I have been studying the new basics package for the last couple months. It is great, there is nothing like it. As for what I think of Scientology critics. I don't think about them much. I am not around any very often and when I am
I don't argue with them. What would be the point, what is there to argue about? I like to study and experience Scientology not argue about it.

The Hulk Says:
Scientology makes people better, when used as laid out by Mr. Hubbard. But, Scientology is not for everyone.
There are certain basic requirement for becoming a Scientologist, one of which is having an IQ above the level of moron. Another is desiring improvement for self and others, and a belief that people can get better.
People who criticise Scientology are generally found to be lacking one or both of the above basic qualifications. Take your pick which.

Translation - if you dont like COS youre dumb or mean

lol, yeah ok "Hulk"

but he stopped studying scientology and that's what's IMPORTANT =)

>Scientology makes people better, when used as laid out by Mr. Hubbard

The same mr hubbard who said the best way to make money was to start a religion... and then started a religion?

Yes yes of course all the people who don't benefit are just not doing it right... that makes scientology unfalsifiable. Praise Xenu!

Good for Jerry! I'm a Scientologist and have been since the day I stepped foot in the door in 1993; because it works. My life is infinitely better because of the spiritual therapy, called "Auditing" I receive and simple principles of life I've learned there. Everyone can benefit from it, it's so cool! It only gets negative press because special interest groups like Psychiatry and the drug companies don't want people to know it works because it would take money out of their pockets.

As someone who spent 34 of their 37 years, in a Scientology family, I know something about it.
I spent about 28 of those years as a "non-scientologist" by my decision. I had a hard life growing up, and was a bit of a criminal, and loser.
I met a gal, in 2000 and decided to try to change myself, for the better. I had a rough time, and needed help.
Scientlogy was the only way I knew to get that help.
I have seen and heard of other "help" and saw that it was not workable, and even deadly (drugs, shock treatment, prison, psychiatry, etc) or not effective (yoga, meditation, psychiatry, etc)
What worked for me, was Scientology, and L.Ron Hubbard's books, and lectures.
I also have recieved, "auditing" which involves nothing more then communication, between, myself, and the auditor.
This made the most change in me.
I got much better, and improved my life tremendously.
LRH's books are now even better then before, as they have been corrected from publishers errors.
People are winning, and changing their lives for the better.
Some people think Scientology is "weird" but I find that not taking advantage of this effective, and workable technology, is far more "weirder"

Scientology makes people better, when used as laid out by Mr. Hubbard. But, Scientology is not for everyone.

There are certain basic requirement for becoming a Scientologist, one of which is having an IQ above the level of moron. Another is desiring improvement for self and others, and a belief that people can get better.

People who criticise Scientology are generally found to be lacking one or both of the above basic qualifications. Take your pick which.

The church itself has been guilty of breaking the law. Canada, breach of public trust. It has been fined in the US for filing frivolous lawsuits. Let's not forget the church is guilty of the largest domestic espionage in the US.

No one cuts of anyone....subject to expulsion.

Was Mrs. Hubbard expelled?

Was the doctor who lost his license due to the McPherson case expelled?

How about the man caught on video swinging a hammer and hitting a videographer in Clearwater?

www.sptimes.com/2006/06/24/Tampabay/The_unperson.shtml

www.sptimes.com/2006/06/25/Tampabay/Church_spokesman_says.shtml

Church staff confirmed the practice of suppressive persons and potential trouble sources. They then tried to smear the people who spoke to the paper (the second link), who then looked into the allegations and found them to be unsubstantiated. Smear campaigns are par for course though.

My knowledge comes firsthand, thank you very much. Typical scientologist rebuttals that involve accusations of fear and ignorance do not hide the refusal to address anything that others bring up as concerns. Is the name Perkins to hard to type? I imagine it completely inexplicable as to why people would drive past 4 hospitals with a dying woman, so ignoring that topic is understandable.

Technology is not a religion, although I am sure Bill Gates would love it to be so.

