This is awesome, golden stuff.

Listen to the audio in the link for the Church's response by Tommy Davis. Listen to him totally melt down over and over again.

I look forward to the next two installments.

This is going to make the Church of Scientology utterly nuts.

Could we please have just one thread about the scientologists without one person going "but ya, whatabout the Xtians, LOL, WHuht!!1!"

/please?

CruJones: Could we please have just one thread about the scientologists without one person going "but ya, whatabout the Xtians, LOL, WHuht!!1!"

/please?

The preempt on your part says more than we ever could.

Scientology has responded by saying Rathbun beat Sea Org members 50 times.

In other words, Scientology admits that Sea Org members have been routinely beaten by superiors in the past few years and never said anything to anyone.

I don't think they thought their cunning response through.

Anyway, this is a pretty good sign, hopefully these people have a league of lawyers and enough money themselves to shield themselves from the campaign that they'll wage to destroy and discredit them publicly.

I bet this gets totally removed within a day.

sip111: CruJones: Could we please have just one thread about the scientologists without one person going "but ya, whatabout the Xtians, LOL, WHuht!!1!"

/please?

The preempt on your part says more than we ever could.

I'm not a christian by the way. I just like the discussions staying on point for the most part. There are plenty of christian bashing threads for that.

To the music of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody they played through the night, parading around a conference room in their Navy-style uniforms,

Being forced to repeatedly listed to "Bohemian Rhapsody" is considered torture in most places. The only thing more reprehensible would have been to use Meatloaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light."

CruJones: Could we please have just one thread about the scientologists without one person going "but ya, whatabout the Xtians, LOL, WHuht!!1!"

/please?

I'm sorry, but no matter what religion you believe in, to someone outside that religion the things you believe in and the stories explaining that religion in whatever text is held as canon sound batsh*t crazy. This is true of all Xtian, Islam, Jewish, Ancient Greek/Roman, Germanic/Nordic, Druidic, Hindu, Shinto and any other religions I have not specifically named.

So I'm going to guess that the answer to your plea is...no.

Steve Zodiac: I'm sorry, but no matter what religion you believe in, to someone outside that religion the things you believe in and the stories explaining that religion in whatever text is held as canon sound batsh*t crazy

Dude, Scientology is not a religion. It's a self-help/hypnosis/reincarnation pyramid scheme. It's only a religion (in the US anyway) because L. Ron infiltrated the IRS and got tax-exempt status.

But that does NOT make it a religion by any common sense of the term.

One would think that the church would be able to find someone to rebut the Time's story who wasn't nuttier than a shiathouse rat.

Prank Call of Cthulhu: To the music of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody they played through the night, parading around a conference room in their Navy-style uniforms,

Being forced to repeatedly listed to "Bohemian Rhapsody" is considered torture in most places. The only thing more reprehensible would have been to use Meatloaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Light."

Up next we have "Panama" by Van Halen!

Church officials said Miscavige's schedule would not permit an interview before July...At 5:50 p.m. Saturday, Miscavige e-mailed the Times to protest the newspaper's decision to publish instead of waiting until he was available.

Oops. Turns out you can control some of the people some of the time, but you can't control everyone all the time. That must have pissed off Miscavige something fierce.

CruJones: sip111: CruJones: Could we please have just one thread about the scientologists without one person going "but ya, whatabout the Xtians, LOL, WHuht!!1!"

/please?

The preempt on your part says more than we ever could.

I'm not a christian by the way. I just like the discussions staying on point for the most part. There are plenty of christian bashing threads for that.

It doesn't matter that you aren't, and no I wasn't planning on bashing them at all, I mainly like sticking to the study of the dangerous off-shoots. When it comes to the mainline (so far as it's not some megachurch$$$) I'll probably voice my opinion in favor of them. But to the extent that a kid who has a big zit on his face walks into class and then immediately before anyone says anything, asks not to be made fun of, or that someone else asks others not to make fun of him, I find interesting.

