Is it normal to drop by my local church of scientology and ask "?s"?

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30 Comments

I was driving around aimlessly one night when I realized that there was a building, kind of resembling a church, at my right with "Church of Scientology" written on a sign. Forgetting the exact address, I looked up the Church's location on Google maps, and I found some bad reviews of the church in terms of counseling and leadership. I feel compelled to go over there one day, with an audio recorder in my pocket, and ask them questions about what they believe, why they believe, and the significance of their beliefs in the broad scheme of things. Is this normal? I read that they outright evade questions, or make up answers totally contradictory to what reports state about the religion. Sometimes they are flat out rude and demand you leave the facilities. I want to confirm these accounts.

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76% Normal
Based on 37 votes (28 yes)
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Comments ( 30 )
  • Avant-Garde
    11 years ago | pl

    Don't get sucked up into it!!! Scientology is a dangerous cult.

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  • IDiGAFi
    11 years ago

    Just bare in mind, most people are much more susceptible to brainwashing than they believe they are. I've known many who said "I'll just go in there for a laugh", "I just want to see what ridiculous things they say" or "I'll just go for the free weekend and not listen to a word they say", and end up buying into all their crap. The last one is pretty much like what happened to Homer, but I have actually seen that happen in real life many many times (not with Scientology though, but with a similar cult). Remember, that's the way most of them get in, hardly anyone approaches them because of a genuine interest, and yet they somehow manage to get to them.

    You go if you want to, have fun, whatever. Just remember, it's not a easy as it seems, and your mind is much more fragile than you think it is. They know every single trick there is to it and they will attack you with everything they have. You're just playing around but they are not, always remember that. I'm not trying to scare you, I just think it's not wise to go uninformed. You don't need to be scared, but you certainly do need to be aware of the actual danger there is in going there. Then you can go, otherwise, it's suicide.

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  • NeuroNeptunian
    11 years ago

    Be careful with that recorder thing. Check the local laws in your area. It may be illegal to record people without their knowledge.

    Aside from that, I think it's a GREAT idea to go straight to the church and ask questions. It's better than asking your average Scientologist, or Jew or Christian. Not everybody is as well versed in their religious studies as the leaders of said church. I know it's a requirement to have a decent understanding, but most of us don't dedicate our lives to it like the church leaders do. They're the best equipped, knowledge wise, to answer your questions. Asking a regular person some of these questions is like going to an English teacher and asking them questions about Math. They may have needed to study it to get the degree but that's not really their thing.

    As far as Scientology goes, I have no idea what they do. I would recommend, though, for anyone going to any religious institution, keep your wits about you. I don't like to mock things I don't understand based purely off second-hand reports, and that's really all I have on Scientology.

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    • [Old Memory]
      11 years ago

      A good Pastor will encourage you to ask questions

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  • VioletTrees
    11 years ago

    Be careful.

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    • anti-hero
      11 years ago

      Why?

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      • Avant-Garde
        11 years ago

        Because its a cult.

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        • anti-hero
          11 years ago

          And other religions are not?

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          • [Old Memory]
            11 years ago

            there is 'religion', belief-relationship with God, opinion and cult. The definition of a cult is; an organisation that denies the Godhead. Peace out

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          • Avant-Garde
            11 years ago

            There's a difference between actual religions and cults. Have you looked up the bizarre things they "believe" in, their "practices", what they do to people who dare to speak out against them or try to leave their cult, etc?

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            • anti-hero
              11 years ago

              Have you seen the odd things that Muslims believe and what they do to people who speak out about it?

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  • suckonthis9
    11 years ago

    Explain to them that they have divided themselves from other people who have other religious beliefs, some of which might be quite similar to their own beliefs. Then also add, that they have divided themselves from people who are not religious. State that this behaviour might be offensive to some people, whether they are religious or whether they are not religious.
    Then ask them the question:

    Why are you creating divisions in society?

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    • MissyLeyneous
      11 years ago

      Wait, let me ask you a (serious) question.

      Assuming that religious groups are "divided" in name and belief... And assuming that non religious peoples are "divided" in opinion and belief...

      How is it possible to un-"divide" any group or people from another? Logic says that as long as these religious groups remain "faithful" (or, at the very least, stubborn and ignorant) and as long as the non-religious peoples remain stuck in their ways... that these groups and peoples can NEVER be united in any way.

      Are you advocating for some type of one-world religion or set of beliefs? (I've already discovered that you're in favor of the "new world order" outlined in Agenda 21, so it's not a stretch of the imagination to think you may be promoting a universal religion or lack thereof.)

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      • suckonthis9
        11 years ago

        We were ALL incorrect, myself included.
        The VHATC-L2 ARE very real.
        Some ancient people perceived them as being deities, but they are not.

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        • MissyLeyneous
          11 years ago

          Why do you consider a religion to be either correct or incorrect? Isn't the whole point of being religious supposed to be a personal search for the ultimate truth? (It's true that most people will just pick a doctrine and stick to it... but that's not the original point of it all.)

          I don't have a religion, however, I do believe there are things in the world we do not understand. Even if your friends were real, how can we know they aren't wrong themselves? (Rhetorical. Yes I know, you're "enlightened"... smh...)

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          • suckonthis9
            11 years ago

            We are now in a New Era of Enlightenment.
            We now understand much more about our Universe than we did previously (Industrial Era leading to a Technological revolution [this will need to be discussed and decided upon]).
            Should any persons wish to remain in Archaic Philosophical thought, that is their prerogative.

            No person (or other Sentient and Ethical creature), myself included, can understand the hypothetical 'ultimate truth'.

            There are many other people who understand things that you do not. Please try to make an effort to learn from them .

            Once again, we were ALL incorrect, myself included.

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            • [Old Memory]
              11 years ago

              I cannot take you seriously no matter how well thought out your responses are unless you choose a respectful moniker.

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            • MissyLeyneous
              11 years ago

              What's wrong with Philosophical thought?

              Are you saying you would rather live in a world of technological materialism than a world of archaic thought?

              You said "we WERE all incorrect"... as in past tense. If this is what you meant, WHO is correct now?

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  • ucipher8
    11 years ago

    Wikipedia it. If compelled, why not. However, consider googling tom cruise and oprah and you might be surprised...

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  • [Old Memory]
    11 years ago

    I admire your chutzpa! Good for you!!

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