Latest news with #Scientologists
Extra.ie
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Why is the Church of Scientology so controversial?
Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Elisabeth Moss are just some of the prominent Hollywood stars who have publicly associated themselves with the controversial religion of Scientology. The religion, which is often referred to as a cult, was founded by US author L. Ron Hubbard in 1953 after the author failed in his bid to mask his pseudoscientific ideas as a form of therapy. Some of the key beliefs of Scientologists include that humans are immortal spiritual beings and that they will be reincarnated. Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Elisabeth Moss are just some of the prominent Hollywood stars who have publicly associated themselves with the controversial religion of Scientology. Pic:for Paramount Pictures Here is just a touch of what the religious organisation is all about… L. Ron Hubbard was an American author and the eventual founder of Scientology. In 1950, the Nebraska native wrote Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, which led to him establishing organisations to promote and practice Dianetic techniques. These were a set of ideas and practices regarding the mind which were initially framed as a form of therapy or psychological treatment. The organisation went bankrupt, which led Hubbard to reframe his ideas as a religion. Hubbard coined the term Scientology, which is made up of the Latin word scientia (knowledge/skill) and would claim that Scientology meant 'knowing about knowing' or 'science of knowledge.' This photograph shows the headquarters of the Church of Scientology in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on May 21, 2025. Pic: Thomas SAMSON / AFP The core beliefs for Scientologists are the idea that humans are immortal spiritual beings called 'thetans' that reside in the physical body. Thetans have had numerous previous lives. Those within the religion also believe in reincarnation, where the thetans are reborn into various bodies. Scientology says: 'The thetan is immortal and has lived — and will continue to live — through countless lifetimes.' The core practice in Scientology is auditing, and this sees one Scientologist (the auditor) ask the other questions. This is said to improve the abilities of the subject, but it creates a dependency on the auditing subject. Auditing can be quite costly for Scientologists, with Hubbard writing in 1964 that the cost for a 25-hour block should be the equivalent of three months' pay. Scientology is widely criticized and seen to be a potentially harmful organisation as well as quite manipulative to its members. Pic:Scientology is widely criticised and seen to be a potentially harmful organisation as well as quite manipulative to its members. It is often argued that the movement is not a religion but a commercial enterprise masquerading as one, as a means of Hubbard avoiding prosecution following the collapse of Dianetics in the past. Many members have left the church and spoken out about the abuse within the organisation. In 2023, Saved By The Bell actress Leah Remini sued the Church of Scientology for what she said was years of 'psychological torture.' In a blistering statement, the actress said she had endured 17 years of 'psychological torture, defamation, surveillance, harassment, and intimidation' which had 'significantly' impacted her life and career. In 2018, the church faced backlash for its so-called 'safe, healthy and thorough method of purging drugs from the body' at drug rehabilitation centres. Those attending the facility were said to be cut off from their addiction cold turkey, and given high doses of vitamins and minerals instead. The issue was brought to the Seanad by then Senator Ray Butler, who said it was 'brainwashing of the most vulnerable people.'
