Trendy News Report: Scientology: Yay or Nay?

The verdict is still pending on whether or not the Church of Scientology is a faith that can be trusted and embraced whole-heartedly without any reservations.

There is a plethora of information dedicated to the subject of Scientology and how its gold-tinted tentacles tightly enfold any willing participant. Tons of celebs in Hollywood are devout followers and pledge their allegiance in way that is both enviable and perplexing at the same time. John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Jenna Elfman, Lisa Marie Presley and most notably Tom Cruise are all long standing devotees, and despite their fair share of controversies and imposing scandals, they have managed to find solace in a doctrine that hasn’t yet found that comfortable balance of societal acceptance and tolerance.

The Cruise/Holmes divorce shocker has once again shed light on the dark shadows that hover over the Church of Scientology, the darkness can be so overpowering that it ultimately drives the once “willing” pledges far, far away, to the point of no return.

Katie Holmes just like her predecessor, actress Nicole Kidman, another ex-wife who was also 33 when she and Cruise spilt, couldn’t quite adapt to the rigid, invasive and sometimes eccentric formats of the crucified religion, and that ultimately has led to the demise of her marriage. Holmes reportedly was against raising her daughter, Suri in an environment that she obviously distrusts and in a climate that she rejects.

But why does Scientology get such a bad rap? Is it really as creepy and sadistic as it sounds? You be the judge:

Here are some bullet points on what encompasses the Church of Scientology:

1)       It’s a relatively new religion founded in 1952 by L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986) based on his Dianetics system- a form of self-help implements.

2)       Their mode of worship is based on a practice known as “auditing”, and the process forces the practitioners to undergo an extensive emotional cleanse where they have to re-live the most painful and life-altering moments from their past in order to effectively prove their ability to successfully conquer their future.

3)       The fact that they are a tax-exempt religion gives them some form of legitimacy but they are a long way from the home stretch when it comes to global recognition and respectability.

4)       Controversy continues to plague the Church mostly due to the cultish methods they use to recruit and maintain their members. They have been accused of everything from fraud to charging excessively high fees for their “services”. This has led to the general notion that only the independently wealthy can afford to be a part of this exclusive club. And that in turn makes it nearly impossible for Scientology to be embraced as a full fledged religion.