Scientology arrived in the last century with the promise of a fresh path to spiritual freedom. It speaks of hidden burdens, offers graded steps toward clarity, and invites seekers into a community that claims tools strong enough to untangle the soul. Yet when we set its claims beside the Scriptures, the distance is not narrow. The Bible gives us a personal, triune God; a Savior who took flesh, died, and rose; and a salvation given by grace through faith apart from works (John 1:14; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Ephesians 2:8–9). Those foundations cannot be traded for a system that points us back to ourselves.
This article sketches where Scientology came from, then follows the Bible’s storyline and brings its teaching to bear on the core claims of Scientology. The aim is not to score points but to obey the Lord’s call to speak the truth in love, with clarity, courage, and compassion for neighbors who are precious to God (Ephesians 4:15; 1 Peter 3:15–16).
Words: 2619 / Time to read: 14 minutes / Audio Podcast: 33 Minutes
Historical and Cultural Background
Scientology took shape in the early 1950s as L. Ron Hubbard moved from the therapeutic ideas of his book Dianetics into a full religious program. At the heart of his system sits the claim that people are thetans — spiritual self in Scientology teaching — who have gathered injuries across many lifetimes and now live under the weight of those imprints. The proposed remedy is auditing — guided sessions to clear trauma — often using the E-meter — device to gauge stress responses — to locate the trouble spots and lead adherents through scripts meant to remove them. Courses, counseling steps, and higher levels then promise greater awareness and control over life’s troubles. Across decades the movement built institutions, developed a vocabulary, and presented itself as a road to success and freedom.
The promise lands in a modern world hungry for relief. People feel fractured by grief, shame, and fear. A program that names burdens and offers measurable steps can feel merciful. But the Bible warns that not every spiritual remedy is from God. It teaches that “the Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons,” and it urges watchfulness against messages that look like light but turn hearts from Christ (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Corinthians 11:13–15). The early church lived under the same pressure, surrounded by rival voices, and the apostles taught believers to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1).
Scientology’s social pattern also matters. It organizes life through graded knowledge, costly steps, and a performance horizon that always lies just ahead. Jesus, by contrast, built a people knit together by grace, where the poor are rich in faith, the weary come without price, and shepherds lead not by control but by example (James 2:5; Isaiah 55:1–3; 1 Peter 5:2–3). The kingdom He announced is not advanced by money, secrecy, or social leverage; it grows by the open word of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; Acts 20:20–21).
Biblical Narrative
The Bible begins with God. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” and He made man and woman in His image to know Him and reflect Him (Genesis 1:1; Genesis 1:26–27). He is not a vague force to be defined privately, but the living Lord who speaks, names, commands, and blesses (Psalm 33:6–9). His goodness filled the first garden, yet our first parents rejected His word. Sin entered, death followed, and the human heart bent away from the One it was made to love (Genesis 3:6–19; Romans 5:12). From then on, the Bible describes people not as basically sound spirits tangled by memories, but as image-bearers ruined by sin who need rescue they cannot purchase or perform (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23).
God’s answer is promise and blood. He pledged a coming Offspring who would crush evil’s head, and He sketched that promise through the covenants with Abraham, Moses, and David, teaching by sacrifices that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Genesis 3:15; Genesis 12:3; Hebrews 9:22). The prophets spoke of a Servant who would bear our iniquities and of a new covenant that would change hearts, forgive sins, and pour out the Spirit (Isaiah 53:5–6; Jeremiah 31:31–34; Ezekiel 36:26–27). This is not a path of self-clearing; it is the road of a Redeemer who does for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
In the fullness of time the Word became flesh. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, took true humanity, lived sinlessly, taught with unrivaled authority, received worship, forgave sins, and then went to the cross as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:14; John 10:30; Mark 2:5–7; John 1:29). He died under Pontius Pilate, was buried, rose bodily on the third day, and appeared to many witnesses, establishing by act and evidence that He is Lord and Savior (Luke 24:36–43; 1 Corinthians 15:3–8; Romans 1:4). The apostles then preached not a technique but a finished work: “Christ died for our sins… he was raised,” and “everyone who believes is justified” (1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Acts 13:38–39). The Spirit fell at Pentecost to create a new people from all nations, and the church spread by the open teaching of Christ in homes and marketplaces, not by secret levels but by Scripture opened and hearts cut to the quick (Acts 2:41–47; Acts 17:2–3).
Because the gospel is rooted in God’s action, salvation is by grace through faith, not by works, ceremonies, or payments. “It is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). The Lord calls us out of darkness into His marvelous light, transferring us from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son (1 Peter 2:9; Colossians 1:13). The Bible also warns against teachings that promise spiritual advancement while denying or minimizing the sufficiency of Christ. “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,” Paul writes, “which depends on human tradition… rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8). The church is told to reject “another gospel,” even if it comes with the claim of angelic origin (Galatians 1:8–9).
Theological Significance
Placing Scientology beside Scripture highlights contrasts at the center. First is the question of God. Scientology leaves “the Supreme Being” undefined and optional; the Bible reveals the one true and living God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—personal, eternal, and holy, who made all things and sustains all things by His powerful word (Isaiah 45:5; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 1:3). You cannot build a saving way to God by silencing who He is. To know Him is life; to refuse His self-disclosure is to build a tower on sand (John 17:3; Matthew 7:26–27).
