Is there a beginner's guide to Scientology?
- Thread starter FascinatedNeverIn
- Start date
FascinatedNeverIn
Patron with Honors
I did do a search on Google using "site:exscn.net" to try to find similar threads but didn't find anything.
Just to be clear, it's not me looking for the info. I look at Tony's and Mike's site every day, try and read other blogs when time allows, and I read here off and on.
I am looking back to when I, too, came across some Village Voice articles out of the blue and wanted to look a little deeper, but it was very hard going and it's taken a LOT of time just to know the little I do. As a newbie, you quickly butt up against a wall of impenetrable lingo. At the time I wished there was a good resource that held my hand, and that's still the case I feel. Most guides and blogs are aimed squarely at time-served exes and already-invested observers, even Tony's amazing site to a degree.
It would be great if someone was able to produce something that takes those googling about this documentary from Tom Cruise to obscure policy letters from 1969 without scaring them.
Udarnik's powerpoint idea is the kind of thing I had in mind, but in a website setting where it presents easily understandable facts that maybe you swipe through. Something not too text heavy.
Chris' videos really are very accessible (congrats on your work, Chris), but I don't know whether the vast majority of people will sit through several 30 minute videos to garner an overview. I wonder if he would consider making a 5 minute video that presents the basics to an audience that has no prior interest in the subject, as that's most of the people on earth.
Just to be clear, it's not me looking for the info. I look at Tony's and Mike's site every day, try and read other blogs when time allows, and I read here off and on.
I am looking back to when I, too, came across some Village Voice articles out of the blue and wanted to look a little deeper, but it was very hard going and it's taken a LOT of time just to know the little I do. As a newbie, you quickly butt up against a wall of impenetrable lingo. At the time I wished there was a good resource that held my hand, and that's still the case I feel. Most guides and blogs are aimed squarely at time-served exes and already-invested observers, even Tony's amazing site to a degree.
It would be great if someone was able to produce something that takes those googling about this documentary from Tom Cruise to obscure policy letters from 1969 without scaring them.
Udarnik's powerpoint idea is the kind of thing I had in mind, but in a website setting where it presents easily understandable facts that maybe you swipe through. Something not too text heavy.
Chris' videos really are very accessible (congrats on your work, Chris), but I don't know whether the vast majority of people will sit through several 30 minute videos to garner an overview. I wonder if he would consider making a 5 minute video that presents the basics to an audience that has no prior interest in the subject, as that's most of the people on earth.
TrevAnon
Big List researcher
TrevAnon
Big List researcher
Nowadays I think I would refer someone to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology
If that someone says "Ok, I read all that" then Wikileaks may be the next stop https://wikileaks.org/wiki/Category:Chanology_Research_Portal
However, it will take him/her lots of time to go through all that.
FascinatedNeverIn
Patron with Honors
La La Lou Lou
Crusader
Lone Star
Crusader
You're asking for the impossible. It's a huuuuuge subject. Period.
My advice to those who don't want to spend a lot of time researching it: Then don't. Get on with your life. There are more important things to do.
It looks to me that this newly screened documentary film will contain plenty of the most important info that most will need to understand what this cult is all about. But for an in-depth understanding there is no drive-thru solution. Sorry.
Type4_PTS
Diamond Invictus SP
If I had hundreds of extra hours (which I don't) I'd be interested in taking on such a project.
Not everyone is interested in the same aspects of scientology, so it would be fun and challenging to create something that is appropriate and/or useful for everyone.
I'd make it usable by someone with an average high school education and helpful to those who never heard of scientology ever before, as well as those who have some knowledge, and by making it web based it's possible to do this. One can provide simple explanations about what scientology is, about how cults operate, the techniques they use, etc. And then provide links to the extensive resources on the web (and elsewhere) for people to learn more about whatever aspects they're most interested in, including all the books, articles, documentaries, websites.
This way, whether someone had 15 minutes or alternatively 1000 hours with which to study this subject, they'd be able to use this resource.
Dulloldfart
Squirrel Extraordinaire
There is Scienowiki at http://scienowiki.org = http://scientology.wikia.com/wiki/Scienowiki. I started this back in 2005 and put a hundred hours or so into it. I haven't even looked at it for a couple of years, so dunno what its content is like now. My original idea was to present a true picture, but then Freezoners started writing PR fluff pieces there, as they do.
