Weishaupt, toward the end of the eighteenth century, attempted to gain access to the sins of the members of his secret society, the Illuminati. Weishaupt, educated in Jesuit universities, used the idea of "confession" as a form of control over his subordinates (Jones 9). Methvin suggests the theme is repeated in Scientology:

"The Scientology auditor carefully records any intimate revelations, including sexual or criminal activities or marital or family troubles. According to the church's own documents and defectors' affidavits, such records are filed for blackmail purposes against any member (or member's family) who becomes a 'potential trouble source' by threatening to defect… or generate hostile publicity."

Methvin also tells of the experiences of Scientologist converts. Julie Christofferson, for example, was invited by a Scientology shill "to take a 'communications course'" — which was the first step in Scientology initiation. Julie's experience confirms Rashleigh-Berry's depiction of auditing, which, according to Methvin, "continued to erase the boundary between reality and fantasy. In this phase, Julie exhausted all $3,000 of her college savings… Julie felt superior, one of the chosen elite of this universe… After nine months, her parents removed her from the cult and snapped her out of her zombie-like trance."

An MSNBC segment on Scientology implied that Scientologists actively recruit young celebrities like Tom Cruise, who converted in 1985 as his first big blockbuster, Top Gun, was making him a star. Mike Rinder, described as "one of the highest ranking members of the Church of Scientology," denied that Scientologists actively recruited celebrities ("Some crazy scientology stuff"). However, an ex-auditor in the same segment confirmed Methvin's depiction of auditing as a means of controlling members.

Conclusion

The value of this study is found in certain revelations concerning Scientology: 1) it has no obvious or apparent doctrine; its religious mythology is, apparently, not revealed to novices until a later stage in their conversion process; 2) numerous sources reveal the founder of Scientology to be a man whose primary object in writing Dianetics and establishing the Scientology religion was to garner followers and make himself rich; 3) the methods of Scientology are dubious and its goals represent a mixture of conservatism and liberalism, appealing to a broad range of people by embracing wide-ranging philosophies and religious traditions; 4) it demonstrates the ways in which Scientologists control and manipulate lower-ranking adherents, often using them to advance the movement in various directions; 5) the consequence of adherence to the religion is a kind of zealous desire for philanthropy combined with an equal sense of superiority — it promotes esteem and confidence, but the truth of the religion rests upon the claims of a man whose own motives appear to be selfish and monetary.

Therefore, this study concludes with the assessment that Scientology is a false religion that displays dangerous cultish characteristics. Its ends do not justify its means, and its motives do not appear to be genuine. It employs pseudo-scientific terminology and promotes rationality despite the fact that its claims lack any substance or logic of their own.

Annotated Bibliography

"The Aims of Scientology." ScientologyReligion.org. Web. 29 June 2011. This NRM-member source gives an idealistic and utopian vision of what the religion seeks to achieve.

"Learn How to Communicate with Ease and Confidence." VolunteerMinisters.org. Web. 29 June 2011. This NRM-member site offers a shallow introductory course on effective communication; its tutorial provides no substantive information or detail on communication skills.

Jones, E. Michael. Libido Dominandi: Sexual Liberation and Political Control. South Bend, IN: St. Augustine's Press, 2000. Print. This counter-cult work is written from the perspective of the Catholic Church and attempts to show how other cults mimic the Catholic Church in their efforts to subvert the Catholic religion and control their own followers.

Lindsay, Don. "The Way to Make a Million Dollars." This anti-cult site provides extensive evidence of L. Ron Hubbard's reasons for founding Scientology as a means of personal enrichment.

Methvin, Eugene. "Scientology: Anatomy of a Frightening Cult." Reader's Digest, May 1980. Web. 29 June 2011. This anti-cult source reveals some of the more startling accounts of Scientology's methods of conversion and provides background information on Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.

Prince, Jesse. "The Sea Organization." Operation Clambake. Web. 29 June 2011. This anti-cult source reveals the extent to which Scientology attempts to control its members.

Rashleigh-Berry, Roland. "Operation Clambake Presents: What is Scientology?" Operation Clambake. Web. 29 June 2011. This anti-cult site gives the testimony of an ex-Scientologist who divulges information on how the organization conducts its internal affairs.

"Some crazy scientology stuff." YouTube. Web. 29 June 2011. This video presents the MSNBC report on Scientology, showing how the religion recruits young celebrities, uses auditing suspiciously, and how Rinder denies any wrongdoing.

"Tom Cruise Scientology Video." YouTube. Web. 29 June 2011. This NRM-member source provides a first-hand look at what a Scientologist believes and how he expresses those beliefs.

"What is Scientology?" Scientology.org. Web. 29 June 2011. This NRM-member site attempts to explain the religion but offers only a superficial rendering of the rationale behind its existence.