Well in order to buy not even half the materials, here is what my bill came out to be so far: $2,040.00
How come I can read all of the famous writings such as the bible for free in a church but i have to spend up to 2,000 bucks just to get some of the beginning books in Scientology?
Hey Sophie,
Thanks for the question.
First of all, the materials on the Materials Guide Chart are not just the beginning books of Scientology. They are ALL the books and lectures and they range from beginning books to advanced technical books and lectures.
Only someone who is intending to thoroughly study all of Scientology would be buying that much.
I think your confusion could come from the fact that these materials are called "The Basics" but in this case that does not mean "beginning" it means the foundations or fundamentals of the subject. The Basics are all the books and lectures and that is a huge body of knowledge.
Beginning Scientology Books For Free
If you want to read all the beginning books of Scientology, you can do so for free by going to your local library. The Church has been involved in a campaign for a couple of years now to get these books into all libraries throughout the world. I don't know where you live, but I believe that all libraries in Western Europe and North America now have these books.Also if you wanted to go into a Scientology Church and read the beginning books in the Church library then I don't think anyone would complain.
Cost of getting a basic idea
If you want to get a basic idea of what Scientology is and you want to buy the books rather than go to the library then you can get Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought for $15 or Scientology: A New Slant on Life for $15. These are brand new editions that have very extensive glossaries, special fonts to make them easier to read, and more.Checking on Amazon, I see that a new Christian Bible ranges from $9.99 to $26.39, a new Koran goes from $5.59 to $54.50 so I'd say the prices are comparable. (I didn't include Kindle editions.)
Cost of all the beginning books
Now if you want to buy all of the beginning books then there are seven of them and they cost $15 each, which comes to $105. These books don't just tell you about the philosophy of Scientology, they also give you practical things you can do to improve your life and the lives of those around you right here and now.There is also a beginning book package that contains 7 paperback books, 2 workbooks, 7 audio books (unabridged = 34 CDs) and that comes to $250, which is just under $36 for each book and audio book combination - pretty reasonable for audio books.
You can see all the beginning books and audio books here: Scientology Beginning Books and Audio Books
Cost of the "Basics"
If you intend to study the entirety of Scientology: every book and every lecture ever made, then we are talking millions and millions of printed and spoken words, so obviously it is going to cost a lot more than for seven beginning books.However, the library project has been putting these materials into libraries too so you can probably find them there also.
Did that answer your question?
7 comments:
Yes thank you! All though I don't agree with Scientology and have had a few bad experiences with some members, you were very helpful in answering my questions. Again, thank you!
Do you know how I can find scientologists in Oklahoma?
@Corleonis
Try this: Scientology Church Locator
Enter the location you want under the map and then you'll see churches displayed. Under the map you can see a list of nearby Churches and Missions.
I hope that helps.
Members of IAS (which offers a 6-month free membership to new people) can obtain ALL 18 BASICS BOOKS IN HARDBACK for only $475! Incredible. And if you have these books (or the paperbacks), the Extension Courses are only $30 apiece. Hell of a deal if you ask me.
By way of comparison with what Corleonis reports, I often have to buy technical books for my job and they can cost from $30 - $50 each. So the average cost for 18 such books would be $720.
Yes, and I forgot to mention that the same books in paperback format are even cheaper! Most of the paperbacks are only $15 (I am not sure if Science of Survival is available in paperback; the hardback is only $35; Dianetics is $20 in paperback). So really all 18 of the Basics can be obtained for really cheap. I make barely $200 a week and I have managed to obtain several of the books in both hardback and paperback, as well as the Dianetics How-to Kit and several DVDs. If you really want this stuff, you CAN get it easily.
Plus most books are available through your local library.
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