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Damned shame they cut to a head shot when she sat down. I bet that was interesting to watch.
I am so reading Andrew Morton's book!
Damned shame they cut to a head shot when she sat down. I bet that was interesting to watch.
The very notion of excommunication is blackmail, to get you to do something in exchange for your soul not going to . For instance, (and this is an example) let's say you were caught blowing a homeless man and your priest told you that you would be excommunicated unless you stopped puffing the peters of nasty, smelly people living in the streets. That would be a form of blackmail, to get you to do what he wanted in exchange for something you seemingly valure. Your soul. Blackmail, Catholic style.you "hear"...in other words, you are just speaking out your ass...
Pat Robertson.
The Pope.
Any fundamentlist Muslim.
George W. Bush.
etc., etc. . . .
Interesting. Please cite the parallels between the average church- or synagogue-goer and the typical Operating Thetan. How do the theologies compare? What demands do the respective religions place upon the believer? Are they compulsory or voluntary?
All you've shown by your "example" is that you don't have the slightest idea what you are talking about. It's nonsense.
People can over-do/abuse anything. You seem like an agnostic zealot.
Can someone be a fanatical disbeliever?
But to compare Scientology to anything other than a cult just tells me you don't know much about what you're talking about.
Clearly, you've done your homework on what excommunication is, and are in no way making it up as you go along to rationalize your bigotry against the religious.
Seriously, as far fetched and convoluted as Scientology may be . . . it's just like any other religion.
If rumors are true, because I don't have first hand knowledge of Scientology, it appears they believe in an alien race and some alien overlord and that they have intergalactic ships and that they're coming to Earth soon . . . . .
Why would angels (aliens) and Jesus/God (overlord) along with their vehicles (God's vehicle is described with detail in Appocalyse) be any different from Scientology??
It's just strange to most because anything that is different from the standard Judeo-Christian model is just strange.
I'm guessing you were Catholic up to this point?
[QUOTE=Extra Stout] Please cite the parallels between the average church- or synagogue-goer and the typical Operating Thetan.[/OUOTE]
What churches? What an open-ended idiotic quesiton.
Another open-ended idiotic question.How do the theologies compare?
Another open-ended idiotic question. I'm sure it varies from religion to religion.What demands do the respective religions place upon the believer?
Bait. Depends on the religion. I'm sure I can find you many religions just as intrusive and involuntary as many claim Scientology to be.Are they compulsory or voluntary?
Well, first of all, typically a Christian church does not make you pay thousands of dollars to go to a Sunday School class, nor does it make you spend dozens of hours per week doing menial labor for the clergy. Also, if you choose to leave a Christian church, or even worse to criticize it, typically the other churchgoers will not attempt to frame you for a crime, destroy your career, or kill you.
I thought you said Scientology was just like every other religion! But now things can vary from religion to religion? Which is it?
I'm sure everyone would love to make this a theology debate where I hate all religions. Just prove to me that they're not as make-believe as Scientology.
You can try to dangle all the bait you want. Just prove to me that religions in general don't do the same things you're accusing Scientology of doing. Please.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTKvNwyOx4E
TC video on Tom Cruise.....this vid is being ripped down constantly...see while you can.
Oh, and the difference I see is that they make you pay for each level of "enlightenment"....that's the catch. You can't get the truth unless you pay....that's my problem. Why not call it a business then, a course like in University. Becoming tax exempt is the problem.....
Heard of the he??
It's a requirement in some religions. And, some countries still tax you to sustain "the church".
You may be right about your latter statement though, but I've been kicked out of religion before only to have my reputation smeared because of it. It may not have been a ploy to destroy my career or kill me, but it's just as petty.
However, 300 years ago, the Catholic Church would've definitely killed me.
I'm telling you, it's the same stuff with certain aspects that vary.
Cult=religion
cult /kʌlt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kuhlt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
7. the members of such a religion or sect.
8. any system for treating human sickness that originated by a person usually claiming to have sole insight into the nature of disease, and that employs methods regarded as unorthodox or unscientific.
–adjective
9. of or pertaining to a cult.
10. of, for, or attracting a small group of devotees: a cult movie.
Kermit, you started out by saying that Scientology is the equal of ANY organized religion, yet when ES and Travis ask you to back that up you tap-dance and can't add anything meaningful other than some excommunication nonsense.
Who's the one being open-ended and idiotic? You jumped in to defend your buddy Tom, now why aren't you doing a better job of it?
Frankly I'm disappointed.
Do you even realize the billions upon billions that the Catholic Church has??
, they even own their own country!!!
The catholic church isn't the only "christian" belief that has gained riches off of thier believer, though. It's all a money making business.
So, you have a problem with Scientology making you pay your way to "enlightenment". What of having to pay your way to heaven, or paying to ensure the safety of your soul?
Scientology is just like any other religion.
1) No church I know of makes adherents pay most or all of their disposable income to learn its teachings. You can show up to a church and hear preaching free of charge. In Scientology, you have to take "courses" which cost thousands of dollars in order to move up levels as an "Operating Thetan."
2) No church I know of forces members to be indentured servants of the clergy. More often, they will ask for volunteers to help with worship services, programs, or charity endeavors. In Scientology, lower members must spend dozens of hours per week as the menial servants of higher-level Scientologists like the Hollywood actors.
3) No church I know of actively tries to destroy the lives of people who try to leave the group. If a person stops attending, they probably will get a few phone calls, maybe even a home visit, to see if they are OK. In Scientology, members who attempt to leave are threatened and harrassed. If they criticize Scientology in public, other Scientologists will destroy their lives by falsely accusing them of crimes, interfering with their jobs, or physically harming them.
The things I have described are the difference between a religion and a cult.
Organized religion does as much bad as it does good.
Scientology is more like an out-of-control Science Club full of wealthy wannabe aliens.
300 years ago? The Crusades were all but over by the 1,600s if that is what you are referring to. And they were basically a religious war between Muslims and Christians. Somewhat out of context don't you think?
And as for smearing your reputation, that IS petty. I would hope you would think a plot to ruin your career or kill you would be considered more than petty.
Stout, these are all assumptions.
No one truly knows what goes on in that cooky religion. It's so damned secretive. All of these things are rumors.
There hasn't been a single person that has ever divulged the goings on of Scientology.
Plus, in the past, the christian "church" has been accused of this and more. What makes it so different?
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