Here's an interesting article I found the other day:

Spotlight on Scientology

With such visible celebrities as Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley devoted to the dynamics of ‘Dianetics,’ an explanation of the religious philosophy is in order.

JENNY HUNSPERGER Tucson Citizen

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes may get it, but many may not.
Here's what Jim Bennett, the Phoenix-based public relations representative for Arizona's Scientologists has to say.

Question: What is Scientology?

Answer: Scientology, which means "knowing how to know," is a religion based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard (1911-86). Scientology addresses man as a spiritual being and gives people tools to apply to their lives to improve conditions. Among these are the techniques for alleviating spiritual trauma contained in Hubbard's "Dianetics" books.

Related story:

There's no stopping Tom Cruise

Scientologists believe the "reactive mind" - that portion that works on a totally stimulus-response basis, not under the volitional control of the individual - exerts force and the power of command over one's awareness, purposes, thoughts, body and action. Through spiritual counseling called "auditing," Scientologists reduce and ultimately erase the power of the reactive mind.

The reactive mind is of no benefit to the individual and is a source of irrationality, fears and nightmares. Its eradication achieves the "state of clear" and brings to view the individual himself. It is a landmark step in the full recovery of one's true nature and in ultimately achieving full spiritual awareness and freedom.

The first Scientology church was established in Los Angeles in 1954, and today there are more than 5,100 Scientology churches, missions and groups in 156 countries around the world.

Q: How many people practice Scientology? How many in Arizona?

A: There are millions of people who use Scientology in their lives worldwide. It is difficult to have an exact estimate because the church is growing so fast that it is an ever-changing number. Locally, there are probably about 5,500 to 6,000 people who are connected to our church in some manner. We are having requests for our services and technology in unprecedented numbers this year.

The technology of helping people improve unwanted conditions is hitting an all-time level and the church is expanding at an unprecedented rate. We are growing bigger because we have solutions to the problems of the society and we believe that something can be done about it.

Q: What is it exactly that Scientologists believe in?advertisement

A: Scientology religious doctrine includes certain fundamental truths. Prime among them are that man is a spiritual being whose existence spans more than one life and who is endowed with abilities well beyond those which he normally considers he possesses. He is not only able to solve his own problems, accomplish his goals and gain lasting happiness, but also to achieve new states of spiritual awareness he may never have dreamed possible.

Scientology holds that man is basically good, and that his spiritual salvation depends upon himself, his relationships with his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe. We also believe that through the spiritual salvation of the individual, Scientology seeks the ultimate transformation - "a civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights." (from "Dianetics")

Like Scientology, all great religions have held the hope of spiritual freedom - a condition free of material limitations and suffering. Scientology believes that "something can be done about these unwanted conditions," and we work tirelessly toward those goals.

Q: What is Scientology's view on family and marriage (i.e. sex before marriage, gay marriage, birth control)?

A: Scientologists recognize marriage as a part of the second of the eight dynamics of existence and this
includes all creative activity, including sex, procreating and the raising of children. We consider the family unit to be of major importance to the stability of the society and the furtherance of the species of man. The fundamental belief of Scientology is that men and women are spiritual beings who live lifetime after lifetime. Our views are all based on that principle and not on the sexual orientation of a person's body or the body itself.