Anonymous asked this question on 4/28/2000:

Before contacting my local Scientology church, I had read Dianetics cover-to-cover. I found it fascinating. I figured if it works the way the book says, that it would be worth becoming a clear.

Upon first meeting with the folks running the church, I immediately got the impression that this is an expensive process and membership. I joined IAS to receive discounts on books, and within a week, before I was even audited myself, I was receiving mail telling me how I just had to have the 'golden can-master 2000' for ONLY $7000.00. That's pretty intimidating, especially when Ron said (in Dianetics) that there should not be an actual charge for this treatment

While I was studying and reading in the center, I asked some of the 'proctors' (one of them smoked, like a chimney, btw) if they were clears. Their answers made it very plain that to become a clear is a very expensive prospect. Their solution was to work to offset the cost. Some of them had been around something like 8 to 10 years and were not clears yet. When asked why not, they answered that they just hadn't done it yet and that they were in a position now after years of study to defend themselves from getting some of the locks that life throws at the rest of us unclears.

Sorry, I don't have a specific question, but would appreciate your comments on these matters. Thank you

desertphile gave this response on 4/28/2000:

Hi.

I did not see and actual question, but I see where your concern is.

The Chrch of Scientology is a for-profit business out to make as much money as possible. It is considered a business in many countries, and was considered as such in the United States until some 80 law suits against the IRS and individuals working for the IRS were brought to the courts by Scientologists to punish it into submission.

The secret agreement between the IRS and the Church of Scientology was published by the Wall Stree Journal. In it one reads that the Church of Scientology agreed to end its abusive litigation and pay the IRS some money, in exchange for tax-exemption status.

Hubbard wrote the following letter:

In letter to Hellen O'Brien, 1953 APRIL 10:

"We don't want a clinic. We want one in operation but not in name. Perhaps we could call it a Spiritual Guidance Center. Think up its name, will you. And we could put in nice desks and our boys in neat blue with diplomas on the walls and 1. knock psychotherapy into history and 2. make enough money to shine up my operating scope and 3. keep the HAS solvent. It is a problem of practical business.

"I await your reaction on the religion angle. In my opinion, we couldn't get worse public opinion than we have had or have less customers with what we've got to sell. A religious charter would be necessary in Pennsylvania or NJ to make it stick. But I sure could make it stick. We're treating the present time beingness, psychotherapy treats the past and the brain. And brother, that's religion, not mental science."

Yeah: he did it for the money.

For Scientology without the money scam, see:

http://www.fza.org

desertphile gave this follow-up answer on 4/28/2000:

Secret agreement may be found here:

http://holysmoke.org/cos/irs-agree.htm

The average rating for this answer is 4.2.

Anonymous rated this answer a 5.

wow, thanks