Thoughts on scientology

Last updated on: October 24, 2017 at 5:14 am by rdahlquist

Thoughts on scientology 2017-10-24T05:14:20-07:00 rdahlquist

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by Nick Broadhurst

I often wonder if people get confused on the difference between philosophy and religion when it comes to Scientology. Is Scientology a religion or philosophy, or, are all religions philosophies? These are my thoughts just now.

Scientology is most definitely a religion, and it is most definitely a philosophy. A religion has two major categories, the revealed religion – Judaism, Christianity, Islam for example; and the natural religion. While the first category of religions is more prevalent in the West, where a founder is said to speak for God, the natural religion is more pronounced in the East. A natural religion is where a person or persons have said to have worked out what man is as a spirit and where he fits into the cosmos of things. This would include Scientology. It also includes Buddhism and Hinuism.

While there is no straight agreed upon definition of religion, these above two categories are how religions are majorly divided and categorized.

Philosophy is a much broader subject than religion. In fact, religion would be a category within philosophy.

The Webster’s New World Dictionary defines philosophy as: The study of principles underlying conduct, thought, and the nature of the universe. The word derives from the Greek word philos, meaning loving, plus it comes from the Greek word sophos, which means wise. So a philosopher could also have meant someone who loves wisdom. Scientology means a study of knowledge or a study of wisdom. It is most definitely a philosophy.

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam also contain philosophy. And there are Hindu philosophies, Buddhist philosophies. Plus there are also secular philosophies of politics, business, secular conduct, and judicial philosophy. There will be teaching philosophies, sporting philosophies, and even philosophies that may not be good for man – such as philosophies of war. Philosophy is a very broad umbrella.

Religion deals with the spiritual nature of man. Once one is dead, where does one go, if at all? Where does one come from, how should one act to most benefit the world, and so on. These philosophies can include, but not always, about God, the Divine. Some Buddhist religions may not include the Divine precisely, but it does not make them any less a religion or any less philosophical. Scientology does include the Divine, but that does not make it any more of a religion than Buddhism.

L. Ron Hubbard was a philosopher in the field of the spirit and mental thought. He travelled widely in the East as a young man, and gleaned much. He was constantly learning and putting together the puzzle of what was man, what was his purpose, where did he go after this life, and could man be bettered during his lifetime? From this inquiring search Dianetics, a philosophy about the mind, was born, and soon after it, Scientology, a philosophy about the spirit emerged. Scientology was then Previeworganized into a religious body and as an organization it spread. People found it worked on a practical level, and as a philosophy it made sense. It spread.

I hope these thoughts of mine shed some light onto what Scientology is, both philosophy and religion.

Nick Broadhurst is an Australian Scientologist and a Minster of Religion.

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