Crazy little thing called scientology.
How?!!?!
I guess I just refused to believe that people were this stupid. So, this science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard said that ""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." in the 40's. Then he procedes to invent a religion which makes him large amounts of money. That, in and of itself, is sketchy. Where scientologists really outdo themselves though is in their beliefs. Check out this for text or this for a video.
Here is a sample from wikipedia.org:
Scientologists argue that published accounts of the Xenu story and other colorful teachings are pulled out of context for the purpose of ridiculing their religion. Journalists and critics of Scientology counter that Xenu is part of a much wider Scientology belief in past lives on other planets, some of which has been public knowledge for decades. For instance, Hubbard's 1958 book Have You Lived Before This Life documents past lives described by individual Scientologists during auditing sessions. These included memories of being "deceived into a love affair with a robot decked out as a beautiful red-haired girl", being run over by a Martian bishop driving a steamroller, being transformed into an intergalactic walrus that perished after falling out of a flying saucer, and recalling life as "a very happy being who strayed to the planet Nostra 23,064,000,000 years ago."
I must concede however that, in a past life, I was an intergalactic walrus. My name was Staphyloshitfacemcgee, and I was free of society's pressures and was a much happier being. (I'm talking about true happiness not just pleasure.)
I guess I just refused to believe that people were this stupid. So, this science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard said that ""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." in the 40's. Then he procedes to invent a religion which makes him large amounts of money. That, in and of itself, is sketchy. Where scientologists really outdo themselves though is in their beliefs. Check out this for text or this for a video.
Here is a sample from wikipedia.org:
Scientologists argue that published accounts of the Xenu story and other colorful teachings are pulled out of context for the purpose of ridiculing their religion. Journalists and critics of Scientology counter that Xenu is part of a much wider Scientology belief in past lives on other planets, some of which has been public knowledge for decades. For instance, Hubbard's 1958 book Have You Lived Before This Life documents past lives described by individual Scientologists during auditing sessions. These included memories of being "deceived into a love affair with a robot decked out as a beautiful red-haired girl", being run over by a Martian bishop driving a steamroller, being transformed into an intergalactic walrus that perished after falling out of a flying saucer, and recalling life as "a very happy being who strayed to the planet Nostra 23,064,000,000 years ago."
I must concede however that, in a past life, I was an intergalactic walrus. My name was Staphyloshitfacemcgee, and I was free of society's pressures and was a much happier being. (I'm talking about true happiness not just pleasure.)