So if the church grows and grows, why does it cry poor in Clearwater in regards to completion date of the so called super power building? Isn't it now almost 5 years behind schedule?

No one cuts anyone off from anybody! That's urban myth about Scientology. I'm in constant touch with Anglican, Buddhist and Jewish relatives. Should I seek out even more religions among my family and friends to satisfy you that you've been lied to, or are those three sufficient?

So such accusations are just absolutely, totally, flatly wrong and false. But I sure do get curious about why someone would propagate them!

One lady who constantly spewed that accusation is the same one who _knowingly_ swore false police statements to cause trouble for her over-21-year-old Scientologist son, whom she would _not_ stop noisily harassing. And, yes, he sure as hell did purposefully drop out of touch with his toxic Mommy Dearest.

YES!, there have been stupid Scientologists who disobeyed strict Church policy by breaking the law. But Church policy says _not_ to break the laws of the land.

Further emphasizing that point is a chapter heading in the book "The Way to Happiness." It’s brutally clear: "DON'T DO ANYTHING ILLEGAL."

Can you find any loopholes, any wriggle-room, in that blatant statement?

Furthermore, any Scientologist seriously breaking the law of the land is subject to Church discipline and -- if serious enough and/or if refusing to reform -- is subject to suspension from services and expulsion.

Any more Internet drivel? Got any chain letters about Bill Gates and AOL giving away millions of dollars that you want me to send to all my friends?

What's all the fuss about? Seinfeld says Scientology helped him, and a few wordy people get all upset. But what's really bizarre is that most of the comments posted here are not even sequitur to the article.

Apparently a large number of the people on this board either hate the idea of others getting better, or they have no logical ability at all, as instead of investigating the subject itself, they simply trade negative opinions and ask others to do the same.

If you want to find out about any subject, you read the literature of the subject itself, not the opinions of those who criticize it, as many of those on this board seem to want others to do.

If you want to find out about Scientology, the logical thing to do is to read the books written by Mr. Hubbard, not the opinions of someone who doesn't like him.

Wow! I commented a couple of days ago, and I come back and look at all of the discussion! It is a little disconcerting how many people have such a strong opinion of something they have little information on. I have always believed you should make up your own mind without other's opinions swaying you too much until you have the facts.

There is no hypnotism, drugging or sexual abuse involved in Scientology; for that, go to a psychiatrist (that's the easy way out). If you do not wish to improve yourself, stay home! If you want to find out common sense solutions for life's problems, and you don't mind some hard work actually learning things,check out Scientology.

To a previous Scientologist poster: L. Ron Hubbard was not a "professional" in 11 fields. He was a dilettante. He took factoids from the burgeoning 20th century fields of physics, psychology, and biology and glued them together in a desultory, schizoid way.

Only the depths of delusion would explain how someone could believe that L. Ron Hubbard was the most accomplished human in history. Hello, Aristotle anyone? The doctors/mathematicians/astronomers of the Middle Eastern Golden Age? The thinkers/mathematicians/physicists of the Enlightenment? The Founding Fathers of the U.S. with their political innovations? The engineers/businessmen of the Industrial Revolution? Wake up!

I believe in a creator, but RELIGION itself is PURELY man-made...as is the BIBLE! It's a HUMAN's intepretation of something that happened MANY years ago! Humans make mistakes, right? They can misinterpret, right? They interpret things with their own "frames" of mind, right? The Bible has been translated so many times, each to suit one's needs (King James, anyone?). The "laws" that the Catholics follow...their "age old" beliefs? Many were put into place within the last 100-150 years by self-serving Popes!

To each his/her own, but I cannot blindly follow someone's RELIGION without doing some research, and from what I see, none of them really espouse what a true creator, benevolent "god" would want...

If scientology is about technology and not about belief, how is it that it is defined as a religion when the very defintion of religion is about belief?

Note to Beth: check out Tom Shales' contentious exchange with Jerry on the subject of Scientology in 1992, in which he says more than he did in Parade.