Overlooked: Scientology Ban? »
Posted By Dakota 10 months ago in NewsThis week's Overlooked follows up on a user-submitted story about German officials' criticisms of the Church of Scientology and possible efforts to ban the group in the European country.
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Dakota
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Candida10 months ago
Although I wouldn't shed any tears if all religions disappeared from the face of the Earth overnight, I think banning any religion is stupid. If their practices violate any laws then they should be prosecuted, but otherwise they should be left alone. Since all religions are belief systems, who is to say that this one is right and that one is wrong? It seems to me that persecuting them just makes martyrs out of them and increases their membership. As long as they pose no danger to others, violate no laws, they should be allowed to succeed or fail on their own merits.
When it comes to special privileges, like tax-free status, I would take that away from all of them. They should be treated as any other organization or club.
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JohnQPublicComment removed: User banned.
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rammathep6 months, 3 weeks ago
Scientology is a very bad religion. Besides other things, it is abusive.
http://uniquebusinessideas.net
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earthlingerer10 months ago
It's painfully obvious to anyone who has objectively viewed various systems of faith and belief as passed along by generations of peoples and families to regard scientology as religion.
Pay-as-you-go pyramid scams priced as to prohibit lower classes from participating or gaining full knowledge of "teachings" while promising better existence are the worst kinds of hucksterism devised by man.
When you consider hubbard, his mental illnesses, his own words, and his "application" of the wealth derived from scientology, as well as the treatment of those who try to expose the truth behind the outright lies and con games utilized, there is no other term for it than SCAM.
Hubbard was a nut.(Period)...and an enemy of freedom around the world. All of his ardent followers, as well as the upper echelons of scientology are equally, if not worse haters of freedom, and lovers of fascism and totalitarianism.
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catstevensComment removed: User banned.4 Replies
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truthiness10 months ago
Here is a book by Mark twain about the founder of Scientology.
Essentially he describes her as scam artist who wrote a book and started a religion in order to make money.
http://stores.lulu.com/digcreation
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smithichie10 months ago
Debra is probably refering to the infamous Lisa McPherson case, which I would call outright murder, not just abuse. Of course, if all religions were held accountable for the abuse and murders commited by it's individual members it's doubtful there would be any religions left.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_McPherson
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DebraJMSmith10 months ago
Candida,
Not allowing women to scream giving birth... What's that? Please don't get me wrong; I did not make a sound giving birth to either of my daughters. However, I heard other women scream. And if a woman who is pushing a 6 - 10 pound human life out of her foo-foo, would like to scream bloody murder, while doing so, THAT is her right.
Debra... :)
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BuffaloJ10 months ago
yeah, it's pretty strange.
A buddy of mine worked at a company run by a family super into scientology. He was at a cookout and his bosses daughters asked if he was in college so he told them the university he was going to. One of them replied "No, I meant a real college." - referring to scientology college....wacky stuff.
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Grrr10 months ago
Scientology is a harmful abusive cult of financial gangsters.
Not a religion, no how, no way. If you come in contact with these psychos, RUN. Anyone here defending their 'rights' or lumping them in with what most refer to as 'religion', needs to educate themselves on the issue. Ruthless, kidnapping, murdering, brainwashing con artists.
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CORVIDIVS10 months ago
"Ruthless, kidnapping, murdering, brainwashing con artists"...
...read - 'any important power that has ever come on scene...'
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CORVIDIVS10 months ago
... as a sideline,it is suspected, - by me,at least - ,that your average rhetoric be populated liberally with more of the same:tons of 'ists',stock, 'accepted' evils and catechisms against a pre-ordained perfect scene that offers at best a pablum for all mankind to safely consume... a special baby formula that requires the least... ...
[say no mo',[[say what]] ]...
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Grrr10 months ago
Nah, I think you are generalizing. I am not. With these guys, those are LITERAL DESCRIPTIONS of their common practices of controlling those that fall out of favor with the corporate heirarchy. Google around and see if you don't change your derisive tone towards my post a bit after you've read a few first hand experiences, especially from family members of those victimized by them. They're fat with cash and an army of skilled lawyers and propagandists, but they can't keep all of it buried all the time.
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JohnQPublicComment removed: User banned.7 Replies
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PsychoHosebeast10 months ago
Is it overlooked, or is it that no one gives a f* about Scientology?