Second is the question of man. Scientology says the human problem is engrams—etched injuries that clog the soul through many lifetimes; the Bible says our problem is sin—guilt and corruption inherited from Adam and embraced by every heart (Romans 5:12; Psalm 51:5). Sin is not a smudge we can polish away with technique. It is a revolt that requires a sacrifice only God can provide, and its cure is the new birth by the Spirit that no human can engineer (John 3:5–8; Titus 3:5–7).
Third is the question of salvation. Scientology promises freedom through steps, sessions, and payments; the Scriptures promise freedom in a person who says, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). The gospel rests not on inner excavation, but on the outer work of Christ crucified and risen, received by faith that unites us to Him so that His righteousness is counted as ours and His Spirit begins the lifelong work of change (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:1–4). To add fees, grades, or secret knowledge as conditions is to depart from grace, for the cross stands as God’s “It is finished” over every ladder men build (John 19:30; Galatians 2:21).
Fourth is the question of authority. Scientology treats Hubbard’s writings as the map for spiritual growth. Jesus treats the Law, the Prophets, and the apostolic witness as the word of God—unbreakable, sufficient, and public—and He promised the Spirit would lead His apostles into all truth so the church would have a completed, trustworthy canon (John 10:35; John 14:26; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21). The gospel is preached “in secret” to no one; it is declared in the open, inviting any who will to hear and live (John 18:20; Romans 10:17).
Fifth is the question of life and death. Scientology leans toward serial lives and cycles of return; the Bible says “people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,” with a resurrection of the just and the unjust and an eternal destiny either with the Lord or apart from Him (Hebrews 9:27; John 5:28–29; Matthew 25:46). That future is not a trap to fear if we belong to Christ; it is the hope of seeing the King and sharing His kingdom forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16–18; Revelation 21:1–4).
A grammatical-historical, dispensational reading keeps these truths in their place in God’s plan. God spoke in many times and ways, but “in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,” who is the final and climactic revelation (Hebrews 1:1–2). The church is a mystery now revealed, a people of Jew and Gentile united in Christ, distinct from Israel in God’s program and destined to reign with the Lord when He returns in glory to keep every promise He made (Ephesians 3:4–6; Romans 11:25–29; 2 Timothy 2:12). That horizon matters because it anchors assurance. We are not climbing toward an undefined light; we are following the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep and will raise them up at the last day (John 10:11; John 6:39–40).
Spiritual Lessons and Application
How, then, should Christians respond to friends involved in Scientology? Begin with the kindness of Christ. The servant of the Lord “must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful,” trusting that “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24–26). Many who join are not hunting controversy; they are hunting relief. We can affirm the ache that sends them searching while we point them to the Savior who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). Carry the conversation to Jesus Himself—His person, His cross, His empty tomb—and invite them to read the Gospels where His voice can be heard (John 5:39–40; Luke 24:27).
Keep the gospel clear and the conscience clean. Do not trade the free grace of God for any system of self-achievement, and do not shade the truth to win favor. “We have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God,” Paul says, “On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience” (2 Corinthians 4:2). When questions arise about God, say plainly that He is personal and triune (Matthew 28:19). When questions arise about sin, say plainly that all have sinned and that only Christ’s blood cleanses (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:7). When questions arise about authority, say plainly that Scripture is God-breathed and enough (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
Help people see the difference between a church and a control system. The church gives generously; it does not sell steps to God (Acts 4:34–35). The church gathers the weak; it does not sort people by secret ranks (James 1:9–10). The church brings hidden things into the light; it does not withhold core truth until a fee is paid (Ephesians 5:13). The church teaches freedom that bears fruit in love, not bondage that breeds fear (Galatians 5:1; Romans 8:15). If a friend is weighed down by debt, demands, or disconnection, come alongside with practical help and patient hope, pointing to the One who says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Guard your own heart as you contend. The gospel does not make us proud winners in arguments; it makes us grateful beggars who found bread. We were rescued from the domain of darkness, not because we climbed high, but because a King stooped low (Colossians 1:13–14; Philippians 2:6–8). That humility keeps the tone right and the prayer life strong. Pray for open doors and open eyes, for boldness and gentleness, for wisdom to answer each person, and for endurance to love across months and years (Colossians 4:3–6; Galatians 6:9).
Finally, rest your assurance where God put it: in Christ. Some religions keep the finish line just out of reach; Jesus moved the finish line to a cross and an empty tomb. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” and that peace does not evaporate when feelings wobble (Romans 5:1). The Spirit bears witness that we are God’s children, and He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ (Romans 8:16; Philippians 1:6). Freedom is not a product you buy by the hour. It is a Savior who knows your name and calls you His own (John 10:3–4; John 8:36).
Conclusion
Scientology offers a staircase; the gospel offers a Savior. One turns you inward with promises of progress; the other turns you outward to a cross where the debt was paid and to a risen Lord who holds you fast (John 19:30; Hebrews 7:25). One keeps knowledge behind a curtain, doled out to the few; the other proclaims good news in the open and seats the poor and the rich at one table (John 18:20; James 2:1–5). At the points that matter most—who God is, who we are, how we are saved, and where we find truth—the roads do not meet. The Bible calls us to reject every message that replaces Christ’s finished work with human technique and to welcome every person who longs for the grace He gives (Galatians 1:8–9; John 6:37).
So let us love our neighbors in Scientology enough to tell them the truth, to walk with them patiently, to help with real needs, and to open the Scriptures where Jesus still speaks life. And let us guard our churches from any drift toward secrecy, control, or price tags on grace. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom,” and the Son who saves still calls the weary to Himself (2 Corinthians 3:17; Matthew 11:28–30).
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. (Colossians 2:8–10)
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