Related
Translate
Previous entry: Aliens and mutilated cows
Next entry: Polygamist leader Warren Jeffs appeals rejected by Utah Supreme Court
Get RNB via RSS
 |
RNB's RSS feed What is this? |
Get RNB via Email
 |
 Subscribe by Email What is this? |
Follow: Twitter
Most Popular
This Week:
- Polygamist Sect Leader Convicted of Sexual Assault
- Jury takes 14 minutes to convict self-proclaimed pot pastor
- Supreme Court upholds cult AUM Shinrikyo members’ death sentences
- Newspaper continues series of exposés of Scientology cult
- Epic Mohammad movie in pipeline
- Coptic Christian Blogger in Egypt Pressured to Convert to Islam in Prison
- Italian judge convicts 23 in CIA kidnapping of Muslim cleric
- I know the dark side of Scientology…I almost lost my friend when she became obsessed with it
- Cult leader Warren Jeffs’ attorneys argue sect leader faced wrong charge
- Fort Hood shooting: imam says Nalid Malik Husan ‘didn’t seem like an extremist’
Scientology gains followers in Victoria, Australia
More articles on this topic: ScientologyVictoria’s Scientology population has almost doubled in a decade, figures reveal. There are 629 Scientologists in Victoria, compared with 324 in 1996.
Census data prepared for the Herald Sun shows that Melbourne’s Yarra Ranges and Whitehorse areas are the state’s Scientology capitals.
Australia-wide, there were 2507 Scientologists in 2006, up from 1489 a decade ago.
Experts say the religion’s popularity is in line with the growth of other alternative religions and has been boosted significantly by Scientology’s celebrity links.
High-profile Scientologists such as actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta, tycoon James Packer and singer Kate Ceberano have kept the religion in the public spotlight.
RMIT professor of intercultural studies Desmond Cahill said Scientology’s recruitment methods, such as its psychological tests, would also appeal to some people.
“As people have moved away from mainstream churches, there has been a certain attraction held by these smaller, more unusual faiths,” Prof Cahill said.
“It’s developed a worldwide image because of the attraction of film stars and celebrities,” he said.
Monash University sociology professor Gary Bouma said the celebrity link helped sell the religion.
- Justice Anderson, Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia, quoted atWhat judges have to say about Scientology
“It does put a positive gloss on the product,” Prof Bouma said. “Whether it actually brings people in, I don’t know, but it makes the product clearly saleable.”
He said the growth of Scientology was no surprise. “Its growth is along the lines of other small religious groups.
“The mainstream religions are having a hard time attracting people.”
While Christianity remains the dominant religion in Australia, census data shows that non-Christian religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism are growing at a faster rate.
Church of Scientology Melbourne president Emmanuel Foundas said the religion’s focus on the individual was appealing to more people today.
“I think what you’re seeing is people are bumping into more Scientologists and want to know about it,” he said. “More people know what Scientology is than they did 10 years ago.
“They see the positive effects it has on people and want to go and find something for themselves.”
But Mr Foundas was not sure why the Yarra Ranges had so many Scientologists. “I think it has the alternate thinkers – people who were 1970s kids, I imagine.”
• Original title: Religion’s rise in the stars
What You Can Do From Here
|
Read More Articles On These Topics
Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Read Another Article
Previous entry: Aliens and mutilated cows Next entry: Polygamist leader Warren Jeffs appeals rejected by Utah Supreme Court
RNB Homepage with latest headlinesFind Related Information
Find Related Books
|
Share This Article
To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:
