Worksheet 6.4: Life-Ordering and Ethics Comparison

Topic 6: Eight Dynamics, Survival, ARC, KRC, Tone Scale, and Ethics

Student Name: __________________________________________

Date: _________________________________________________

Worksheet Purpose

This worksheet helps you compare Scientology’s ordering of life with a Christian ordering of life under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

You will examine:

• survival and the Eight Dynamics

• affinity, reality, and communication

• knowledge, responsibility, and control

• emotional ranking through the Tone Scale

• Scientology ethics and Conditions

• objective truth

• Christian stewardship

• justice

• self-giving love

• faithfulness to God

This exercise is not designed to mock Scientology or Scientologists. Its purpose is to help Christian leaders understand Scientology accurately, recognize the human longings its teachings address, identify important philosophical reductions, and prepare for respectful gospel conversations.

Part One: Understanding Scientology’s Life-Ordering Framework

1. Survival as the Governing Principle

In your own words, explain what Scientology means when it presents survival as the basic command or organizing principle of life.

What genuine human longing does this teaching address?

Check all that apply:

☐ The desire for an ordered life
☐ The desire to overcome confusion
☐ The desire to become more capable
☐ The desire to protect family and community
☐ The desire to contribute to something larger than oneself
☐ The desire for spiritual freedom
☐ The desire to avoid responsibility
☐ The desire to understand life’s different areas

Write one additional human longing that may make a survival-centered framework attractive:

2. The Eight Dynamics

Briefly summarize each dynamic.

Which of the Eight Dynamics seems most helpful for encouraging people to think beyond individual self-interest?

Why?

What is the main philosophical concern with interpreting every dynamic primarily through survival?

3. Survival and Moral Goodness

Complete the following statements.

Survival is a genuine good because:

Survival cannot be the highest moral principle because:

An action may promote survival while still being wrong when:

An action may reduce personal survival while still being morally faithful when:

Part Two: ARC—Affinity, Reality, and Communication

4. Define the ARC Triangle

Write a brief definition for each term.

Affinity

Reality as Agreement

Communication

According to the ARC framework, how do these three elements affect one another?

5. Recognizing Helpful Observations

Identify two helpful relational observations found in the ARC framework.

Helpful Observation One

Helpful Observation Two

How could a Christian ministry leader apply these observations without accepting that agreement creates objective reality?

6. Agreement and Truth

Place an A beside statements that describe agreement.

Place a T beside statements that describe objective truth.

_____ Two people hold the same belief.

_____ Something exists whether people accept it or not.

_____ A group reaches a shared interpretation.

_____ A claim corresponds accurately with reality.

_____ Several people use the same definition.

_____ God’s character remains unchanged by human opinion.

_____ A community decides to cooperate toward a shared goal.

_____ Jesus either rose bodily from the dead or he did not.

Explain the difference between the following statements:

“This is what I believe.”

“This is true because I believe it.”

Why can sincere people still be mistaken?

7. Testing a Truth Claim

Choose one important religious or philosophical claim.

Claim:

Use the following questions to examine it.

What does the claim mean?

What evidence is offered for the claim?

Is the claim based primarily on personal experience, agreement, authority, historical evidence, or revelation?

Are other interpretations possible?

Does the claim agree with the biblical account of God, humanity, sin, salvation, and resurrection?

Could the claim feel useful without being objectively true?

Part Three: KRC—Knowledge, Responsibility, and Control

8. Define the KRC Triangle

Knowledge

Responsibility

Control

Why might the connection between knowledge, responsibility, and control appeal to someone who feels confused or powerless?

9. Proper and Improper Forms

Complete the comparison chart.

Add one additional example.

10. Responsibility and Suffering

For each situation, identify whether the primary issue is:

• R — personal responsibility

• S — suffering endured

• B — both responsibility and suffering

• U — uncertain; more information is needed

_____ A person loses a job after repeatedly ignoring clear workplace expectations.

_____ A child experiences abuse from an adult.

_____ A grieving person speaks harshly to family members after a loved one dies.

_____ A person develops a serious illness despite responsible health practices.

_____ A leader conceals wrongdoing to protect an organization.

_____ A spouse is betrayed and later begins misusing alcohol.

_____ A person feels afraid but has not explained what caused the fear.

Why is it important for Christian leaders to distinguish between sin committed and suffering endured?

What harm can occur when every difficulty is blamed on insufficient knowledge, responsibility, or control?

11. Stewardship Versus Control

Complete the sentences.

Christian stewardship means:

Human control has proper limits because:

I am responsible for:

I am not able to control:

A faithful action I can take without controlling the outcome is:

Part Four: Tone Scale and Biblical Emotion

12. Emotional Ranking

Scientology’s Tone Scale places emotional states in a numerical order and associates higher emotional positions with greater ability or effectiveness.

What genuine need does this framework attempt to address?

What may be helpful about recognizing another person’s emotional condition?

