Cult culture: Scientology

The ‘cult’ I have chosen to look at is that of Scientology. The website I found is clearly a biased site, seeking to provide negative descriptions of Scientology and to try and push their views upon the reader. Scientology is an interesting article, as the definition of it can vary upon where you are based. For instance, within the United States it is seen as a legitimate ‘church’ movement, whereas outside of their borders, notably in mainland Europe, it is recognised as a cult. The movement has garnered much attention, more often negative than positive, since its creation in the 1950s. One of the main issues people have with Scientology is taken from a quotation made by the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, in the late 1940s:

“Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion.”

So it has become that many critics have said Hubbard created the movement of Scientology to simply make money, and their views that it is a ‘confused concoction of crackpot, dangerously applied psychotherapy…’ seem only to be magnified by some of the apparent ‘truths’ of the movement, such as stories of human kind’s development from aliens (perhaps interesting to note Hubbard was a science-fiction novelist before his conception of Scientology). In terms of relating to the death of the grand narrative, this movement could be seen to be an example of Lyotard’s argument that, in the post-modern era, “Enlightenment grand narratives become impossibly contradictory because they begin to endorse beliefs and practices that are in opposition to their founding principle.” In this case, Scientology could be seen to be a ‘little narrative’, along with other alternative or revived forms of spiritual belief, such as Paganism, Wicca and New Age mysticism. It could also be said that Scientology plays upon the individual’s ideal to distance itself from the norm and accept a new form of reality, which is perhaps why it has proved successful, or at least well known through the celebrity status is has been opened to, through advertisement by well known Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise.