Tagged: space

Sound reasons to trust the Scriptures (part 1)

This is the first in a nine-part series of articles offering sound reasons to believe the Bible is the Word of God.

 

In Systematic Theology (Vol. I), Dr. Norman Geisler presents many lines of evidence supporting claims for the Bible as the Word of God. In unique fashion, he labels each line of evidence with a word beginning with the letter “S,” making his arguments relatively easy to follow and remember. This article borrows his headings and then incorporates some of Geisler’s research with other sources, all of which are cited.

 

Reason 1: The testimony of science

 

Much in the Bible demonstrates advanced scientific knowledge – that is, God revealed through human scribes information that only He knew long before scientists discovered these truths. For example:

  • The exact order of events in the origin of all things. “In a day when the ancient polytheistic myths of origin prevailed, the author of Genesis declared that the universe came into being out of nothing by the act of a theistic God in the exact order that modern science discovered a millennium and a half later,” writes Geisler. “The universe came first (Gen. 1:1a), then the earth (1:1b), then the land and sea (1:10). After this came life in the sea (1:21), then land animals (1:24-25), and finally … human beings (1:27). This too supports the view that the author of Genesis had access to some intelligence as to how the Creator made the universe” (p. 545).
  • Reproduction after each creature’s own kind. This scientific fact runs contrary to many ancient and even early modern views. Observation and the fossil record demonstrate that each type of life produces its own kind.
  • The earth as the raw material of human bodies. Many ancient polytheistic beliefs claim that people cam from the gods; the Koran teaches that human beings were made from a blood clot (Sura 23:14); but the Bible explains that God made Adam from the earth (Gen. 2:7).
  • Rain water returning to its source (Eccl.. 1:7). Perhaps without even understanding it, the writer recorded the process of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation long before scientists figured it out.
  • The shape of the world as it hangs in space. Job (26:7) and Isaiah (40:22) make remarkable statements contrary to the ancient belief that the earth was flat, or square. Some myths held that the earth rested on the back of Hercules or on pillars, but the Bible states otherwise.
  • Life is in the blood (Lev. 17:11), a fact declared in scripture more than 3,000 years ago and only fairly recently attested to in science.
  • The sea’s paths and boundaries (Ps. 8:8; Prov. 8:29). The continental shelf that makes this possible is a fairly recent scientific discovery.
  • The laws of sanitation (Lev. 12-15). Long before there was scientific knowledge of bacteria and germs, God instructed His people through laws of sanitation to protect themselves from diseases spread by unseen organisms.

Next – Reason 2: The testimony of the scrolls

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

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  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). 

 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.

 

Copyright 2008 by Rob Phillips

The Church of Scientology

  Download this article and a chart comparing the teachings of Christianity to Scientology (PDF)

The Church of Scientology draws from Eastern philosophy, modern psychology, occult practices and science fiction. Founder L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986) defined Scientology as “the Western anglicized continuance of many earlier forms of wisdom” including the Vedas, Taoism, Buddhism, Judaism, Gnosticism, early Greek civilization and the teachings of Jesus, Nietzsche and Freud. According to Hubbard, “Scientology has accomplished the goal of religion expressed in all Man’s written history, the freeing of the soul by wisdom.”

According to the organization’s official Web site (Scientology.org), “The word Scientology literally means ‘the study of truth.’ It comes from the Latin word ‘scio’ meaning ‘knowing in the fullest sense of the word’ and the Greek word ‘logos’ meaning ‘study of.’ Scientology is the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others and all of life.”

Scientology proclaims certain fundamental truths. Among them: “Man is an immortal, spiritual being. His experience extends well beyond a single lifetime. His capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized – and those capabilities can be realized. He is able to not only solve his own problems, accomplish his goals and gain lasting happiness, but also achieve new, higher states of awareness and ability” (Scientology.org).

Scientology does not claim to be a Christian organization, so it doesn’t fit into our definition of a cult (a religious organization whose members claim to be Christians, and who use the Bible and Christian terms, yet who deny the central beliefs of historical Christianity). Still, Scientologists would say their religion is compatible with Christianity. The church has no clear definition of the nature or person of God. Scientology literature rarely refers to a supreme being but occasionally uses the terms “Eighth Dynamic” or “infinity” and vaguely embraces pantheism (God is all; all is God).

