It should be obvious.
One shouldn't have to pay for one's salvation. Much less at an hourly rate.
If a religion isn't willing to give out a free copy of its main book (its "bible", so to speak), then just stay away. They're not there out of concern for your ultimate well-being. They're there to get as much money from you before you fold.
Edit:
Fun Scientology Facts:
Being Gay Is Not OK In Scientology.
The goal of every Scientologist is to get to the state of Clear. It costs about $300,000-$400,000 to get there, with courses rapidly reaching rates of $1000+ an hour.
If you can't afford that cost, you can work for Scientology to get your courses for free. You make about $50 or so a week...and if you ever leave Scientology, you incur "Freeloader's Debt", which means you have to pay for those courses you took when you worked for the church.
So Quoth L. Ron Hubbard:
"Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wanted to make a million dollars, the best way to do it would be to start his own religion."
"Make money. Make more money. Make others produce so as to make more money."
"The historic Jesus was not nearly the sainted figure he has been made out to be...in addition to being a lover of boys and young men, he was given to uncontrollable bursts of temper and hatred that belied the general message of love, understanding, and typical Markab PR."
"We are slowly and carefully teaching the unholy a lesson. It is as follows: We are not a law enforcement agency. BUT we will become interested in the crimes of people who seek to stop us. If you oppose scientology we promptly look up - and find and expose - your crimes. If you leave us alone we will leave you alone.
It's very simple. Even a fool can grasp that.
And don't underrate our ability to carry it out."
“Show me any person who is critical of us and I’ll show you crimes and intended crimes that would stand a magistrate’s hair on end.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, Hubbard Communications Office Bulletin, 4 April 1965
“Somebody some day will say ‘this is illegal.’ By then be sure the orgs [Scientology organizations] say what is legal or not.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letter, 4 January 1966, “LRH Relationship to Orgs”
“ENEMY SP Order. Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letter, 18 October 1967
[SP = Suppressive Person a.k.a. critic of Scientology]
“A truly Suppressive Person or group has no rights of any kind and actions taken against them are not punishable.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letter, 1 March 1965, HCO (Division 1) “Ethics, Suppressive Acts, Suppression of Scientology and Scientologists”
“There is no more ethical group on this planet than ourselves.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, KEEPING SCIENTOLOGY WORKING. 7 February 1965, reissued 27 August 1980
“They smell of all the baths they didn’t take. The trouble with China is, there are too many chinks here.”
- L. Ron Hubbard’s diary, 1928. (Jon Atack, A PIECE OF BLUE SKY: SCIENTOLOGY, DIANETICS AND L. RON HUBBARD EXPOSED. Lyle Stuart/Carol Publishing Group 1990)
“In any event, any person from 2.0 down on the Tone Scale should not have, in any thinking society, any civil rights of any kind, because by abusing those rights he brings into being arduous and strenuous laws which are oppressive to those who need no such restraints.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, SCIENCE OF SURVIVAL, 1989 Ed., p. 145 [The “Tone Scale” is Scientology’s measure of mental and spiritual health.]
“There are only two answers for the handling of people from 2.0 down on the Tone Scale, neither one of which has anything to do with reasoning with them or listening to their justification of their acts. The first is to raise them on the Tone Scale by un-enturbulating some of their theta by any one of the three valid processes. The other is to dispose of them quietly and without sorrow.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, SCIENCE OF SURVIVAL, p. 170
“This is the correct procedure: Spot who is attacking us. Start investigating them promptly for felonies or worse using our own professionals, not outside agencies. Double curve our reply by saying we welcome an investigation of them. Start feeding lurid, blood sex crime actual evidence on the attackers to the press. Don’t ever tamely submit to an investigation of us. Make it rough, rough on attackers all the way.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letter, 25 February 1966
“THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN CONTROL PEOPLE IS TO LIE TO THEM. You can write that down in your book in great big letters. The only way you can control anybody is to lie to them.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, “Off the Time Track,” lecture of June 1952, excerpted in JOURNAL OF SCIENTOLOGY issue 18-G, reprinted in TECHNICAL VOLUMES OF DIANETICS & SCIENTOLOGY, vol. 1, p. 418
“Benzedrine often helps a case run.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, “The Intensive Processing Procedure,” 1950
[“Run a case” = administer Dianetics or Scientology procedures to someone]
“Leukaemia is evidently psychosomatic in origin and at least eight cases of leukaemia had been treated successfully by Dianetics after medicine had traditionally given up. The source of leukaemia has been reported to be an engram containing the phrase ‘It turns my blood to water.’”
- L. Ron Hubbard, “Journal of Scientology,” Issue 15-G, 1953
“When somebody enrols, consider he or she has joined up for the duration of the universe - never permit an ‘open-minded’ approach... If they enrolled, they’re aboard, and if they’re aboard they’re here on the same terms as the rest of us - win or die in the attempt. Never let them be half minded about being Scientologists... When Mrs. Pattycake comes to us to be taught, turn that wandering doubt in her eye into a fixed, dedicated glare… The proper instruction attitude is, ‘We'd rather have you dead than incapable.’”
- L. Ron Hubbard, KEEPING SCIENTOLOGY WORKING, 7 February 1965, reissued 27 August 1980
“Scientology is the only specific (cure) for radiation (atomic bomb) burns.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, ALL ABOUT RADIATION, p. 109
“I’d like to start a religion. That’s where the money is.”
