Answers to Common Questions on Scientology
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What kind of people are Scientologists?
Scientologists come from all walks of life - mothers, businessmen, artists, scientists, lawyers, doctors, singers, teachers, builders, electricians, cooks, waitresses. And all economic and educational backgrounds.
Scientologists do a whole lot better in their career as a result of studying and using Scientology principles in their life. Learning about themselves, understanding their relationships, gaining more confidence, and really knowing how to achieve their goals equals success. Any Scientologist would tell you that if life was going badly and you were not doing well at work then you would not really be applying what you know from Scientology, because it works. Scientology is a practical religion providing workable tools that apply the religious philosophy in everyday life to improve it, so business owners and families can live easier, happier lives.
In general a happier person who can understand others and help others usually does better in their chosen career. Certainly Scientology helps you to be drug-free, teaches you how to study so that you can read and learn and apply any information and teaches a person morals and a strong ethical code - all things which enables a person to get ahead in their career. Scientologists usually work hard and then also put in time helping community projects also. It is a basic rule that you have to help those around you to really have lasting benefits - you can't do well and be happier if the people who live next to you are having marriage problems, or their kids can't read. You have to help make other's lives better.
It is pretty easy to look around at people who are Scientologists and see how well they are doing and how much they are helping others.
Statistically here are some facts about our membership:
- More than 80% of Scientologists completed high-school, and the percentage of tertiary graduates 30% higher than average.
- 97% of married couples have children and over 50% of Scientologists are married.
- Nearly 70% of members are over the age of 30.
- 98.1% of Scientologists don't receive welfare and over 80% earn above the national average.
- 100% don't take street drugs
- 81.65 haven't used any form of medical drug in the past year, including pain killers.
- Health-wise, 75% report that they are less ill than they were before Scientology and more than half report that they have not missed a day of work due to illness in the previous year.
What is ‘silent birth’?
Silent birth is all about providing the best possible environment for the birthing mother and her new baby and to have it as stress-free as possible.
It is labour and delivery done in a calm and loving environment and with no-spoken words by everyone attending as much as possible. Chatty doctors and nurses, shouts to “PUSH, PUSH” and loud or laughing remarks to “encourage” by those attending the birth are the types of noises that are meant to be avoided.
The point of silent birth is NO WORDS. This is a principle of Dianetics. It is words that are the emphasis, not total silence by the mother. Outside of not speaking, the objective is generally to have as peaceful and relaxing an environment as possible for the mother and child. It is highly unlikely that any woman could give birth without making any noise at all!
It is based on Mr. Hubbard's research into the mind and spirit. He found that words spoken during moments of pain and unconsciousness could have adverse effects on an individual later in life. They are recorded in the reactive mind as engrams. Anyone can read about this in the book Dianetics, The Modern Science of Mental Health. Dianetics describes the hidden influence of the reactive mind where painful and stressful memories are stored. These incidents can later restimulate causing further pain and upset. Voices can trigger such restimulation, hence the need to maintain silence during delivery.
Scientologists usually will have their children delivered in silence because they understand how childbirth can leave physical and emotional scars on both mother and baby. Mothers naturally want to give their baby the best possible start in life and thus keep the birth as quiet as possible.
How does this actually work?
There is no specific routine or rules for this. Just like care is taken in all other aspects of labour and birth, a woman and her doctor or midwife and any others present work out how to communicate without words. Different women have done different things.
It is done simply because the mother sees the good sense in maintaining a calm and quiet environment in the delivery room and a great deal of research supports this. The method of delivery of a child is up to the mother and her doctor. Most doctors and obstetricians agree with these procedures and that the mother has every right to choose how to bring her child into the world.