What danger arises when emotions are treated as a fixed spiritual hierarchy?

13. Biblical Emotional Discernment

Match each emotion with a possible faithful biblical response. More than one response may be appropriate.

Emotions

A. Grief
B. Fear
C. Anger
D. Joy
E. Shame
F. Emotional numbness

Possible Responses

_____ Lamenting a genuine loss before God

_____ Recognizing a warning of possible danger

_____ Responding to injustice without seeking revenge

_____ Giving thanks for God’s goodness

_____ Confessing actual wrongdoing and receiving grace

_____ Seeking qualified help when emotional functioning is seriously impaired

Why is grief not necessarily evidence of spiritual inferiority?

What do the tears of Jesus and the laments in the Psalms teach about faithful emotional life?

How could a ministry leader accidentally pressure someone to perform happiness?

What would a more faithful response sound like?

Part Five: Ethics, Justice, and Christian Love

14. Comparing Ethical Questions

Complete the comparison chart.

Add two additional comparisons.

15. Justice Cannot Be Reduced to Survival

Read each situation and answer the questions.

Situation One: Protecting an Organization

A Christian ministry learns that a respected leader has misused authority. Some board members fear that addressing the matter openly will damage donations and public trust.

What survival concerns are present?

What justice concerns are present?

What duties cannot be ignored?

What would faithful Christian leadership require?

Situation Two: Preserving Family Peace

A family member reports harmful conduct by another relative. Other relatives ask the person to remain silent so that the family will not be divided.

What is the family attempting to preserve?

Why might silence appear attractive?

Who may require protection?

Why is outward peace not always the same as justice?

Situation Three: Volunteer Project Safety

A ministry team wants to finish a community project quickly. One volunteer raises a serious safety concern. The leader accuses the volunteer of being negative and delaying progress.

What goals are competing?

How should the safety concern be evaluated?

What would responsible stewardship require?

16. Self-Giving Love

Complete the following statements.

Self-giving love is not:

Self-giving love may require:

Love does not require pretending to agree because:

Love and justice belong together because:

A person can be highly capable but spiritually immature when:

A person may appear weak but demonstrate Christian maturity when:

Part Six: Comparing the Two Life-Ordering Frameworks

17. Major Comparison Chart

Complete each row.

18. Complete the Central Contrasts

Faithfulness is greater than _______________________________.

Objective truth is greater than ____________________________.

Stewardship is greater than ________________________________.

Justice is greater than ___________________________________.

Love is greater than ______________________________________.

Grace is greater than _____________________________________.

Bodily resurrection is greater than ________________________.

Dependence upon God is not ________________________________.

Part Seven: Case Application

19. “It Works for Me”

A person says:

“I know this spiritual teaching is true because it works for me. I communicate better, feel more capable, and have greater control of my life.”

Write an inappropriate Christian response that would likely create unnecessary defensiveness.

Write a more respectful response that recognizes the person’s experience.

Write a permission-based question that distinguishes usefulness from truth.

Write a second question that explores the limits of human control.

Write a brief Christian statement about objective truth.

Write a brief gospel bridge that points toward Jesus Christ.

20. “We Each Have Our Own Truth”

A person says:

“You have your truth, and I have mine.”

Write three possible meanings the person may intend.

Possible Meaning One

Possible Meaning Two

Possible Meaning Three

What clarifying question could you ask before responding?

How would you distinguish personal belief from objective truth?

How would you communicate disagreement without disrespect?

21. “People Need to Take Responsibility”

A ministry participant says:

“People would have fewer problems if they stopped acting like victims and took responsibility.”

What truthful concern may be present in this statement?

What dangerous assumption may also be present?

How would you distinguish responsibility from victim-blaming?

What question could help determine whether the person committed wrong, suffered wrong, or experienced both?

Part Eight: Gospel Conversation Preparation

22. Ask

Write a respectful opening question concerning survival, truth, or spiritual freedom.

23. Listen

What will you listen for in the person’s answer?

☐ Personal experiences
☐ Definitions of important terms
☐ Sources of authority
☐ Fears and losses
☐ Desire for control
☐ Desire for freedom
☐ Family or community pressures
☐ Beliefs about Jesus
☐ Beliefs about salvation
☐ Other: _____________________________________________

24. Clarify

Choose three terms that may require clarification.

☐ Truth
☐ Reality
☐ Agreement
☐ Survival
☐ Responsibility
☐ Control
☐ Ethics
☐ Spirit
☐ Freedom
☐ Salvation
☐ Jesus
☐ Resurrection

Write one clarifying question.

25. Compare

Complete this permission-based statement:

“May I explain how Christianity understands _________________________ differently?”

26. Proclaim

Write a brief gospel explanation that includes:

• the human inability to save ourselves

• Jesus Christ’s death for sin

• his bodily resurrection

• salvation by grace

• reconciliation with God

27. Invite

Write a voluntary invitation that does not pressure the person.

