The Salt Lake Church of Scientology By: Cindy

March 18th, 2009

This Sunday we attended Sunday Services at the Salt Lake Church of Scientology in Sugarhouse. We thought it would be a fascinating, an adventure, a time that we would be able to reflect and have great memories. This was not the case. 

I feel a bit lied to from going there, not because of what they believe but because of what happened. 

We all woke up early and met up at the high school to go to Church because services were at 10 am. We get there just before 10 am and walk in the building and a sweet lady behind a desk merely asks us if we're here for Sunday services, which we politely affirmed. She then told us that services weren't until 11 am. Which I felt lied to. The Internet, being the main source for finding places of worship for Religathon, said SUNDAY SERVICES 10 AM . I don't know what date the site had been updated on, but I don't understand how in the age of information you wouldn't change it to be correct. I think what they didn't understand is that even though this is Utah there still is sufficient interest in the unknown denominations around here. The lady proceeds to tell us that we may either come back in an hour (yeah, like that was going to happen, we just drove from Utah Valley) or watch some Scientology Videos. So we opted for the videos. 

We went into this little room that was FILLED with books from the founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard. There were dvds, books bound like old school giant books, and pamphlets. One of us looked at the pamphlets and said that all that was in it was advertisements. It was very colorful in there, but it reminded me of Central Elementary in Pleasant Grove, which if you don't know, has a Star Trek school in it. There are simulations of space travel there, it is a load of fun!! But this room just reminded me of Star Trek, there were 4 comfy chairs and a little TV in front of giant windows that faced the street, but we were half under ground. They were very very sweet people though, they had hot chocolate and coffee for guests and members in this room, and it was very sweet. We all had a drink and sat down to watch some films. 

The first film was about the founder, L. Ron Hubbard. This film was beautifully done!!! We learned that L. Ron could fly planes, captain boats, and did services projects for unfortunate people all around the world. He came off as such a perfect person. Too Perfect, that is. Once we got home we did a bit of research on our own. We already knew he was a science fiction writer before he started Dianetics but that was all. What we found was that even though the Church of Scientology frowns upon drug use, he himself had had a problem. There was even a quote from him on the sites we checked (I know it's a bias but all the sites that we found that were pro Scientology were Scientology run websites and all others were out to debunk it.) It said something along the lines (I'll come back later to make sure I quote it right, but I'm at school right now) "If you want to make money, start a religion."  So it made me feel that he had only started a religion for personal gain and not to enlighten and help those around him. Some people in Scientology I feel may not be getting all the facts and that this religion is preying upon the need of people to be saved and have something after death. 

We watched a bunch of videos but didn't honestly pay attention them all after the L. Ron video merely because we were getting restless of having to be there. We had planned Sunday services from 10 am to maybe 11:15 and then we'd be on our way home, but we still were there......and it had not yet begun. 

In Scientology the leaders of the congregation are known as volunteer ministers, and so obviously it's a volunteer position. Our volunteer minister was a very nice older lady. The service was simple. She merely read us poems out of a giant book that were written by L. Ron. They weren't very interesting and it was hard to focus on them. But she was a nice lady so we tried as hard as we could. Then she decided that she was going to do a Group Auditing session. And, I immediately thought, SWEET! finally we're going to see some awesome Scientology stuff, but I was wrong. This Auditing session merely went like this 

find your right hand, good, find your left hand, good, find the right wall, good, find the ceiling, alright, find the floor, good, find the chair, good, find your right hand, good, find your left hand, alright, find your right hand, good, find your left hand, good, find your right hand, good, find your left hand, good, find your head, good, find your chair good, find the right wall, good, find your space, alright, find you head, good, find your body, good, try to let go of something in this room, good, think of something you're not going to do tomorrow, alright, think of something you are going to do tomorrow, good, imagine you're the opposite sex and try to make an effect on your own sex, good, now be your own sex and try to make an effect on the opposite sex, alright, now try to make an effect on the same sex, good...................

That went on and on and on and on and on for like 30 minutes......about 10 minutes into it, it was just getting irritating. I knew where all the walls were, there was nothing I could think of that I would for sure not do tomorrow, because tomorrow is unknown. It was really boring me so I began to think things like I wonder what Shaun is thinking or Sharece, or if Heather's paying attention. 

After wards we asked her some questions about the religion and then we left. 

I don't think I'll be going back there, merely because I was not so enlightened as I thought I would be, nor was I moved, and I was quite bored. 

I respect that some people choose to believe it, but I hope they're well informed.