Tom Cruise learns to read!

Hubbard starting a religion on a bet is an urban legend. The following is excerpted from http://www.urbanlegends.com/religion/hubbard_heinlein_bet.html

"The way to make a million dollars is to start a religion." L. Ron Hubbard is widely rumored to have said "The way to make a million dollars is to start a religion." There are also variant rumors. For some reason, this is often mentioned on Usenet. The evidence is discussed below, but the short answer is that several reputable people claim to have heard Hubbard say it.

One form of the rumor is that L. Ron Hubbard made a bar bet with Bob Heinlein. This is definitely not true: it's uncharacteristic of Heinlein, and there's no supporting evidence. There is, however, inconclusive evidence that Bob Heinlein suggested some parts of the original "Dianetics".

Another claim is that George Orwell said it first. This is true: in 1938, Orwell wrote "But I have always thought there might be a lot of cash in starting a new religion...". However, he wrote that in a private letter, and I don't know the first publication date. If Hubbard did get the idea from Orwell, that would merely make the "joke" unoriginal.

um well i used to be ok until i visited some friends in L.A. and they drove me past the Scientology Bldg there and yikes look at me today!!!

What is basic Scientology? People are their own god? It seems pretty harmless--->unless--> Are these the peeps who don't get medical help for their children? Can you be a Scientologist and go to the MD?

em rof dekrow ygolotneics

heay llew

Yay, Dyslexia tunes in to the dyslexia thread! What ever they believe in won't cure it!

Sofia, I believe you are thinking of Christian Scientists; they do not believe in getting medical help for anything!

Regarding basic definitions, here ya go:

http://www.scientology.org/search/indxwis.htm

You're thinking of the Church of Christ Scientist, Boss . . . the group was founded by Mary Baker Eddy, who could make a much more plausible case for her hocus-pocus in the late 19th century. Samuel Clemens' wife and daughter both became adherents, and he believed that they died before their time--and his daughter died in great pain, refusing opium or laudenum--because of their adherence. He wrote Christian Science to expose the fraud, and no publisher would touch it--christians of the day who did not subscribe to the beliefs still formed a defensive front against any criticism of another "legitimate" sect. He had to pay for its publication itself. It went out of print after that. I saw a paperback copy of it several years ago, and according to the back cover blurb, that was the first publication of it since the original, almost one hundred years previously.

Both the Christian Scientists and the Scientologists depend upon a good deal of nonsense to cozen their followers. It is likely that most adherents of the former, and most of their leadership are sincere, if horribly misguided. As for the latter, it is largely a group of zombies being manipulated by a power structure little different than a pyramid sales con.

Setanta: thank you - excellent post!

Thanks, Set. I'm beginning to think there is no subject you can't provide good info on.

I've always been interested in dyslexia, too. You still see the words misarranged or turned incorrectly, but learned how to cope? And you do so much reading and writing. You're quite a success story. A tour de force. :wink:

All credit to Dewey Antrim . . .

right, Sofia, sorry I couldn't be of help to you

thoh thensitive.....

Well, you got one thing right: you have absolutely NO sensitivity, no matter how you spell it . . .

Setanta, what's the street value of laudanum these days? I'm looking to make some extra coin. SkisOnFire, cool info on the urban myth.

We could make us some our own selves, Boss. I know someone, who shall remain nameless 'cause she beat me senseless, who grows poppies, an' after milkin' the bulbs, all we need is some cheap brandy . . .

Hmm, and a LOT of poppies, if my botany is correct...

and you have to catch the gardener before LOTS of bulbs are destroyed.



too late.
so sad. too bad.

Curses, foiled again ! ! !

However, I do know where you lads can get some inexpensive brandy. It's with the rest of the waffle stuff.