Scientology

[kyoryu]

It's always amusing when someone makes a point about people demonizing one group of people (say, "Godless Communists"), while at the same time using a generally derogatory description of that group (fundies).

Irony is a bitch.

[Jin-roh]

Did you have something to add to the discussion kyoryu?

[kyoryu]

yes, that referring to a group as 'fundies' is essentially as dismissive and derogatory as referring to a group as 'Godless Communists'.

[Deacon]

Probably just that bit pointing out the hypocrisy of saying things like, "All those black people always make racist stereotypes about white people."

[Jin-roh]

I was explaining that lumping all broad brushing religion in general becuase of the scientologists or the crusades or whatever makes about as much sense (and gets about as irritating) as saying that all athiests must be just as bad as those "Godless communists" becuase they're athiests.

When I use the term fundy, I'm thinking of people like jack chick, falwell and other Christians who are not thinking very hard about what they're attacking or what they're doing. In the same way I wonder if skeptics sometimes think very about what they attack or what they're doing.

I was fully intentional in using the word "fundy," becuase I figured that the people who were reading would know exactly who I am talking about, and to an extent, who I am comparing them to.

Of course, there are always people who either ignore the point or demand that I spell it out of them.

[kyoryu]

In that case, I agree with you .

I think we should hold all groups accountable for what they've done in the past. Ever. Next time I see a British guy, I'm punching him in the nose for raising the taxes on tea.

Oh, and if you're using the term 'fundy' in that light, you have to include the ol' Rev. Phelps on general principle.

[Lunatic Jedi]

A major tenet of my religious philosophy is borrowed from Tycho Brahe.

"If there is a god, and I ever meet him, I'm just going to kick him in the balls over and over."

[Ruu]

That tenet makes a lot of assumptions about the nature of God.

Can you imagine how big God's balls would be if he bothered to manifest any?

[Grumlen]

[quote="Bigity";p="514109"]Scientologist, however, will admit no wrong, and label you an "SP" if you push it, basically given all other Scientologist carte blanche to deal with you in any way they see fit (deception, lies, lawsuits, slander, and so on).[/quote]
During the period of the Inquisition, did the Catholic Church tell people "We know we're doing a bad thing, but we're going to do it anyways?" No, they felt fully justified in what they were doing. Just as the Church of Scientology feels fully justified in what they are doing today.

And as for owning up to what they did, how long did it take the various churches to figure that they were doing bad when they started randomly killing people?

[quote="Jin-roh";p="514202"]I was explaining that lumping all broad brushing religion in general becuase of the scientologists or the crusades or whatever makes about as much sense (and gets about as irritating) as saying that all athiests must be just as bad as those "Godless communists" becuase they're athiests.[/quote]

So obviously lumping everyone within a single religion is okay, but lumping different religions together isn't? I've never said that Christianity and Scientology are one and the same, just that no one from an organized religion really has the right to bitch about people who follow another organized religion. Like it or not, by simply being an organized religion, Catholocism and Baptism and Judaism and Scientology already share something in common, as well as everything that goes with being an organized religion. Such as trying to gain more followers, maintaining the faith in their followers, and trying to raise money to their own ends, good or bad.

The tactics that Scientology uses to accomplish these ends are simply very direct and blunt when compared to most other churches. Catholocism used to do essentially the same thing with Indulgence. Nowadays churches have a donation plate which, while there is no obligation, you are generally made to feel that by not donating you are choosing to not perform a good deed which is a bad thing. As for gaining new followers, even today Jehovah's Witnesses annoy people across the USA by going door to door in places they aren't wanted. When it comes to maintaining faith among the followers, what self-respecting church wouldn't?

And if you take everything that I'm saying and believe that I'm trying to insult your own religion because you see Scientology as being below you, then thats your issue. Because I don't see comparing other organized religions with Scientology to be degrading at all. If there were an organized "church" for atheists, I would probably be just as leery of it as well. I dislike organized religion THAT much. Thats just the way I am.

[Bigity]

[quote="Grumlen";p="514381"][quote="Bigity";p="514109"]Scientologist, however, will admit no wrong, and label you an "SP" if you push it, basically given all other Scientologist carte blanche to deal with you in any way they see fit (deception, lies, lawsuits, slander, and so on).[/quote]
During the period of the Inquisition, did the Catholic Church tell people "We know we're doing a bad thing, but we're going to do it anyways?" No, they felt fully justified in what they were doing. Just as the Church of Scientology feels fully justified in what they are doing today.

And as for owning up to what they did, how long did it take the various churches to figure that they were doing bad when they started randomly killing people?[/quote]

Uh...what? No, obviously the Catholic Church wasn't asking for forgiveness while burning witches and torturing people. That was in the past. Hence the whole church as owned up to things done in the past thing. As in, they know things have been screwed up bad...in the past.

Scientologist will never, ever accept that the methods they employ are wrong. That's the difference between a compassionate religion that has been misdirected by corrupt persons in the past, and a cult whose objectives are not compassionate.

[Silux]

Catholic Church: "Yeah, uhm, hey World...we just wanted to say...you know that whole Spanish Inquisition thing?"

World: "You mean when you were torturing people?"

Catholic Church: "Yeah..."

World: "And killing heathens in the most brutal of fashions?"

Catholic Church: "Uhm...yeah that too..."

World: "And burning suspected witches at the stake?"

Catholic Church: "Enough already. Yes all of that..."

World: "Yeah, I seem to have a vague recollection. What about it?"

Catholic Church: "Well, our bad. Totally uncool. We're like sooo past that now."

World: "Mmmm hmmm. So you'll never be doing anything like that again?"

Catholic Church: "Well, 'never' is such a strong word..."

World: "What about the Crusades?"

Catholic Church: "Fuck no. We had God on our side."

World: "Ah."

Catholic Church: "So, we cool now?"

World: "Yeah. Totally."

[Bigity]

Every religion has held religious wars

People just like to fight each other I guess.

[Deacon]

Posted Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:20 am:

Even I don't dislike the Catholic church to drink THAT much shallow-history coolade, grummy and Silux.

Posted Fri Jul 01, 2005 11:17 am:

For more Scientology fun, see this link right here.

[Seraphim]

Even I don't dislike the Catholic church to drink THAT much shallow-history coolade, grummy and Silux.

If there's something wrong with their accounts, please explain to the rest of us what it is. Your dislike for it doesn't prove anything. Seems pretty accurate to me.

On a lighter note, Christians are still doing stuff like that today, on a smaller scale.
Example: I would not be surprised in the least if this current war in the Middle East went down in latter history texts as the 8th crusade. There were only 7 crusades right? Only 7 attempts by the Christian church to kill and repress the Muslims? There aren't any more I'm forgetting about?

[StruckingFuggle]

[quote="Deacon";p="514527"]For more Scientology fun, see this link right here.[/quote]

Link doesn't work.

Well tecnically it works, but it requires registration, so it only functions, not so much working ...