Tagged: Afterlife
Scientology: A not-so-great American success story
L. Ron Hubbard was a successful science fiction writer in the 1930s and 1940s. But he tipped his hand in 1949 when he claimed a person could make even more money by inventing a new religion. A year later he published Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, and in 1954 he established his “church” of Scientology.
Scientology is a real, if not-so-great, American success story. It enriched Hubbard financially but has enslaved Hollywood elites, musicians, writers, and many less prominent figures in the false promise of godlike existence and freedom from 60 trillion years of reincarnations. “The sun never sets on Scientology,” Hubbard once wrote. But the sun set on Hubbard in 1986 as he died, a rich recluse, on his private yacht. The religion he invented — a mixture of Eastern religions, occult practices, and science fiction — rocks on under new leadership, but Hubbard’s writings and lectures continue to be the Scientologist’s authority. Every Christian should reject the teachings of Scientology for their unbiblical stand, particularly those regarding authority, Jesus, sin, salvation, man, death and the afterlife.
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Comparing Christianity to Scientology
Download this chart and an article providing an overview of Scientology (PDF)
Some of Hollywood’s brightest stars, and other prominent figures, are dedicated followers of the religion founded by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard: Scientology. Is Scientology Christian? Decidedly not. So what do Tom Cruise, John Travolta and other Scientologists believe? Below is a chart comparing key teachings of Christianity and the Church of Scientology.
| What the Bible says about God: | What Scientology says about God: |
| There is one true and living God, who exists as three distinct, co-equal, co-eternal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deut. 6:4; John 1:1-3, 6:27, 20:28; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:13; 1 Peter 1:2). | The Supreme Being is purposely left undefined and does not become particularly relevant in Scientology theory or practice. God is variously referred to as “Nature,” “Infinity,” “the Eighth Dynamic,” “all Theta (life)” and so forth. Usually the individual Scientologist is free to interpret God in whatever way he or she wishes. |
| What the Bible says about Jesus: | What Scientology says about Jesus: |
| He is the virgin-born Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-23; Luke 1:35). He is the eternal God, the Creator, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and Holy Spirit (John 1:1-14; Col. 1:15-20; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 1:1-13). Jesus died for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3), rose physically from the dead (Matt. 12:38-40; Rom. 1:4; 1 Cor. 15:4-8; 1 Peter 1:18-21) and is coming back physically and visibly one day (Matt. 24:29-31; John 14:3; Titus 2:13; Rev. 19:11-14). | Jesus was a man who was not particularly enlightened. The Church invented him as the savior of the world. Some Scientologists classify him as an “Operating Thetan,” which means a person aware of his true nature and abilities. |
| What the Bible says about salvation: | What Scientology says about salvation: |
| Christ’s death at Calvary completely paid our sin debt so that salvation comes by grace through faith in Jesus (John 3:16, 5:24; Rom. 4:4-5; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). | Salvation is the enlightenment of the thetan as to his true nature and abilities. |
| What the Bible says about man: | What Scientology says about man: |
| God created man in His image – with a human spirit, personality and will. A person’s life begins at conception and is everlasting, but not eternal; that is, our lives have no end, but they did have a beginning (Gen. 1:26-28; Ps. 139:13-16). | In his true nature, man is an eternal spirit being with divine powers (thetan). |
| What the Bible says about the Bible: | What Scientology says about the Bible: |
| The Bible is the inerrant, infallible, inspired Word of God, and is His sole written authority for all people (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). | The Bible is one of the world’s religious searchings. But as far as Scientology practices are concerned, it is largely irrelevant. |
| What the Bible says about sin: | What Scientology says about sin: |
| Sin is violation of God’s perfect and holy standards. All humans are sinners (Rom. 3:10) and are under the curse of sin – spiritual and physical death (Gen. 2:17, 3:17-19; Rom. 3:23). Only faith in Christ and His work on our behalf frees us from sin and its consequences (John 3:16, 5:24; Eph. 2:8-9). | Sin is merely falsehood or ignorance, and especially that which opposes Scientology. Man’s fall was not into spiritual and physical death, but into matter and ignorance. |
| What the Bible says about death: | What Scientology says about death: |
| Physical death and spiritual death come upon all people as a consequence of their sin (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:1). A person becomes spiritually alive when he or she is “born again” or “born from above” (John 3:3-6; Eph. 2:1-5). At physical death, our souls and spirits separate from our bodies [which go into the grave to await resurrection and final judgment] and enter an everlasting state of blessedness [for those born again] or torment [for those who die in their sins] (Luke 16:19-31; 2 Cor. 5:8).
