What Is the Church of Scientology Doing Wrong?

The Church of Scientology has long held that there was an ancient extraterrestrial civilization. Its inventor, L. Ron Hubbard, has mentioned the existence of such a society multiple times in his works. The Church's headquarters in Hollywood is a magnificent powder-blue structure. Images of the Church's headquarters should not be duplicated or redistributed without the consent of the Church of Scientology unless otherwise noted.

Even though Scientology has not released a detailed theology of its views, there are several connections between religion and science fiction. Hubbard was a science-fiction author whose work Dianetics initially appeared in Astounding Science Fiction. His fans were mainly recruited from the science-fiction community, and he returned to the genre in the 1980s with his novel Battlefield Earth.

The Church of Scientology has long advocated for the right to information and has been a vociferous supporter of public access laws in several nations. These activities have aided in holding governments responsible and exposing governmental agencies' malfeasance. These efforts continue to this day, and the precedents they have established have helped protect the rights of numerous organizations.

Some of these instances have been quite challenging. Scientology, for example, faced two judicial challenges in 1985. First, Lawrence Wollersheim, a former Sea Org member, requested $25 million in mental distress damages. He stated that he was on the ship's hold for up to 18 hours each day, with insufficient food and sleep. In another case, plaintiffs attempted to get access to OT III information. Both parties assembled before the courtroom and filed applications to restrict access to documents.

Numerous lawsuits have been brought against the Church of Scientology by persons harassed by members of the organization. For a long time, the instances involving sexual harassment of youngsters have made headlines. While the Church rejects harassment, it acknowledges that individuals of the institution may participate in harassment.

Anonymous, a self-described "cyber-terrorist," has also used several harassment and intimidation techniques against the Church. This gang has made several threats against Scientologists, including bomb threats and violent e-mails. In addition, graffiti and internet threats have also been directed against Scientology churches.

Despite its claim to be non-sectarian, the Church of Scientology holds numerous problematic views. It asserts, for example, that people are created creatures with the capacity to become heavenly god-like spirits. Yet, despite the esoteric doctrine of soul existence, the Bible does not mention reincarnation.

Scientology's vision of the Supreme Being is considerably more similar to Eastern Mysticism's ethereal skies, as the Church believes that the Supreme Being is infinite. As a result, it is essentially a synthesis of Eastern Mysticism with atheism. Furthermore, it does not accept Jesus Christ's full deity.

The Church of Scientology's claims has been challenged in court several times. For example, a former member of the group sued the Church for $25 million in 1985, saying he was denied proper sleep and food.