28. Entrust

Complete the statement:

My responsibility in a gospel conversation is to:

The Holy Spirit’s work is to:

I must not attempt to control:

Part Nine: Ministry Boundaries

29. Appropriate or Inappropriate?

Write A for appropriate ministry practice and I for inappropriate ministry practice.

_____ Asking permission before discussing Christian beliefs

_____ Pretending to agree so that the relationship remains comfortable

_____ Recognizing a helpful result without accepting an entire worldview

_____ Telling a person that every painful emotion reflects inferior spirituality

_____ Distinguishing suffering endured from sin committed

_____ Claiming that greater responsibility will solve every form of suffering

_____ Referring serious medical or mental-health concerns to qualified professionals

_____ Pressuring someone to renounce Scientology during the first conversation

_____ Explaining that objective truth does not depend upon agreement

_____ Using a family member’s private information as leverage

_____ Respecting a person’s decision to end the conversation

_____ Trusting the Holy Spirit rather than manipulating the outcome

30. Boundary Reflection

Which boundary would be easiest for you to violate unintentionally?

Why?

What safeguard will you practice?

Part Ten: Personal and Ministry Application

31. Examining Your Own Life Ordering

What most strongly orders your daily decisions?

☐ Faithfulness to Christ
☐ Personal comfort
☐ Fear
☐ Financial survival
☐ Approval from others
☐ Organizational success
☐ Desire for control
☐ Love of neighbor
☐ Justice
☐ Habit
☐ Other: _____________________________________________

Where are you tempted to place survival above faithfulness?

Where are you tempted to treat agreement as proof of truth?

Where are you attempting to control something God has not placed under your control?

Where do you need to accept greater responsibility?

Where do you need to stop accepting blame for another person’s wrongdoing?

What act of justice may God be calling you to pursue?

What act of self-giving love may require sacrifice?

32. Faithful Next-Step Plan

The situation I need to address is:

The truth I need to acknowledge is:

The responsibility that belongs to me is:

The responsibility that does not belong to me is:

The person who may need protection or support is:

The boundary that may be needed is:

The professional or ministry support that may be needed is:

The faithful action I will take is:

The outcome I must entrust to God is:

Part Eleven: Team Leadership Application

33. Training an Outreach Team

Write one principle you would teach your team concerning each subject.

Survival

Objective Truth

Agreement

Responsibility

Control

Emotion

Justice

Love

Gospel Invitation

Trusting the Holy Spirit

34. Behaviors a Team Leader Should Correct

Check any behavior that should be corrected immediately.

☐ Mocking Scientology terminology
☐ Treating Scientologists as evangelistic targets
☐ Pressuring someone to disclose private information
☐ Claiming that a useful practice proves an entire worldview
☐ Pretending that Christianity and Scientology teach the same thing
☐ Blaming sufferers for another person’s wrongdoing
☐ Ranking people by emotion or ability
☐ Using communication methods manipulatively
☐ Ignoring safety or justice to preserve ministry reputation
☐ Pressuring an immediate conversion decision
☐ Sharing private testimonies without permission
☐ Claiming control over the Holy Spirit’s work

Choose one checked behavior and explain how you would correct it.

35. Team Covenant

Complete the covenant.

As a Christian ministry team, we will seek to understand Scientology accurately and treat Scientologists as people created in God’s image.

We will not confuse agreement with __________________________________.

We will not place organizational survival above _______________________.

We will distinguish responsibility from ______________________________.

We will exercise stewardship without attempting to ____________________.

We will recognize painful emotions without ____________________________.

We will seek justice by ______________________________________________.

We will practice self-giving love by __________________________________.

We will proclaim Jesus Christ clearly without __________________________.

We will trust the Holy Spirit with ____________________________________.

Final Reflection

36. Main Learning

The most important distinction I learned in this worksheet is:

The Scientology concept I can now explain more accurately is:

The Christian correction or fulfillment I can now explain more clearly is:

One respectful question I am prepared to ask is:

One form of manipulation I am committed to avoiding is:

One truth about Jesus Christ I want to communicate clearly is:

Closing Prayer

Triune God,
you are the Creator and Lord of all life. Teach us to value life without making survival our highest good. Ground us in your objective truth. Give us knowledge shaped by humility, responsibility shaped by grace, and authority shaped by faithful stewardship.

Form us in justice and self-giving love. Help us protect vulnerable people, honor human freedom, communicate truthfully, and recognize both sin and suffering. Keep us from manipulating others or attempting to control the work of your Holy Spirit.

Give us courage to proclaim Jesus Christ, who faithfully gave his life for sinners and rose bodily from the dead. Teach us to invite without pressure, serve without pride, and entrust every outcome to you.

In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.

Central Principle

Survival is a genuine created good, but faithfulness to God is greater than survival. Agreement can support relationships, but it does not create objective truth. Knowledge and responsibility matter, but human beings remain limited stewards. Justice and self-giving love must govern Christian life and ministry under the lordship of Jesus Christ.