Scientology Facts for Kids

A Scientology building in Los Angeles, California

Scientology is a movement based on a system of beliefs. These beliefs are based on written words by L. Ron Hubbard. A few other people have added, but almost all of it is his. He started it in 1954. Hubbard contributed until his death in 1986.

Different people understand the words Hubbard wrote differently. In some countries, there are Churches of Scientology. A few countries - such as Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Greece, and the Netherlands - are suspicious of the Church. They feel that it is a cult, and a business to make money. Scientology has been controversial since it began.

Scientology teaches that people are immortal spirits who have forgotten their true nature. A system called auditing is used to help people remember. In auditing, people are able to re-experience painful events in their past, to understand them better.

Scientology says that psychiatry is bad, and should be abolished (not allowed to exist).

Number of followers
The Church of Scientology
Well-known members
Other pages to read
Images for kids
See also

Number of followers

The Church of Scientology says that 13-15 million people are a part of the Church. Critics disagree with that figure, however. They say the organisation probably does not have more than 100,000 followers, mostly in the United States. They say that in 1960, there were probably 50,000 to 100,000 followers in the U.S. In the 1990s, a representative survey claimed there were only about 45,000 followers left. These figures seemed to have increased a bit, by 2004, where there were an estimated 55.000 followers.

The Church of Scientology

The Church of Scientology was started by the American writer and amateur philosopher L. Ron Hubbard in the year 1954. It is not as well known as Christianity or Islam, but it is newer. Scientologists believe their movement is growing. They claim it has thousands of churches, some of which are very small. The largest is in Clearwater, Florida.

Basic Beliefs of Scientologists

The word "Scientology" means "the study of knowledge."
Man is made of a body, a mind, and a spirit. The spirit is the person himself. He uses his mind and body.
The purpose of life is to survive.
Harmful drugs should not be taken.
Affinity, reality, and communication help us get along with others.
The better you feel about yourself and life, the freer you are. This scale of emotion is called the Tone Scale.
Auditing helps people look at thoughts and understand them better. This in turn helps them feel better.

Aims of Scientology

The goals of Scientology are to create a civilization where:

There is no mental illness, crime, or war
People can be successful
"Honest" people have rights

Dianetics

Scientologists say that the book Dianetics was the first self-help book ever written. It was written by L Ron Hubbard in the year 1950. Some key concepts in the book are:

A person's mind remembers painful times. This helps a person to do bad things, and even get sick. Dianetics calls these kinds of memories "engrams".
A person's mind also remembers everything else.
Auditing is meant to help a person understand his engrams. Its goal is to become clear of them.

ARC triangle

Another basic teaching of Scientology is that understanding comes from three things together:

Affinity (being willing to be close to other people);
Reality (an agreement on what is real); and
Communication (the exchange of ideas).

Hubbard called this the "ARC Triangle." Scientologists use this in their everyday lives. It is based upon the idea that making one of these three things better makes the other two better.

Tone scale

The tone scale is a way to rate an emotion as bad, better, or good. The scale goes from -40 ("Total Failure") to +40 ("Serenity of Being"). Positions on the tone scale started from the idea that one way of feeling is better than a worse way of feeling. But Hubbard described many other things that go along with emotion, such as health, survival potential, and ability to deal with truth. The tone scale is frequently used by Scientologists to understand people. According to Scientology, the lower the individual is on the tone scale, the more complex his problems are.

Well-known members

Many well-known people are followers of Scientology. They include:

Tom Cruise, actor
John Travolta, actor
Kirstie Alley, actress
Anne Archer, actress
Isaac Hayes, singer and actor
Danny Masterson, actor and disc jockey
Laura Prepon, actress
Priscilla Presley, actress
Kelly Preston, actress

Images for kids

L. Ron Hubbard and Thomas S. Moulton in Portland, Oregon, in 1943
L. Ron Hubbard in 1950
Founding Church of Scientology in Washington, D.C.
Hubbard's beliefs and practices, drawn from a diverse set of sources, influenced numerous offshoots, splinter-groups, and new movements.
A Scientologist introduces the E-meter to a potential student
Scientologists on an anti-psychiatry demonstration
Xenu as depicted by Panorama
Scientology cruise ship Freewinds
According to a Church account, the Scientology cross represent the spirit "rising triumphantly, ultimately transcending the turmoil of the physical universe to achieve salvation".
The incomplete Super Power Building of the FLAG Scientology complex in Clearwater, Florida
Scientology center in New York City
The Church of Spiritual Technology (CST) ranch in Creston, California, where Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard spent his last days. The CST symbol is visible within a racetrack.
Church of Scientology of Tampa, Florida
A Scientology Center on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Scientology desk near the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin
The Scientology symbol is composed of the letter S, which stands for Scientology, and the ARC and KRC triangles, two important concepts in Scientology.