10AR15-45

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Apologia Report 15:45 (1,050)

December 23, 2010

Subject: Scientology: growth, or wildly expensive marketing?

In this issue:

BIBLICAL MISREPRESENTATION - book by former evangelical presents his view of the Bible's history

+ liberal view of sex in the Bible gets glowing endorsement

SCIENTOLOGY - will building boom become a risky investment?

YOGA - another Hindu spokesman agrees that it yoga "is fundamentally at odds with Christian teaching"

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PLEASE NOTE: This is our last issue for 2010, with the next issue planned for the week beginning January 9.

Also, registration and passwords are no longer required for our

back issue database. <j.mp/ar-chive> Merry Christmas!

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BIBLICAL MISREPRESENTATION

The Rise and Fall of the Bible: The Unexpected History of an Accidental Book, by Timothy Beal [1] (professor of religion, Case Western Reserve University) -- a "Starred Review" by Ilene Cooper in Booklist (Nov 15 '10, p25) reports Beal's assertion "that it wasn't until the nineteenth century and the rise of the Protestant evangelical movement that the Bible became an inherent [sic] guide to living and salvation. He goes on to demonstrate how much the Bible, what with so many contemporary versions and by-products, has morphed, devaluing the basic product. But perhaps Beal's main point is to show how the New Testament (and the Old, for that matter) comes from myriad sources, or, as he calls it, 'a cacophony of voices and perspectives, often in conflict with one another.' Yet Beal is more than just a debunker; in fact, once evangelical, he still considers himself a Christian. He exhorts readers to see the Bible not as a book of finite answers but as a crucible of questions that provoke, inspire, and even anger those who pick it up. The same might be said about his own book." (Endorsed by both John Shelby Spong and Brian McLaren.)

Unprotected Texts: The Wild Diversity of Sex and Desire in the Bible Revealed, by Jennifer Knust [2], "assistant professor of religion at Boston University specializing in New Testament, Biblical Studies and early Christian history. An ordained American Baptist pastor, she has served churches in Philadelphia and Maine. She holds a doctorate in Religion from Columbia University and a master of divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York" Amazon.com informs us.

Another "Starred Review," this one by Susan DeGrane, in the November 15 Booklist (p17) extolls: "Knust's impressive and highly readable analysis of Old and New Testament Bible stories explores mores of ancient cultures, which supported prostitution and polygamy along with slavery and patriarchy. In doing so, she makes a convincing case for religious leaders and others to take greater care and responsibility in extracting wisdom needed for healing contemporary society. Knust cites several examples of prominent figures who have misused the Bible to support wars, slavery, and the oppression of women and children. Her analysis of the story of Ruth and Naomi reveals that sex outside of marriage does not always lead to ruin. Likewise, she asserts that the downfall of Sodom and Gomorrah came not because of rampant homosexuality but as a result of society's excesses and its leaders ceasing to seek justice, rescue the oppressed, and protect widows and orphans."

DeGrane breathlessly praises Knust for exploring such "taboo" subjects as: "female sexual desire, divorce, infidelity, homosexuality, celibacy, menstruation, cross-dressing, and circumcision as well as the perennial need for intimacy and human contact. For those wanting to understand the Bible as a chronicle of human conduct for achieving the goals of survival, peace, and fulfillment, this is a treasure" - for nonconservatives, that is.

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SCIENTOLOGY

"In Pasadena, a Model for Scientology's Growth Plan" by Fred A. Bernstein -- "The opening of a Scientology center in this city's Old Town neighborhood was a significant local event. Church members spent $10 million to buy a historic four-story building and $6 million more to restore it to its 1906 luster before a gala dedication ceremony on July 18.

"But the Pasadena project[www.tinyurl.com/2g6azul] is just one part of a much larger undertaking for the church: the creation of about 50 new centers in 16 countries" listing a dozen to be added in 2011. As for their purpose, Bernstein reports that the controversial movement will be "inserting chapels, private counseling rooms and saunas for purification into each of the newly acquired buildings" which Scientology designates "ideal orgs" (or "Life Improvement Centers").

Scientology spokesman, Tommy Davis, "said the buildings, which must be at least 40,000 square feet, cost from $4 million to $20 million each, bringing the price of the current expansion to $500 million. In each case, he said, local parishioners raise money to buy and renovate the buildings. ...

"Whether the church's current membership needs all these new buildings, or can sustain them, is an open question. Mr. Davis said membership is "in the millions," with one third in the United States. But the American Religious Identification Survey <americanreligionsurvey-aris.org> found that the number of American Scientologists dropped to 25,000 in 2008 from 55,000 in 2001.

"And the church has other problems. In recent years, Scientology has faced defections and accusations of abuse by former members." Hugh B. Urban of Ohio State, author of a forthcoming analysis of Scientology's occult roots, "said that opening so many new centers 'could be a marketing strategy to give the appearance that Scientology is in a period of massive growth, which would in turn attract people. That's the kind of thing they've done, historically.'" New York Times, Nov 9 '10, <www.tinyurl.com/24hfhmq>.

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YOGA

"A Hindu View of 'Christian Yoga'" by Rajiv Malhotra, founder of the New Jersey-based Infinity Foundation <infinityfoundation.com> which promotes "Indic studies" -- this item from the December 8 Hindu Press International wire begins: "While yoga is not a 'religion' in the sense that the Abrahamic religions are, it is a well-established spiritual path. Its physical postures are only the tip of an iceberg, beneath which is a distinct metaphysics with profound depth and breadth. Its spiritual benefits are undoubtedly available to anyone regardless of religion. However, the assumptions and consequences of yoga do run counter to much of Christianity as understood today. This is why, as a Hindu yoga practitioner and scholar, I agree with the Southern Baptist Seminary President, Albert Mohler [www.tinyurl.com/3x7sjne], when he speaks of the incompatibility between Christianity and yoga, arguing that 'the idea that the body is a vehicle for reaching consciousness with the divine' is fundamentally at odds with Christian teaching.

"Yoga's metaphysics center around the quest to attain liberation from one's conditioning caused by past karma. Karma includes the baggage from prior lives, underscoring the importance of reincarnation. While it is fashionable for many Westerners to say they believe in karma and reincarnation, they have seldom worked out the contradictions with core Biblical doctrines. This view obviates the doctrine of original sin and eternal damnation. ...

"Most of the 20 million American yoga practitioners encounter these issues and find them troubling. Some have responded by distorting yogic principles in order to domesticate it into a Christian framework, i.e. the oxymoron, 'Christian Yoga.' Others simply avoid the issues or deny the differences. ... This is reductionist and unhelpful both to yoga and Christianity." HPI credits a Huffington Post feature as its source for this item <www.tinyurl.com/2cw44wv>.

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - The Rise and Fall of the Bible: The Unexpected History of an Accidental Book, by Timothy Beal (Houghton Mifflin, February 2011, hardcover, 256 pages) <www.tinyurl.com/2bohqup>

2 - Unprotected Texts: [latest title revision] The Bible's Surprising Contradictions About Sex and Desire, by Jennifer Wright Knust (HarperOne, January 2011, hardcover, 352 pages) <www.tinyurl.com/25pokgb>

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