Then again this is fark.

JoeBagadonutz: One would think that the church would be able to find someone to rebut the Time's story who wasn't nuttier than a shiathouse rat.

One would think that, but seeing as anyone who could defend the actions of CO$ would be batshiat crazy by definition. These folks really need to disbanded, investigated, and jailed.

I think it's official: Miscavige ha a sixhead, not a forehead, but a sixhead.

Screw Scientology. I only follow the ideas of Eventualism as outlined by T. Azimuth Schwitters.

/likely obscure

Confabulat: Steve Zodiac: I'm sorry, but no matter what religion you believe in, to someone outside that religion the things you believe in and the stories explaining that religion in whatever text is held as canon sound batsh*t crazy

Dude, Scientology is not a religion. It's a self-help/hypnosis/reincarnation pyramid scheme. It's only a religion (in the US anyway) because L. Ron infiltrated the IRS and got tax-exempt status.

But that does NOT make it a religion by any common sense of the term.

Well, maybe the IRS is a religion too, and the CoS is a sub-branch.

Methinks anonymous is winning...

CruJones: Could we please have just one thread about the scientologists without one person going "but ya, whatabout the Xtians, LOL, WHuht!!1!"

/please?

no, no we can't.

Anything that helps them to go down in flames is fine with me.

All organized religions are crazy and dangerous. When you give control and power to someone else they WILL screw you. And thats only a good thing if they do it at a medium pace.

hej: CruJones: Could we please have just one thread about the scientologists without one person going "but ya, whatabout the Xtians, LOL, WHuht!!1!"

/please?

no, no we can't.

I sense some anti-xtian butthurt in that statement.

"Joe look at me when I am talking to you,. . . He's a bad man he's psychotic, HE's PSYCHOTIC! . . ."

lol this stuff is golden.

CruJones: Could we please have just one thread about the scientologists without one person going "but ya, whatabout the Xtians, LOL, WHuht!!1!"

/please?

Non-organized-religious. I admit, I have difficulty understanding what makes Scientology crazy and other religions sane. Sometimes I go to church with my wife, and that whole "eat my body, drink my blood" thing gives me the creeps every time.

Having said that, I've resolved myself to having the view: If they really practice what they preach (and don't directly hurt others), I rather admire them. Near as I can tell, Scientologists seem to adhere very closely to their beliefs -- many Christians can't claim that. I always figured that why Christians always get into such a huff whenever they talk about that "cult".

/note: you're not "humble" if you think you speak for a god.
//note: also not "humble" if you think you look just like a god

I sort of like listening to "Bohemian Rhapsody" now from the perspective of a frightened Scientologist.

They must really want their Wiki editing rights back

I can imagine it is not a good thing to be anywhere near Miscavige's fist this week.
This article is probably the most important expose of $cientology since Time's 'Cult of greed and power' piece in the 70s. All credit to the St Petersburg Times for running it.
They are going to feel the full force of the cult's legal army, but now we'll see just how powerful they still are.
Some estimates put the entire cult's active following worldwide at about 50,000 people. They are not recruiting anyone since their ridiculous antics became media fodder. They are finished.

I could type out something well reasoned, but my viewpoint is essentially this: the government has to do something to stop this crazy farking cult.

Confabulat:
Dude, Scientology is not a religion. It's a self-help/hypnosis/reincarnation pyramid scheme. It's only a religion (in the US anyway) because L. Ron infiltrated the IRS and got tax-exempt status.

But that does NOT make it a religion by any common sense of the term.

This.

/plus the fact that L. Ron Hubbard founded the "church" strictly for the purpose of making money because his sci-fi was teh suck and he knew he'd never make much money that way...

Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead.

(1) Even if I feel like I'm going to spontaneously combust: I probably won't.
(2) A giant shoe is not trying to squash me.
(3) I must not show it to the Laker Girls.

Weired... now the video wont play... Cue the eeeerie music

Journalism? In my newspaper?

