A Note on US cults
“75 million years ago there was an evil galactic leader called Xenu, who controlled seven planets in our sector. Each one was overpopulated by about 178 billion people, which worried Xenu, so he decided to solve the problem by calling everyone in for income tax inspections, injecting them all with glycol and alcohol to knock them out, put them in DC8 planes with rocket motors, and shipped them to Earth, which back then was called Teegeeack, where they were stacked around the bases of volcanoes. These volcanoes were then detonated by H-bombs, releasing everybody’s souls (called a “thetan” in this story), which were then sucked up by giant electronic traps. They were packaged and sent to a large cinema, where they were shown 3D motion pictures that implanted a false idea about life, including things like the devil, god, heaven and hell…that sort of thing. These souls were then released back into the world, where they roamed aimlessly for years, until the first humans provided them with bodies to inhabit, which they clung to. Xenu, thankfully, was eventually captured by the good forces in the universe, and put in a mountain on one of the planets, where he is trapped by a force-field powered by an eternal battery.”
This sounds like a stupid story. A science-fiction blockbuster, perhaps. In fact, this is what five hundred thousand people believe worldwide. Harmless enough, were it not for the psychological dependence followers of this cult are instilled with, and the exorbitant bill they end up paying to have them removed — around $360,000.
This belief is little different to any number of others. “An alien from outer space came to Earth not only to walk through walls from time to time, but also to teach mankind yogic exercises to free our karmas.” “The son of god was nailed to a torture stick, and taught that homosexuality, gambling and having a blood transfusion is unforgivable, women must listen to men (who have the final word), and exactly 144,000 of us will join god in heaven, whereas the rest will be resurrected on judgment day.” “All mankind came from one guy and his family who sailed the open sea with all the animals of the world on board.” “The Earth was created in six days, and 124,000 prophets walked upon it, the last of which was visited by an angel for 23 years during the seventh century, who then dictated the word of that angel to scribes, the writing of which became the holy book of its followers.”
Believe what you will. The US government certainly agrees. Jehovah’s Witnesses were granted religious status in the US, despite worrying facts about them. Their doctrinal differences with Protestants and Catholics make them different enough to separate them entirely; Jesus was only the son of God, not God Himself; there is no Holy Trinity; Jesus was stapled to a torture beam, not a cross; Christ has been “invisibly” with us on earth since 1914; and there is no hell, for all those who have died will be given the chance to live in paradise on Earth, on resurrection. The six million Jehovah’s Witnesses on Earth do not seem to be put off by the fact that they believe there is only space for 144,000 people in heaven, or that rape claims must be brought with two witnesses and/or the confession of the accused. Nor even that should they need an operation, their faith will not permit them a blood transfusion.
The government has also pressured other nations to view scientology as a religion, and not as a financial institution. Meh.
