Research the origins and doctrines of the Church of
Scientology and its incompatibility with Christian
teachings.
Introduction
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
Scientology emerged in the 1950s as a new religious movement founded by
the American author L. Ron Hubbard. Since its inception, Scientology has
faced significant criticism from mainstream Christians due to its differing
doctrines and perceived incompatibility with orthodox Christian teachings.
This paper will research the origins and core doctrines of Scientology and
analyze points of divergence and incompatibility with mainstream Christian
teachings.
The Origins of Scientology
Scientology was founded in 1954 by American science fiction author L. Ron
Hubbard. However, its origins can be traced back to earlier works by
Hubbard, particularly his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental
Health published in 1950 (Wright, 2013). Dianetics proposed that unpleasant
mental images from one's past, called engrams, were stored in the reactive
mind and were a root cause of mental and physical illness. Through a
process called auditing, these engrams could be isolated and erased,
allowing a person to operate from their conscious mind in a clearer state
(Wright, 2013).
Hubbard developed these ideas further after incorporating elements from
Eastern and Western philosophy. He concluded that the human mind is not
merely physical but is immortal and capable of unlimited creativity and
potential. In 1952, Hubbard began using the term Scientology, which he
defined as "the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself,
universes, and other life" (Hubbard, 1952). Over the following years,
Hubbard refined and expanded Scientology's doctrines through a process of
scriptural revelation. His writings were compiled and canonized as Scripture
for the Church of Scientology.
Today, Scientology has expanded into a global network of churches,
missions, and affiliated organizations. While estimates vary widely, the
Church of Scientology claims millions of members worldwide scattered across
more than 11,000 churches, missions, and affiliated groups in 167 countries
(Scientology, n.d.). However, most scholars place actual membership
numbers far lower, perhaps in the tens of thousands globally, due to a lack of
transparency in Scientology's reporting methods (Wright, 2013).
Nevertheless, Scientology remains one of the most recognized new religious
movements internationally.
Core Doctrines of Scientology
Some of the most important and distinctive doctrines of Scientology include:
- Thetan: Scientologists believe that humans are immortal spiritual beings
called Thetans. Thetans inhabit and give life to physical bodies. Prior to being
trapped on this physical plane of existence, Thetans had godlike powers of
creation and lived freely in the universe.
- Incidents: Due to painful and traumatic experiences (Incidents), Thetans
became overwhelmed with engrams and negative spiritual matter called
Body Thetans. This caused them to forget their true identity and become
trapped in physical form on Earth.
- Auditing: Through a one-on-one counseling process called Auditing,
adherents aim to isolate and erase engrams and release Body Thetans
through repetitive questions. This allows Thetans to progress to higher
operating states and regain spiritual freedom and abilities.
- Operating Thetans: Through advanced levels of Auditing called the "Bridge
to Total Freedom," Scientologists can achieve different levels of spiritual
Operating Thetan (OT). There are said to be hundreds of OT levels in total,
with only the highest levels and secrets known by a select few.
- Xenu: According to some high-level Church teachings, 75 million years ago
the Galactic ruler Xenu solved overpopulation by transporting billions of
people to Earth called Wallies. Xenu then detonated hydrogen bombs in
volcanoes, trapping the souls as Thetans that still cling to humans today.
- Reincarnation: Scientologists reject the Christian concept of only one life.
They believe Thetans are reborn into new bodies over countless lifetimes and
that Scientology Auditing is needed to heal trauma from past existences.
- Afterlife: The goal of Scientology is not eternal life with God as in
Christianity. Rather, it emphasizes spiritual freedom and autonomy, with the
highest condition being complete erasure of the reactive mind to become a
fully rational and godlike Operating Thetan.
Points of Incompatibility with Christianity
There are several core points of divergence and incompatibility between
Scientology and mainstream Christian teachings. Some of the most notable
include:
Nature of God
Christianity's fundamental doctrine is monotheism - belief in one eternal, all-
powerful, and all-knowing God who created the universe. This God is a
personal being defined by love who reveals himself through sacred texts and
the person of Jesus Christ.
In contrast, while Scientology incorporates elements of Eastern mysticism
like reincarnation, it ultimately denies the existence of any supreme Creator
deity. Scientologists believe that Thetans are immortal spirits who are truly
divine in nature. God is understood more metaphorically as an ideal state of
spiritual awareness and freedom that Scientologists aim to achieve.
Jesus Christ
For Christians, Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the divine Son of God
who lived a sinless life and willingly sacrificed himself as an atonement for
humanity's sins. His resurrection proves his divine nature and offers eternal
salvation to believers.
Scientology categorically denies the divinity of Jesus and rejects Christian
claims about his miracles, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead.
Scientologists do not view Jesus as divine or even uniquely important.
Rather, Christ is seen as just one religious leader among many whose
teachings have been corrupted over time.
