The Church of Scientology was started because of a bet.

[Neubarth]

My father and Science Fiction Writer Fritz Leiber challenged L. Ron Hubbard to prove a statement Hubbard made when at a party at Fritz's house.

Science Fiction Writers back then did not usually make a lot of money. Hubbard had boasted that the way to really make money was to start a religion and enjoy the money sent into church headquarters by the idiots who need religion in their lives.

Hubbard boasted that it would be easy for a Sci Fi writer to start a new religion. Fritz and my father bet him five dollars each that it would fail if he tried.

Hubbard eagerly said they were "On!" and that they could pay him the five dollars in ten years.

Since he was so eager, they put a few provisions in the bet. He had to incorporate something from Sci Fi as the foundation of his new religion.

A year or so earlier they had all vacationed in Acapulco, Mexico, and my father insisted that Hubbard include the electrical shock paddles that they all tried down on the beach. A Mexican peasant had a black box with a grinder handle on it. Extending from the box were two electrical wires. As the Mexican ground on the handle it generated an electrical charge to the paddles. If a brave young man held onto the paddles, he would receive a shock. If it was too much, he would have to let go. Dad insisted that the hand paddles had to be part of the religion. He did not say the box that generated the electrical shock treatment, just the paddles. Hubbard agreed and said that he would make it part of the introduction to the religion. After the party, Hubbard started making up his religion with the ludicrous requirements. He ended up a millionaire.

Dad and Fritz lost the bet.

 

[uscitizen]

That would not suprise me one bit.

Humans are suckers.

 

[rightwinger]

Could Christianity have been formed because of a bet?

 

[HUGGY]

My father and Science Fiction Writer Fritz Leiber challenged L. Ron Hubbard to prove a statement Hubbard made when at a party at Fritz's house.

Science Fiction Writers back then did not usually make a lot of money. Hubbard had boasted that the way to really make money was to start a religion and enjoy the money sent into church headquarters by the idiots who need religion in their lives.

Hubbard boasted that it would be easy for a Sci Fi writer to start a new religion. Fritz and my father bet him five dollars each that it would fail if he tried.

Hubbard eagerly said they were "On!" and that they could pay him the five dollars in ten years.

Since he was so eager, they put a few provisions in the bet. He had to incorporate something from Sci Fi as the foundation of his new religion.

A year or so earlier they had all vacationed in Acapulco, Mexico, and my father insisted that Hubbard include the electrical shock paddles that they all tried down on the beach. A Mexican peasant had a black box with a grinder handle on it. Extending from the box were two electrical wires. As the Mexican ground on the handle it generated an electrical charge to the paddles. If a brave young man held onto the paddles, he would receive a shock. If it was too much, he would have to let go. Dad insisted that the hand paddles had to be part of the religion. He did not say the box that generated the electrical shock treatment, just the paddles. Hubbard agreed and said that he would make it part of the introduction to the religion. After the party, Hubbard started making up his religion with the ludicrous requirements. He ended up a millionaire.

Dad and Fritz lost the bet.

Very cool. It doesn't answer the question as to how you turned up so fucking crazy.... But the story is very cool!

 

[Intense]

My father and Science Fiction Writer Fritz Leiber challenged L. Ron Hubbard to prove a statement Hubbard made when at a party at Fritz's house.

Science Fiction Writers back then did not usually make a lot of money. Hubbard had boasted that the way to really make money was to start a religion and enjoy the money sent into church headquarters by the idiots who need religion in their lives.

Hubbard boasted that it would be easy for a Sci Fi writer to start a new religion. Fritz and my father bet him five dollars each that it would fail if he tried.

Hubbard eagerly said they were "On!" and that they could pay him the five dollars in ten years.

Since he was so eager, they put a few provisions in the bet. He had to incorporate something from Sci Fi as the foundation of his new religion.

A year or so earlier they had all vacationed in Acapulco, Mexico, and my father insisted that Hubbard include the electrical shock paddles that they all tried down on the beach. A Mexican peasant had a black box with a grinder handle on it. Extending from the box were two electrical wires. As the Mexican ground on the handle it generated an electrical charge to the paddles. If a brave young man held onto the paddles, he would receive a shock. If it was too much, he would have to let go. Dad insisted that the hand paddles had to be part of the religion. He did not say the box that generated the electrical shock treatment, just the paddles. Hubbard agreed and said that he would make it part of the introduction to the religion. After the party, Hubbard started making up his religion with the ludicrous requirements. He ended up a millionaire.

