This article was originally published in Free Inquiry [Vol. 45, No. 3]
In September 2024, California-based rock band Linkin Park decided to replace its late vocalist Chester Bennington with Emily Armstrong. This decision stoked a great deal of tumult in the music circuit and beyond because it turned out she has ties to Scientology (whether the singer is an active member remains unclear) and was even spotted attending church member Danny Masterson's high-profile rape trial a few years back that resulted in his thirty-year prison sentence.
Amid backlash from countless fans online, Bennington's son, and one of the convict's victims, Armstrong apologized and distanced herself from her former friend, whom she claims to have "misjudged."
There's an inescapable stink that follows Scientology, one even Tom Cruise and John Travolta haven't been able to fully obscure from the public nose. This is presumably because adherents of the religion are often likened to subscribers of a cult. Despite how aggressively Scientology has tried cleansing its image, allegations of abuse against it continue to proliferate. Then, of course, there's the otherworldly saga behind their belief system and the fact that it was amplified by one of the most prolific science-fiction authors of all time.
Scientology's teachings seem particularly unusual and bizarre because its conception is still in living memory. The doctrine was put together and finalized by a man of whom we have high-definition photographs, colored videos, and audio recordings, while several of those who were in his presence continue to walk the earth.
The origin, timeline, and evolution of said organization follow the same patterns as any other organized religion in the history of humanity, so it seems as though our proximity to it is what makes a lot of people uncomfortable. Whereas the sequence of events and narratives that make up Scientology don't align with faiths that predate modern technology, its overall structure — a series of exceptional claims with no verifiable evidence and a hierarchy within which innocent people are agonized — does. Furthermore, those responsible are repeatedly absolved of their wrongdoings thanks to their high standing in the chain of command.
While it's easy to shun the Church of Scientology for trying to silence Masterson's victims through intimidation and harassment, Americans find it tough to hold the same critical stance when it comes to Christianity, which retains an improper role in lawmaking despite the nominal claims of secularism behind which "God-fearing" politicians continue to hide.
Just like Scientology's stories about evil space lord Xenu, Christianity also has a dense plot with no shortage of mythical creatures (dragons, unicorns, superhuman giants, sea monsters, etc.), none of which can be corroborated by the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology as we know them. The main difference between the two is that the religion of Christ has a history soaked in trillions and trillions of gallons of blood, not solely because it is over 2,000 years old but because its scripture validates violence, human-rights violations, and countless other acts deemed criminal in the modern world. Still, Christianity gets a pass, and "crusading" as an adjective continues to have a heroic connotation despite the well-documented atrocities of the Crusades.
In 2024, the Missouri Senate voted against making exceptions for abortion when it comes to rape and incest. In defense of said decision, Senator Rick Brattin compared the termination of pregnancy to slavery and said: "If you want to go after the rapist, let's give him the death penalty ... But not the innocent person caught in between that, by God's grace, may even be the greatest healing agent you need in which to recover from such an atrocity." In the same spirit, Senator Sandy Crawford added: "God does not make mistakes. And for some reason, he allows that to happen. Bad things happen."
It is worth noting that the god both public servants were referring to wasn't the creation of L. Ron Hubbard.
Even today, it is widely acceptable to defend hateful beliefs as byproducts of faith — pushing back against same-sex marriage, women's rights, and premarital sex all trace back to the Bible — yet it is Scientology that so many obsess over to relieve their grievances with cultish behavior. Whereas it is indeed peculiar to watch a religion in its early stages evolve just like its counterparts did centuries ago, there is a perplexing hypocrisy to citizens in a Christian-dominated country scoffing at a small group of believers in the supernatural rather than actively challenging those in power who get to set in stone their interpretation of ancient texts and impose its consequences on 345 million Americans.
Before Emily Armstrong joined Linkin Park, the group referenced Bible verses in some of their songs (e.g. "What I've Done" and "Somewhere I Belong"), but never had to apologize for them because that's just tantamount to having strong values in the United States. Because there are no photographs to kill the mysticism of the well-marinated mythology surrounding Jesus, the endless suffering that traces back to Christianity is by default ignored.
Scientology, on the other hand, is branded a cult for being secretive and getting away with a fraction of what its mainstream counterparts have been practicing in the open for as many years as the calendar reads.
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