I believe ... I guess that's where it all starts. Belief. Whether it's what we are born into such as the Christian or Morman Church or one that we fall into as we travel "this veil of tears" such as Scientology.

But belief is what it is and in these cases, the Catholic Church, the Morman Church and Scientology are all based on belief ...certainly not reality. The Catholic Church was founded in the Fourth Century AD by Constandine based on the salesmanship of Paul. It centered on just a portion of the writings made 2-4 centuries after the purported events discribed. And for the next 1500 years if you didn't buy into this myth you were more likely to be killed .. usually in some imaginatively horrible way. There very well may have been a Jesus, a wise and gentle teacher but still a Jewish Rabbi. He could of spent those missing years in India studying Hindu/Buddahist beliefs for Christianity at its core is a mixture of Buddahist and Jewish teachings.More likely he was at the Essene retreat. But the elements required to be a Christian .. the Virgin birth, being killed and rising from the dead are elements found in most middle east religions of that time. And like Scientology, I prefer the science fiction spin where Mary was knocked up by an Alien and when their son got in trouble with the Romans for his radical Essene political views he was transported up to the mother ship with the promise to come back and pick up the true believers ay some point.... about the time of the death of the Son.

The Mormans, well, what can one say? Josepth Smith, a semi illiterate is guided by an "angel" to dig up some copper plates in upstate New York in the mid 19th century and boom 1 he is able to translate the Eygption letters or characters and we have the Morman church. And when they finally ended up in Utah, they had their own posse to make sure any new srttlers joined or left ...usually via Heaven.

So a lousy Science Fiction writer starts using basic psycophysiology techniques and creates an absurd mythology. Then he spends the last years of his life hiding from the IRS. Finally the "church" is granted tax-free status and claims a certain legitimacy. This is reinforced with a nastyness of lawyers and fanatics similar to the inquisition.

So these are some of our prominent institutions of our era dealing with man's ever-present fear of death and hope for an afterlife.

Well, death is what it is. The complete and irreversible cessation of vital functions. No white light or visitors just .. well .. nothing.Live with it. It's tougher but it's real and you save money, time and bullshit

So yeah scientology is a cult , a very expensive one. But so are the Mormans, the Baptists, the Catholics and so forth. If you need that kind of fantasy, at least pick one that doesn't cost so much .. wither in money ie scientology or time ie the mormans. But whatever your belief in this regard, there is certainly much, much better science fiction out there than what Hubbard wrote.

"...So yeah scientology is a cult , a very expensive one. But so are the Mormans, the Baptists, the Catholics and so forth. If you need that kind of fantasy, at least pick one that doesn't cost so much ..."

The problem is...I can go to any Catholic, Baptist, or Mormon church for years and not give them one thin dime. If I can't pay anything, that's absolutely fine with them. They're more concerned with my salvation than my ability to pay for it.

On the other hand...go try and be a Scientologist without a wad of dough in your pocket and plenty more in a bank account.

Well you certainly are well educated; however, you are spiritually empty. What caused such a pessimistic outlook?

It's "vale of tears".

Bluesbob, evidently you are completely illiterate when it comes to religion. What credentials do you have when it comes to religion or Christian theology? Considering your line of argumentation the answer is simply NONE. So you are in no position to call genuine Christianity a cult and certainly NOT in any position to declare Scientology not a cult. As a pastor and religion professional (BA in Comparative Theology, BA in Christian Theology, MA in Theology and Christian Apologetics, and curretly finishing a doctorate in Theology), I can definitely declare that Scientology fits all the qualifications to be regarded a CULT. It is a cult regardless whether someone likes it or not.

Thank you

I was referring to the artucle. Of course Scientology is a cult. But looking at the history of Christianity there are certainly cult elements. And I have my BS, MS, PhD, MD and 10 years of professional training so I know how to evaluate information and form conclusions. I also spent 20 years in the Southern Baptist church ... I quit after the Southern Baptist Convention voted to approve the Viet Nam war. Killing and raping is in the Old Testament .. a Jewish pastime ... not in the New Testament or something Jesus would do ... if you believe he exhisted.

I'm a Buddhist .... Then there were the strokes when I died for a few minutes. Then there is the MD - PhD where I know how the brain works. I'm very religious. I'm just not worried about death/