Really I don't. I originally came here because a friend of mines was thinking of getting into scientology but I had heard a few bad things about it so I poped open my trusty news group reader and came over here. I see a bunch of people hammering away on it.

As I'm reading along I see people like SunSurfer, TruthSeeker, and Virginia defending it but very poory and most of the time comically.

I read more and more and more and started to realize "OMG these are people who are IN this church and they are really out there!". Not only that but they always seem to skirt the issue and either repost something over and over or attempt to flame (badly) or hi-jack the thread.

Now I'm thinking to myself "Well, self, this seems a bit off. On one side we have a bunch of people posting articles, links, personal stories, etc.. about how horrible this is. We also see people I would assume are in the church defending it in ways that I've never seen, mainly by NOT defending it but diverting the argument into either a personal flame or off into never never land. Now on the other side of the fense we see huge stars in this church and it is, as we know, a church."

A few weeks go by and I really think nothing of it. Then my friend calls me up again about some scientology freebie thing hes attending and wants me to go. Well, my kiddies are with my mother in law and my wife was at some hair dressing show so I decided to go. We go in there and watch some movies and stuff then we take this "personality" test. We both failed. Again I think to myself "This sounds familiar.

I read about this." While my buddy and I are waiting for an agent or something I tell him about this group and what I read. He agree's and we goto leave. We get hammered by people telling us that we really cant go, that we need help. I brush them aside and they still keep comming! WTF!! Now they tell me that I can help make myself SO much better and on top of that, help the world! Don't I want to help the world? No! I just want to get the hell out of there! After a good hour of them constantly telling us how much help we need and what not we finally flee (litterly, I was running) out the doors and take off.

Back home I load up my group reader again and start lurking. I take note of the urls and start going to new sites. OMG! WTF kinda church is this anyway? I start reading and reading and reading. It's like a train wreck. I want to stop but its both strangely intresting and bizzarly disturbing at the same time. I mean to disrespect to the people who are now out and have writtin up stories of what they went though but these things facinate me. I just can't belive it.

Now here I am once again but now i delurk and decided to post because, quite frankely, I don't get it. No really, I don't. How is it that people that are SO intelligent and so self assure now stay with that kind of abuse for so long? I've read all the accounts and how they brain wash (hookwink a better term maybe) but still. I've read a few of the books that LRH wrote and not only are they muddled and half the time make no sense but even the information he was dishing out wasnt even anything new! Some of this stuff I had learned in basic phych classes!! I still don't get how so many people can be lead to belive in this. Not only that, but now hes dead! Apparently he coudln't even heal himself! That right there strikes me as both odd and laughable but it still hits my head over and over again "How can people STILL believe in this?? The man is DEAD!"

Well, enough rambling from me. I think most of what I just typed is pretty muddled in and of itself. So I'll leave off with this:

What is the over all general appeal of this entire religion anyway?

I've read more than one account of people joining and most of them seem to be different. If I knew nothing of Scientology, what would it's appeal be to me?

demigod "Smash face into monitor for 16million colors."

From: barbz
Subject: Re: I don't get it
Date: Fri, 05 Dec 2003 04:18:44 -0800
Message-ID: <3FD077A4.9090404@cox.net>

Heh...you sound like me when I first discovered Scientology following an A&E special a few years ago.

What is the appeal? It's many faceted, depending upon your vulnerability. Had you fallen for the "your test results show you'll commit suicide within 5 years if you don't start courses NOW," or any of a number of other pat responses, you would start being subjected to mind numbing exercises meant to put you into a receptive state. You'd start associating with others being subjected to this coercive, hypnotic routine, and they would support your new mindset. You'd get new friends, and always with a purpose, the noble goal of Clearing the Planet. You'd get sucked in so gradually, you wouldn't even notice where the line between reality and Hubbard's fantasy world lies, even after you cross over it. Other people get sucked in through Narconon, a desire to Help People, the CCHR anti-psych group, or one of many other baited hooks they dangle. You'd spend so much time focussing on the "tech," you wouldn't have time to stand back and question. Question is Bad, m'kay?

By reading some of the accounts on lermanet of Scientologists' stories, you'll gain a better understanding of how this works. There are some online books to read as well, on xenu.net. The Road to Xenu is a good one. Scientologists aren't stupid people. Look at Skip Press, Dan Garvin, Robert Vaughn Young (deceased) Brilliant writers, able to assemble thoughts with a single bound, but all of them were, at some point, vulnerable to whatever snake oil solutions the cult offered them.

Smart enough to get out, too. The whole point of the personality test is to "find your ruin," that is, something that bothers you so badly you'd join this group to find solutions. "Scientology can help you with that," is a phrase you'll hear a lot. From diabetes to drug abuse, from family strife to shyness, Scientology claims it has solutions to all the world's problems. Truth is, the only thing Scientology will help you with is your bank account.

barb

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