The Great Church of... Scientology?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/31/christian.scientology/index.html

Some inner-city pastors are discussing why they incorporate "Scientology helps" in sermons and in helping their congregants with problems like drug addiction and poverty:

For Kennedy, it began two years ago when he attended a meeting at the Church of Scientology's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. He was introduced to a book called "The Way to Happiness" -- Hubbard's 64-page, self-described "common sense guide to better living."

In the book, which lays out ways to maintain a temperate lifestyle, Kennedy found a message he believed could help lift his predominantly lower income African-American congregation. He said the book's 21 principles help them with their struggle in an urban environment where there is too much crime and addiction and too little opportunity.

Kennedy knew that before he could introduce any Scientology-related text to his congregation, he would have to prove that it did not contradict his Christian beliefs. And so, he found Scripture to match each of the 21 principles.

End quote.

Well, I guess as long as he can play match-ups with a scripture verse for each Scientology principle, it must be OK, right?? In my personal opinion, stories like this should be a conviction to Christians not to JUST study a verse-a-day. Be in the word and look at it in CONTEXT. I do scripture memorization with my younger boys, but I think it's actually more important to know the overall theme of the Bible and the text as a coherent whole.

Thankfully at least the Elf gets this a little. When we have the Alpha Omega Lifepacs or even the School of Tomorrow books, there are frequently elipses or they're using a watered-down translation for the children to memorize. I don't make them memorize those verses because we're already cranking away on the Bob Jones curriculum, and they would have to know four new verses a week at that rate! Better to get one well-memorized, I imagine. In any event, Elf feels a little insulted.

"They don't think a little kid can hear the whole verse?" he asks indignantly. Sorry, kid, they underestimate you as well as God's power to make that word live within you.

But the point I'm trying to make through this rambling blog post is that I wonder about these denominations that allow their pastors to just wander off like that, and drag the sheep with them. If *I* would have accountability for being silly with my own life, surely a pastor should have a greater responsibility because of his influence. And what are they teaching in these "seminaries" that leads them to Scientology??