Scientology is a religion created by L. Ron Hubbard in 1954. It's based on a science fiction story where an alien named Xenu froze and killed people, then dropped their spirits into volcanoes, causing them to become trapped in human bodies. Members must pay thousands of dollars, undergo strange procedures, and sign contracts of secrecy. The church rejects psychology and mental illness, and its founder, Hubbard, was known to be mentally ill. Members who leave the church are often harassed and blackmailed. The church also has a history of infiltrating government agencies and has been linked to several deaths.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. L. Ron Hubbard created Scientology in 1954.
2. Scientology followers are required to pay thousands of dollars, undergo strange procedures, and sign contracts of secrecy.
3. Scientology believes that 75 million years ago, there was a planet with a human civilization that looked like 1950s America.
4. Scientology believes in a being named Xenu, who was the galactic Overlord of the planet.
5. Xenu froze the population, stored them in boxes, and flew them to a prison planet called Earth.
6. The boxes were dropped into volcanoes and hit with hydrogen bombs, causing the spirits to fly out and be captured.
7. Scientology believes that these spirits, called thetans, are the root cause of mental illness and fears.
8. L. Ron Hubbard was a published author of 500 pulp fiction stories and novels from 1934 until his death in 1986.
9. Hubbard holds Guinness World Records for being the most published author in written books, audiobooks, and translations.
10. Scientology rejects psychology and mental illness.
11. L. Ron Hubbard's most famous work was his 1950 book "Dianetics," which is considered the Bible of Scientology.
12. Hubbard wrote a manuscript called "Excalibur" in 1938, but never published it.
13. Scientology conducts auditing sessions, which involve a device called an E-meter, to extract bad feelings and memories.
14. The Sea Org, a branch of Scientology, operates like a military, with ranks and punishments.
15. Members of the Sea Org sign a contract pledging to serve for 1 billion years.
16. Scientology has a practice called "disconnection," where members are forced to separate from family and friends deemed "suppressive."
17. In 2014, a mother was forced to disconnect from her son after he became friends with opponents of the church.
18. Members of the Sea Org are pressured not to conceive children, and if they do, they are required to give up the child for adoption or undergo an abortion.
19. Parents who join Scientology are instructed on how to raise and what to feed their children, and some children are raised by other members.
20. The church has been linked to several deaths, including the death of Lisa McPherson in 1995.
21. Operation Snow White was a plan devised by high-ranking members of Scientology to infiltrate government agencies and organizations.
22. The operation resulted in the theft and copying of important files from 136 government sources in 30 countries.
23. Eleven high-ranking Scientologists, including Mary Sue Hubbard, were arrested and convicted for their role in Operation Snow White.
24. L. Ron Hubbard was named as a co-conspirator in Operation Snow White, but was already in hiding and remained there until his death in 1986.