I rebut
 The following is a comment on my previous post Scientology, and my response. If you’re sensitive on the topic of religion or don’t like sarcasm or bitterness, please don’t read this. I don’t want to make people angry.
[Scientology] isn’t really a religion, in fact it only defined itself as a religion for tax-exemption purposes. Scientology is really nothing more than self-improvement pop-psychology masquerading as a religion or religious philosophy. I warn you right now…once you get on their mailing list you will never get off. I also read Hubbard’s book on Dianetics a long time ago….when I was about 17…it was the biggest load of claptrap I’d ever read, especially since Hubbard’s science fiction writing was not too awful. Although scientologists would deny it, Scientology is extremely cultish, and I have known several people whose lives have been destroyed by it…so while I always encourage exploring, this is one of the things I would discourage people from exploring. Â
Although I do not intend to join the cult, I did find it interesting to read about. Especially how one must give 10% of one’s income if one wishes to be a member of the “congregation”. However I have to argue with you about the fact that
 ”‘It isn’t really a religion, in fact the it only defined itself as a religion for tax-exemption purposes’”.
What more is any religion? Unless something is declared a religion by a Deity (as the church would have you believe Christianity was) it means no more than anything else declared by humans. For example: George Bush declared that Iraq had Atomic weapons. That doesn’t mean they’re there, or that there are no ulterior motives, but it didn’t prevent him from blowing them up.
 As far as I have read Scientology claims to have many of the same values and belief systems as other major world religions. Is it not a “religion” because it’s new, or is it not a religion because it practices some “colorful” recruiting, organization and financial methods?
Excuse me if I roll my eyes, but Christianity is no roll model in any of those respects. I don’t know how many times I’ve said it but, “just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s good!”. Think of the Christian recruiting methods when they were forcing themselves into the European conciousness. You didn’t join, they withheld on the needed food or supplies they were offering, or more simply, they killed you. Organizational…to be completely honest I would have to say that how “the church” is organized is pretty hypocritical. I think I recall reading about Jesus saying, “all men are created equal”. And yet when one approaches the pope or any high ranking official in the Christian religion it is fairly common practice to grovel on the ground and kiss the various very expensive jewels bedecking this “representative of human equality”. And then there are the Christian financial practices.
I am sure they have had their fair share of one-off scandals, but so does everyone. I can no longer go in the majority of churches without my blood pressure rising. Especially after living here in Europe for a year, I have, on occaision, had to leave a church because it made me sick just to be in there. These churches are massive structures which belittle the person inside making them feel small, helpless and afraid, assumedly of god. I thought, “our god is a loving god”, maybe he changed his policy though. But worse still is what’s inside these massive stone structures. Gold, silver, jewels, marble. What’s outside? Poor dirty people, who are not allowed in the church to keep dry (although admittedly not warm)and who beg outside for pennies while the church hoardes. I don’t know about you but in the way that I picture Jesus I can’t see it playing out like that:
The building of the first church
1st builder - “here it is my lord, the first church”
Jesus -Â ”what did I tell you at the beginning?”
1st builder -Â ”that you wanted gold, silver and marble?”
Jesus -Â ”yes…well?”
1st builder -Â ”but my lord we took all the gold from the mines, we even had to kill some of the rich people here and take their gold”
Jesus “I don’t care!!! It needs more gold!!! Do you want to please your god or not?!”
Somehow I always pictured Jesus as a little more “down to earth” (excuse the pun) and humble. I pictured meetings in small houses, in the woods, gatherings on hilltops etc.. I could be wrong though. Because according to the church, your faith is not enough, you have to pay through the nose to make god hear you.
Now I know that most religions, if not all, built fantastically ridiculous monuments, and I was just using Christianity as an example. But before you say “but we want to build a momument to honor our god”, let me just say this:
God, if he is anything like what I and many people imagine “him” to be, then he couldn’t care less about colossal churches. And furthermore, if you would be so kind, please complete this short test:
1. Who built St. Peter’s Cathedral?
2. Name one name of a person who has built a world famous religious structure.
3. Who painted the last supper? (there are several, just pick one)
4. Who composed the messiah?
My point is that the best “gifts” are the ones that come from the soul, not the pocket. How many times has your mother or father told you to make them something for Christmas, birthday etc.? Is god not our father? How much would it have cost the painter of the last supper to paint the painting? Canvas=25$ (including gst and pst as well as inflation over the past few centuries)Brushes=20$ Paint=50$ Talent=priceless
Anyway, you get the point. In fact I have no idea how much art supplies were back then. But in comparison, do you know how much it would cost to build St. Peter’s Cathedral again?
It’s not even possible, the amount of funds and time and talent, just does not exist anymore. It’s true, it was on a plaque outside of the Cathederal.