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panzerv10 months ago
I've had personal experience with these wack jobs, being young and, in those days curious for answers. You take their personality test which of course renders you "defective" and in need of help. Their brand of help carrys a heafty pricetag. However, they are willing and eager to exploit any talent you may have. Being a semi-professional musician at that time, I was handed off to a group that actually does their time on a ship. They started pressing for money, and when I could leave (a.s.a.p.) They freaked me out, so I left the office. They called my house every day multiple times. They parked outside my house. They were outside my work! Folks this is a religion designed by a science fiction writer. Steer well clear of these people. Something really amazing is, once recently we went to their website for a giggle. The next day we got a questionare hung on our door from them. I don't know what they're up to, but it definitely needs to be DEEPLY investigated!
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panzerv10 months ago
Yes...They really are quite organized. They are just about everywhere in the world, and in places you really wouldn't expect to find them. Just from the way I was harrassed those years ago, I'm convinced they are quite dangerous. There was a good story on the web about a girl that got away from them. They killed her. I don't know if it is still around. I remember that they also were keen to know if I had any relatives in law inforcement or working for the government. They specifically asked that.
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joeblowe10 months ago
L Ron was something of a wierdo, far as I can tell. And it CERTAINLY appears that he padded his character counts for no good reason. I mean really, have you tried to LIFT Battlefield Earth?
I suspect the rumors that he made up this "religion" on a bet are probably TRUE. I know, it's hard to distinguish one wacky idea from another, but SPACESHIPS as part of a RELIGION? Come on, seriously? It takes someone as goofy as an actor to fall for that stuff. Notice you don't seem to see any scientists suddenly claiming they are devout scientologists.
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Grrr10 months ago
Better to try and lift it than read it. I have, just to be able to say I did. After the first couple hundred pages it's strictly an exercise of discipline. It's torture. There might be a worse work of fiction in the universe, by, say, Ayn Rand or something like that, but nothing could be very far worse.
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Candida10 months ago
joeblowe: "I know, it's hard to distinguish one wacky idea from another, but SPACESHIPS as part of a RELIGION?"
I don't know. Is it any wackier than virgin conception or God's killing of all firstborns of Egypt after hardening the Pharaoh's heart to make sure that he would deny the request of the Israelites? There are a lot of wacky ideas in all religions.
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ranchhandComment removed: User banned.
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afoaf10 months ago
This is a great site aimed at informing people about the specifics of Scientology:
"Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion."
-L Ron Hubbard
Rolling Stone did a great article about the depth of the Scientology organization:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/9363...
And Slate has run a piece on L Ron himself:
http://www.slate.com/id/2122835/
This is a pyramid scheme under the thin veil of a religion that seeks out people from whom they can extract large sums of money using promises of inner peace and freedom from the realities of contemporary life.
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vesper42Comment removed: User banned.
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Rinaldi10010 months ago
The issue has less to do with religion and more to do with the amounts of money that are needed in certain upper levels of the cult that has put many people in difficulty, thus it, in itself, is not against the religon, but against it's practices and ways of getting money out of its members, and its use of some unortodox methods of doing so.
As far as star recognition goes, does anybody really belive that Travolta and Cruise are actually real members or just spokspersons?
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crghss10 months ago
I believe that Travolta and Cruise both totally believe in Scientology. Cruise I believe is the perfect candidate. He is the type that needs to be guided or instructed because he can't or doesn't want to be left with his own thoughts. Travolta, I don't understand, just goes to show we really don't know who these people are. Just faces on a T.V.
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afoaf10 months ago
most accounts I've read from former members indicate that the celebrity angle is a new PR movement in Scientology and that they are treated considerably different than *regular* members.
the problem with Scientology is that once you get suckered in and start paying money, they 'disconnect' you from friends and family who don't also believe in the *church*. eventually, in an effort to buy your salvation, you begin to sign over your assets to them...working full time for them on the Freewinds, in Clearwater or at Camp Gold...because you've been taught that you're poisoned and that you need more and more treatments...you're put to work for them to earn your next audit.
if you ever decide you want to leave, you have to first hope that the church 'lets' you leave and doesn't put you in for the Rehabilitation Project Force.
if you do manage to get away, you've lost all your money and your friends and family...so what now?
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CORVIDIVS10 months ago
I wouldn't confuse Scientology with theology,unless a certain member of that group needs getting 'closer to God'...[oh GAWD]
More the truth might be in its bare bones like a tool which deals with all aspects of perception;a logic system derived from observable laws of phenomena in the the field of observation itself,hence its derived moniker which so many starving brain 'depleteds' have endless issue with.Its technology springs from codicils[if you will] of observed predictable instances of how a being handles data.And THAT is a bit of a leap from conventions of 'objective' scientific observation.
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