“HELLO WORLD, and greetings from Scientology Media Productions in Hollywood, Calif., read a tweet from @ScientologyTV. “It’s TIME for us to tell OUR story …”
The first hour of programing offered a “slickly produced taste of the series to follow from an in-house studio, including “Meet a Scientologist,” ‘’Destination Scientology” and the three-part “L. Ron Hubbard: In His Own Voice,” the Washington Post reported.
The cult’s leader, David Miscavige, said in a statement that the church’s followers include “some of the most well-known artists and celebrities in the world”.
He didn’t name them, but Tom Cruise and Kirstie Alley are among long-time Scientologists.
The Scientology TV app says the network will have live streaming and “full episodes of your favorite shows,” though it’s unclear which shows those are — or if they could star other famous members like Cruise, Elisabeth Moss, Danny Masterson, and John Travolta.
The religion begun by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard has been the focus of investigative projects such as the documentary film “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” and A&E’s docuseries “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.” The two projects take a critical look at Scientology’s practices and treatment of those who leave the organization.
The Church of Scientology was founded in the early 1950s and is based on Hubbard’s science fiction writings, particularly “Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.” The religion has since become a multi-million dollar business and has been adopted by many Hollywood celebrities including Cruise and Travolta.
Scientology teaches that all of a person’s problems arise from negative subconscious impulses called “engrams” that build up over a lifetime or lifetimes (Scientologists believe in reincarnation). In order to rid themselves of “engrams,” Scientologists undergo expensive “auditing” sessions to attain a state of being called “Clear.”
The organization keeps a tight grip on its members, according to former Scientologists.
The channel is available on DIRECTV, AppleTV, Roku, fireTV, Chromecast, iTunes and Google Play.
