(June 21, 2019 at 1:36 pm)squidfetish Wrote: I would say it's a pseudo-mental therapy cult, not a religion, though some would reasonably argue for an overlap.
Well, regardless if they treat the volcano story literally or not, they have a doctrine of reincarnation which may qualify them as a religion. Oddly enough, here I am wanting to say it does make Scientology a religion, whereas (in another thread when discussing Buddhism) I wanted to ignore the doctrine of reincarnation and treat Buddhism as a philosophy.
I suppose it depends on how allegorical one treats these reincarnation doctrines. Treating Buddhist and Hindu reincarnation as symbolic (perhaps describing through metaphor the changes that transpire in a single life) does much to make both belief systems more palatable. But truth be told, maybe it's just better to take things at face value and call such doctrines out on their bullshit. Truth be told, Buddhist and Hindu doctrines have been used to justify interpersonally destructive cult-like practices that are every bit as bad as what Scientology does.
The "banish all dogmas" thing sounds quite appealing in light of all this.