Associated Press
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Scientology Network Illuminates the Life and Legacy of L. Ron Hubbard
LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 20, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) –- L. Ron Hubbard's life is one of endless remarkable achievements. A bestselling author, his groundbreaking book ' Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health ' became the first definitive explanation of human thinking and behavior. His further discoveries on the subject of the human mind and spirit led to his founding of Scientology, the world's youngest major religion. Scientology Network features programs that celebrate his life and legacy including: To learn more about L. Ron Hubbard, go to Scientology Network debuted on March 12, 2018, launched by David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion. Since then, Scientology Network has been viewed in over 240 countries and territories worldwide in 17 languages. Satisfying the curiosity of people about Scientology, the network takes viewers across six continents, spotlighting the everyday lives of Scientologists, showing the Church as a global organization and presenting its Social Betterment programs that have touched the lives of millions worldwide. The network also showcases documentaries by independent filmmakers who represent a cross section of cultures and faiths, but share a common purpose of uplifting communities. Scientology Network's innovative content has been recognized with more than 125 industry awards, including Tellys, Communitas and Hermes Creative Awards. Broadcast from Scientology Media Productions, the Church's global media center in Los Angeles, Scientology Network is available on DIRECTV Channel 320, DIRECTV STREAM and AT&T U-verse and can be streamed at on mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms. LEARN MORE: VIDEO: IMAGE link for media: PHOTO CAPTION: L. Ron Hubbard © 2025 Church of Scientology International. All Rights Reserved. TAGS: #ScientologyNetwork #LRonHubbard NEWS SOURCE: Church of Scientology International Keywords: Religion and Churches, Scientology Network, L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics, LRH, LOS ANGELES, Calif. This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (Church of Scientology International) who is solely responsibile for its accuracy, by Send2Press® Newswire. Information is believed accurate but not guaranteed. Story ID: S2P124871 APNF0325A To view the original version, visit: © 2025 Send2Press® Newswire, a press release distribution service, Calif., USA. RIGHTS GRANTED FOR REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART BY ANY LEGITIMATE MEDIA OUTLET - SUCH AS NEWSPAPER, BROADCAST OR TRADE PERIODICAL. MAY NOT BE USED ON ANY NON-MEDIA WEBSITE PROMOTING PR OR MARKETING SERVICES OR CONTENT DEVELOPMENT. Disclaimer: This press release content was not created by nor issued by the Associated Press (AP). Content below is unrelated to this news story.
The Independent
17-03-2025
- Science
- The Independent
What goes on in a Christian Science reading room?
In nearly every major American city and in many small towns, Christian Science reading rooms are found mixed in with storefronts. Passersby may hardly notice them, but to those who stop to wonder what goes on inside, their purpose may seem inscrutable: a few shelves of books and some chairs and tables with pamphlets and other reading materials. It's like a waiting room without a doctor. Is it a church, and what does it have to do with science? Are they Scientologists? Christian Science reading rooms are not churches — although they are run by one — and they're not affiliated with Scientologists. They are a ministry of a homegrown American religious tradition, namely the Church of Christ, Scientist, founded in 1879 in Boston based on the thought of Mary Baker Eddy. Unlike other Christian denominations, their pastor is not a flesh-and-blood human. Instead, their pastor is two books that guide their faith: the Bible and 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,' essentially the church's textbook, authored by Eddy. It aims to provide an explanation of both the Bible and Christian Science theology, which has a special focus on healing through prayer and spirituality. 'The reading room is like a parsonage,' said Jasmine Holzworth, librarian of the Christian Science Reading Room at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, the tradition's first congregation, known as the Mother Church. 'We don't have a personal pastor — we have the books. People can come and sit and read. They're here for people to trust as a pastor and ask their questions.' ___ This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story. ___ Operating a reading room, which also offers Christian Science literature for sale, is not an optional ministry for a Christian Science church. Some smaller churches may jointly operate one with another local church, or may only have one open for a few hours a week, but all must offer a reading room, Eddy wrote in her 'Manual of the Mother Church.' Conversely, reading rooms are always connected to a church. While they may not always be directly next to the church, they are all maintained by one, often in separate storefronts. Christian Scientists see this as a good thing, Holzworth said. 