On Thu, 01 Jun 2000 01:07:29 GMT, John or Claire Swazey <swazey@home.com> wrote: >I've known quite a few people who were members of offbeat religious
>sects and so forth, who'd be considered cultists by most people here and
>IRL. Near as I could tell, they seemed to know they could leave at any
>time. However, I will say that they (and I'll include Scn'ologists I've
>known in this) often, some of them, felt it was unthinkable. They felt
>this because they felt they'd found the one source of salvation. The
>best road out. (btw, Hubbard does not say Scn is the only way out, he
>just claims it to be the best way. Bit of a difference there, and I felt
>it worth mentioning.) Better than all the others, and if they left this
>group, they'd be cut off from salvation.
Re what Hubbard did or did not claim about Scn as the only way out. HCOPL 14 Feb 1965 "Safeguarding Technology" says this: "Scientology is a workable system This does not mean it is the best possible system or a perfect system. Remember and use that definition. Scientology is a workable system." Fine. Not a perfect system, a workable system. But the next paragraph of that same HCOPL says: "In fifty thousand years of history on this planet alone, Man never evolved a workable system. It is doubtful if, in foreseeable history, he will ever evolve another." So we're still back at claims of exclusivity. I'm not going to sit and wade through all my Hubbard texts, but briefly turning the pages of some CoS magazines I find quotes such as these: "From here on the world will change; but if it changes at all and if it recovers, it will be because of the Scientologists; it will be because of the auditor and his technical skill; it will be because of the organization, and the organization staff member and his dedication. In all the broad universe there is no other hope for man, than ourselves." (Ron's Journal 67, from "Advance" issue 122) How's that for a claim of exclusivity? "There has never been this technology before. We are the only group on Earth that has a workable technology which handles the basic rules of life itself and brings order out of chaos. (...) We are the first people to appear on Earth since its first solidification out of nebulous vaporings who can get the job done and who know what we are doing." (Article "Scientology Technology" found in Source minor issue 110) Again scientology is claimed, not to be "the best", but "the only" workable technology. "Brutally, there is no other organization on Earth that can slow these down. Factually there is no other know-how on Earth that can plumb the problems of man." (Article "Your Role in a Clear Earth" from International Scientology News issue 11) The same claim of exclusive truth made in yet another article. "But what I'm saying is, let's get this in perspective. Let's put the real values on it and quit fooling. ONLY Clears and OTs will survive this planet! And we're the only ones that can make them." (From International Scientology News issue 11, exactly where this quote comes from is not stated, but it could be the HCOPL on "Planetary Dissemination") That's a non-ambiguous statement. The only beings who will survive in the long run are scientologists! [The following quote is from a Swedish translation backtranslated by myself, and so wording will probably differ from the original:) "Those who are not Scientologists are left in complete ignorance of the motives of the criminal. They have no possibility to reach personal immortality. It's that simple." (HCOB 27 Aug 1987 "Those who oppose Scientology") Again, this says *no other* than scientologists have a chance for immortality. "You are a Clear. Well done and congratulations. This state has not previously been attained in this universe, and we must all work towards getting more people - many more people - up to this level." (An Open Letter to All Clears, from "Scn the Road to Total Freedom" booklet) If nobody ever attained Clear before Scn, then follows that all religions and philosophies that went before can't make people free. "Unlike so many promises made to man and which have made him fear disappointment, Scientology delivers. It may be over a rough road. It may be over a smooth one. But Scientology eventually delivers all it says it can. And that is what is new about it and why it grows. No other religion ever given man, delivered. They all waited until after the end for one to find his harp or his Nirvana. For the first time in all the ages there *is* something that within one lifetime delivers the answers to the eternal questions and delivers immortality as well." (Article "Philosophy Wins After 2000 Years", ISN #9, originally published in "The Auditor" #13) I think I have made my point. Note please that these are not esoteric, hard-to-find Hubbard quotes that the average member would never have read, since they were published in very widely distributed Scn promotional magazines, or as is the case with HCOPL "Safeguarding Technology", is studied on every major Scn course. I certainly don't belive that every scientologist is a fanatic. I do belive that Hubbard's writings can easily inspire fanaticism. r Catarina http://xenu.just.nu ================================== "Love the truth, forgive mistakes" (Voltaire) ==================================

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