The Scientology Comparative Theology Page

Scientology and Christianity

Research Materials on Scientology. Watchman Fellowship
Is Scientology Compatible With Christianity?,
John Weldon, Christian Research Journal, 1993.

Theological presuppositions (Scientology beliefs regarding God, Man, Creation, Salvation, Death, and the Occult) and Critique.
Is Scientology a Religion? F.A.C.T.Net links.
Scientology, Satanism, & the Occult . More F.A.C.T.Net links.
Kingdom of the Cults, Scientology subchapter, Walter Martin.
Scientology and Christianity. Cornelius Krasel
Is Scientology a religion? Modemac
Scientology and Christianity , Roland Rashleigh-Berry. Comparison of Scientology/Christian concepts of heaven, Christ, and God, with RealAudio.
Scientology Sound Bites, Mike Gormez. Alternate. Hubbard audio (.wav) quotes that show extreme disrespect for Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

Scientology believes that God exists, but goes on to say "As to the form in which He exists, we do not know" (Scientology: A World Religion, p. 17: What is Scientology, p. 200). And although Scientology does not know the EXACT form of God (i.e., the Supreme Being), it does teach that there are "gods above other gods, and gods beyond the gods of the universes" (Scientology 8-8008, p. 72). Scientology also states that each thetan (person) "has as far as we can see in the manufacture of energy, about the same capabilities as those which have been assigned to the Supreme being in the universe" (Philadelphia Doctorate Course#9, LRH). All of these views would be problematic for Christians, especially when Scientology claims to be compatible with all religions. These views are certainly not compatible with Christianity.

Scientology teaches that humanity is basically good, albeit confused about our godhood. Through knowledge (gnosticism) and training, humanity can once again be perfect and powerful. Christianity teaches that humanity cannot free itself from sin, and salvation can only come through the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

From the Christian viewpoint, Scientology is a modern Pelagian heresy, mixed with gnosticism, spiritism, legalism to the nth degree, with no grace, no mercy, and 100% works. Scientology teaches that each man is as god, already possessing eternal existence, capable (through Hubbard's technology) of becoming totally free. From the Christian viewpoint, Scientology as Satanic in origin.

Hubbard's primary claim for Scientology's religiosity hinges on Past Lives which are revealed during auditing. Similar to the Buddhist concept of reincarnation, Hubbard postulated a spirit (thetan) which inhabits a series of bodies in succession. Between lives, the thetan is commanded by implants (mind control techniques) to return to an Implant Station, where the person forgets their previous life. These Past Lives can only be revealed through auditing.


Scientology Criticized 1700 Years Ago,
Peik Stromsholm, 1995.

A comparison of Scientology doctrine to Tertullian's (207 A.D.) treatise "Against the Valentinians", an early Christian work describing why Gnosticism is foreign to Christianity.
Bible Review,
Steven Davies,
review of Gnosticism and the New Testament (Pheme Perkins).
Hubbard's Ladder,
Tom Joyce, Gnosis No. 12, Summer 1989

Scientology Doctrine, Christian Heresies

Gnosticism

Scientology, as told by Scientologists, means "knowing how to know". (More correctly, it means "the study of knowing", but Hubbard never felt a need for pedantic accuracy.) Thus, Scientology is a gnostic [gnosis: to know] system in every sense of the word[Stromsholm, 1995]. Through training and auditing, the Scientologist is unburdened of his Reactive Mind, and attains the Godlike state of Clear and Operating Thetan, and has the power to transform matter, energy, space, and time. Attainment of Godhood through special revelation is a hallmark of Gnostic belief systems[Davies]

Perhaps most objectionable is Hubbard's corrupt selling of spiritual salvation at steep prices. Scientology progressively demands money from the adherent for each gnosis. The adherent is given the option of either paying for the next "service" or face an existence of appalling spiritual degradation. In effect, Scientologists are spiritually held hostage by their "Church" until large sums of money have been paid.

Hubbard set up Scientology as circles within circles; a spiritual treadmill without end. If the adherent does not exhibit their new-found abilities, it is the adherent's fault (the "technology" and Hubbard are infallible) and they must re-take their courses and auditing. Of course, since it was the adherent's fault, they must again pay the "fixed donation" for the "services". Since the end product (God-like control over matter, energy, space, and time) is unattainable, the system serves to transfer sizeable sums into the Scientology organization.


Have You Lived Before This Life?
a Scientology text about the Past Lives doctrine.
Analysis of Lived Before,
F. W. Haack.

