The goal of your essay (MLA model) is to write an essay in which you will “analyze” Scientology as new religious movement , as a set of beliefs and practices invented by L. Ron Hubbard, and the associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a business or new religious movement .
Feel free to share your own ideas and experiences (even invented) to analyze this religious movement according to the questions below. And in the end try to be neutral while analyzing and developing this essay.
Use your own words expect for the 6 sources that you will use and analyze, and you should put them into quotation marks and citing their sources in bibliography. The essay will be checked strictly against any kind of plagiarism. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pay attention and do not copy paste anything from the internet that might be considered as plagiarism.
Questions:
1. When did this religious tradition start? Was it started by a single individual? Give a general overview of the origins of this religious movement.
2. What are the tradition’s doctrines/truth claims? (i.e. what do they believe about the world, its origins, God or another higher power, what happens after death, etc.)
3. Sacred Texts – Do they have any sacred texts or stories? If so, what are they?
4. Ethics – what is this religion’s view of the good life? How are practitioners encouraged to behave, live their lives, and treat others?
5. Ritual – are there any rituals that are performed in this religious movement? If so, what are they?
6. Society – who can become an authority figure in this tradition? Is it restricted to a certain gender?
7. Your overall impression of this religious movement, including your conclusions on the following:
Do you think this movement qualifies as a “religion”? Why or why not?
Do you think that this movement will grow or fade away in the future? Why?
What did you find most interesting/surprising about this religion?
*Your paper must include a bibliography that has at least 6 sources. Your sources can be books, online sources, or news articles, but they MUST be from a reputable source! If your tradition has a sacred text or texts, you can use those as a source. But for other sources, please make sure that it comes from an academic, unbiased source. A good rule of thumb is to make sure that any website you use has a “.edu” address or that your news article is from a major, respected publication (The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Time Magazine, etc.). Also, Wikipedia is not an acceptable source for your bibliography! You can, however, start your research by looking at the organization’s Wikipedia page. Then scroll to the bottom of the page to see the Wikipedia page’s own bibliography! These are all sources that you can check out on your own and get your information directly from those sources!
If you need anything please feel free to ask any question. Thank you!
Requirements: 1800 words
Please pay attention to the essay requirement that I have included in the question. especially when it comes to plagiarism.
Answer preview
The Religion is quite secretive, especially when it comes to exposing its core beliefs to non-members. Nobody can blame them, considering the immense and criticism leveled against Scientology by outsiders. According to experts who have studied Scientology at great lengths, its officials do not speak about any of its beliefs, even with new members (Lockwood 181). This only happens after spending extensive periods at the Church and after learning and internalizing some of the Religion’s mystical beliefs. Despite this, some of Scientology’s beliefs have been widely published. At the core of the Religion is a concept referred to as thetan (Lockwood 181). It is a spiritual being that is not confined to a physical body and floats across the world, seeking a host it can inhabit. According to members, when a child is born, thetan will descend and attach
