A Quick Question About Scientology

[Raradir]

Ok just a question and I don't like to share my full views about this "Religion" online, for fear of waking up the next day and looking out my window to find a picket line lol. Anyway the question, Why does Scientology have the Crucifix in there symbol when it has nothing to do with Jesus or a Crucifix, it has always bugged me and I've always wanted to know. Does Anyone know why?

Thanx
Raradir

[Helm]

I think it symbolises the cosmic Christ within every person or something like that.

[Claudius Gothicus]

I think it means that they are only trying to con people into believing their ... and using familiar symbols to make it ain't a bad idea.

[Scipio Africanus Maximus]

Quoth Wikipedia:

The Scientology cross is one of the principal symbols of Scientology. It is most often used to represent the Church of Scientology.

The cross closely resembles the Christian cross, but differs from it with the addition of four diagonal rays between the conventional horizontal and vertical arms. The eight points of the cross represent the eight dynamics in Scientology:

1. The Self
2. Creativity, sex, and procreation (family)
3. Group, society, community
4. Species survival (humankind)
5. Life forms in general
6. Matter
7. Spirit
8. Infinity or Supreme being

The Church of Scientology says that "the horizontal bar represents the material universe, and the vertical bar represents the spirit. Thus, the spirit is seen to be rising triumphantly, ultimately transcending the turmoil of the physical universe to achieve salvation." [1]
The Scientology cross apparently dates back to the mid-1950s. Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote in 1955 that "the model of the cross came from a very ancient Spanish mission in Arizona, a sand casting which [Hubbard] dug up" [2] He also occasionally referred to it as the "sunburst cross".[3] Hubbard was based in Phoenix, Arizona for a substantial part of 1952, though it is not clear whether his asserted discovery of the cross dates from this period.
Critics of Scientology have noted other possible derivations from occult sources. The Scientology cross is similar to the Rosicrucian or Rosy cross and the similar cross of Aleister Crowley's Ordo Templi Orientis. Hubbard was briefly a member of the Rosicrucians and was involved in OTO "magical workings" in Pasadena, California some years before founding Scientology.[4]
The practice of prominently displaying the cross in Scientology centers was instituted in 1969 following hostile press coverage in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, when Scientology's status as a legitimate religion was being questioned. In response, Hubbard ordered that "Any staff who are trained at any level as auditors (but not in A[dvanced] O[rganization]s) are to be clothed in the traditioned ministerial black suit, black vest white collar silver cross for ordinary org wear."

[Jean=A=Luc]

Because Scientologists want to pass themselves off as a "religion" rather than a straight up wacko cult so they use a symbol many people associate with religion in general.

It's kinda like: "Omg look, a cross. This must be a religion of some sort, durrr..."

[The Noble Lord]

Because Scientologists want to pass themselves off as a "religion" rather than a straight up wacko cult so they use a symbol many people associate with religion in general.

Is that really the reason why??

[Helm]

L Ron Hubbard essentially raided other belief systems and gave them a sci-fi edge, in this case Christian Gnosticism.

[Asgath]

People give Scientology an unfair time.
'Oh its all made up ! Volcano's and aliens! I mean wtf?'
Men coming back to life, walking on water and there being a being in the sky who cares.

Its no worse than any of the other cults such as Christianity, Islam or any form of paganism.

[Himster]

People give Scientology an unfair time.
'Oh its all made up ! Volcano's and aliens! I mean wtf?'
Men coming back to life, walking on water and there being a being in the sky who cares.

Its no worse than any of the other cults such as Christianity, Islam or any form of paganism.

The indoctrination and extortion is significantly worse than most religions.

[Helm]

People give Scientology an unfair time.
'Oh its all made up ! Volcano's and aliens! I mean wtf?'
Men coming back to life, walking on water and there being a being in the sky who cares.

Its no worse than any of the other cults such as Christianity, Islam or any form of paganism.

The difference is you don't have to fork out 60K to learn Jesus was the son of God, and once you learn that you can never leave the cult. That's the main problem with Scientology.

[Claudius Gothicus]

People give Scientology an unfair time.
'Oh its all made up ! Volcano's and aliens! I mean wtf?'
Men coming back to life, walking on water and there being a being in the sky who cares.

Its no worse than any of the other cults such as Christianity, Islam or any form of paganism.

I don't discriminate against Scientologists, I give all religious persons a hard time on equal terms.

[Asgath]

Aye, I was being semi-facetious.

[The Million Dollar Prons]

It's not a crucifix (hence the lack of the Jesus on there), it has 8 points on it to represent their 8 points of existance (existance on the personal level, the family level, the society level etc. etc.) I forget the exact terminology, but it's not the same as the Christian cross.

Edit : Opps got beaten on the punch.

[The Million Dollar Prons]

I reckon it was probably to aim for a semblance of religous unity. Ya know that's part of the Scientology advertising scheme "You can be any religion, don't even need to be a scientologist to be a scientologist!" (For real it says that in that big "What is a Scientologist?" book)