This was in fact more than a commentary on religion. It was more of a commentary on the state of our culture. It truly scares me that organizations (not just religious ones) that many many people put their full trust and entire lives in can be so hypocritical and corrupt. In fact the church is just one example that happens to be very easy to see. I also want to make it clear that I was in no way defending Scientology, it is no better or worse than any other religion/religious philosophy. It simply served as a good segway to say what I wanted to say.
You may have noticed the lack of ususal sarcasm and bitterness on this blog for the last long while. That is because I have practically nothing to be bitter or sarcastic about. I think religion is one of the few subjects that can really get the blood flowing and the sarcasm oozing. I hope I haven’t offended anyone by off-hand blasphemy or my seemingly unending bitterness.
Please feel free to rebut me. I would love to hear some opinions.
Great rant Nick. It got me musing that you won’t find spirituality in buildings (or religious organizations, for that matter). I find it interesting that all over Europe people line up to get into churches to sightsee, not to worship; it’s an irony of the post-Christian era. But church buildings are usually built for all the wrong reasons: Jean Vanier writes that a Bishop in Africa told him he was obliged to build a bigger church than the local mosque, in order to impress the Muslim population. For my money though, the noblest religious structure is a stable. Observant Jews have a good thing going when they build a little hut outside once a year and spend a lot of time in it for a few days, just as a reminder to be humble … maybe Christians and scientologists should build more stables.
A few random comments based on this and the previous post:
1. Um, Leonardo da Vinci didn’t even need to spend $25 on a canvas for his Last Supper - he just slapped some paint on a wall… (although yes your canvas analogy still applies for other Last Supper paintings)
2. Churches certainly exist in certain countries in part for financial reasons. I understand many people in Germany nominally belong to a church because church membership offers certain tax advantages - the week I learnt most of my German was on a friend’s “youth group” ski trip to Bavaria… I think they had to send their kids on the trip to qualify as participating in the church. Dunno if the same system operates in Austria or not. I did have my best New Years ever with those Germans though.
3. I admire your openness to explore different faiths and belief systems Nick… but Scientology is pretty scary when you start reading about how it operates - at its most basic level it may seem like a self-help system, but there are some very cultish behaviours going on under the surface. There was a great article in this week’s Observer here in the UK about Scientology and people who tried to leave the religion - unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be an online version…lets just say it frightened me. I’d agree with what Rushan says on this one. Don’t let that stop you reading L. Ron Hubbard though it you want.
4. There was going to be a 4th comment, but I’ve forgotten it.
I suppose I should respond since it was my comment that sparked this rant
Firstly, you need to close a tag somewhere so it goes back to the regular font setting.
Secondly, not sure that the quote about “everyone being equal” can be attributed Jesus…however, it could be attributed to Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and maybe even the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
Speaking about my comments regarding Scientology: Scientology may be religious in nature, however there is enough information in Dianetics publications from the 1950s about Dianetics presenting itself as “a mental therapy and Scientology a science”. Scientology does also deny its religious nature if it is attempting to enter a country that might react negatively to religious proselytization. So, there is no doubt that the terms “Church” and “Religion” in the context of Scientology are purely out of convenience. Scientology does not have the same values and beliefs as other world religions - it might borrow little bits and pieces from other religions, but in many ways it is a mishmash of ideas that are used to mask the pseudo-psychological and pseudo-religious nature of Scientology.
Now, your comments about religion and churches, in general. I don’t disagree with them. The Church has been guilty of many, many mistakes in the past, and still continues to make mistakes. You talk about the gigantic, ornate Cathedrals of Europe and the like. Much of that was shaped by an understanding and an image of God as King, God as transcendent and God as all powerful. And in the context of the times, that made sense because for many people it was how they understood and saw God (and understood and saw their place in society). Very few of us now hold an image of God as a supreme ruler, and many of us now understand God as being both transcendent and immanent. Our understanding of being church has also changed - we now better understand that church is people.
I’m sitting here in New England on a beautiful spring day and can’t help noticing that the building I am sitting in is called a Meeting House. And these buildings are dotted all around this part of the world, often in the center of the town. They are relatively plain (usually white), with very little ornamentation in the worship space and no stained glass. And historically, this tradition was a reaction against much of what you talk about. Throughtout history the Church has had to learn from its mistakes, had to deal with its critics, cope with schisms and disagreements, had to watch as people have left and through all that has stayed relatively strong and still managed to hold God its center. Ultimately, for me, those are the marks of an authentic religion…unlike Scientology, which makes it almost difficult for people to leave and spends as much time suing people for defamation as doing anything else.
My 2 cents worth….
PS. I also agree with Richard’s comments…
I have posted my response on my blog as well.
[…] I posted a comment to one of Nick’s posts about Scientology. Nick then posted a rebuttal. […]
Hmmmm. After thinking long and hard, I think “yes” sums it all up.
Ello der Nick and fellers. Good to be back…looks like I have some catching up to do!
In the meantime, update your links, for Teh Will is back, along with [Insert pretentious name here]!! Under a new address, willetc.blogspot.com.
Update links everyone!