Scientology

Yikes! I am way behind! Busy times, and things aren't likely to slow down for a while.

Anyway, I'm currently reading a rather long article in The New Yorker about Scientology. The church (I use the term loosely here) has recently been under fire for using slave labor to do favors for high-ranking church officials and members, including Tom Cruise. This article is an interesting read in relation to favors done for Cruise.

As many people know, Scientology was created by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. South Park devotees will be well aware of the core beliefs associated with the religion. For those unaware, here's the wiki page. It sounds crazy, but honestly, it's not much crazier than most other religions.

What has struck me most about Scientology while reading the article is the large amount of people who are members of the church, and how the church has spread internationally. Scientology has churches, or centers, all over the world. Hundreds of people live in their training camps in the American Southwest. This religion is not restricted to a handful of celebrities as I had believed.

Sadly, I was unsurprised by the unsavory aspects of the religion. Abusive leaders, brainwashing of members, and  financial shenanigans are pretty much standard for cult-like religions. Many things mentioned in the New Yorker article reminded me of aspects of the fundamentalist sect of the Mormon church, as described in John Krakauer's book Under the Banner of Heaven, which I highly recommend. Ask for it at your local bookstore.