Scripture and Prophets
The Bible is considered the authoritative and inerrant Word of God by
Christianity, containing divine revelation and prophecy authenticated
through miracles, precise fulfillment, and apostolic tradition. Major and minor
prophets foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and other eschatological events.
Scientology's authoritative scriptures consist exclusively of the written works
of L. Ron Hubbard. Despite founding the religion, Hubbard is not considered
divinely inspired or prophetic. Rather, his writings on Dianetics and
Scientology are viewed as authoritative because they contain the only
proven method for spiritual advancement through auditing. Christianity's
scriptural authority and understanding of prophecy are rejected.
Salvation and the Afterlife
Christianity's doctrines emphasize salvation from sin and death through faith
in Christ, whose atoning sacrifice reconciles believers to God. Although
understood differently among denominations, Christians generally believe in
bodily resurrection and eternal life with God in heaven or new creation after
final judgment.
Salvation for Scientologists primarily refers to auditing one's way up the
Bridge to higher states of spiritual awareness as an Operating Thetan. The
goal is not communion with God but rather autonomous existence as an
immortal spiritual being. Scientology's soteriology undermines core Christian
beliefs in salvation through Christ alone. There are also significant gaps
between its view of the afterlife and historic orthodox Christian perspectives.
Morality and Ethics
Christian ethics are grounded in God's sovereign holiness, love, and the
moral law as revealed especially in Scripture. Morality ultimately originates
from God as the source of good and points to restoring relationship with him.
Scientology claims its morality system called the "Tone Scale" stems from
concepts like surviving and being cause over effects in life. Whether
intentionally or not, this places the origin of ethics more in human will and
progress than external moral truths from a loving Creator. While condemning
acts like murder, significant differences exist compared to Christian moral
frameworks and concepts like sin, repentance, and forgiveness.
Ideological Tensions
Beyond specific doctrinal discrepancies, some deeper ideological tensions
emerge between Scientology and historic Christian faith. Scientology
emphasizes the sovereignty of the immortal spirit or Thetan who must
achieve independence from physical illusions. Christianity's core message
underscores human dependence on God and the necessity of Christ's work
for salvation beyond human effort.
Scientology promotes itself using scientific-sounding terminology but
ultimately presents an entirely new and unique religious mythology.
Christianity emerged from Judaism, rooted in supernatural divine acts
recorded in the Hebrew Bible whose God can be known through nature as
well as special revelation. As such, not only are doctrines incompatible but
underlying theological frameworks differ at the most fundamental levels.
Controversies and Criticisms
In addition to theological objections, the Church of Scientology continues
facing intense scrutiny and criticism on various fronts:
- Allegations of abuse, fraud, and forced labor have been leveled against the
Church, including from prominent former high-ranking members. The Church
denies such accusations.
- Reports describe the Church applying intense pressure and retribution
against members and critics, including questionable Fair Game policies
targeting enemies. The Church maintains it lawfully protects religious
freedoms.
- Public records and personal testimonies allege financial exploitation of
members, intense information controls, and questionable healthcare claims
regarding auditing. The Church states members willingly donate and auditing
improves lives.
- Classified as a commercial enterprise in some countries like Germany, the
Church's tax-exempt religious status remains legally contentious in places
like the U.S. and Europe.
- Scholarly analysis consistently fails to find Scientology's narratives, claims,
and methods as credible or in accordance with science. The Church
maintains these are spiritual, not scientific matters.
- Children of Scientologists allege abuse within the religious sect and the
Church denies any wrongdoing in how minors are treated or separated from
wider society.
Given Scientology's unconventional beliefs and practices coupled with
persistent legal issues and abuse claims, traditional Christian denominations
remain unlikely to recognize it as a legitimate faith. While religious freedom
allows independent inquiry, on theological and ethical grounds Scientology
diverges irreconcilably from central Christian teachings and virtues.
Conclusion
This research paper has explored the origins and foundational doctrines of
Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard in the 1950s. While Scientology
incorporates concepts from Eastern religions and presents a unique
mythology, upon analysis its core teachings demonstrate irreconcilable
differences from orthodox Christian thought.
From the nature of God and Jesus Christ to concepts of salvation, revelation,
morality, and the afterlife - Scientology stands at clear odds with historic
Christian interpretation of the Bible and two millennia of established theology
and tradition. At both ideological and doctrinal levels, Scientology promotes
a new religious philosophy antithetical to Christianity's divine witness.
Further complicating broader acceptance, Scientology has consistently faced
serious allegations of abuse, fraud, exploitation, and questionable
legal/ethical practices that stand against Christian virtues. While affording
religious freedom, mainstream churches rightly categorize Scientology's
belief system as falling well outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity due
to core theological incompatibilities and other controversial actions
attributed to the organization. Overall, this paper concludes that Scientology
cannot be credibly reconciled with authoritative Christian teachings and
tradition.
