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Caleb DowdyProfessor LewandowskiENC 1101December 3, 2009Clearwater’s Cult: Scientology“
There is a cancer at the core of Scientology and that has not changed 
.”(Childs, 2009) That was an editorial quote from the Truth Rundown, St.Petersburg Times series. The Church of Scientology is protected in the US by the 1
st
amendment giving them the legal immunity they need to be considered a religion,but Scientology should not be considered a religion because Scientology is adangerous cult designed to scam people out of their money and break up families. The Definition of a religion is a specific fundamental set of beliefs andpractices generally agreed upon by a number of persons. The term “Religion” canbe used when referring to the individual or group practices, and goes by severaldifferent names, such as “faith” or “belief system”. As Americans citizens canbelieve in what they want to believe in. This is how Scientology was formed, andprotected under the first amendment. The first amendment states, “Congress shallmake no laws respecting the establishment of religion.” This grants a new religionthe legal immunity to create and establish their set of beliefs. (Convention, 2008)“
If you want to make a little money, write a book. If you want to make a lot of money, create a religion
,” that was a quote from the founder of Scientology, L. RonHubbard. Scientology should not be considered a religion because Scientology is ascam designed to take money from innocent families. Scientology is not designedfor the financially weak, with costs ranging from $16.95 for the
Dianetics
handbook,to $220,000 required donation to take a two-year, 16-course upper-level trainingprogram, called the Saint Hill Special Briefing Course. Another example of whyScientology should not be considered a religion is the cost of taking their beginningauditing sessions on Dianetics through the church. The cost of only a week of beginning auditing sessions comes with a price tag of $200 (Tobin, 2009) The most important reason Scientology should not be considered a religion isbecause Scientology is a dangerous cult. According to the Scientology doctrine,people who criticize the Church of Scientology practices or policy are criminals.Critics of these policies, former members, or people in the church who fall out of favor with the church are declared “Suppressive Persons” (SP). The following is anexcerpt regarding SPs from
HUBBARD COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE POLIC LETTER-October 18, 1967ENEMYSP Order. Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May betricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.(HUBBARD, 1967)
Scientologists will deny that this policy exists, or they’ll claim that it was cancelled.In reality only the term “Fair game” was cancelled due to PR reasons, the policy
 
Caleb DowdyProfessor LewandowskiENC 1101December 3, 2009itself remains unchanged and in effect. Another example of why Scientology shouldnot be considered a religion is because of the “Lisa McPherson Trials”. 17 daysbefore she died Lisa McPherson was in a minor car accident amounting to nothingmore than a finder-bender. She was taken to Morton Plant Hospital, where doctorsdiscussed having her committed for psychiatric evaluation under Florida’s BakerAct. Lisa was instructed to deny medical attention and use the Churches servicesinstead, because the Church of Scientology considers psychiatry and psychiatricdrugs evil. Instead the church offers a less intrusive and more humane treatmentplan. Lisa McPherson, 36-years-old, spent 17 days in a guarded room at thechurch’s Fort Harrison Hotel. When this less intrusive treatment plan had all butkilled Lisa McPherson, they ordered her to be taken to a hospital. Lisa died in theback seat of a van that was driving her to a hospital in the next county, passing 4other hospitals on their route. The coroner’s report stated Lisa was underweight,severely dehydrated, hundreds of bug bites and bruising all over her body. Thiswas just an average fender-bender; she did not have to die.(Jacobsen, 2008)As time magazine put it Scientology is “The Thriving cult of Greed andPower.”(Behar, 1991) Although the definition of a religion is a specific fundamentalset of beliefs and practices, Scientology should not be considered a religion for twomain reasons. The first reason being Religion should be free and Scientology isn’t.However the most important reason is Scientology is a dangerous scam designed totake money from innocent families. The so called “Church of Scientology” isnothing more than a cult, using the tax break that religions receive for being non-profit organizations.
Works Cited
Childs, J., & Tobin, T. C. (2009). Scientology: The Truth Rundown, Part 1 of 3 in aspecial report on the Church of Scientology.
St.Petersburg Times
.Convention, D. o. (2008, December 5).
GPO access .
Retrieved November 24, 2009,from http://www.gpoaccess.gov/constitution/pdf2002/019.pdf HUBBARD, L. R. (1967). HCO Policy Letter.
HCO Policy Letter Issue IV 
(p. 1). SaintHill Manor, East Grinstead, Sussex: L. RON HUBBARD. Jacobsen, J. (2008, October 3).
Lisa McPherson Memorial Page: killed by the Churchof Scientology 
. Retrieved November 24, 2009, from http://www.lisamcpherson.org/ Tobin, T. C. (2009, June 22). Death In Slow Motion .
St. Petersburg Times
, p. Not inconsecutive order.
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