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Loading... Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief (original 2013; edition 2013)by Lawrence Wright
Work InformationGoing Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright (2013)
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Yikes. The cult mentality fostered by Scientology can also happen in secular contexts, when people shut themselves off from information that could challenge their belief system. Sea Org members are intentionally isolated and threatened with a profound spiritual exile, along with more mundane physical punishments, for any act of insubordination or questioning. We are all moving into our own thought silos, unable to have real discourse with those who believe differently than we do. I think that these groups must create a narrative - an origin story, along with a clear delineation of who is in the tribe and who is "the other". Scientologists have their messiah in the strange form of L. Ron Hubbard, but they also consciously label and ostracize apostates like director Paul Haggis. Few belief systems are truly inclusive; most have a charismatic leader and founder figure. Even our own wonderful local ethical society, supposedly a locus of progressivism, obsesses over their founder Felix Adler.
That crunching sound you hear is Lawrence Wright bending over backward to be fair to Scientology. Every deceptive comparison with Mormonism and other religions is given a respectful hearing. Every ludicrous bit of church dogma is served up deadpan. This makes the book’s indictment that much more powerful. Has the adaptationAwardsDistinctionsNotable Lists
"Based on more than two hundred personal interviews with both current and former Scientologists--both famous and less well known--and years of archival research, Lawrence Wright uses his extraordinary investigative skills to uncover for us the inner workings of the Church of Scientology: its origins in the imagination of science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard; its struggles to find acceptance as a legitimate (and legally acknowledged) religion; its vast, secret campaign to infiltrate the U.S. government; its vindictive treatment of critics; its phenomenal wealth; and its dramatic efforts to grow and prevail after the death of Hubbard"--From publisher description. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)299.936Religions Other Religions By Region/Civilization Other Syncretic religions and religions of modern origin ScientologyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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(Even after finishing this, I wanted more about Scientology, so I immediately rolled into Leah Remini’s TROUBLEMAKER about her life in and final departure from Scientology * * * *) ( )