[Google] Scientology launches series of TV ads - BP News

[News Thetan]

Scientology launches series of TV ads - BP News
2 August 2010, 4:27 pm


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--

The Church of Scientology has launched a series of 60-second ads on major cable channels that tell little about its theology and, the ads' tagline notwithstanding, could even be mistaken for an ad for Christianity.

The three commercials have aired on such channels as CNN and can be viewed on YouTube, and have been labeled as well-done even by those outside of Scientology, which is listed as a cult by the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board.

"Are the ads effective? They're certainly professional," Seth Stevenson, who rates ads for the left-leaning website Slate.com, wrote. "You've got to be impressed with the cinematography and editing. The high-budget gloss alone will likely sway a few viewers to visit Scientology's content-rich Web site."

Founded in 1954 by L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology's views on sin, salvation and Christ are unbiblical. Yet none of that is clear in the ads, which instead focus on general themes about life.

"We're all looking for it. Some of us have been looking our whole lives," a male narrator says in one of the ads, while short snippets of a person gazing out a window, a college student sitting in a class, and a person walking down a library aisle, are shown. Everyone looks inquisitive. "Some think they can buy it. Some think they can wear it. Some travel the world in search of it. Most don't even know what they are looking for, but we all feel it. That aching desire ... that unexplainable emptiness that can only be filled by one thing ... The Truth."

The tagline is then shown: "Tagline: Scientology: Know yourself ... Know life."

That particular ad is labeled "The Search" on Scientology's YouTube channel. The other two ads are labeled "You" and "Life."

"Yes, Scientology has beautiful commercials and lofty promises," Tal Davis, interfaith evangelism coordinator for the North American Mission Board, wrote in a Baptist Press column. "But the truth is far from the paradise they portray," Davis wrote. "The real answers to life's questions are not in some faddish therapy, SciFi religion, or 'knowing yourself.'

more at http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/BPnews.asp?ID=33447

[mefree]

I believe this article is found in another thread related to Karen Pressley. It belongs here too and is more in depth:

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33446

[ethercat]

Posted on Aug 2, 2010 | by Tal Davis

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--

We're all looking for it. Some of us have been looking our whole lives.

"Hmm ..." I'm thinking as I watch the TV commercial unfolding with beautiful music, scenes of people with searching eyes, and a warm sounding male voiceover. "I wonder what this is about."

Some think they can buy it. Some think they can wear it.

"It must be an ad for Christianity," I'm surmising. "Maybe it's presented by some evangelistic association or Christian church. It's very well done."

Some travel the world in search of it. Most don't even know what they are looking for, but we all feel it.

"Whoever made this ad must surely be Christian," I am saying to myself. "God is what we are all looking for."

That aching desire ... that unexplainable emptiness that can only be filled by one thing ... The Truth.

"Yes!" I am thinking. "This is great ... so tell them how to find Jesus, whoever you are."

But, my balloon burst.

Scientology: Know yourself ... Know life.

"Scientology?!" I said out loud incredulously.

Yes, Scientology. This short ad and a number of other well-made TV commercials are now running nationwide on various cable TV networks and online challenging viewers to investigate the "life changing" system of the Church of Scientology.

"Life changing" certainly describes it.  As any ex-members, and they will agree, whether they're the ex-members who still believe in scientology but disagree with the "church," or the ex-members who view it all as hogwash or a scam.  None would deny that the experience was life changing.

Over the past couple of decades Americans have become more aware of this controversial religion primarily because of the involvement of prominent Hollywood celebrities including Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Priscilla Presley and a host of others. So what is Scientology and what should Christians think about it?

In my 30-plus years of studying cults and sects few have given me more cause for trepidation than the Church of Scientology. This bizarre movement was founded in 1954 by Science Fiction writer and self-proclaimed adventurer L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard claimed that, as a boy and young man, he traveled the world searching for the answers to life's greatest questions. According to his own story, which has been widely disputed, he eventually discovered the secrets to real life. This self-revealed epiphany led him to create a new system of enhanced mental functioning he called "Dianetics". He publicly disclosed this fanciful scheme in his 1950 book "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health" which quickly became a best seller. Soon after that he coined the term "Scientology" as a brand name for his novel ideas.

Consequently, Hubbard's theories were strongly condemned by the mental health establishment as unscientific and dangerous.

And thus began the transformation of scientology/dianetics from a "science of mental health" to a "religion."  "Religion" carried with it the advantage of potential tax-exemption, and the "battle" with the IRS began.  The label "religion" has other advantages as well, which the "Church" of Scientology plays for all they're worth.

But it is nothing like Christianity, nor is it compatible with Christianity (or any other real religion).

Good article.  Read more at http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33446

[Enlightened]

I believe this article is found in another thread related to Karen Pressley. It belongs here too and is more in depth:

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33446

I actually saw these commercials and was very intrigued by them.  I do not subscribe to an organized religion however am very spiritual and these commercials seemed to hit on some key points for me.  It did cause me to do more research on scientology and then I was disappointed.

[ethercat]

I actually saw these commercials and was very intrigued by them.  I do not subscribe to an organized religion however am very spiritual and these commercials seemed to hit on some key points for me.  It did cause me to do more research on scientology and then I was disappointed.

I'm glad you did do more research on Scientology, and glad that the information was out there for you. 

If you don't mind if I ask, what was it about them (edited for clarification: the commercials) that appealed to you? 

Scientology is somewhat "cobbled together" from different religious and philosophical views, so if you can identify the ideas that appealed to you, you may be able to find the original source and read about them as they were originally intended to be.

[sekh]

The commercials are like the buildings. Shiny on the outside, but if you look deeper you'll see that the foundation is cracking, and that there is nothing insidethe shiny outer walls.
Let's get a little science in....

They say that every week 26 times as many people somehow start with Scientology as the week before. If we start at week one, with one person, we have 26 persons in the second week, and in week 13 (after 3 months) we have 1 x 26 x 26 x 26 x 26 x 26 x26 x 26 x 26 x 26 x 26 x26 x 26 = 9.542.895.661.682.176 persons.

The world population was about 6.500.000.000 in 2005, estimation for 2050 8.900.000.000
(numbers from official UN website).

There are not so many people in the world. If there were this many people on Teegeeack 75 million years ago, Xenu's action was totally justified. That many people (9 x 542 trilliard) just don't fit on a tiny planet like ours. And that is just three ####ing months worth of Scientologists. They breed like bloody clams!

I don't even wanna think about years of unrestricted Scilon reproduction.

[ethercat]

LoL!  Gotta love math!  It never falls down in the face of "what's true is what's true for you."  It just proves the lie.

[thetanbuster]

I believe this article is found in another thread related to Karen Pressley. It belongs here too and is more in depth:

http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33446

I actually saw these commercials and was very intrigued by them.  I do not subscribe to an organized religion however am very spiritual and these commercials seemed to hit on some key points for me.  It did cause me to do more research on scientology and then I was disappointed.

I imagine if you used google you were shocked at the number of warnings and negative information near the top of the search.  That is why everyone works so hard to keep the public informed.  Keep your money, your life, and your spirituality intact.  Avoid scientology.

[ethercat]

I haven't seen one of the commercials, but then I don't watch much TV.  Yet another good reason to not watch TV. 

I wonder if when Elvis shot his TV, if he had seen a scientology commercial just prior?