The Religious Life of Scientology - Essay Example

Most societies in Earth have religion as a very important aspect of their life. Religion always figures in culture, as it is part of the culture as well. But religion always figures in literature, art, music, dance, etc. Because of this “specialty”, most religions choose a special person that serves as a link to the believers and the deities. This person is usually called the priest, and the priest acts a mediator between the people and the deities by performing sacrifices and other rituals that are deemed to be communication tools to the deities.
In this paper, we should note that sects and cults are different than religion. Sects are small, less organized religious groups formed by members that are usually in protest with a larger denomination. They are convinced that they have the real meaning of religion or cosmos (they have “the truth”) and they actively protest the dominant religion. Typically, these sects grow and become a dominant religion as well, through the years. Unlike dominations, sects are not seen as a legitimate religious group.
Cults, on the other hand, are different although they may resemble cults. Cults are transient and informal and they usually provide a haven for those who are rejected by society. Cults usually center on a leader who focuses on bringing the people (the believers) with the same frame of mind, and these are not necessarily deemed as something that invokes sanctity. Scientology is special because it’s considered as a religion for some places, and otherwise in some places. ...Show more