Wed, 26 Nov 2014

Famous People and the Church of Scientology


What do Tom Cruise, Juliette Lewis, John Travolta, Anne Archer, Kirstie Alley, and Gloria Swanson have in common aside from being famous celebrities? The answer is scientology. In the United States, scientology is considered as one of the country's religious movements. It has become more popular in the 20th century not just because of the controversies revolving around the organization but also due to the celebrities who are affiliated with it.

The question is what attracts famous people to the Church of Scientology? There are a number of reasons why celebrities join the Church of Scientology. Here are some of them.


There Is More To Life


In scientology, man has a higher purpose and a higher calling. His potential as an individual can only reach its maximum if harnessed from within one's self. For a celebrity who is often told what to do and how to do things lest they ruin their image, this is a breather. Away from the limelight, as a scientologist recalls, life is monotonous. Through this religion, he says that a person can be more than what others dictate on him. He can truly be a master of his own destiny by mastering himself.


Immortality


Perhaps the greatest goal any celebrity aims for is a lasting legacy. Oftentimes, actors and actresses pick their roles based on what they can leave to audiences for years to come. Scientology offers this as one of the fundamental truths in the organization. Man is an immortal spiritual being. The only part of man that is time-bound is the body.

The thetan or the overall identity of a person, on the other hand, traverses time similar to that of reincarnation. Being able to surpass the element of time and make an impact as an individual are what attracts famous people to the Church of Scientology.


A Helping Religion

Tom Cruise, in one of his interviews, says that he joined the Church of Scientology after he was cured of dyslexia. He believes in the programs initiated by the organization to help people through various therapies.

Looking at the early years of scientology, its transition from being a self-help system into a religion goes back to a counseling technique known as dianetics. Dianetics enables a person to recall one's traumatic experiences through a systematic exposure and overcoming them through a clearing process. It is originally intended as a neo-psychotherapy that aims to enhance a person's well-being.

When it became a religion, many programs bent on assisting people achieve their full potential are promoted. For a celebrity, what a fitting way to improve public image than to be an advocate of the common good!


The Project Celebrity

The founder of the Church of Scientology, Ron Hubbard, emphasizes the importance of influence so much that he recognizes the ability of celebrities to persuade people into joining scientology. Thus the Project Celebrity is put into action in 1955. Celebrity centers like the one on Franklin Avenue in California are built as a haven for artists and other important people practicing and advocating scientology.

What attracts famous people to the Church of Scientology basically is that they keep their social status as influential celebrities and are being recognized as key figures in the history of the religion. They thrive on being more important by being public ambassadors of their religion while striving to make better versions of themselves.



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