Scientology Cross

Like the Unification Church and Jehovah's Witnesses, we have very little to add to what has already been written about the Church of Scientology; instead, we focus briefly on one of their many symbols, the Scientology Cross.

According to the Church's website, the "Scientology cross is an eight-pointed cross which represents the eight parts or dynamics of life. The Scientology cross, which was first conceived in 1954, symbolizes the ability to live happily across all eight dynamics." The eight 'dynamics' being:

• survival as an individual
• survival through procreation
• survival for the group
• survival of the species of mankind
• survival of other organisms
• survival of the physical universe (matter, energy, space and time, known as MEST)
• survival of spiritual beings
• finally and most audaciously, the survival of infinity, the Supreme Being

Few would dispute that a desire for self-preservation is part of human nature, and we know that we have a better chance of survival as a group. Sadly, whilst we do have human power to change some of these things, we fail miserably. To our personal detriment, we eat too much and don't exercise enough. Against others we are selfish; we deprive the poor of food and engage in war. And against the environment, we think little about clearing a forest to make a golf course.

So what chance do we mere humans have at ensuring the survival of matter, energy, space and time, spiritual beings, and the Supreme Being? It's a nice idea but unfortunately, we don't have the required supernatural powers.

To make any sense of this, we must realise that Scientologists believe that each of us is an immortal being (Thetan) from another world but currently trapped by MEST. To get out of this predicament we must go through a lengthy and expensive auditing process for release from memories of past painful events (engrams). Once these are removed, we regain control of MEST and are saved.

Rather than this do-it-yourself salvation, Christianity teaches that we are incapable of saving ourselves; that evil is just too powerfully bad for us to reject. No matter how much 'auditing' we do (Alpha courses, charitable giving, etc), we just cannot rid ourselves of sin. Fortunately, however, there is a very simple way to real salvation. It's not a lengthy process, and it's free. (See the Meaning of the Cross)

The Church of Scientology has never claimed to be a religion promoting the replacement of evil with love. The Christian and Scientology agendas, like their crosses, are worlds apart.