'Someone may not always want to walk into a church building — there's a hesitancy about religion today,' Holzworth said At a Christian Science Sunday service, there is no homily. Instead, it includes readings from the Bible and 'Science and Health,' tied to a particular subject that Eddy set for each week of the year. The 26 subjects that repeat twice a year range from topics like 'love' and 'sacrament,' to 'ancient and modern necromancy, alias mesmerism and hypnotism, denounced' and 'Is the universe, including man, evolved by atomic force?' ''Science and Health' is a book that continually turns us back to our Bible,' said Alex Griffin, who is the Deputy Committee on Publication for the state of Massachusetts. Eddy, who died in 1910, was concerned that people interested in Christian Science would not be able to find adequate or legitimate books about the faith at regular bookstores, leading to an emphasis on the reading rooms, Holzworth said. During Eddy's lifetime, New Thought leader Ursula Newell Gestefeld and others reused Eddy's writings in a non-Christian context, which Eddy saw as a problem that could cause confusion about the faith. And even today, Christian Science is confused by some with Scientology, hence the importance of the reading rooms as places where those interested in Christian Science can find literature authorized by the church. 'You have to have the heart driving it,' Holzworth said. 'What's driving it is that congregation's love for the teachings of Christian Science. When you're motivated by love, all things are possible.' Like many American religious groups, Christian Science churches have struggled in recent decades to maintain older buildings with dwindling numbers of practitioners and teachers. About 1,220 Christian Science churches are located throughout the world, and about half are in the United States. The denomination does not report its number of congregants in accordance with the Manual of the Mother Church, which states, 'According to the Scripture they shall turn away from personality and numbering the people.' Some Christian Science churches have sold their buildings and moved into the reading rooms. In other cases, the reading room has moved in with the church. The Christian Science church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, purchased its Harvard Square building during the Great Depression and now rents out parts of it. Other churches lease storefronts like any other commercial entities. While the churches sell religious books for children and adults to help cover costs, church sources declined to give further details about how storefront rents are funded. However, San Francisco International Airport has a reading room that, according to an SFGATE report, has its 'exorbitant' rent paid for, in part, by pledges from 10 area churches. And in Naples, Florida, a reading room lost its storefront to a gelato shop after its landlord decided not to continue its lease in 2017. The Naples reading room, which opened in the 1960s, had been paying $790 per month in an area where rents went as high as $3,000 per month for a similar-size space. The reading room had negotiated the rent with a former landlord and lost the space after the building was sold. While they see the reading rooms as a way to spread their faith, the church doesn't aggressively proselytize to newcomers. 'It's a gift to the community. You can come in and ask questions. Everyone's on their own spiritual path. We're meant to be welcoming to everyone,' Holzworth said. 'You're not going to find someone trying to sign you up for anything. We're doing this because we love God, but people don't need to love God to come in here.' The Mother Church's reading room is located next to Berklee College of Music in Boston, and Holzworth said it has hosted Berklee students of other denominations seeking a place to pray and read their Bibles. Students of no religion who just want a quiet space to be are also invited. But for those in the religion, reading the week's Bible lessons is an important part of the practice, she said. 'Christian Scientists use reading rooms as a place to study and dig in,' Holzworth said. The reading room of the Mother Church also hosts a weekly event where participants read The Christian Science Monitor and pray for those impacted by world events. 'It's not just a Sunday faith,' Holzworth said. 'It's meant to be applied to the whole week, and not just our own life, but the world around us.' At larger reading rooms, like the one operated by the Mother Church, staff are paid. At smaller churches, however, congregants volunteer. 'I figured I was going to be studying the Bible and Christian Science anyway, so I might as well be doing it in a way that serves the community,' said Teddy Crecelius, a tour guide at the Mother Church who has previously been involved in Christian Science branch churches. 'It's not a burden.'
Associated Press
17-03-2025
- Science
- Associated Press
What goes on in a Christian Science reading room?
