Scientologist

[Jake]

Scientology is like Mormonism. Joseph Smith was just a con artist trying to get money though religion.

 

[martinss01]

If Scientology had come along 2000 years ago, had a book written about, buildings erected in its honor across the world and promised eternal paradise after death it would be a lot more popular. :p

the converstaion certainly does provide an interesting glimps into how most religions were likely perceived by the world during their initial startup.

If we had contemporary books quoting Jesus' friends as saying Jesus talked with them about how he was starting a religion because the "real money was in religion", and then started his ministry soon after, you'd have Scientology.

jesus wasn't exactly accepted by all the world as the son of god and savior of all mankind during his day. i suspect more than 1 individual was making claims about jesus and his followers that weren't particularly flattering. lets not forget, the romans viewed jesus as little more than the next in a long list of wacky cult leaders that had to be dealt with before he got the jewish people all riled up for the umpteenth time.

oh and tom cruise is a nutjob.

 

[Jake]

the converstaion certainly does provide an interesting glimps into how most religions were likely perceived by the world during their initial startup.

jesus wasn't exactly accepted by all the world as the son of god and savior of all mankind during his day.

He's not accepted by all the world as the son of god and savior of all mankind today, either. He has a following, but there are millions who aren't part of it.

i suspect more than 1 individual was making claims about jesus and his followers that weren't particularly flattering. lets not forget, the romans viewed jesus as little more than the next in a long list of wacky cult leaders that had to be dealt with before he got the jewish people all riled up for the umpteenth time.

Who is to say they weren't right about him? After all, just because an idea lasts a long time and is considered true by a lot of people doesn't make it true. It was generally accepted that the world was flat for a long time, too.

(Not saying YOU suggested any of that. Just speaking to the accepted belief by millions - based on no real evidence - of Jesus' stature as something more than a man.)

oh and tom cruise is a nutjob.

In more ways than one.

 

[scott91575]

Kind of funny considering the early Catholics were persecuted for their beliefs. Not much money there, and in many cases lead to death. Not until the 4th century when Rome recognized Christianity did it actually begin to prosper and take on wealth. Not to say the Catholic Church does not have a huge history of greed, but the beginnings of the Catholic Church were in no way built around a scam for money.

I suppose if you think the beginning of the Roman Catholic Church happened once Rome adopted Christianity there could be something there. Yet I would consider the beginning right after the death of Jesus with the beginning of Christianity. On top of that, even if the beginning was when Rome adopted Christianity it wasn't for money, but due to popularity.

 

[Gatorubet]

jesus wasn't exactly accepted by all the world as the son of god and savior of all mankind during his day. i suspect more than 1 individual was making claims about jesus and his followers that weren't particularly flattering. lets not forget, the romans viewed jesus as little more than the next in a long list of wacky cult leaders that had to be dealt with before he got the jewish people all riled up for the umpteenth time.

My post had to do with the fact that Harlan Ellison and others have spoken about sitting around with Hubbard when he talked about forming his own religion as a big money maker and tax shelter...followed soon thereafter by his forming Scientology.

Nothing about my post was in any way meant to refer to Christ's ministry in a negative way. I just meant, if we had proof of Jesus's buddies who were not disciples, and they wrote contemporaneous scrolls about how Jesus said he was "making up a religion for money", the number of faithful might be much less today. That is the opposite of his ministry, in which he gave up his own life. Hardly a money p.r. stunt when you were dealing with the Romans. Homie Caesar don't play, as it were.

 

[WyoBuck]

If we had contemporary books quoting Jesus' friends as saying Jesus talked with them about how he was starting a religion because the "real money was in religion", and then started his ministry soon after, you'd have Scientology.

Hey, you read "Lamb" by Christopher Moore.