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What is Scientology?
Founded by L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986), a popular science fiction author, Scientology is supposed to be a science, a religion and a church. The basic book of Scientology is Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, published in 1950.

In his book Hubbard argues that it is necessary to discover the "single source" for all of our problems, mental or physical. According to Hubbard, this source can be located in what he labeled "engrams," defined as "a definite and permanent trace left by a stimulus on the protoplasm of a tissue. It is considered as a unit group of stimuli impinged solely on the cellular being." What does that mean? Apparently, it means that engrams are "recordings" made in our brain on the cellular level during times of physical or emotional stress. They are not active memories, but negative engrams do affect us. Allegedly, most of our engrams are acquired in the womb - which is, Hubbard says, an unpleasant place because it is "wet, uncomfortable and unprotected."

Hubbard claimed that they cause "...arthritis, bursitis, asthma, allergies, sinusitis, coronary trouble, high blood pressure, and so on." It is claimed that all of our ills can be cured by having our engrams removed by a specially trained "auditor." Through dianetic therapy, we can be released from these engrams and made "clear." These "treatments" cost progressively more and more money as a person goes along. People spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars being audited by the Church of Scientology.

Another important doctrine in Scientology is the idea that, fundamentally, human beings are really "Thetans" - immortal souls which travel from body to body, from life to life. Discovering what happened to us in previous lives is an important feature, thus Scientologists argue that auditing is actually one of their "sacraments," allowing the "Thetan" to become "clear" of past experiences.

Scientology was granted the tax-exempt status of a church in 1993, and today it has about 700 centers in more than 60 countries.

Critiques of Scientology
Hubbard claimed that everything he taught and which was incorporated into Scientology are scientific facts, but he provided no scientific evidence in support of his claims. To date, no scientific tests have ever provided any sound evidence for the supposedly "scientific" claims made by the Church of Scientology. Even worse, Hubbard relied on a false dilemma fallacy in that he claimed that either the individual cells of a human body must be sentient or else the soul must enter us at the time of conception.

Does Scientology even offer any testable claims which science could investigate? Yes, it does - and it should, if it is going to try and call itself a science. Among the claims which can be tested are: it is superior in treating mental illness; it can be 100% effective in improving IQ; it can solve all of humanity's problems; and it is a rational and proven science. None of these claims have actually been supported.

The Church of Scientology has claimed to have millions of members, but independent observers say that the numbers are actually quite a lot lower.

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What is the Philosophy of Religion?
Sometimes confused with theology, the Philosophy of Religion is the philosophical study of religious beliefs, religious doctrines, religious arguments and religious history. The line between theology and the philosophy of religion isn't always sharp, but the primary difference is that theology tends to be apologetical in nature, committed to the defense of particular religious positions, whereas Philosophy of Religion is committed to the investigation of religion itself, rather than the truth of any particular religion.