In nearly every major American city and in many small towns, Christian Science reading rooms are found mixed in with storefronts. Passersby may hardly notice them, but to those who stop to wonder what goes on inside, their purpose may seem inscrutable: a few shelves of books and some chairs and tables with pamphlets and other reading materials. It's like a waiting room without a doctor. Is it a church, and what does it have to do with science? Are they Scientologists? Christian Science reading rooms are not churches — although they are run by one — and they're not affiliated with Scientologists. They are a ministry of a homegrown American religious tradition, namely the Church of Christ, Scientist, founded in 1879 in Boston based on the thought of Mary Baker Eddy. Unlike other Christian denominations, their pastor is not a flesh-and-blood human. Instead, their pastor is two books that guide their faith: the Bible and 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,' essentially the church's textbook, authored by Eddy. It aims to provide an explanation of both the Bible and Christian Science theology, which has a special focus on healing through prayer and spirituality. 'The reading room is like a parsonage,' said Jasmine Holzworth, librarian of the Christian Science Reading Room at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, the tradition's first congregation, known as the Mother Church. 'We don't have a personal pastor — we have the books. People can come and sit and read. They're here for people to trust as a pastor and ask their questions.' ___ This content is written and produced by Religion News Service and distributed by The Associated Press. RNS and AP partner on some religion news content. RNS is solely responsible for this story. ___ Operating a reading room, which also offers Christian Science literature for sale, is not an optional ministry for a Christian Science church. Some smaller churches may jointly operate one with another local church, or may only have one open for a few hours a week, but all must offer a reading room, Eddy wrote in her 'Manual of the Mother Church.' Conversely, reading rooms are always connected to a church. While they may not always be directly next to the church, they are all maintained by one, often in separate storefronts. Christian Scientists see this as a good thing, Holzworth said. 'Someone may not always want to walk into a church building — there's a hesitancy about religion today,' Holzworth said At a Christian Science Sunday service, there is no homily. Instead, it includes readings from the Bible and 'Science and Health,' tied to a particular subject that Eddy set for each week of the year. The 26 subjects that repeat twice a year range from topics like 'love' and 'sacrament,' to 'ancient and modern necromancy, alias mesmerism and hypnotism, denounced' and 'Is the universe, including man, evolved by atomic force?' ''Science and Health' is a book that continually turns us back to our Bible,' said Alex Griffin, who is the Deputy Committee on Publication for the state of Massachusetts. Eddy, who died in 1910, was concerned that people interested in Christian Science would not be able to find adequate or legitimate books about the faith at regular bookstores, leading to an emphasis on the reading rooms, Holzworth said. During Eddy's lifetime, New Thought leader Ursula Newell Gestefeld and others reused Eddy's writings in a non-Christian context, which Eddy saw as a problem that could cause confusion about the faith. And even today, Christian Science is confused by some with Scientology, hence the importance of the reading rooms as places where those interested in Christian Science can find literature authorized by the church. 'You have to have the heart driving it,' Holzworth said. 'What's driving it is that congregation's love for the teachings of Christian Science. When you're motivated by love, all things are possible.' Like many American religious groups, Christian Science churches have struggled in recent decades to maintain older buildings with dwindling numbers of practitioners and teachers. About 1,220 Christian Science churches are located throughout the world, and about half are in the United States. The denomination does not report its number of congregants in accordance with the Manual of the Mother Church, which states, 'According to the Scripture they shall turn away from personality and numbering the people.' Some Christian Science churches have sold their buildings and moved into the reading rooms. In other cases, the reading room has moved in with the church. The Christian Science church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, purchased its Harvard Square building during the Great Depression and now rents out parts of it. Other churches lease storefronts like any other commercial entities. While the churches sell religious books for children and adults to help cover costs, church sources declined to give further details about how storefront rents are funded. However, San Francisco International Airport has a reading room that, according to an SFGATE report, has its 'exorbitant' rent paid for, in part, by pledges from 10 area churches. And in Naples, Florida, a reading room lost its storefront to a gelato shop after its landlord decided not to continue its lease in 2017. The Naples reading room, which opened in the 1960s, had been paying $790 per month in an area where rents went as high as $3,000 per month for a similar-size space. The reading room had negotiated the rent with a former landlord and lost the space after the building was sold. While they see the reading rooms as a way to spread their faith, the church doesn't aggressively proselytize to newcomers. 'It's a gift to the community. You can come in and ask questions. Everyone's on their own spiritual path. We're meant to be welcoming to everyone,' Holzworth said. 'You're not going to find someone trying to sign you up for anything. We're doing this because we love God, but people don't need to love God to come in here.' The Mother Church's reading room is located next to Berklee College of Music in Boston, and Holzworth said it has hosted Berklee students of other denominations seeking a place to pray and read their Bibles. Students of no religion who just want a quiet space to be are also invited. But for those in the religion, reading the week's Bible lessons is an important part of the practice, she said. 'Christian Scientists use reading rooms as a place to study and dig in,' Holzworth said. The reading room of the Mother Church also hosts a weekly event where participants read The Christian Science Monitor and pray for those impacted by world events. 'It's not just a Sunday faith,' Holzworth said. 'It's meant to be applied to the whole week, and not just our own life, but the world around us.' At larger reading rooms, like the one operated by the Mother Church, staff are paid. At smaller churches, however, congregants volunteer. 'I figured I was going to be studying the Bible and Christian Science anyway, so I might as well be doing it in a way that serves the community,' said Teddy Crecelius, a tour guide at the Mother Church who has previously been involved in Christian Science branch churches. 'It's not a burden.'