A key passage from Lived Before is analyzed by F. W. Haack, one of the first German critics of Scientology. Scientology was found guilty of repeatedly libelling Mr. Haack after he had published his opinions.
Analysis of Lived Before,
Peik Stromsholm.

A comparison of Lived Before with quotes from various religious scholars, including The Seven Ecumenical Councils of the Undivided Church, Origen's Commentary on Matthew, and Tertio Mellennio Adveniente by Pope John Paul II, 1994.

Reincarnation

The primary difference between Dianetics and Scientology is the concept of "Whole Track" auditing (See Metamorphosis to Religion). The "Whole Track" (as opposed to this lifetime's track) has an implicit belief in "Past Lives" (as Scientology calls it) or reincarnation. Scientology explains that they do not believe in reanimation, but rather that the thetan [spirit] has inhabited many, many bodies since the beginning of time.

Scientology teaches that the thetan is quite capable of surviving without a body, and though unusual, can even inhabit "doll" bodies and even share a body with other thetans ["Body Thetans"]. The thetan "picks up a body" when a baby is born, controls the mind and body during its life, then discards the body when it is worn out or of no further use. Then the cycle is repeated with the next body.

The basis of Scientology's belief in reincarnation is due to several factors: 1) Dianetic pre-clears were recalling events during auditing sessions that had not occurred during their lifetime, and 2) Recalling these events appeared to treat the pre-clear's engrams. However, some of these previous-life recollections are clearly fantasy; for example, many Scientologists recall exciting and famous Past Lives when the law of averages suggests that mundane Past Lives should be the norm. Several people claimed to be Joan of Arc in a previous life (though the Auditor's Code strictly forbids pointing out this inconsistency). Hubbard's science-fiction tends to find its way into his followers' recall as well. Auditing involves mental relaxation and can therefore be somewhat hypnotic. False Memory Syndrome is a definite possibility.

The belief in reincarnation is openly presented to new adherents. Scientology (or perhaps just Hubbard) claims ["Lived Before"] that reincarnation was at one time a Christian belief, but was removed from the Bible by a conspiracy of bishops in 553 AD. This claim is apparently common in occult texts and is patently false [Haack][Stromsholm].


Bare Faced Messiah,
Bent Corydon.

Former Scientology mission-holder chronicles the life of L. Ron Hubbard and the development of Scientology.
Screaming Tomatoes and Blasphemous Rituals,
Rick Branch, Watchman Fellowship.

"What do screaming tomatoes, of the garden variety type, and blasphemous rituals, of the Aleister Crowley type, have in common? According to Martin Gardner, just one thing, Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard!"
Hubbard and the Occult,
Jon Atack.

Former Scientologist's research into Hubbard's Occult background and its influence on Scientology belief and practice. Abundantly references other works on the subject.
Court record, California.
Scientology v. Gerry Armstrong
Interview of L. Ron Hubbard, Jr. [complete]
The Founder's son talks about "soul cracking" and how father's Occult rituals found their way into Scientology belief and practice.
Crowley ... OTO ... Scientology,
"September Virgin" (psuedonym)

alt.relgion.scientology post describing Crowley as a Magician (not a Satanist), and his links to the Rosicrucians, the Golden Dawn, and OTO. "[Hubbard's] ideas were stolen unattributed from other sources, be they Korzybski, Timothy Leary, or Aleister Crowley."
Crowley and Satanism,
Nick Zymaris,

Essay posted to alt.relgion.scientology. Defines Satanists, Satanism, and the Satanic aspects of Aleister Crowley's works.

Magic and the Occult Updated!

Hubbard was active in black magic[k] prior to writing Dianetics. Corydon's cronology is supported by letters from Aleister Crowley of the Ordo Templo Orientis, a magician's sect organized in Europe in the early 20th century. (More information on the OTO is available [Koenig] [Watchman Fellowship].) Atack goes further by suggesting that Dianetics (and by extension, Scientology) is an extension of Hubbard's black magik "research" of that time. Hubbard's black magick sex rituals to invoke the Whore of Babalon are confirmed by Armstrong (Hubbard's biographer) and L. Ron Hubbard, Jr..