Dad and Fritz lost the bet.

Was Recruiting from Hollywood part of the bet or just shooting fish in a barrel?

 

[Mr Natural]

And it makes about as much sense as any other religion.

 

[Neubarth]

My father and Science Fiction Writer Fritz Leiber challenged L. Ron Hubbard to prove a statement Hubbard made when at a party at Fritz's house.

Science Fiction Writers back then did not usually make a lot of money. Hubbard had boasted that the way to really make money was to start a religion and enjoy the money sent into church headquarters by the idiots who need religion in their lives.

Hubbard boasted that it would be easy for a Sci Fi writer to start a new religion. Fritz and my father bet him five dollars each that it would fail if he tried.

Hubbard eagerly said they were "On!" and that they could pay him the five dollars in ten years.

Since he was so eager, they put a few provisions in the bet. He had to incorporate something from Sci Fi as the foundation of his new religion.

A year or so earlier they had all vacationed in Acapulco, Mexico, and my father insisted that Hubbard include the electrical shock paddles that they all tried down on the beach. A Mexican peasant had a black box with a grinder handle on it. Extending from the box were two electrical wires. As the Mexican ground on the handle it generated an electrical charge to the paddles. If a brave young man held onto the paddles, he would receive a shock. If it was too much, he would have to let go. Dad insisted that the hand paddles had to be part of the religion. He did not say the box that generated the electrical shock treatment, just the paddles. Hubbard agreed and said that he would make it part of the introduction to the religion. After the party, Hubbard started making up his religion with the ludicrous requirements. He ended up a millionaire.

Dad and Fritz lost the bet.

Very cool. It doesn't answer the question as to how you turned up so fucking crazy.... But the story is very cool!

I have never posted anything that is CRAZY. You are just too stupid and uneducated to understand what I have posted. It is you who has the problem, not me. Having inherited Dumb DNA, you are at a distinct disadvantage in the world.

 

[HUGGY]

My father and Science Fiction Writer Fritz Leiber challenged L. Ron Hubbard to prove a statement Hubbard made when at a party at Fritz's house.

Science Fiction Writers back then did not usually make a lot of money. Hubbard had boasted that the way to really make money was to start a religion and enjoy the money sent into church headquarters by the idiots who need religion in their lives.

Hubbard boasted that it would be easy for a Sci Fi writer to start a new religion. Fritz and my father bet him five dollars each that it would fail if he tried.

Hubbard eagerly said they were "On!" and that they could pay him the five dollars in ten years.

Since he was so eager, they put a few provisions in the bet. He had to incorporate something from Sci Fi as the foundation of his new religion.

A year or so earlier they had all vacationed in Acapulco, Mexico, and my father insisted that Hubbard include the electrical shock paddles that they all tried down on the beach. A Mexican peasant had a black box with a grinder handle on it. Extending from the box were two electrical wires. As the Mexican ground on the handle it generated an electrical charge to the paddles. If a brave young man held onto the paddles, he would receive a shock. If it was too much, he would have to let go. Dad insisted that the hand paddles had to be part of the religion. He did not say the box that generated the electrical shock treatment, just the paddles. Hubbard agreed and said that he would make it part of the introduction to the religion. After the party, Hubbard started making up his religion with the ludicrous requirements. He ended up a millionaire.

Dad and Fritz lost the bet.

Very cool. It doesn't answer the question as to how you turned up so fucking crazy.... But the story is very cool!

I have never posted anything that is CRAZY. You are just too stupid and uneducated to understand what I have posted. It is you who has the problem, not me. Having inherited Dumb DNA, you are at a distinct disadvantage in the world.

Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark! You are crazy cruel Newbarf!

 

[jillian]

I have never posted anything that is CRAZY. You are just too stupid and uneducated to understand what I have posted. It is you who has the problem, not me. Having inherited Dumb DNA, you are at a distinct disadvantage in the world.

you know, if everyone around you is telling you you're crazy. it's more likely than not that you aren't the only sane person in the room.

 

[Neubarth]

Very cool. It doesn't answer the question as to how you turned up so fucking crazy.... But the story is very cool!