There's also Scientolipedia at http://scientolipedia.org/info/Main_Page . I just took a look at it and it seems to be even more of a Freezone lovefest.
Maybe someone who cares could give a more in-depth assessment of these as to their suitability for noobs, although why anyone would really want to delve at length into Scientology is beyond me.
Paul
Commander Birdsong
Crusader
hubbard produced voluminous writing but
i could give a primary synopsis in less than five hundred words...
Type4_PTS
Diamond Invictus SP
TrevAnon
Big List researcher
Actually when I google Scientology for Dummies there are lots of results.Maybe there already IS such a guide. I just found this.
Claire Swazey
Spokeshole, fence sitter
Although I don't think one had to have been into Scn to critique it, still, one shd know what he's critiquing. Go to CofS and you'll get PRd and maybe regged, harassed, etc. Their sites contain overly generalized vague misleading stuff -they aren't even honest abt their ideas and methods.
The cults been unable to stop the sites, fora, and books abt Scn. Many are excellent but get an idea of the beliefs first.
To this end, Grundy's subforum is a good start. Better than slogging through lots of books and tapes, probably.
Then work your way into various critical web resources.
The cults been unable to stop the sites, fora, and books abt Scn. Many are excellent but get an idea of the beliefs first.
To this end, Grundy's subforum is a good start. Better than slogging through lots of books and tapes, probably.
Then work your way into various critical web resources.
Student of Trinity
Silver Meritorious Patron
Really?
I think the idea that Scientology is this massive body of ideas was just another one of Hubbard's lies. It all came from one guy, and he wasn't really that creative. He wrote a lot of words, but most of them summarize to nothing at all. You don't need to repeat them. Just explain the basic substantial idea behind them — if any. Most of the time, with Hubbard, there wasn't one. So there's nothing to say.
Type4_PTS
Diamond Invictus SP
While there is truth in what you say, if I was going to do this I would include a lot of information about the organization and all its front groups, and how to protect oneself and society from them. And for someone to really understand the subject I believe they've got to have some basic understanding of cults, along with the techniques that they use for recruitment and thought reform.
The only real purpose I'd be interested in taking on something like this would be to help prevent others from falling into the same (or similar) traps that some of us did, as well as to increase awareness of the sneaky front groups that attempt to infiltrate society, like this one for example.
If I wasn't going to attempt to inoculate others than I wouldn't waste my time in trying to explain scientology to others as it would be pointless IMO.
I'd like it to be a resource that parents could use as well to inoculate their children. Many parents teach their children what they need to know to protect themselves from pedophiles, and IMO Scientology and other cults are just a different type of predator, one that children and their parents need to understand.
It seems to me that this is something that public schools should teach, but they don't.
Commander Birdsong
Crusader
I figured that you'd be able to do it in about 10 words:
Am I close?
it's in the area
the question is about scientology; there would be no need to mention hubbard
Type4_PTS
Diamond Invictus SP
No need?
Don't you think that the audience would be interested to know that the man who created "the modern science of mental health" had serious mental issues himself, none of which were handled by Scientology? Instead he just got progressively worse through the rest of his life.
I would say that that's a pretty significant piece of information you'd like to omit.
If a man claims to have developed the modern science of mental health based upon discoveries as significant at the discovery of fire isn't it fair to examine his own mental health?
Would you take piano lessons from a 'teacher' who never touched a piano his entire life?
Would you consider using a doctor for a complicated surgical operation even though he flunked out of his first year of medical school?
Commander Birdsong
Crusader
i never met the man pitsy but i suspect he may have had moments when he was a bit daft and as well could be somewhat cantankerous now and then
scientology is not a person. it is a nondenominational applied religious philosophy which treats man as a spiritual being and has a body of theory and practice for increased awareness and spiritual ability. like christianity it has a Great Commandment. with christianity this twofold, the second part very much like the first; love god with all your heart and soul, love your neighbor as you love yourself", like an acorn fallen not far from the oak scientology commands us "grant beingness"
Commander Birdsong
Crusader
grundy is a great link fluffs...
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