Diary of a Network Geek

I don’t normally post inflammatory things, but I think this is really important.

Long-time readers and friends will know that I have strong, and negative, feelings about Scientology.  Whatever Scientology started out as when L. Ron Hubbard first envisioned his “plan for living”, it has become, in my opinion, a dangerous cult-like organization that hides behind it’s religious status while actually being focused almost entirely on making money.  Based on documentaries and books and news stories of various kinds, I believe…
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Oh, Tom, when will you ever learn?
Look, I’m pretty open minded about religious matters and seeking spirituality and all, but, when people are destroying their lives over their religious beliefs, I start to question the validity of the claims. But, when people start killing their own family as a result of those beliefs, I think it’s time to whip out the cult recognition questionaire. Look, therapy may not be the answer for everyone, nor are psychiatric drugs. Even when I was going through the worst of my depression last year, I resisted the use of drugs. My feeling was that it would simply compound my problem when I was weaned off them, but still, I don’t think they’re a bad thing. For instance, someone with severe mental problems and chemical imbalances can obviously benefit from this. So, why would any one follow a “religion” that would deny someone this aid? I don’t get it. Especially when the results have been proven over and over again and not in the favor of “vitamins, diet and exercise”. Is it any wonder that both Mimi Rodgers and Nicole Kiddman dropped Cruise like a bad habit? I mean, c’mon, how is he going to defend this pseudo-science against this? You know, now, I wonder how much of his “acting” is good work and how much of it is just a running hallucination.
Keep in mind, folks, Scientology was created by a science fiction writer named L. Ron Hubbard. Not a bad writer, mind, but he’s definately a pulp-fiction guy and so is Scientology. I mean, really, “thetans” that inhabit my body? An ancient, intergalactic war that took place in another dimension? Doesn’t this sound like the plot from some late-night, B-movie matinee? It sure does to me. Well, maybe people should just decide for themselves, but, you know, after they’ve had plenty of sleep and a decent meal. The opposite of the way Scientologists treat unruly “believers” who “stray”.
I’m waiting for my “Cease and Desist” letter now.

Oh, Mr. Cruise, what were you thinking?
It must have been those pesky Thetans, eh? Did you see this crazy interview with Tom Cruise and Mat Lauer? Basically, Mr. Cruise says that psychiatry doesn’t work because, empirical evidence aside, biochemical imbalances in the brain don’t exist. Instead, Mr. Cruise asserted that we should somehow get to the “root of the problem” and use vitamins instead of anti-depressants. Hmm, interesting. So, we’re not supposed to believe in a scientific method of behavior modification, but we are supposed to believe in posession.
After all, isn’t that what you call it when disembodied spirits inhabit a physical lifeform? And, what are those nasty Thetans, Tommy? Yeah, disembodied spirits that we’re supposed to exorcise, or “clear”, so that we can get on with our life unimpeded. In a nutshell, then, we’re supposed to ignore hundreds of years of empirical, scientific progress and return to the Middle Ages. Well, lawyers do say that posession is 9/10ths of the law, but I don’t think this is what they had in mind.

Now, I believe in “things unseen” and a spiritual world, but I don’t think that these things directly interact with my life. Certainly, not in the sense that I’d be posessed by Thetans that make me miserable. People make themselves plenty miserable without any help from invisible beasties! Honestly, much of my personal philosophy about how God works in the world comes from Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People, which was written by a Rabbi. It may not be the hardline Christian point of view, but then, I’ve never been a very good hardline Christian, either. I think it was growing up in a Jewish neighborhood. Anyway, my point is that I’d rather rely on REAL science for help than some wacky pseudoreligion, invented by a science-fiction writer, that happens to have “science” in the name.

And, think about this, L. Ron Hubbard has been quoted in Science Fictionisms as saying:

“Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man wanted to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.” –L. Ron Hubbard, Founder of Scientology

Now, do what few Scientologists would ask you to do, make up your own mind.

Advice from your Uncle Jim:
"Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it."
   --W. Feather