- L. Ron Hubbard to Lloyd Eshbach, in 1949; quoted by Eshbach in OVER MY SHOULDER: REFLECTIONS ON A SCIENCE FICTION ERA, Donald M. Grant Publisher. 1983
Just say no.
If a religion isn't willing to give out a free copy of its main book (its "bible", so to speak), then just stay away. They're not there out of concern for your ultimate well-being. They're there to get as much money from you before you fold.
Edit:
Fun Scientology Facts:
"Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wanted to make a million dollars, the best way to do it would be to start his own religion."
"Make money. Make more money. Make others produce so as to make more money."
"The historic Jesus was not nearly the sainted figure he has been made out to be...in addition to being a lover of boys and young men, he was given to uncontrollable bursts of temper and hatred that belied the general message of love, understanding, and typical Markab PR."
"We are slowly and carefully teaching the unholy a lesson. It is as follows: We are not a law enforcement agency. BUT we will become interested in the crimes of people who seek to stop us. If you oppose scientology we promptly look up - and find and expose - your crimes. If you leave us alone we will leave you alone.
It's very simple. Even a fool can grasp that.
And don't underrate our ability to carry it out."
“Show me any person who is critical of us and I’ll show you crimes and intended crimes that would stand a magistrate’s hair on end.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, Hubbard Communications Office Bulletin, 4 April 1965
“Somebody some day will say ‘this is illegal.’ By then be sure the orgs [Scientology organizations] say what is legal or not.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letter, 4 January 1966, “LRH Relationship to Orgs”
“ENEMY SP Order. Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letter, 18 October 1967
[SP = Suppressive Person a.k.a. critic of Scientology]
“A truly Suppressive Person or group has no rights of any kind and actions taken against them are not punishable.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letter, 1 March 1965, HCO (Division 1) “Ethics, Suppressive Acts, Suppression of Scientology and Scientologists”
“There is no more ethical group on this planet than ourselves.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, KEEPING SCIENTOLOGY WORKING. 7 February 1965, reissued 27 August 1980
“They smell of all the baths they didn’t take. The trouble with China is, there are too many chinks here.”
- L. Ron Hubbard’s diary, 1928. (Jon Atack, A PIECE OF BLUE SKY: SCIENTOLOGY, DIANETICS AND L. RON HUBBARD EXPOSED. Lyle Stuart/Carol Publishing Group 1990)
“In any event, any person from 2.0 down on the Tone Scale should not have, in any thinking society, any civil rights of any kind, because by abusing those rights he brings into being arduous and strenuous laws which are oppressive to those who need no such restraints.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, SCIENCE OF SURVIVAL, 1989 Ed., p. 145 [The “Tone Scale” is Scientology’s measure of mental and spiritual health.]
“There are only two answers for the handling of people from 2.0 down on the Tone Scale, neither one of which has anything to do with reasoning with them or listening to their justification of their acts. The first is to raise them on the Tone Scale by un-enturbulating some of their theta by any one of the three valid processes. The other is to dispose of them quietly and without sorrow.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, SCIENCE OF SURVIVAL, p. 170
“This is the correct procedure: Spot who is attacking us. Start investigating them promptly for felonies or worse using our own professionals, not outside agencies. Double curve our reply by saying we welcome an investigation of them. Start feeding lurid, blood sex crime actual evidence on the attackers to the press. Don’t ever tamely submit to an investigation of us. Make it rough, rough on attackers all the way.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letter, 25 February 1966
“THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN CONTROL PEOPLE IS TO LIE TO THEM. You can write that down in your book in great big letters. The only way you can control anybody is to lie to them.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, “Off the Time Track,” lecture of June 1952, excerpted in JOURNAL OF SCIENTOLOGY issue 18-G, reprinted in TECHNICAL VOLUMES OF DIANETICS & SCIENTOLOGY, vol. 1, p. 418
“Benzedrine often helps a case run.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, “The Intensive Processing Procedure,” 1950
[“Run a case” = administer Dianetics or Scientology procedures to someone]
“Leukaemia is evidently psychosomatic in origin and at least eight cases of leukaemia had been treated successfully by Dianetics after medicine had traditionally given up. The source of leukaemia has been reported to be an engram containing the phrase ‘It turns my blood to water.’”
- L. Ron Hubbard, “Journal of Scientology,” Issue 15-G, 1953
“When somebody enrols, consider he or she has joined up for the duration of the universe - never permit an ‘open-minded’ approach... If they enrolled, they’re aboard, and if they’re aboard they’re here on the same terms as the rest of us - win or die in the attempt. Never let them be half minded about being Scientologists... When Mrs. Pattycake comes to us to be taught, turn that wandering doubt in her eye into a fixed, dedicated glare… The proper instruction attitude is, ‘We'd rather have you dead than incapable.’”
- L. Ron Hubbard, KEEPING SCIENTOLOGY WORKING, 7 February 1965, reissued 27 August 1980
“Scientology is the only specific (cure) for radiation (atomic bomb) burns.”
- L. Ron Hubbard, ALL ABOUT RADIATION, p. 109
“I’d like to start a religion. That’s where the money is.”
- L. Ron Hubbard to Lloyd Eshbach, in 1949; quoted by Eshbach in OVER MY SHOULDER: REFLECTIONS ON A SCIENCE FICTION ERA, Donald M. Grant Publisher. 1983
Just say no.