After Crowley died, Hubbard visited Egypt and Crowley's estate and assumed the mantle of "The Beast". Then, in The Philadelphia Doctorate Course, Hubbard says:

"Now, he could simply say, "I have action." A magician - the magic cults of the eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth centuries in the Middle East were fascinating. The only modern work that has anything to do with them is a trifle wild in spots, but it's fascinating work in itself, and that's work written by Aleister Crowley, the late Aleister Crowley, my very good friend. And he did himself a splendid piece of aesthetics built around those magic cults. It's very interesting reading to get hold of a copy of a book, quite rare, but it can be obtained. the Master Therion, T-h-e-r-i-o-n, The Master Therion by Aleister Crowley. He signs himself "The Beast"; "The Mark of the Beast, 666." Very, very something or other, but anyway the ... Crowley exhumed a lot of the data from these old magic cults.", The Philadelphia Doctorate Course, L. Ron. Hubbard, Tape #18, Dec 5, 1952.   Real Audio (USA) [296K]   Real Audio (UK) [296K]

In this passage, Hubbard identifies Crowley both as "my very good friend" [a lie], and as "The Beast, six-sixty-six". To Christians, "Beast" and "666" are alternative names for Satan and the Anti-Christ. Hubbard probably realized his gaffe toward Christians in the audience, and stammers the nonsensical "very, very something or other, but anyway ..." until he recovers his wits. Crowley uses the word Therion, which is the Greek word for "beast". Hubbard assumed the throne of "The Beast" when Crowley died [Corydon] [LRH, Jr.], so the additional modifier of "late Aliester Crowley" is significant. The Philadelphia Doctorate Course was done after Crowley's death, and Crowley likely provided inspiration for it. Amusingly, Hubbard sounds like a late-night TV commercial when he hawks Crowley's book by s-p-e-l-l-i-n-g out the name. Perhaps Hubbard really did sell A Piece of Blue Sky as Atack suggests.

Although Hubbard was a devout follower of Crowley, Crowley appears to have spurned Hubbard's and Parson's "research". In a letter to another OTO member, Crowley wrote "I get fairly frantic when I contemplate the idiocy of these louts" [Corydon]. Crowley was referring to Hubbard's "research" with Jack Parsons of the OTO 9th degree where they attempted to conjure the Anti-Christ through the "Whore of Babalon" in a sex-magick ritual at the Pasadena OTO.

Crowley/OTO supporters point out that what Hubbard was doing and what he became do not represent OTO teaching. The OTO website outwardly represents the OTO as being a gnostic magician's sect. The word "Babalon" may make Jews and Christians uneasy, but it is quite possible that the OTO is decended from the traditions of the Chaldean sorcerers that are described by the Jewish prophets Daniel and Jeremiah during the Babylonian exile period ca. 600 BCE. Crowley also studied Egyptian magick and Egyptian sorcerers are mentioned in Exodus.

"The Whore of Babylon" is a reference to the Christian Book of Revelations, and is associated with the coming of the Anti-Christ, Satan's representative on Earth during The Apocalypse (end of the world) in which Satan is finally defeated. The Hebrews' Babylonian Exile period, as recorded in the prophets Daniel and Jeremiah, is associated with worldy temptations leading away from God (a goal of Satan). In the Book of Daniel, the word of God is victorious over the Chaldean sorcerers and magicians. ...and sorcery and magic bring us full-circle back to the OTO, Aleister Crowley, Hubbard, and Scientology. Sorcery and magic are specifically proscribed in both Jewish and Christian law. The Jewish Law explains that magic does not originate from God, therefore it is Man creating an idolatrous system (Deuteronomy 12(?), also Daniel 1,2). Christianity follows Judaism's lead for the same reason with references to "sorcery" in Acts and Revelations.

Whether Crowley (and by extension Hubbard) were "Satanists" is a contentious issue [pro] [con]. "Satanic" is an ambiguous term. From the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic perspective, Satan leads people away from God. In fact, Crowley and Hubbard did not worship Satan as an entity - they worshipped themselves and the power they could wield through their magick. In essence, their magick was about getting power over others and becoming God. While Crowley and Hubbard did not overtly worship Satan, they certainly forwarded Satan's agenda of leading people away from God.

Hubbard adapted Crowley's exhortation "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.", then created Scientology. Today, the Church of Scientology International, in the guise of the Religious Technology Center, controls Scientology, Orgs, and Scientologists through copyrights. If the Scientologist does not obey CSI/RTC and pay steep license fees, use of the copyrights is revoked and access is denied to the "scriptures". "Religious freedom" comes for the price of total obedience to Hubbard's organization.

