I suppose it is safe to say that after the memorable John Travolta -led rescue mission to Haiti, this was quite inevitable. And predictable. Our friendly scientologists are doing it again, saving sad souls from the perils of natural disaster. This time in Japan. I wonder if Travolta is flying the plane again?
Being homeless after tsunami, maybe having lost some of your loved ones, what is the first thing popping up in your thoughts? Healing massages, that´s what. They sure can do miracles. Recently my friend lured me into getting one of those "natural alternative treatments", as in reflexology massage. Nope, did not feel a thing. No energies going through my "zones" no matter what. Maybe I´m just not open enough for these things. What ever the case, perhaps the answer lies in "spiritual first aid" delivered by a "volunteer minister". The therapy relies on "getting in touch with the immortal spirits". Sounds funky and inspiring for next weekend. Especially as the church promises to get "even a drunk man sober in minutes". Wonderful. I should give it a try, or what?
In all fairness, the yellow-coated heroes did provide food and water for the victims as well. Now if only they could control the radioactivity as well. Maybe auditing can help?
Church of Scientology arrives to Japan : But where is Travolta?
Religion is a sensitive topic. The ones with strong beliefs on its power are always eager to defend its importance for our existence. How can one be human without spiritual guidance, a system that molds our choices and provides safety from lingering fears on pure arbitrariness in the universe? For some of us, atheism is simply absurd. Spiritual vacuum is feared, condemned and it can even be considered a morally questionable representation of the character at large.
I do recognize the feeling of shelter religion brings, it is easier to live with someone/something giving straight answers to everything (no matter how correct they are). There is no uncertainty or questioning of choices: things are, as given. It is a matter of placing your ultimate trust in the hands of someone, and something. This trust can be easily exploited, however.
When there is demand, there is supply. A friend of mine had an intriguing encounter with this specific church in the past. Well-dressed, well-spoken woman on the streets of Brighton offers a free personality test. After the test (which in its complexity was nothing but random general questions of nothing important) the results were given. No surprises there, the need for help was regarded as immediate. My friend was apparently "in dire emotional stress and going nowhere" without intervention. Relief would come in the form of dianetics. And countless courses, I assume. Without going into specifics of Scientology, as I suspect most of us have heard the stories on thetans, aliens, suppressive persons, auditing and the perils of modern psychiatry, I present some hip music by the church of Scientology.
In 1986, Scientology put out an album of songs created by no other that the great L. Ron Hubbard himself.
The lyrics are exactly what one would imagine, preaching the ARC triangle, devils of psychiatry etc. This is "the Road to Freedom" , indeed.
