Scientology vs. Psychology

[Zygote]

Any of the psychology professionals or anyone else interested have anything to add to this debate?

essay on the issue

more info from the same author

even more info

[SNOWBALL138]

Good link.

[revots33]

I admit I don't know much about Scientology. Don't care to. But is it even really a "religion"? It seems like more of a self-help program than a religion to me. But of course, self-help programs don't get tax-exempt status, and religions do - so draw your own conclusions.

Either way, their rigid anti-psychiatry and anti-medicine stances seem not only ignorant of science, but downright dangerous to people who might need medical help.

Oh, and Tom Cruise should really stop appointing himself the spokesperson for Scientology. The guy is so tightly wound that I think he could greatly benefit from a psychiatrist's prescription himself. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[LuvDemNutz]

That Cult stuff is pretty wacky.

I think I'll pass.

[noggindoc]

as a psycholgist i think my opinion would be a little biased...
[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[mdeck]

Scientology is a huge moneymaking scene developed by one L. Ron Hubbard to basically milk a bunch of gullible people for all they're worth.

Read about his crackpot Sci-Fi religion on www.xenu.net, some of the tenets of that "religion" are so wacky it's funny.

[LuvDemNutz]

I just read a few of those articles and they are quite disturbing.

[toots]

They just don't like the competition.

I mean, they are (aside from collecting money) peddling self-help, which puts them in direct competition with psychology, psychiatry, social work and any other religion's counseling.

If you look at the silly in-fighting that goes on between, say, Psychiatry and Psychology, you'd see that this sort of dismissal of the competition is nothing unusual. The only unusual thing is the level of vehemence and the whole "body thetan" paradigm.

[Zygote]

[ QUOTE ]
I admit I don't know much about Scientology. Don't care to. But is it even really a "religion"? It seems like more of a self-help program than a religion to me. But of course, self-help programs don't get tax-exempt status, and religions do - so draw your own conclusions.

Either way, their rigid anti-psychiatry and anti-medicine stances seem not only ignorant of science, but downright dangerous to people who might need medical help.

Oh, and Tom Cruise should really stop appointing himself the spokesperson for Scientology. The guy is so tightly wound that I think he could greatly benefit from a psychiatrist's prescription himself. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

They do consider themselves to be a religion.

[RydenStoompala]

I think that it's well-established that Scientology is a pseudo criminal cult, highly litigious and agressively defensive in nature, boasting a half-million-dollar-per-week income. The cash is mainly derived from people who can ill afford it. Its followers can be fanatical and those who leave the organization are subjected to intimidation, psychological abuse and threats. L. Ron Hubbard was a moronic psychopath. He was a crappy writer but he had a good nose for gathering cash, so he dreamed up this idiotic dribble 50 years ago. If you want to treat yourself to some of his "incredible visionary insights" just pick up one of his books at the local booskstore, open it to any page at random and keep the hurl bucket close by because you will probably puke. He is possibly the most overrated writer in the history of fiction. Well, he was a straight D student and complete failure at everything else he did, so at least he was consistant.

Psychology? I don't have an opinion.