Scientology explained? (emphasis on the question mark)

On New Year's Eve, I went to Pasadena to watch the Rose Parade with a couple of friends. We had fun, we tried to sleep, we ate, we laughed, we FROZE.

Around 9 o clock, these nice people came around handing out flyers for "Free hot chocolate and a movie!". Now, I'm not a chocolate person at all, but the hot portion of the name was very, very intriguing so I was immediately interested. However, upon looking at the flier, I noticed that the "nice people" were from the Church of Scientology.

That, to me, was an instant "heck no, I'll deal with the cold" moment. I didn't want to go walk into their "church" and have them count me as a visitor for some sort of record of "how many visitors we had on New Year's Eve".. But, after another hour of freezing and really, really needing to go to the bathroom (my only other option at that point were port-o-pottys)... The promise of warmth and a hygienic facility won.

I walked over to the Church of Scientology with Leigh and the second I walked in the door my first thought was "ah, I can feel my nose again!" and my second thought was "this doesn't feel like a church, it feels like one of the exhibit halls at the Orange County Fair". After finding the restroom and the best taste hot chocolate of my entire life (not because it was high quality, but because of the liquid being at least 3 times hotter than the temperature of my ears).. A lady came over to point out the marshmellows.

First thing I noticed was that she was dressed like about 75% of the other people in the building - black pants, black shoes, long, black, trench coat style jacket, and a white collared shirt underneath. Obviously, she was one of the Scientologists.

After a little bit of small talk ("Boy, it's cold!" "There's a lot of people on the street"), she asked us why we came inside. We laughed and mentioned that it was most definitely because of the cold. She asked if, since we were there anyways, she could show us some of the presentation material on Scientology. I'm always game for learning more about other religions, and Leigh was, too, so we followed her over to one of the several large screen displays they had set up everywhere.

The screen she brought us to played a video that was about dianetics, which was something that the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard (aka LRH) created in the 50's to explain like, how to understand oneself through thought.. It's really hard to explain. (Obviously, they do a little bit better of a job explaining it on their official website). When it was over, Leigh and I had questions. "What do you guys believe about creation?" "Do you believe in a heaven and hell?" And her response was along the lines of just talking about how we are just spirits (or "thetans"), and not actual human beings, so it doesn't matter how our physical bodies got here.. And we don't go to heaven or hell because our spirit can't die.

I understood that, mostly. I didn't agree with it, but I understood it. But I still wanted to know what they believed about creation. So I went even more basic than the 6 days of creation and asked "Do you guys believe in God?". Instead of answering that.. She said "Well, we have this other video.." And walked us across the room and lobby into a separate room, to a new presentation TV.

This new display was about "The 8 Dynamics". The Dynamics are the different areas in life that you're supposed to strive for. I don't remember what they all are off the top of my head, but I think the first three were Self, Family and Sex, and then Group Survival. And number 8 was Infinity and the Supreme Being. She was pointing to #8 since I'd asked her about God. However, she still didn't quite answer my question. I asked her again, "Do you guys believe in God?" And she said "Well, we believe that to fully understand Infinity, you have to be excelling in the other 7 Dynamics." Which still didn't answer the question. So, she had us watch the movie on the 8 Dynamics. Did that answer my question? No, it didn't.

So now we started asking questions again.
So, why would I want to be a Scientologist?
Well, it helps you find happiness.
But I'm already happy.
Then that's what's right for you.
So it's okay that we're not Scientologists?
It's right for you, because it makes you happy.
But there's nothing wrong with me being a Christian?
If it's what makes you happy.
So there's no reason or motivation for someone to become a Scientologist..
It helps people find happiness.

It kinda went on for a little bit, about how the whole goal of Scientology is for you to be happy - afterall, dynamic #1 is Self.

I decided to go back to the question about heaven and hell..

As a Scientologist, you don't believe that death means eternity in heaven or hell, right?
Correct. Our spirits don't die, and our physical, human bodies are just a place for our spirit to be for now.
Okay, so since I do believe in heaven and hell, that means that I'm wrong.
It's not wrong if it's what makes you happy.
I don't get it. How can I believe something that's different from you, when what you believe is "right", but what I believe is different... But we're both still right?
Well.. There's this other video..

And then she put on another video. I can't even remember what the video was about, because I was still trying to process the previous conversation.

At this point, I could tell she was kinda done with us. We weren't done with her though.

Do you guys have a "Bible"? I'm sure it's not called a Bible, but a basic "scripture" that you read?
*pointing around her* We have all of the books that LRH wrote.
And what he wrote is basically truth, right?
It is truth.
So you do have some absolute truths.
Yes, because LRH discovered everything about Scientology and Dyanetics since he created it.
But what if I don't agree with what he wrote in his books? If I don't agree with what he says.. If what he says doesn't make me happy, how can I follow it and be okay with it?
You shouldn't agree then, because it doesn't make you happy.
So I can still be a Scientologist, but not completely agree with the "truth" of LRH and I'm still considered right because it makes me happy?

I DON'T GET IT!

I was so thoroughly confused. And that didn't complete the conversation. I didn't even mention their auditing. And so much more.

The only thing I do get is why it's so appealing to the Hollywood community. The entire "religion" is about me, me, me. My happiness, my survival, my everything. It's a selfish organization disguised under the pretense of good deeds and title of religion.

And all that I mentioned, didn't include the crazy/cult side of things. They believe in aliens. But, noticed how I didn't mention Xenu in any of the conversation with my new Scientology friend? Why wasn't it mentioned when I asked about creation? Scientology (and Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses) are known for the secret side of things. Keeping things a secret until you reach a certain "level" within the "religion". Why would you want to be a part of something like that? I've never understood that. I had someone explain that they want to keep things "sacred".. But there's a difference between sacred and secret. Christianity doesn't hide anything.

The only thing that I can possibly think of in the realm of Christianity that you can kinda, sorta, possibly compare to that is asking someone not to participate in something (like Communion) until you understand and believe it. But that's not a secret. You can still watch, ask questions, and learn about it.. We just ask that, out of respect, you don't participate.

But these other "religions" keep them secret. Keep their members sworn to secrecy and are punished for telling ahead of time.

I DON'T GET IT!

Anyways.. It was definitely a learning(ish) experience. I guess I learned more about Scientology, even though she didn't fully answer any of our questions.. Like I said, I'm always game for learning about religions..

And this was just another time where I realized how thankful I am for the family I was born into and for the God that I know and love. And how glad I am to have been introduced to my God at such a young age.

And that was how I spend one of my last hours of 2010 :)

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