Why believe Scientology?
In the current edition of The New Yorker Lawrence Wright reports on the Church of Scientology. Tuesday, Terry Gross interviewed Wright on Fresh Air. Wright described the thorough fact checking the magazine did which leaves little doubt that Dianetics is based on a lie.
What difference does this make to believers?
"It's hard to measure, because we're dealing with a religion," he says, "and people are drawn to it because of faith. And if it were simply a matter of reason, then one could put this [document about Hubbard's service] down in front of you and say, 'Here is conclusive proof that the founder of Scientology lied about his military record and lied about his injuries and lied about the fundamental principles out of which he created the Church of Scientology. But that may not matter to people who are involved in it, who may feel they are gaining something from their experience — either because they feel like the truths of Scientology enhance their lives or because the community of Scientologists that they live among is something like their family. So they intentionally shield themselves from knowing these types of things."Here's a link to the Fresh Air Is Wright saying something universal about religious belief?
fn. Writing in an Esquire blog, Mark Warren asks, "Wouldn't the resources and time of journalists be better directed at the finances, earthly corruption, and raw power of the Catholic Church, an institution that wields influence incalculably greater than L. Ron Hubbard's itty-bitty religion?
Read more: http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/scientology-vs-catholicism-5204435#ixzz1DVQCgVWj"
