THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY (5)

General Teachings of Scientology (3)

Victor M. Eskew

 

          This will be our final installment on Scientology.  We have been considering some of the general teachings of The Church of Scientology in our last two articles on this subject.  In this article, let’s looks at Scientology’s view of man.  This is the main focus of Scientology.

          Scientologists do not spend very much time on origins.  L. Ron Hubbard believed that “before the beginning there was a Cause and the entire purpose of the Cause was the creation of effect” (The Factors - by L. Ron Hubbard - April 1953 (scientologyreligion.org).  Exactly what this Cause was is not defined.  How all came to be is not expressed in any detail.  How man came into being is not detailed by Scientology.  They simply accept the fact that man is here, and he has “being.”

          Scientology does teach that man is a spiritual being.  He occupies a body and has a mind, but the soul is the real person.  They refer to this soul as a thetan.   This soul can live outside the body according to Scientologists.  When death comes, the thetan is freed from the body.  It can then be transmitted into another body.  Thus, Scientology holds to the doctrine of reincarnation.  “Each thetan is billions of years old, passing from one human life to the next through reincarnation. There is no judgment of the soul involved, and the process is automatic, without any necessary intervention through ritual, prayer or other means” (What Do Scientologists Believe About Death? (learnreligions.com). 

          When we read of teachings like this, they create a lot of questions.  If the thetan is a spirit, doesn’t it take a spirit to created it?  Who is this creative spirit?  When did the first thetan come into existence?  Are thetans still coming into existence today?  How is a thetan transmitted from one person to another?  At what point from conception till birth does the thetan enter into the individual?  If a thetan has been in an adult, doesn’t transferring it into a newborn diminish its quality?  Does the thetan simply wait for the child to grow up and mature before exerting any influence over the mind and body it inhabits? 

          This view of man runs completely contrary to the revelation of God found in the Bible.  Man is a created being, created on the sixth day of Creation (Gen. 1:26-27).  Man is different than animals because God created him differently.  Man has a soul (Zech. 12:1; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 12:9).  Animals do not.  When a man dies, the spirit returns to God who gave it (Eccl. 12:9).  At the resurrection of the dead, the spirit will return to a glorified body (1 Thess. 4:14; John 5:28-29; 1 Cor. 15:35-44).  Each person will then be judged according to the works her performed on earth (Eccl. 12:14; Rev. 20:11-15).  Paul sets forth the two possibilities of man’s eternal destination succinctly in Romans 2:6-11.  “Who will render to every man according to his deeds:  to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:  but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil; of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; but glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good; to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:  for there is no respect of persons with God.”

          L. Ron Hubbard teaches his followers that man’s goal in life is summed up in one word, “survival.”  On the website:  www.whatisscientology.org, survival is not only called “the goal of life,” but it is also described as “the primary urge which explained all of a life form’s activities.” The website also states:  “The better one is able to manage his life and increase his level of survival, the more he will have pleasure, abundance, and satisfaction.  Pain, disappointment, and failure are the result of actions which do not promote survival.”  It is this focus that turns Scientology into a “self-help” program.  Scientology is designed to decrease pain and increase pleasure.  All of their publications, their Sunday services, and programs are designed to assist individuals in reaching their full potential.  One of the practices of the church is called auditing.  Auditing involves four elements:  an auditor, the preclear, the process, and end goal.  An auditor is a Scientologist who has been trained to listen to the problems and difficulties of struggling member called the preclear.  The auditor asks specific questions in order to identify the problems of the preclear and their causes.  “The goal of auditing is to restore beingness and ability.  This is accomplished by:  (1) helping individuals rid themselves of any spiritual disabilities; (2) increasing spiritual abilities.  Obviously, both are necessary for an individual to achieve his full spiritual potential.  Auditing, then, deletes life’s painful experiences and addresses and improves one’s ability to confront and handle the factors in his life” (www.whatisscientology.org).

          This center of focus for the Scientologist is much different than that of the Christian.  The Christian’s purpose is not the elimination of pain and the increase of pleasure.  The Christian’s duty revolves around his relationship to God.  The wise Solomon described man’s purpose well in Ecclesiastes 12:13.  “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:  Fear God, and keep his commandments:  for this is the whole duty of man.”  Submitting to God does not always bring the utmost pleasure to life.  In fact, it can bring pain and suffering.  Instead of eliminating pain, Christians learn from it and rejoice in it.  Jesus said:  “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake;  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad:  for great is your reward in heaven:  for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matt. 5:10-12).  Paul was taught this lesson through what he called “a thorn in the flesh.”  He prayed three times for it to be removed, but God would not take it away.  God explained His answer thusly:  “My grace is sufficient for thee:  for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9a).  This was Paul’s response:  “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory I my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake:  for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:9b-10).

          Scientology is not really a religion in the sense presenting a God who longs to save man from his sins.  It is only a system that seeks the betterment of an individual’s life by reducing pain and increasing pleasure.  If you desire a God, you can have any God of your choosing.  Jesus was only a wise man with many meaningful words.  The Bible is just a book of wisdom.  Yes, all will die, but there will be no accountability for one’s actions in a final Judgment.  In Scientology, there is no heaven or hell.  Scientology makes men feel better here, but it in no way prepares a person for the hereafter.