{"id":3854,"date":"2018-02-22T13:46:06","date_gmt":"2018-02-22T21:46:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/scientologybeliefs\/?p=3854"},"modified":"2018-02-22T13:46:06","modified_gmt":"2018-02-22T21:46:06","slug":"do-aliens-believe-in-scientologists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/scientologybeliefs\/2018\/02\/do-aliens-believe-in-scientologists\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Aliens Believe in Scientologists?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Scientologist Rodger Clark publishes his about-face rendition of the common misguided media taunt that \u201cScientologists believe in aliens<\/a>\u201d on the STAND (Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination) website.<\/em><\/p>\n

It was one of those cloudless, perfect 74-degree days. My work was all caught up, so my wife and I decided to play hooky and go to the zoo.<\/p>\n

The most popular attraction is always the\u00a0chimp enclosure<\/a>, where people get to sit and laugh at the antics of the resident troupe\u2014a caricature and mirror of human society.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
(Shutterstock by Patrick Rolands)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You had the alpha male, \u201cthe CEO,\u201d whose only concern was demonstrating his power and bothering the females. Then there was the lesser male, \u201cthe politician,\u201d who ran around making a lot of noise, pretending to be the boss. Then the alpha female \u201cBig Mama\u201d who organized everyone and kept them in line. Then the common troupe members, \u201cthe crowd,\u201d who followed along without question, and finally the \u201creporter\u201d who caused constant trouble and attempted to demonstrate intellectual superiority by throwing poop. All the chimps at the zoo had evidently accepted their situation, as none were attempting to find their way out of it, which leads me to the point of this blog.<\/p>\n

Along with all the other garbage that people seem to consider important on both social and mass media, I have to deal with that portion of our own \u201cchimp\u201d society that follows the other chimps as they try to sum up\u00a0Scientology<\/a>, by hooting and screeching that \u201cScientologists believe in aliens.\u201d Brilliant\u2026.<\/p>\n

OK. For the moment, let\u2019s set aside the fact that at least\u00a075 percent of Americans admit to either<\/a>\u00a0\u201cbelieving\u201d in life beyond Earth, or at least the high probability that it exists. Let\u2019s also set aside the lesser-known fact that Scientology is completely unconcerned with \u201cbelief\u201d\u00a0except<\/i>\u00a0when an individual\u2019s belief traps, halts or stifles an individual\u2019s happiness, sanity or intellectual advancement. At that point Scientology comes in very handy in assisting people to examine and reevaluate the beliefs that hold them back.<\/p>\n

I think the more entertaining question is \u201cDo aliens believe in Scientologists?\u201d (Huh\u2026?)<\/p>\n

Well, assuming that there are other life forms advanced enough to travel here, the first question is \u201cWhy the hell would they bother?\u201d The most reasonable explanation I can come up with is the same reason everyone enjoys going to the chimp enclosure at the zoo. Entertainment.<\/p>\n

Come on. Let\u2019s be honest here. For the most part, about all our human society can boast of is having taken basic chimp behavior to an unbelievably absurd extreme. It\u2019s not a stretch to think that everything we find humorous and entertaining in a chimp enclosure could be equally as entertaining to an alien life form watching us. We do a lot of hooting and screaming about irrelevant crap. Squabble over food and territory. Constantly concern ourselves over social standing, seeking to be the \u201cBoss Ape.\u201d We even make a big deal out of the simple act of reproduction, and we sure throw around a lot of metaphorical poop. The only difference seems to be that a good portion of our \u201ctroupe\u201d is still looking for a way out of the zoo.<\/p>\n

The matter of human advancement has always been a matter of increasing awareness and knowledge. Awareness, detection, differentiation and the exploration that leads to increasing these abilities. Those are the qualities that allow us humans to sit outside the chimp enclosure. It is the lack of those qualities that keeps the chimps inside.<\/p>\n

A very observant \u201calien\u201d might see that some of us human \u201cchimps\u201d are not satisfied with the status quo and are constantly working at freedom from the intellectual, mental, spiritual, social and societal confines which everyone else accepts. It is not only a quest by Scientologists, but of kindred spirits in science, the arts and religion. It might even make us the most entertaining members of the troupe.<\/p>\n

So now to the question: Do aliens believe in Scientologists? Who knows? Who cares? Just as in the original, reverse statement, it\u2019s neither relevant nor important\u2026 Except for giving certain \u201cchimps\u201d an excuse to hoot, screech and throw poop.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Scientologist Rodger Clark publishes his about-face rendition of the common misguided media taunt that \u201cScientologists believe in aliens\u201d on the STAND (Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination) website. It was one of those cloudless, perfect 74-degree days. 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