I have never posted anything that is CRAZY. You are just too stupid and uneducated to understand what I have posted. It is you who has the problem, not me. Having inherited Dumb DNA, you are at a distinct disadvantage in the world.

Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark! You are crazy cruel Newbarf!

The simple fact of the matter is that you are not intelligent enough to understand what I have posted on this forum. I point out what the Bible says, and lunatics like you think that means I agree with it. I have never said I agree with it, but I will pretend to for amusement sake. As I point out to those who are intelligent enough to understand, I post for amusement and entertainment sake. The object is to be entertaining and that alone. On this forum I have to deal with complete lunatics like Jillian, EchoZulu, Elvis, Pauli, you and several other who think that if you do not have the intelligence to understand you must attack and lie about the poster. Lighten up and try being a decent contributor rather than an ass all of the time.

 

[Neubarth]

I have never posted anything that is CRAZY. You are just too stupid and uneducated to understand what I have posted. It is you who has the problem, not me. Having inherited Dumb DNA, you are at a distinct disadvantage in the world.

you know, if everyone around you is telling you you're crazy. it's more likely than not that you aren't the only sane person in the room.

Jillian, you have consistently shown yourself to be a blatant pathological lying sack of shit.
You are probably the most grossly immoral person I have ever run across. All I have ever seen from you is lies and personal attacks. Why don't you try posting something decent once in a while. Your parents must have really beat the hell out of you as a child for you to be so antisocial.

 

[Neubarth]

Could Christianity have been formed because of a bet?

Some would tell you that it was a bet between Jesus and Satan.

 

[Montrovant]

Hubbard has long been attributed quotes revolving around starting a religion being where the real money is. It's nice to see you jumping on that bandwagon and claiming a family connection, Neubarth.

Of course, since apparently we're all going to die pretty soon according to another of your threads, you won't have much time to talk about it, will you?

 

[Granny]

If Hubbard did say the way to make money was to start a religion, he was right. Look at Jim Bakker, Ted Armstrong, Jimmy Swaggart and all the others who have made a financial windfall for themselves out of their congregations' woes. The vast majority of these congregants are looking for something to fill a vacancy in their lives and these guys know real well how to get to these people and build a fantasy world that they can believe in. It is a form of brainwashing and it can end up with every single facet of one's life being dictated by these charlatans weaving their religion. It has nothing to do with religion - it has everything to do with personal control over others and living off their earnings that are so willingly put in the coffers of the charlatans.

 

[Neubarth]

If Hubbard did say the way to make money was to start a religion, he was right. Look at Jim Bakker, Ted Armstrong, Jimmy Swaggart and all the others who have made a financial windfall for themselves out of their congregations' woes. The vast majority of these congregants are looking for something to fill a vacancy in their lives and these guys know real well how to get to these people and build a fantasy world that they can believe in. It is a form of brainwashing and it can end up with every single facet of one's life being dictated by these charlatans weaving their religion. It has nothing to do with religion - it has everything to do with personal control over others and living off their earnings that are so willingly put in the coffers of the charlatans.

At the time, Hubbard pointed out the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Christian Science church and made a snide reference to the Mormons.

 

[Neubarth]

Hubbard has long been attributed quotes revolving around starting a religion being where the real money is. It's nice to see you jumping on that bandwagon and claiming a family connection, Neubarth.

Of course, since apparently we're all going to die pretty soon according to another of your threads, you won't have much time to talk about it, will you?

I have posted this story for 16 years on the Internet, and for twenty years before that to friends of the family. It is my story that has been rumored for years, though I am certain it has been modified over the years by other tellers. I lived across the street from Fritz Leiber and he first told me the story when I was about eight. When I went to live with my father when I was ten, Dad confirmed it. His memory of the occasion was identical to that of Fritz.

It was Fritz who suggested the sci fi background for the religion and my father who suggested the paddles.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

My father and Science Fiction Writer Fritz Leiber challenged L. Ron Hubbard to prove a statement Hubbard made when at a party at Fritz's house.

Science Fiction Writers back then did not usually make a lot of money. Hubbard had boasted that the way to really make money was to start a religion and enjoy the money sent into church headquarters by the idiots who need religion in their lives.

Hubbard boasted that it would be easy for a Sci Fi writer to start a new religion. Fritz and my father bet him five dollars each that it would fail if he tried.

