The Rising Popularity of the Church of Scientology

Introduction

Every society has some religious aspects entrenched in its culture. Those religions within societies can either follow the traditional practices or modern practices which don’t resemble anything religious. Traditional practices are those religious ways which belief in the existence of a supernatural being who they must subject themselves to. Most religions fall under this category and they include Buddhism, Christianity among others. Modern practices of religion are those which don’t emphasize on the existence of supernatural beings. They are termed as quasi-religious because they are not entirely religious organizations. They have some aspect of science in their practices, a way in which the effectiveness of the teachings of the church can be measured. Scientology falls in this category of religion.

This religion, founded by Lafayette Ronald Hubbard promotes self-help therapy. Born in 1911, Hubbard, as founders of other religions were seen as gifted. However, his religious discoveries did not begin until 1945 when he was nursing wounds he suffered from as a US naval officer. The injuries he sustained had made him blind and crippled and it was during this period that he engaged himself in studying Eastern Philosophies and Freudian psychoanalytic theories whereby he gained an understanding of the mind and he healed himself in the process. The understanding he gained on how the mind works later formed the basis of the church of Scientology. The organization has various branches which help it achieve its purposes. The organization has several branches which together to achieve the goal of the organization of making mankind better. One branch is for fighting government organizations and professions which are hindering mankind from achieving better lives, another branch is responsible for offering business skills services to organizations, another one is in charge of ensuring that the integrity of the teachings of Hubbard is maintained among others.

Reasons for the Increased Following of the Church of Scientology

There are several reasons which have made Scientology appealing to people. The first reason is that it is more realistic compared to other religions. Scientology involves the use of science to measure the effectiveness of its teachings and therapy. This is unlike other religions, especially the traditional ones whereby there is no measure of the effectiveness and teachings. Hubbard, the founder of Scientology has devised a machine known as the e-meter which measures electrical impulses. The e-meter will register readings when a person is emotionally troubled but when the person has been cleared of the troubles, the e-meter will not read anything. Auditing is used altogether with e-meter to asses the effectiveness of the therapy. Auditing in Scientology is not different from that used in businesses as it involves identifying the root cause of the problem.

Another factor for the increased uptake of Scientology is the testimony given by members. Many people who have received the therapies offered by Scientology and they believe that they are healed are spreading the message about the effectiveness of the therapy, therefore, attracting new members. One member reported that he was a drug addict and had even dropped out of school. On being introduced to the therapy offered by Scientology, his life changed for the better as he stopped abusing drugs. Another member reported that he received supernatural powers as a result of practising Scientology. He claimed that he was able to repair mechanical problems mentally encountered by electrical devices in his house. Another member of the organization reported that he was able to identify who was calling him before receiving the call. Such testimonies of supernatural abilities and healings draw people to the sect.

Scientology is against most governmental organizations. This makes them closer to the people since many people don’t trust governmental organizations. The relentless attacks of governmental organizations have drawn people to the organization. Scientology has demonized Interpol by associating it with KGB and Nazism. KGB was known for brutalities in the Soviet Union while Nazi was Hitler’s organization which was responsible for the killing of Jews in Germany. The organization has also criticized the government for the collection of data of citizens and electronically storing them. Scientology has also waged war on psychiatry by branding them as murderers.

The various branches of the organization are also responsible for the increased following of people of the sect. The organization has several branches which perform different functions which cut across the economy. The World Institute of Sociology Enterprises (WISE), a branch of Scientology which offers training regarding business skills has served famous government organizations and prominent people. The fact that prominent people and government organizations go to them for help is an indicator that people can also trust the organization and they, therefore, seek their services. This increases the number of their followers. The ethics system is also another branch of the organization that deals ensure that the integrity of the teachings of the organization is maintained. The church is founded on utilitarian policies so that actions and teachings that reduce the earnings of the church are abandoned. There is offence code which outlines offences which are hindering the goal of the church. Suppressive acts are one such activity which prevents mankind from bettering themselves.

Conclusion

Scientology is a quasi-religion organization which deals with empowering people mentally. According to Hubbard, humans can succeed if only they can discover that what prevents them from succeeding is artificial. Scientology has fairly succeeded in attracting people by employing means such as attacking government agencies, using scientific measures to gauge the effectiveness of the therapies and finally the use of testimonies by members who have benefitted from the therapies.