Is Proselytizing for Scientology evil?

[DNCAttackDog]

I'll open with a quote from a 4-month-old thread:

That said, I doubt that I disagree with you at all about Scientology. I'm glad they don't do door-to-door missions. They have my address!

Let's assume, just for argument's sake, that Scientology is indeed a religion. I'ts no secret that its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, believe that the primary goal of his curch was to make money. That being the case, wouldn't proselytizing be identical to advertising? And I think that several people on this forum have already commented that advertising isn't a "moral" act.

Thoughts?

[MikeD4o7]

I don't think that advertising itself is moral or immoral... it all depends on what you're advertising and how you're advertising it that gives it moral weight one way or another... if at all.

[DeathMonkey]

I dunno from Scientology, but the film Battlefield Earth was a crime against nature....

[ukangel]

I have read a bit about Scientology and personally I would give it a wide berth. That said it clearly works for some people. I would have thought it was more of philosophy than a religion or at least it started out that why. I think Hubbard started calling it a religion for the tax benefits.

[mataj]

Let's assume, just for argument's sake, that Scientology is indeed a religion. I'ts no secret that its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, believe that the primary goal of his curch was to make money.Typical religion! :D
That being the case, wouldn't proselytizing be identical to advertising? Ummm... Is there a difference?

In the olden days, religion played the role similar to CNN (performing the propaganda), Gallup (sampling public opinions through confessions), and CIA (gathering of intelligence through confessionals, darkops & psyops).

[mahayana]

I think I posted a question like "what kind of religion would you start today, for modern scientifically bright people?" on the other thread about scientology.

I don't know of any scientologists here, and my personal contact with the "religion" is limited to receiving a monthly newsletter, but I'd be happy to share what I do know about it. First off, you all know L.Ron is dead, right?

I bought a couple of the books, with innocuous titles like "Self-analysis", "The Science of Thinking", back in the '70s. "Dianetics" was an old book even then. They don't have any reference to a "higher power" so didn't seem religious in an obvious way.

The doctrines, as I caught them, had more to do with a mechanistic view of the brain, and the notion (shared with buddhism and humanism) of the perfectability of people. If you get rid of "wrong thinking" (most religions tell you what to think, scientology means actual physical brain errors) you will free your natural curiousity and creativity (most religions say you'll become worthy of heaven) and become "clear" (buddhism says become enlightened).

Apparently, the message makes sense to those that want to improve themselves, have money for the courses, can get into the lingo, like groups. I've been on the scientology mailing list for over 30 years, have never been approached by any proselytizer from their organization.