A cult is defined as “a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object” (“Cult,” n.d.). Scientology is a cult, not a religion. Many of those who belong to the “Church of Scientology” believe they are doing good things, they believe they are helping the world and becoming a better person by doing so. Scientologists are brainwashed to think that what they are doing is the most important work and that they are doing it to help humanity, therefore making themselves better people and giving them the highest moral standards that anyone can achieve. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay For some, Scientology has saved their lives and made them better people. For others, Scientology has torn apart everything that had meaning in their lives and ruined their perspective on what they truly believe and think in this world. For those whose lives Scientology has saved and made better, it is only a matter of time before they become the person whose life Scientology ruined. Give it time, it will happen. When this happens, be prepared for what is to come. I always thought that Scientology was simply a different "religion" than the one I grew up with. I had no idea that this was a toxic and harmful environment for every person involved in the “church”. I grew up in a Lutheran church and attended Sunday school and mass with my parents almost every Sunday until I was a teenager and was able to decide for myself whether or not I wanted to go to church. When it came time to make this decision, I chose to join the youth group at church, mainly because I had a lot of friends in the youth group, and there was also this guy who I liked and was heavily involved in the youth group. group. Looking back, I didn't get involved in the church for the right reasons, and that's the same struggle I'm sure Scientologists can agree on. Scientology was founded by L. Ron Hubbard. L. Ron Hubbard said: “Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion” (Jacobsen, 2016). The only countries that have recognized Scientology as a religion are Australia, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan and the United States of America. There are many other countries that do not recognize Scientology as a religion; Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece and the United Kingdom (Jacobsen, 2016). The Church of Scientology owed the United States IRS millions of dollars in back taxes and ultimately did not have to pay them because it was eventually incorporated as an official "church" and "religion." Those who know anything about the church and their religion, the real truth, know that the church is a complete lie and a multi-billion dollar corporation that sucks every penny out of its members. Scientology always keeps up with the latest trends and does its best to make sure it has advertisements that attract outsiders. Most of their photos and posters promoting Scientology have the color gold, along with elite designs that are creative and catch the attention of those nearby. For those who are young and don't know much about the world, it would be easy to be attracted by the big buildings, the big colorful signs, and the promises made if they were to become members of the church. Keep in mind: This is just one example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayScientology has a great way of sucking people into their "religion" and doing.”