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**KayRoc** · 6/02/2008 11:57pm,

Careful, you dont want to unleash the wrath of Galactic Lord Xenu. Scientology is a scam... a big scam. Paying thousands for "audits"? Its just another trendy religion for rich idiots.

**Histpun** · 6/03/2008 4:44am,

Don't look now, but there is another religion based on Science Fiction, called Jedism. Don't believe me check this out: http://www.thejediismway.org/. Wait till this stupid trend catches on!

**Madgrenade** · 6/03/2008 4:45am,

Considering scientology doesn't contain the symbolic aspects and truths of established myth and other ancient doctrines, calling it a religion is a bit of a stretch.

**nifoc** · 6/03/2008 11:50am,

Originally posted by Madgrenade

Considering scientology doesn't contain the symbolic aspects and truths of established myth and other ancient doctrines, calling it a religion is a bit of a stretch.

You're right. It's a cult, there is no reason confusing it with older established delusions like christianity.

**feedback** · 6/03/2008 1:44pm,

An aside, as stupid and crazy as scientology is, anonymous annoys me. Seems like a bunch of nerds/freaks who want to belong to some group to feel better about themselves.

**Fitz** · 6/03/2008 2:17pm,

Scientologists are an odd bunch, but there is a lot of misconception about their beliefs, both within and beyond their group. If you haven't read it already the introduction chapter in Ken "The Pilot" Ogger's Super Scio does a fairly good job of dismantling both Scientology and anti-Scientology misconceptions about what the group's practices are or were under Hubbard. You can find the section in question at

http://caersidi.freeshell.org/FZA/pilot/sscio/ss1a.htm

Keep in mind that he is a believer when reading it.

Unless you get directly involved with them personally the Scientos are "Mostly Harmless" especially when measured against the various ahistorical Millenialist and Apocalyptic strains of Christianity that have proliferated over the last hundred years.

**Gypsy Jazz** · 6/03/2008 3:36pm,

As a whole I am not concerned with their belief system or structure. I'd be willing to bet I have a lot more experience within Scientology than all of you. My father is a Scientologist, and I am in contact with ex-scientolgists on a near daily basis. I am strictly interested in the claims of lies and abuses perpetrated by CoS upon its critics and parishoners. The "scam" aspect doesn't concern me nearly as much as some of the other more lofty claims, which is why I think further examination is needed.

feedback, as for Anonymous I have only seen a few people like that among the hundreds I've met. Most either think it's hilariously fun to troll CoS (which it is) or are fed up with the stuff CoS is allowed to get away with, and want to see it fall. There is often an overlap. I'm sort of a nerd (as I think most people online are), but I think about 90% of the people I've met are chill people who are fun to bum around with.

Since the financial aspect always seems to be a big one, let's get this out of the way:

2. High cost and pressure to buy more
- Estimated cost to reach OT 8 is ~$360,000 according to ex-members/critics
(http://www.xenu.net/archive/prices.html http://whyaretheydead.net/Noah_Antri..._24/index.html , http://whyaretheydead.net/Patrice_Vic_31/index.html , more on www.whyaretheydead.net)

YouTube - What if Scientology actually made a TRUTHFUL infomercial?

- Chief alternative to aid in course purchase is to become CoS staff, wherein you are paid very little, but receive course discounts.
(http://stason.org/TULARC/religion/sc...-go-Clear.html)

**sambosteve** · 6/03/2008 4:32pm,

What do you think of the "Operation Clambake" website?

I feel he does a great job of pointing out issues, evidence, etc. I spent many hours there the first time I learned of the site. It is very extensive and seemingly exhaustive.

http://www.xenu.net/

**tharuz** · 6/03/2008 4:50pm,

Fuck scientology, those jews are keeping me from my delicious cake.

They DO hurt and kill people, they DO molest children, they DO swindle gullible rich shits out of their money, they DO try and opress freedom of speech.

they DO psychologically torture their victims, they DO overwork people, they DO enslave.

if we let them run wild with this politically correct bullshit, next thing you know, they'll be too big to do anything about them.

they'll effectivelly police the internet, change the constitution to their favor(as if it already wasn't), bring in their own fucking celebrity politicians...and god knows what other shit.

they're already global.

they may even try for the HUEG ammount of destruction and IRL drama of making scientology the USA official religion

think they're powerful now? you ain't seen nothing yet.

**Petter** · 6/03/2008 6:06pm,

Originally posted by Madgrenade

Considering scientology doesn't contain the symbolic aspects and truths of established myth and other ancient doctrines, calling it a religion is a bit of a stretch.

:biblethum

Why is "established myth" a good thing? I'm sure that we can agree on how morally corrupt, ludicrous, and full of falsehoods Scientology is, but please -- explain to me how this disqualifies it from being a proper religion.

**JingMerchant!** · 6/03/2008 6:19pm,

Petter has teh correct!

i think the principle difference between a church and a cult is brute numbers. A cult can call itself a church after it breaks the X thousand members barrier!!

EDIT- I believe this is the sociological definition of a religion.

**tharuz** · 6/03/2008 8:12pm,

Going by that reasoning? fine

it's not a religion until the faith of it's believers has been tested over and over again.

and that can only be by religious oppression/persecution.

if 100 years pass and it survives, it's a religion, and it has to compete with the big established religions on numbers fair and square, with the time disadvantage.

new religions based on fan fiction authors? please, if this shit survives we're going backwards in time.

as a matter of fact, I think that only anonymous or the state(s)(worldwide as described in your government book.) can defeat scientology.

while only anonymous can defeat anonymous, either that or the complete annihilation of the internet.

elite internet priviledges won't stop anon, elite Scifag internet privileges will only divide CO$

**Petter** · 6/03/2008 8:25pm,

Originally posted by tharuz

it's not a religion until the faith of it's believers has been tested over and over again.

and that can only be by religious oppression/persecution.

By those criteria, most traditional religions (Hinduism, Asatru, the ancient Greek religion, hundreds or thousands of animistic religions, druidism, etc.) either were not real religions, or became real religions only after they were oppressed and persecuted out of existence by Christianity. Are we to conclude that they are religions only in retrospect, and were not religions in their heyday since they had not yet encountered persecution?

In fact, I'm not even sure that Islam qualifies -- it's been pretty prevalent since the beginning in the central Muslim areas, and though I confess I'm not well versed in the history of the (purported?) religion, I don't know that it has undergone systematic persecution (although apostates, of course, regularly do). Do only Christians and Jews possess what you consider to be genuine religion?

new religions based on fan fiction authors? please, if this shit survives we're going backwards in time.

A large proportion of the world is still stuck about two millennia behind where they should be. Of course Scientology is a very large crock of shit, but in many ways, not substantially worse.

**Sam Browning** · 6/03/2008 8:25pm,

Ironically what really made scientology a religion was their insistance upon this definition as a method to avoid taxation.

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