Hubbard eagerly said they were "On!" and that they could pay him the five dollars in ten years.

Since he was so eager, they put a few provisions in the bet. He had to incorporate something from Sci Fi as the foundation of his new religion.

A year or so earlier they had all vacationed in Acapulco, Mexico, and my father insisted that Hubbard include the electrical shock paddles that they all tried down on the beach. A Mexican peasant had a black box with a grinder handle on it. Extending from the box were two electrical wires. As the Mexican ground on the handle it generated an electrical charge to the paddles. If a brave young man held onto the paddles, he would receive a shock. If it was too much, he would have to let go. Dad insisted that the hand paddles had to be part of the religion. He did not say the box that generated the electrical shock treatment, just the paddles. Hubbard agreed and said that he would make it part of the introduction to the religion. After the party, Hubbard started making up his religion with the ludicrous requirements. He ended up a millionaire.

Dad and Fritz lost the bet.

Your father was Ursula K. Le Guin?

If you are going to make stupid claims you should make sure there are no science fiction geeks around who have heard the story before.

 

[Montrovant]

This is actually one of the less ridiculous posts Neubarth has made.

Here's a few references to the supposed quote of Hubbard :

non-scientologist faq on "Start a Religion"

I'm not sure if he ever actually said it, and where he first did if he said it, but I feel pretty confident no one from Neubarth's family was involved, just based on the unreliability and outright craziness of his usual posts

 

[Quantum Windbag]

This is actually one of the less ridiculous posts Neubarth has made.

Here's a few references to the supposed quote of Hubbard :

non-scientologist faq on "Start a Religion"

I'm not sure if he ever actually said it, and where he first did if he said it, but I feel pretty confident no one from Neubarth's family was involved, just based on the unreliability and outright craziness of his usual posts

There are a few versions that float around the SF world, and non of them mention Neubarth, or Leiber. I have seen the bet tied to Campbell, Heinlein, Le Guin, and even Asimov, but never Leiber. I almost believe Hubbard actually said something like that, but I doubt anyone made any bets about it.

As for Neubarth, he gives Christians a bad name, and tends to ignore my attempts to discuss theology with him, so I ignore him in return. This was just too silly to pass up. The craziest thing about this is he probably believes it.

 

[HUGGY]

I have never posted anything that is CRAZY. You are just too stupid and uneducated to understand what I have posted. It is you who has the problem, not me. Having inherited Dumb DNA, you are at a distinct disadvantage in the world.

Ouch! That's gonna leave a mark! You are crazy cruel Newbarf!

The simple fact of the matter is that you are not intelligent enough to understand what I have posted on this forum. I point out what the Bible says, and lunatics like you think that means I agree with it. I have never said I agree with it, but I will pretend to for amusement sake. As I point out to those who are intelligent enough to understand, I post for amusement and entertainment sake. The object is to be entertaining and that alone. On this forum I have to deal with complete lunatics like Jillian, EchoZulu, Elvis, Pauli, you and several other who think that if you do not have the intelligence to understand you must attack and lie about the poster. Lighten up and try being a decent contributor rather than an ass all of the time.

Well that's a horse with different feathers!!! I guess I owe you a public apology. You are absolutely correct. I jumped on that conclusion with both feet! I was even swayed by others posts...and that NEVER HAPPENS!! So I believe that covers the apology and the admission of gross stupidity.

So what kind of "entertainment" we talkin about? Crazy stories from the bible with warnings and everything. Not trying to build a defense for my ignorance or anything but you do know that 99% of the people that post all that "hell fire and damnation" actually do believe it to the letter. SOooo... You are not trying to be funny.. I wouldn't call what you do sarcasm... OK...I think I'm on the right path...

Let me guess... You believe that you are so smart that any reaction to your bible quotes that does not provide your magic secret words of understanding allows you to think you have won "The Game". The entertainment is not for the reader... It is solely for you.

Well I cannot speak for everyone any more righteously than I should listen to them. But I'm gonna stick with my first diagnosis for a new set of reasons. Your "Game" is sociopath in it's nature. Being a victim of a sociopath is not "stupid"..It is just unlucky. I imagine you think EVERYONE that responds to you is stupid. Being a sociopath could be stupid but that would deny that it is a disease and fault is inappropriate. Sorry to harsh your "entertainment". You really are crazy. Certifiably.