Blog: Deconstructing Scientology: Chapter 12 - 2016-11-24
Deconstructing Scientology: Chapter 12 November 24, 2016,
Hey everyone. This is the next installment in my deconstruction of the book Scientology, edited by James R. Lewis. We've gone through the introduction and eleven chapters so far and except for the bit of bright light we saw last week, so far it's been a real slug-fest trying to just wade through the verbiage as well as counter most of the frankly asinine statements these academics have made about Scientology in their quest to make it seem like a legitimate religious movement on the same order as Christianity, Islam or Buddhism. I've shown time and again how their data is off, their thinking is flawed and their conclusions are almost imbecilic. So where are we at now?
We are on what looks to me like the last chapter that goes over whether Scientology is a religion, the last chapter in the section called "Sources and Comparative Approaches" where the authors offer up comparisons of Scientology to other religious practices in a vain effort to show how Scientology is just like (fill in the blank) religion and therefore should be given serious consideration, respect and tax exempt status. That last is the only thing Scientology really cares about and is the only reason they went around commissioning religious scholars to write about Scientology in the first place. Believe me, Scientology officials could care less what any of these religious scholars say, think or feel. They are all viewed as a means to an end for Scientology to secure and keep its tax exemption so it can continue raking in millions of dollars without having to pay a penny in property or income tax and can get away with the most egregious human rights abuses under the cloak of religious freedom.
That all being said, this week's chapter is a very convoluted read that ends in no solid conclusion one way or the other about Scientology but is more critical of it's religiosity than most other authors we've covered. The fact that it's conclusion is so convoluted left me very dissatisfied with this piece and so we are going to cover it as rapidly as I can while still making a few good points I think you'll be interested in.