It's more likely than you think.

sip111: CruJones: Could we please have just one thread about the scientologists without one person going "but ya, whatabout the Xtians, LOL, WHuht!!1!"

/please?

The preempt on your part says more than we ever could.

Scientology was actually a cunning plan created to completely destroy the "legitimacy" of any religion that attempts to force its stated morals onto others through intimidation based on threats of retaliation for actions that have no real tangible effect on anyone but the perpetrator.

I never understood Scientology, nor its aims.

Confabulat:
Dude, Scientology is not a religion. It's a self-help/hypnosis/reincarnation pyramid scheme. It's only a religion (in the US anyway) because L. Ron infiltrated the IRS and got tax-exempt status.

But that does NOT make it a religion by any common sense of the term.

The Church of Scientology just took elements that are common in a variety of religious organizations and distilled them into their basest components. Their callous use of generic, self-help philosophies combined with an aggressive recruitment policy that feeds an elaborate pyramid scheme, topped off with a wacky creation mythology, doesn't really set them that far apart from a majority of religions out there.

They're just obviously more crass about it than most.

And regardless if the CoS leaders believe their own bullshiat or not (they probably don't), if a majority of their low-level followers really subscribe to the Church's tenets, then who's to say what they practice isn't a "real" religion?

And definitions of what makes a religion usually don't follow notions of common sense.

/was that smug enough?

svejker_14: I never understood Scientology, nor its aims.

"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

/nuff said

Stupid Guitar: And regardless if the CoS leaders believe their own bullshiat or not (they probably don't), if a majority of their low-level followers really subscribe to the Church's tenets, then who's to say what they practice isn't a "real" religion?

I actually think David Miscavige is a firm believer in Scientology and its methods. He grew up in it, after all. And he has the Scientology stare, and he talks in L. Ron riddles.

And I think L. Ron believed in it too.

You can be a charlatan and a fraud while still subscribing to your own snake-oil.

Any religion that relies on fear and coercion to keep members either "in the fold" or at the very least silent should be viewed as suspect.

Yes, I realize that describes a lot of religions. Maybe most of them. Which is kind of sad when you think about it.

svejker_14:

I never understood Scientology, nor its aims.

Money and moolah, dough, dollars and cents
Scratch, bones, bread, shekels and dead presidents

SherKhan: svejker_14:

I never understood Scientology, nor its aims.

Money and moolah, dough, dollars and cents
Scratch, bones, bread, shekels and dead presidents

Don't forget power :P

Little.Alex: Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead. Welcome to Mindhead.

(1) Even if I feel like I'm going to spontaneously combust: I probably won't.
(2) A giant shoe is not trying to squash me.
(3) I must not show it to the Laker Girls.

first thing i thought of.

MorseCodeNowInHiDef:

Don't forget power :P

I write rhymes fast and it'd take me an hour to come up with one to complement power.

/I also forgot Poland

Confabulat: Dude, Scientology is not a religion.

Cult: small, unsuccessful religion.
Religion: large, successful cult.

CruJones: Could we please have just one thread about the scientologists without one person going "but ya, whatabout the Xtians, LOL, WHuht!!1!"

/please?

but ya, whatabout the Xtians, LOL, WHuht!!1!

/More than one person now.
//What's a Xtian.
///Is that like X-mas + X-files?

I always feel sort of bad for Scientologists though.

I mean, c'mon, it would be pretty cool if you really could take classes to give you super powers and teach you about your proper role in the overriding galactic space opera while biding your stupid millenia here on boring ol' Teegeeack.

That's way more fun that Jesus's mopey stuff.

Scientology reminds me of "A Canticle for Leibowitz".

Confabulat:
You can be a charlatan and a fraud while still subscribing to your own snake-oil.

Very true, though I'm not too sure how long one could maintain a successful money-making scheme while sampling the snake-oil. After all, the most effective drug dealers are the ones who don't smoke,swallow,inject,etc... the stuff they're peddling.