Chicago Tribune
06-03-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Asking Eric: My sisters-in-law think I'm gay
Dear Eric: My sister (85) and I (80) have been estranged for about five years. My niece invited us for Thanksgiving dinner just before this fallout. She was also inviting relatives of her fiancé who are active Scientologists, a religion that has a well-documented distaste of homosexuals. I am in a long-term same-sex marriage, and I expressed some queasiness to my sister about being in this company. When she told her daughter, the daughter became hysterical crying and disinvited us the day before the event, fearing that we would make the group uncomfortable. The shrinks always suggest writing a letter explaining all your feelings and then not sending it. I wrote a long email to my sister, but I sent it anyway. I expressed my belief that my sister has always coddled her daughter and should have stuck up for us because this fear was misplaced. I also believed that my sister had lied in this instance, plus other personal observations. Without my permission, she shared it with my niece. All Hell broke loose. It's one thing to have differences of opinion that can lead to estrangement but how can you ever reconcile with someone who you now feel cannot be trusted? I don't see this as an isolated incident. If one of us dies it might be unfortunate that this was left unresolved but that's where we are. I guess some things just don't get fixed. Perhaps once anyone dies, sooner or later, does anything matter? What do you think of all this? – Estranged Sister Dear Sister: The shrinks are onto something with the whole 'writing the letter but not sending it' thing. When we're in conflict with other people, it's helpful to first get it all out for ourselves. This shows us what's on our side of the street and what's on the other person's side. Your email became a repository for a lot of different pent-up issues you have with your sister. Her sharing it did violate your trust but consider she likely felt that she and her daughter were being maligned by you. There's a lot of pain to go around. I sense that this relationship does matter to you and if you want to salvage a part of it, a good first step is taking an inventory of what you might have done differently, owning up to the things you did that might have hurt or offended her, and reaching out – by phone, preferably – to start an amends. See if you can keep the conversation centered on ways that you can reconnect and put some of this behind you, rather than relitigate what's past. It's not going to help you to criticize her parenting, for instance. But it will help to say that you care about her, you want her in your life, and you want to find a path forward. Dear Eric: My sisters-in-law think I'm gay. I know for a fact they have talked with my brothers about sexual attraction. Unfortunately, I have a real rough past with people making fun of me because I had a learning disability. The whole community put me down. I never tried dating in high school or after. I'm sexually attracted to women and would like to have a relationship with a woman. I have not had any luck with online dating. I'm afraid that my sisters-in-law will make the woman feel uncomfortable with me or my family. I have spoken to my brothers about their behavior, and they seem to not understand or go around it. I'm not sure what to do or how to handle my problem. – Rumor Mill Dear Rumor Mill: Try talking directly to your sisters-in-law. But remember that anything they think or even say won't affect your truth. This also extends to any woman you date; if the woman likes you and is comfortable in your relationship, then the opinions of your sisters-in-law won't matter. I understand the insecurity that this brings up and its connection to your past bullying. It's hard to get other people's voices out of our heads. Try to remember that any woman you're meeting is meeting you today, in all of your value, complexity, and truth. Sometimes it feels like other people can see every person that we once were or every part of our pasts we don't like, especially in a situation as vulnerable as dating. But that's not the case. They'll see who you are today, so your relationship gets to begin on a blank slate. That means you get to choose when and how you talk about how you were bullied or the tough relationship with your sisters-in-law. It also means you don't have to introduce any girlfriend to your sisters-in-law until you feel ready. They don't get to decide who you date or how; you do. (Send questions to R. Eric Thomas at eric@ or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at
