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Dialogues@RU is published
annually
by the
Writing Program at
Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey
Volume 4
Fall 2005
Scientology and its Potential for Dominance as a World Religion - Page 7
By Stephen Linguito
Scientology's future depends on how the world receives it, which in turn depends on several factors. These include its ability, or lack thereof, to attain wide appeal, to conform to prevailing global attitudes while still maintaining a unique identity, to take advantage of globalization, and to resolve its legal and moral issues. If Scientology's leaders decrease their extra-religious activities and attempt to focus more on the religious aspects, it may go very far. If this does not happen, Scientology will not rival Christianity. After all, religion is about people , not about its leaders. People need to believe in something that makes sense to them, something that gives them purpose and direction. Scientology can be portrayed in any way, but if the people of the world do not respond favorably to this portrayal, then Scientology may have no future role in society.
Works Cited
Atack, Jon. A Piece of Blue Sky: Scientology, Dianetics, and L. Ron Hubbard Exposed . New York : Carol Publishing Group, 1990.
Cagle, Jess, and Tom Cruise. "Tom Cruise: My Struggle to Read." People . July 2003: 60-65.
Dawson, Lorne L. "The Cultural Significance of New Religious Movements and Globalization: A Theoretical Prolegomenon." Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion Dec 1998: 37.
Heelas, Paul. "Prosperity and the New Age Movement: The efficacy of spiritual economics." New Religious Movements: Challenge and Response . Ed. Jamie Cresswell, and Bryan Wilson. New York : Routledge, 1999.
Hubbard, L. Ron. The Scientology Handbook. Los Angeles : Bridge Publications, Inc., 1994.
Kent, Stephen A. The Globalization of Scientology: Influence, Control, and Opposition in Transnational Markets." Religion Apr 1999: 29.
Kent, Stephen A. "Scientology: Is This a Religion?" 30 June 1997. 11 Mar 2004.
http://www- 2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/Kent/religion.html
Martin, Daniel E. "Brought Into the Fold: Scientology as a Case Study on Influence and Persuasion in Religion." Skeptic 2000: 8.
Commentary
Courtney Borack
Scientology prides itself as a New Age religion that can be all things to all people and all countries, molding itself to the contours of each individual need, "adjusting its belief system for each individual country," and adapting to each "new social circumstance" that arises in our own progressively changing society. On the surface, it seems as though Scientology, with its extreme elasticity, has the potential to, in the future, transcend traditional religions such as Christianity that are not nearly as flexible. This provocative idea is precisely what Stephen Linguito explores in his essay, "Scientology and Its Potential for Dominance as a World Religion."