Is Scientology a legitimate religion?

[arm-spin]

I thought the "Great Whore of Babylon" was a metaphorical term for sin or something like that? Very, very wierd.

Legit religion? I guess so, though not one I respect a whole lot.

[Black-n-Red]

OK, so what I'm interpreting is that some posters don't believe in any religion, therefore, Scientology is equivalent to other religions they don't believe in.

I guess my next question is:

Is there a difference between Scientology and any Christian sect like Catholicism, Lutheranism, etc?....

[leglace]

I have no clue how Scientology spawned from self help education, to a religion. I am skeptical that it is a way to spread the pretty good self help education they offer, stay athiests, and get tax exempted.

[arm-spin]

FWIW Black-and-Red I'm a religious person (Lutheran is probably the best description of my beliefs). I just think scientology seems sillier than other religions I don't believe to be true such as Islam, Hinduism, etc.

I think most religions try to answer some pretty specific questions: Who (or what) is God? What does God require of me? How should I treat my fellow human being? How do I attain salvation (in the form of heaven, Nirvana, etc)...

I'm not sure if Scientology has a theological belief system that answers those questions. I don't know much about it's tenants, but it seems to be more concerned with psychiatry, medicine, and science fiction stories than with answering those questions I posed.

Also, most religions have religious texts, stories and so on that reach back into antiquity... even relatively new religions, like Mormonism, accept and adapt the Bible... with Scientology, the origins are not shrouded in mystery, the ideas have clearly been produced by person who does not appear to be the Son of God, recieving Holy Scriptures from God Himself, or anything like that. Makes it easier to be skeptical.

[leglace]

While I don't consider it a religion, I do find pause as I look into the details of Mormonism.

The stuff from Scientology seems a bit too convient, as if it were made up for the tax exemption that I aluded too above.

[washed up wrestler]

If anyone can find those darn Golden Plates please post here. I've been looking for well over 100 years. Thanks.

[RYou]

Religion : A collection of practices, based on beliefs and teachings that are highly valued

well, given the definition, almost anything can classified a religion, heck capitalism and democracy can be considered religions. Create a philosophy on any aspect of life and you can deem it a religion.

Who is to say what is legitimate or not?

[r.payton@att.net]

Pythagoras was supposedly endowed with all the powers of the Buddha ,Jesus ,and the other great prophets -and had a huge following : I believe we have to have a legitimate definition of a cult and a religion before we go any further .
I stumbled across something in my reading today -the first church in Paris was in St.Germain -as in the Count St.Germain -a very odd person -anyway Paris literally means Par-Isis -the garden of Isis -so the first Christian church built in Paris was built on the ruins of a temple of Isis -one of the ancient Hermetic, Mystery schools or religions .

[Spider]

Religion : A collection of practices, based on beliefs and teachings that are highly valued

well, given the definition, almost anything can classified a religion, heck capitalism and democracy can be considered religions. Create a philosophy on any aspect of life and you can deem it a religion.

Who is to say what is legitimate or not?

I think a religion has to have a spiritual, faith based aspect to it.

For a religion to be legitimate, in my opinion, it's leaders and followers must truly believe and live by it's teachings, and have no ulterior motives other than the furthering of their beliefs.