Religious scholars are somewhat divided over how to classify the Church of Scientology. It seems to wish to be classified as among the number of emerging religious movements that have sprung up in the United States since the 1960s and beyond, movements that often get slapped with the label of “cult” which can be problematic as it makes no distinction between a movement that legitimately brainwashes its members into doing physical harm to themselves and others and one that is bizarre and seemingly crazy but does no significant harm to its members or anyone else. A key area in which to determine whether an organization ought to be classified as a church is whether it operates as a non-profit entity or more like a for-profit business. Many make the case that Scientology functions in the latter fashion, given its extraordinary membership fees and expensive treatments and programming. Advancing in the religion is reported as being incredibly costly.
With such reports freely available to the public about a Church that functions largely in secret, it’s easy to see why people would be skeptical, even fearful about such an organization. Its role in Hollywood politics is even more curious. Tom Cruise has claimed his adherence to the religion is responsible for his career success, and has attributed career downturns of others to a kind of spiritual corruption due to factors such as psychiatric treatment. It’s hard to tell for certain whether the creepy sensation most of us get when considering Scientology comes from just a prejudicial disposition based on false perceptions of a world we know little about, or whether the rumors and reporting point to seriously troubling features of an organization that wants to be both publicly accepted but privately hidden. What I’m most curious about is what the future holds for the Church, whether its celebrity involvement can persist or whether it will fade away when a new generation of skeptical stars find a new trending path towards fulfillment.