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Death is an inconsequential dropping of the body, which all thetans have experienced trillions of times. |
| What the Bible says about heaven and hell: | What Scientology says about heaven and hell: |
| Hell is a place of everlasting conscious existence, where the unbeliever is forever separated from God (Matt. 25:46; Luke 16:19-31; Rev. 14:9-11, 20:10). As for Heaven, all believers have God’s promise of a home in Heaven, will go there instantly upon physical death, and will return with Christ from Heaven to earth one day (Luke 16:19-31; John 14:1-3; 2 Cor. 5:8; Rev. 19:11-16). | Heaven and hell are Christian myths, or mental implants from previous lives. |
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Copyright 2008 by Rob Phillips |
Comparing Christianity and Buddhism
| What the Bible says about God: | What Buddhism says about God: |
| There is one true and living God, who exists as three distinct, co-equal, co-eternal persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deut. 6:4; John 20:28; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:13; 1 Peter 1:2). God is personal and is to be the only object of worship (Ex. 20:2-3; Isa. 43:10, 44:6; Matt. 4:10). | Buddhists do not worship a God who created and sustains the world. Theravada Buddhism considers the concept of God irrelevant; it is basically atheistic. Mahayana Buddhism worships the Buddha as a god, along with other gods. Other forms of Buddhism add shamanism and elements of the occult. |
| What the Bible says about Jesus: | What Buddhism says about Jesus: |
| He is the virgin-born Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-23; Luke 1:35). He is the eternal God, the Creator, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and Holy Spirit (John 1:1-14; Col. 1:15-20; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 1:1-13). Jesus died for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3), rose physically from the dead (Matt. 12:38-40; Rom. 1:4; 1 Cor. 15:4-8; 1 Peter 1:18-21) and is coming back physically and visibly one day (Matt. 24:29-31; John 14:3; Titus 2:13; Rev. 19:11-16). | Jesus was a great religious teacher who may have achieved enlightenment. Even so, he was one among many and therefore not unique. |
| What the Bible says about salvation: | What Buddhism says about salvation: |
| Christ’s death at Calvary completely paid our sin debt so that salvation comes by grace alone through faith in the person and work of Jesus (John 3:16, 5:24; Rom. 4:4-5; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). | The goal of life is to achieve nirvana, or the cessation of suffering. |
| What the Bible says about the Bible: | What Buddhism says about the Bible: |
| The Bible is the inerrant, infallible, inspired Word of God, and is His sole written authority for all people (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). | The authoritative writings for Buddhists are the Sutras and the Tripitaka (The Three Baskets). The Bible contains good teaching but is not authoritative. |
| What the Bible says about man: | What Buddhism says about man: |
| God created man in His image – with a human spirit, personality and will. A person’s life begins at conception and is everlasting, but not eternal; that is, our lives have no end, but they did have a distinct beginning (Gen. 1:26-28; Ps. 139:13-16). | Buddhists embrace the concept of anatta (no self). In traditional Buddhism, “no self” means there is no permanent identity to continue from one moment to the next. The human personality is made up of five skanda, or parts, which are only momentary, but they group together to give the illusion of permanence, like the flow of a river or the flame of a candle. |
| What the Bible says about sin: | What Buddhism says about sin: |
| Sin is a violation of God’s perfect and holy standards. All humans are sinners (Rom. 3:10) and are under the curse of sin – spiritual and physical death (Gen. 2:17, 3:17-19; Rom. 3:23). Only faith in Christ and His work on our behalf frees us from sin and its consequences (John 3:16, 5:24; Eph. 2:8-9). | There is no such thing as sin against a supreme being. The human condition is suffering, caused by attachment to things and the cravings / desires accompanying the attachment. |
| What the Bible says about death and the afterlife: | What Buddhism says about death and the afterlife: |
| Physical and spiritual deaths come upon all people as a consequence of their sin (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 3:23; Eph. 2:1). A person becomes spiritually alive when he or she is “born again” by the Spirit of God (John 3:3-6; Eph. 2:4-5). At physical death, our souls and spirits separate from our bodies [which go into the grave to await resurrection and final judgment] and enter an everlasting state of blessedness [for those born again] or torment [for those who die in their sins] (Luke 16:19-31; 2 Cor. 5:8). | Buddhists believe the cycle of death and rebirth, known as samsara, has been going on since time without beginning. Their goal is to end this cycle by attaining nirvana, a state of being that is realized through eliminating desire. Nirvana comes at two moments: at awakening or enlightenment, and at parinirvana, when the fire of personality finally flickers out (final death). The path to nirvana is divided into eight categories of disciplines that are meant to avoid bad karma that leads to dangerous and difficult forms of rebirth. |
| Hell is a place of everlasting conscious existence, where the unbeliever is forever separated from God (Matt. 25:46; Luke 16:19-31; Rev. 14:9-11, 20:10). As for Heaven, all believers have God’s promise of a home in Heaven, will go there instantly upon physical death, and will return with Christ from Heaven to earth one day (Luke 16:19-31; John 14:1-3; 2 Cor. 5:8; Rev. 19:14). | There is no heaven or hell as understood by Christians. |
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