AboutPatrick Lemaire Expertise I can answer questions about the history, beliefs, organizational structure and writings of Scientology.
Experience I studied all the books as well as 500 lectures on the subject. I have been a staff member for 16 years at the local, continental and international level holding administrative functions. I have worked in their organiations in Paris, Copenhagen and Los Angeles. I have been part of their management. I have worked as a translator and editor on nearly all their books and all their lectures released from 1997 to 2007.
Education/Credentials I am a college graduate. In Scientology I have an FEBC, their highest administrative training. I completed 50 Scientology courses.
I have heard that scientology is a religion without a god. Is this true? If it is true, the where did L. Ron Hubbard get his information to create the religion? Who told him this stuff? Where did he get the information for Dianetics, and the religion of scientology?
I have heard that scientology believes that some alien creatures inhabited the earth millions of years ago, and that their souls are trapped in some mountain. If Scientology is a religion without a god, then where did these alien creatures get souls in the first place?
I have heard a lot of criticism of Scientology by word of mouth, and I have read a lot of criticism on the internet. I even read the interview with L. Ron Hubbard's son, where he said that his father was a satanist, and quoted his father as once having said: "if you want to be rich, create your own religion..."
I have also heard that when people join scientology they are encouraged to go to extremely expensive classes and lectures, to learn about the secrets of the faith, and to be raised up onto the next level in the Church of Scientology. That's why many times only the Hollywood elite can afford to become high members in the Church.
Finally I have heard that if someone publically criticizes scientology, then they get sued, or some other misfortune befalls them, just to shut them up.
What can you tell me about the comments I have heard?
Thanks: A.J.
Answer Scientology will answer you that Hubbard talked about a Supreme Being but Hubbard preferred to talk of what he called the Eighth Dynamic. In his view there is a Creator but not the Christian kind. He got his information from questioning beings and finding their past-life memories. From this research he discovered that beings are eternal souls living in flesh bodies. Souls existed before there were flesh bodies. There aren't really aliens. Aliens are just the same kind of souls that humans have in extraterrestrial bodies.
Hubbard's son later retracted his statements however financial settlements with the church usually require such retractations.
Indeed several people mentioned that Hubbard made the statement about creating a religion around 1948. However a study of his life will show that he believed in his discoveries of the eternal soul in 1952.
Going up the levels is indeed expensive but not just the Hollywood elite manages it. Many scientologists manage to gradually earn the money necessary to pay for the next level.
Indeed if a former scientologist publicly states that he leaves the group or otherwise criticizes it, he will considered as an enemy of mankind and targeted for destruction in the interest of mankind. Similarly attacking Scientology (or questioning it) is viewed by them as a mark of rabid insanity and as a sign that the attacker is overtly or secretly an enemy of mankind.