Purpose

Scientology seeks to release human potential, free the soul and restore people to their original state as pure, immortal spirits. Within every human being is a thetan, an eternal spirit in bondage to matter. Through Scientology, thetans may be freed, returning to the glorious spiritual beings they once were.

Source of authority

L. Ron Hubbard is the founder of Scientology. A prolific writer, he described his beliefs in more than 5,000 writings, including dozens of books and roughly 3,000 recorded lectures. The organization officially dubs his writings “scripture” and claims they are the only source for solving mankind’s problems. Among his best-known works are Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health; Dianetics Today; and The Church of Scientology.

 

How Scientology works

Scientology claims that its counseling procedure, called “auditing,” offers the only ultimate solution to mankind’s problems. Auditing locates and solves engrams, or past traumatic experiences that inhibit true spiritual enlightenment. Scientology claims it can eventually free the human spirit from its bondage to the material world. Scientology stresses the development of psychic powers, out-of-body experiences and other occult practices.

Practice and teachings

Scientology uses “auditing” to unleash human potential. Auditing is an extensive examination of a follower’s present life as well as past lives. Experiences of extreme shock, pain or unconsciousness cause engrams, or sensory impressions, to be recorded in the unconscious mind. These mental pictures produce physical and emotional problems today and can be dislodged only through Scientology’s procedures. Scientology teaches that people are three-part beings: thetan (spirit), mind (analytical/conscious and reactive/subconscious), and body.

While engrams are recorded in the brain, they lay dormant until a similar incident stimulates them once again, causing conditioned behavior that is counterproductive to the person’s well being. For example, if a boy falls off his red bicycle while learning to ride, he may fear all red bikes, or even all things red. In this way, claims Scientology, all people essentially are conditioned machines responding to the reactive/subconscious part of their minds. The church claims that through Dianetics or Scientology therapy we may expose our engrams and erase them, thus becoming “clear” and in control of our behavior.

“Dianetics could be said to be what the soul is doing to the body,” says Scientology.org. “It provides answers to the fundamental riddles of the mind with a thoroughly validated method that increases sanity, intelligence, confidence and well-being. It gets rid of the unwanted sensations, unpleasant emotions and psychosomatic ills that block one’s life and happiness.”

Scientology also teaches that through reincarnation people have been accumulating engrams for trillions of years. Each time a body dies, for example, the thetan must enter another body, but in so doing brings with him trillions of years of accumulated engrams. Thetans, therefore, are no longer free; they are in bondage to the material universe. In order to resolve this problem, people must be whisked back mentally to experience again the damaging events of their past lives.

As Scientologists explain it, trillions of years ago thetans became bored, so they emanated mental universes in which to play. Soon they became so entranced by their own creation and were so conditioned by the manifestations of their thought processes that they lost all awareness of their true identity. In other words, thetans became trapped in MEST (matter, energy, space and time). To make matters worse, thetans accumulated countless engrams throughout trillions of years of existence. The final result was materially enslaved entities existing as mere stimulus-response machines. Scientology claims that it seeks to restore thetans to their original state as rulers of the heavens.

 

The aims of Scientology, according to the church, are a “civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and the honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights” (Scientology.org). L. Ron Hubbard beckons: “We welcome you to Scientology … the most vital movement on Earth today…. Man suspects all offers of help. He has often been betrayed, his confidence shattered. Too frequently he has given his trust and been betrayed. We may err, for we build a world with broken straws. But we will never betray your faith in us so long as you are one of us. The sun never sets on Scientology.” The sun did set on Hubbard, however; he died in 1986.

Common terms

Auditing – Scientology’s counseling method used to locate and erase engrams, or harmful impressions from the past, including former lives.

Clear – The state of a person who has completed auditing, liberated from all engrams.

Dianetics – L. Ron Hubbard’s method of erasing engrams and their negative effects on the mind.

E-Meter – An instrument developed by Hubbard and used in auditing sessions.

Engram – Unconscious mental image that has a negative effect on a person’s life.

MEST – Acronym for matter, energy, space and time, all of which make up the physical universe and hold the thetan captive.

Thetan – The immortal soul or spiritual being; the true identity of a person.

Copyright 2008 by Rob Phillips