Imagine a giant schoolyard. It’s a very diverse schoolyard with many different types of people who are of all shapes and sizes, and all the colors of the rainbow. This is not the site of a gay pride parade.
The most popular kid in this schoolyard is named Christian. He has a lot of friends and he’s generally respected. When he does get in trouble, it’s usually because he gets in fights with Muhammad, considered by many as the chief troublemaker, although that’s an unfair stigma because it’s Muhammad’s overzealous friends who are usually at fault.
Another major player in this schoolyard is Abraham. He doesn’t have as many friends as Christian or Muhammad, but his clique tends to overachieve.
Everyone gets made fun of now and then, but one kid in particular gets ridiculed the most. He’s a little under average height and believes in things that undermine any sort of legitimacy he might have in the public sphere that is this schoolyard. His name is Jerry Maguire, and he believes in extraterrestrials.
Scientology lacks legitimacy as a religion because, aside from having no roots in an ancient birthplace, it was designed by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, many believe either for profit or as part of a bet. The blind and unabashed zeal exhibited by Tom Cruise when he raves about Scientology doesn’t help either.
Scientology is an organization known for having wealthy members and loaded coffers. They have recruiting techniques which involve costly personality tests. If there were an area which justifies criticism, it would be the money side of things, but it’s mostly the beliefs of Scientology that draw flack.
Christianity, when truly looked at, isn’t much less incredulous than Scientology. The Christian concept of life after death seems born out of some stubborn and somehow arrogant refusal to believe that life can, in fact, end, even though it’s something that happens all time. And although I find it hard to believe that there lived an alien ruler who brought people to earth, I find it just as hard to believe that there once lived some guy who was born of a virgin, turned water into wine, multiplied fish and bread and walked on water — all without the help of CGI.
There are many people who, when asked what religion they observe, reply hesitantly because they cannot really identify with the religion they have familial ties with. When someone says they’re a Scientologist, you can be sure they are. The level of conviction Scientologists have is admirable, and surely something other religions wish their members could emulate.
Scientology might very well be a moneymaking enterprise, but you can be sure other religions turn a pretty penny too. I remember sitting in church on countless Sundays, shelling out dolla dolla bills for the collection plate. At least with Scientology, they try to brainwash you when you’re older, wiser and have the required mental facilities to make a personal decision. Religions like Christianity get at you before you can even talk. You are made to believe that religion when you are most impressionable, when you have nothing but absolute trust in your parents and everything you are told is the unquestioned truth.
Scientology, then, has as much a right to exist as any other religion. If every religion were based on fact, there would surely be fewer, if any at all. Scientology, just like other religions, is just a way of looking at, living and making sense of life. It doesn’t matter so much what you believe, but how you end up translating that belief into who you are as a person.