[TV] Louis Theroux - Scientology

[BBassic]

Do you believe L. Ron to be a science fiction writer or someone who believed in the stories he wrote?

The best thing about a magician is that he knows it's all fake but perpetuates the illusion that it is real.

Both. Poor sod dove headfirst into a rabbit hole of his own making.

 

[Codner pharmaceuticals]

Lay off us East Grinstead folk!

 

[boik]

Lay off us East Grinstead folk!

Don't you have the Mormons too? It's the ley lines I tells thee.

 

[Brovion]

Do you believe L. Ron to be a science fiction writer or someone who believed in the stories he wrote?

The best thing about a magician is that he knows it's all fake but perpetuates the illusion that it is real.

So he DID just make it all up. Why did you imply he didn't?

 

[Albion my Albion]

So he DID just make it all up. Why did you imply he didn't?

Where did I imply that?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Where did I imply that?

Er, either you believe what el Ron says or you don't. If you think it is fiction then you cannot 'believe' it, by definition.

 

[catfish]

I'd like to know how old L Ron keeps knocking these books out from beyond the grave.

 

[Titanic]

I'd like to know how old L Ron keeps knocking these books out from beyond the grave.

He's not dead, he's an Operating Thetan Level 8 now.

 

[lizard]

You believe this sort of stuff?

"According to L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology’s fundamental creation myth goes something like this: Xenu (also referred to as Xemu) was once ruler of the Galactic Confederacy, an ancient organization of 76 planets. Having existed for 20 million years, the planets were struggling from extreme overpopulation.
Fearing he’d be thrown out of power, Xenu gathered billions of his people, froze them to capture their souls (“thetans”), and transported them to Earth (then called Teegeeack) for elimination. He dumped them at the bottom of volcanoes and then destroyed them in a series of nuclear explosions, killing all but a few and sending their souls into the air.
Once in the air, the souls were captured by Xenu, who then implanted into them misleading information, including concepts related to all of the world’s religions.
After all this evil was carried out, Xenu was eventually imprisoned, and Earth was left to be a mere prison planet by the Galactic Confederacy."

And that's any less believable than what I've read in the Bible or Quran?

 

[Lower West Stander]

He's not dead, he's an Operating Thetan Level 8 now.

Only 1 level ahead of Tom Cruise then...

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

And that's any less believable than what I've read in the Bible or Quran?

Shhhhh! There are still people who think that religion is real.... anyway, they won't be bovvered, since their faith protects them from unbelievers. That's how it works.

 

[Bold Seagull]

There are two sides to every story. The "Church" of Scientology is extremely over possessive and those on the fence become victims. For myself I believe in the ideas of L. Ron Hubbard but the "Church" not unlike the christian church is skewed from it's purpose and should be disbanded.

Commercially it is inspired. Take a look at counselling and psychiatry, and think to yourself, how can I brand this so that I can charge for a service and lead people to believe I am the only one who can provide that service. The next brilliant marketing move is that you convince your customers that they have infinite existence through various reincarnated lives, so what you pay now is for eternity. Once you've bought into it, that is it, you are on the money tree. You are convinced you are better because of this unique brand.

I loved this bit of footage of the 'squirralisers', I mean seriously, if you want to know how fanaticism can manifest itself, look at their eyes, deranged, I haven't seen eyes like that since a steaming night in Fabric in 2001....

 

[Brovion]

Where did I imply that?

Post #13. You told boik he should NOT (heavily emphasised) talk about what he didn't understand. But he understood perfectly well didn't he? Hubbard made it all up as you admitted in post #20 where you said it was FICTION. (again heavily emphasised).

 

[boik]

Post #13. You told boik he should NOT (heavily emphasised) talk about what he didn't understand. But he understood perfectly well didn't he? Hubbard made it all up as you admitted in post #20 where you said it was FICTION. (again heavily emphasised).

Oh, I don't mind being told what to do by someone who is obviously my intellectual superior. Is it an apochryphal story that LRH once said that the easiest way to get rich in the US was to start your own religion?

 

[LowKarate]

They have a branch / shop / 'reading room' opposite my office. It's so quiet and vacant. Reminds me of my recent trip to The Emirates.

In the 9 years that I've been there, I've never seen anyone other than contract cleaners go in or out.

 

[Brovion]

Oh, I don't mind being told what to do by someone who is obviously my intellectual superior. Is it an apochryphal story that LRH once said that the easiest way to get rich in the US was to start your own religion?

Yeah, I'd heard that as well. The saying might be apocryphal but the sentiment was spot on! The church only started as Hubbard was looking for another marketing outlet for his Dianetics product as his attempts to market it as a bog-standard pseudo-science self-help manual had eventually failed.

 

[Albion my Albion]

Er, either you believe what el Ron says or you don't. If you think it is fiction then you cannot 'believe' it, by definition.

I believe L. Ron wrote fiction for entertainment and promoted Dianetics for profit. His main focus was about self improvement. I believe in L. Ron's ideas about self improvement and using tools that allow you to ignore the negative and embrace your spiritual being.

 

[pastafarian]

You believe this sort of stuff?

"According to L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology’s fundamental creation myth goes something like this: Xenu (also referred to as Xemu) was once ruler of the Galactic Confederacy, an ancient organization of 76 planets. Having existed for 20 million years, the planets were struggling from extreme overpopulation.
Fearing he’d be thrown out of power, Xenu gathered billions of his people, froze them to capture their souls (“thetans”), and transported them to Earth (then called Teegeeack) for elimination. He dumped them at the bottom of volcanoes and then destroyed them in a series of nuclear explosions, killing all but a few and sending their souls into the air.
Once in the air, the souls were captured by Xenu, who then implanted into them misleading information, including concepts related to all of the world’s religions.
After all this evil was carried out, Xenu was eventually imprisoned, and Earth was left to be a mere prison planet by the Galactic Confederacy."

Makes my religion of Beer volcanoes, stripper factories,climate changing Pirates and a constantly drunk forgetful overlord rather an easy sell by comparison.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I believe L. Ron wrote fiction for entertainment and promoted Dianetics for profit. His main focus was about self improvement. I believe in L. Ron's ideas about self improvement and using tools that allow you to ignore the negative and embrace your spiritual being.

What about his ideas about where that spiritual being came from?

I mean, what you've stated there could apply to yoga to be honest. However, as far as I know, yoga doesn't go on to suggest your spiritual being is linked or is an alien from a galactic empire that blew itself up a few million years ago and the spirits from that still have that trauma in us today. Not any yoga I've done at any road...

 

[StonehamPark]

I believe L. Ron wrote fiction for entertainment and promoted Dianetics for profit. His main focus was about self improvement. I believe in L. Ron's ideas about self improvement and using tools that allow you to ignore the negative and embrace your spiritual being.

Where does it say anything about ignoring the negative?

The foundations of Scientology/Dianetics is just therapy. Talk it out with a therapist and feel better afterwards.

The rest of it is purely Science Fiction.