The first I had heard of Scientology was one winter night In Washington DC in Dupont Circle where they were passing out flyers. My mother had warned me about cults and these people had a cultish look about them so I took off to the nearest subway station. I the saw a TV special but I still did not understand HOW it got started and how so many people could fall for what sounds like a far fetched scheme. I was reading NPR and came across a review of this book so I got it from the Library. It was a very informative book.
It is packed with information with the history of L Ron Hubbard, the founder and his followers. Now it is easy to pass off all of them as insane but as they say hindsight is 20/20. At the time his followers thought he had really developed a new way of freeing oneself from the limitations of the body. It was no more kooky than other religions that were coming out of Hollywood at the time. Also if gave writers and actors a way “in” to the Hollywood fame. A lot of celebrities were connected with Scientology. The most famous being Tom Cruse.
As I said Going Clear is packed with information and it is not easy to read. At the time I thought I was getting dumber but I read another book in a day so I am just going to say if you plan to read this be prepared to use your brain cells and invest serious time in it.
If you are looking for a through history and a through analysis of Scientology and the religions that L Ron Hubbard borrowed from then this is your book. I would love to be able to discuss this with someone because parts of it went right over my head.
We have a huge Scientology church on my town and everyday I pray that those who are being deceived will get out and find The Lord. I read up on it years ago and could not understand how anyone could believe it. But then I realized.. When you don’t have The Lord, you’ll fall for anything under the sun.
I agreew with you. As was reading I was like they believe that?!?! As you said if yu dont have the lord you will fall for anything Under the sun.
I thought GOING CLEAR was a fascinating read. It seemed pretty even-handed to me (a non-Scientologist), in that the author talked about members who got fulfillment from the group’s teachings. For me, personally, I don’t see Scientology as a viable belief system, but there are odd aspects to every religion.
It was fascinating even if it went over my head at some points. There are a lot of odd religions out there so taken in that light maybe this one is not so “out there”
Well, odd only in terms of our perspective. Odd in terms of what we think of as traditional religions.
I’m uneasy at what seem to be controlling aspects of Scientology, but that’s something I’d find issue with in any religion. There’s an awful lot of guilt doled out in Catholicism, imo (raised as a Catholic).