Scientology just stepped in a big pile

[Crashride]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/article1012148.ece

[sedated]

Originally Posted by Crashride

Im guessing no one actually read the article. The planet is in a goofy mood today.

that article is longer than my...well, its long

[JD10367]

Originally Posted by VAChief

This...and run a pyramid scheme.

As opposed to Roman Catholicism, which has millions of dollars' worth of artifacts in their Vatican archives that, if sold, could probably foot the bill to cure world hunger.

Two rules of life:

1.) Any group of more than three people constitutes a mob, and nothing will get done. (Thanks to George Carlin for that one.)

2.) Anything "organized" is only done so to rip you off. Organized crime, organized religion, organized education, whatever. The two general rules of Mankind are "if you can't it, kill it", and "if it has stuff you want, try to get it from them".

We're drifting off-target here. Don't get me wrong, the Scientologists are probably whackjobs. But, probably, so are the Christian Scientists, the Mormons, the Catholics, the Buddhists, the Muslims, the American Indians... it all depends on your point of view.

Still, if they want to be whackjobs in the U.S., they have to abide by our laws. And beating the shit out of your constituency is generally frowned upon.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

The small difference is that generally the other religions don't kill you when you attempt to leave the religion. Among other things.

Correct.

No one's ever been killed in the name of Christianity or Islam.

They both have a spotless record in that regard.

[Discuss Thrower]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Correct.

No one's ever been killed in the name of Christianity or Islam.

They both have a spotless record in that regard.

C'mon Dane, you're smarter than that. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in America / the Modern Western World have no histories of widely organized and sanctioned violence towards nonbelievers or heretics. There are of course cases where whackjobs go out and start slaying in the name of their own religion, but that is by no means a mainstream action.

Say what you want about the Catholics, but the worst the church hierarchy is going to do with what would be considered a "suppressive person" in Scientology would be to excommunicate them. At worst, the laity might shun them, but I highly doubt that too. Though I am unaware of how the Moslem and Jewish communities operate in this area, I'll go out on a limb and assume nothing tragic would happen to an apostate from either religion be it ordered through a religious authority or by the common people.

[Crush]

I smell ghost aliens.

[Chaunceythe3rd]

Originally Posted by Crashride

Im guessing no one actually read the article. The planet is in a goofy mood today.

I did read the article but it was really difficult to get past the picture of the new guy at the top of the article. I kept going back to it until I figured out that the guy looks like Jerry Jones's little brother. Scary thought.

[Mecca]

You know what the difference in a cult and a religion is.......about 100 years.

[opraider]

No unbelieveable!!!!

[Crashride]

Originally Posted by Chaunceythe3rd

I did read the article but it was really difficult to get past the picture of the new guy at the top of the article. I kept going back to it until I figured out that the guy looks like Jerry Jones's little brother. Scary thought.

for some reason he reminded me of roger goodell

[Fairplay]

A religious fight club. Interesting.

[kcmaxwell]

so musical chairs is Not a good way to pick your officers?
maxwell

who knew??

[InChiefsHeaven]

Originally Posted by JD10367

As opposed to Roman Catholicism, which has millions of dollars' worth of artifacts in their Vatican archives that, if sold, could probably foot the bill to cure world hunger.

Two rules of life:

1.) Any group of more than three people constitutes a mob, and nothing will get done. (Thanks to George Carlin for that one.)

2.) Anything "organized" is only done so to rip you off. Organized crime, organized religion, organized education, whatever. The two general rules of Mankind are "if you can't it, kill it", and "if it has stuff you want, try to get it from them".

We're drifting off-target here. Don't get me wrong, the Scientologists are probably whackjobs. But, probably, so are the Christian Scientists, the Mormons, the Catholics, the Buddhists, the Muslims, the American Indians... it all depends on your point of view.

Still, if they want to be whackjobs in the U.S., they have to abide by our laws. And beating the shit out of your constituency is generally frowned upon.

Well, gee. Thank The Spagetti Monster that YOU are not a whackjob...what WOULD we all do without your pearls of wisdom against the 95% of people in the world who actually believe in a God.

[NewChief]

One of my old hippie friends recently freaked the F out at Wakarusa. Dropped like 50 hits of acid, smoked DMT for days on end, huffed nitrous, painted himself with crushed up E pills, and basically lost his mind. His parents finally had enough and called in a "well-respected" interventionist who came in and convinced the guy to go to rehab with her to get better. He heads to LA and his parents are ecstatic that he's finally getting help.

Find out yesterday that the place he checked into was Church of Scientology. His parents found out, immediately flew out there, and reclaimed him. Pretty bad comment on CoS when parents would rather their son be a raving psychedlic basket case than risk him joining up with Church of Scientology.

[byetimmy]

Originally Posted by J-Town Fan 1988

C'mon Dane, you're smarter than that. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in America / the Modern Western World have no histories of widely organized and sanctioned violence towards nonbelievers or heretics. There are of course cases where whackjobs go out and start slaying in the name of their own religion, but that is by no means a mainstream action.

Wow. "...in America / the Modern Western World..." Care to add any more qualifications to that statement? Let's see... "in America / the Modern Western World with clergy born in 1961 and lived their teenage years within 5 miles of a water tower."

You try to put on these qualifications because you KNOW that MILLIONS (possibly BILLIONS) of people have been killed in the name of Jesus/Rah/Allah/God/Whatever. But even with your ridiculous qualifications, you're STILL wrong. What do you call the deliberate hiding and shuffling of pedophile priests in the Catholic church? That's widely organized and sanctioned violence AGAINST a group of it's own followers. It's FAR worse than attacking non-believers.

Originally Posted by J-Town Fan 1988

Say what you want about the Catholics, but the worst the church hierarchy is going to do with what would be considered a "suppressive person" in Scientology would be to excommunicate them. At worst, the laity might shun them, but I highly doubt that too. Though I am unaware of how the Moslem and Jewish communities operate in this area, I'll go out on a limb and assume nothing tragic would happen to an apostate from either religion be it ordered through a religious authority or by the common people.

Believe what you want to believe. And if it brings you peace, I'm happy for you. But please spare us from the bogus claim that the conduct from the organized religions (particularly the Catholic Church) is anything close to Holy.

[Saulbadguy]

Originally Posted by JD10367

As opposed to Roman Catholicism, which has millions of dollars' worth of artifacts in their Vatican archives that, if sold, could probably foot the bill to cure world hunger.

Two rules of life:

1.) Any group of more than three people constitutes a mob, and nothing will get done. (Thanks to George Carlin for that one.)

2.) Anything "organized" is only done so to rip you off. Organized crime, organized religion, organized education, whatever. The two general rules of Mankind are "if you can't it, kill it", and "if it has stuff you want, try to get it from them".

We're drifting off-target here. Don't get me wrong, the Scientologists are probably whackjobs. But, probably, so are the Christian Scientists, the Mormons, the Catholics, the Buddhists, the Muslims, the American Indians... it all depends on your point of view.

Still, if they want to be whackjobs in the U.S., they have to abide by our laws. And beating the shit out of your constituency is generally frowned upon.

Mormons are probably a bad example. Have you read up on what they actually believe? It's nearly as whacked as Scientology.