Scientology doctrine contains many references to controlling or being controlled. Atack [2] lists one of Hubbard's magic self-affirmations to be "You can be merciless whenever your will is crossed and you have every right to be merciless." Hubbard directed the lives of his followers in minute detail, and exiled any staff member who crossed his will to the Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF). [RPF has been variously described as either a gulag by critics or a boot camp by the "Church".]


Neo-Paganism

"We tend to forget that the so-called "cult" phenomenon, like the New Age movement itself, is hardly anything new: It's essentially an attempt at a "revival" of sorts of ancient pre-Christian paganism in all its forms, but merely wearing modern "clothes" --e.g., pseudo-scientific terminology, allegedly "innovative" or "new" philosophies, and the like.", sloopjohne@aol.com in a theological discussion with inducto@aol.com of Scientology in its neo-pagan context and its relationship to Christianity.

The Scientology Cross


Cross from Scientology website Crowley's Cross (Messiah or Madman?, Corydon)
[This section was attacked by Scientology Legal! According to the lawyer, a thumbnail image of a trademark isn't Fair Use. (a "religion" with TRADE marks!?!). Your browser just got it from www.scientology.org rather than www.ezlink.com.]

"Crowley's Cross" is found on the reverse side of the Thoth Deck [Tarot Cards] and (apparently) used in OTO magic[k] rituals. The artwork for the Thoth Deck is by Frieda Harris. The cross bears some similarities to the Golden Dawn cross, another magic[k] group which the young Crowley joined. Paul Hume, 4th degree OTO, has kindly summarized the relationships between the Golden Dawn, OTO, Crowley, and the Thoth Deck.

Hubbard Maligns Christianity

Note: since Christianity accepts the Jewish Torah as Canon, see also Hubbard Maligns Judaism.

Hubbard on the Origins of Christianity

Hubbard on the Basis of Christianity

Hubbard on the Roman Catholic Church

Hubbard on the Leaders of the Christian Church

Hubbard on Heaven

Hubbard Again on Heaven

Hubbard on the Cross and Christ

Hubbard on the "Chaos" caused by Christ

Hubbard on Christ's Spiritual Authority

Hubbard on Love

Hubbard on the Soul

Hubbard on the "Christ Game"

Refuting Scientology's Compatibility Claims

  • A Thumbnail Comparison of Scientology and Christianity, Piek Stromsholm, et.al. A side-by-side comparison of Christian and Scientology scriptures. A "Must Read".

  • Hubbard's Views on Christianity, Harrington. A scholarly essay which includes references from PABs, HCOBs, and other Hubbard writings.

  • What Christians Need to Know about Scientology, Wakefield, ex-Scientologist, 1991. [Note: Wakefield references the initial version of OT VIII, which has been replaced one or more times. New OT VIII is described by Ariane Jackson.] Margery Wakefield also wrote Road to Xenu, a narrative account of life in Scientology.

  • OT-VIII, Initial Version. Contains statements by Hubbard that he is the Anti-Christ, Lucifer brings enlightenment, and that Jesus Christ was a lover of young boys. The OT VIII document was posted to a.r.s., and subsequently included in a list of works claimed by Scientology in a copyright infringement lawsuit. Later, the "pedophile" version of OT VIII was withdrawn from the list of infringing items, and Scientology now disclaims ownership of it.

    Jesse Prince, as 2nd in command at RTC when OT VIII was released, witnessed the upset it caused, as well as its subsequent alteration by David Miscavige (head of RTC). In an interview with Lawrence Wollersheim (FACTNet director), Jesse Prince validates the "pedophile" version of OT VIII as being the initial version. Jesse states that the version posted to the Internet was probably reconstructed from one or more people's memory of the original OT8, and that it contains too many typographical errors to be an RTC product.

    Controversy on alt.religion.scientology: Is Scientology Compatible with Christianity?

    A review of his material makes it clear that Hubbard knowingly lies to low-level Scientologists about being compatible with Christianity. It is painfully clear that Christian Scientologists must eventually renounce Christianity to reach Scientology's highest levels. The Pattinson First Amended Complaint details how a celebrity ex-OT7 was swindled and how Scientology attempted to coerce him into believing that Scientology is the only valid religion.

    After attaining OT VIII, the Scientologist has come to accept that God not only does not exist, but also believes that God is just another implant that must be audited out like any other false memory. In this manner, Scientology binds the minds of its believers, then warehouses their spirits for the remainder of their life. From the Christian point of view, Hubbard's system is evil to the extreme; Scientology is a system of spiritual treadmills away from God.

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