Here's something we can all agree on... (1 Viewer)

[Rich]

I can't remember when I last saw such a bad display of a "leader" trying to justify their decisions - he was such an amateur
Col

Why it was just a few days earlier when he was telling the Americans that the intelligence was wrong and he'd taken steps to improve it.
And just a few days prior to that when he was telling the Americans that it was all part of his war on terror
And just a few days prior to that prior that he was telling the Americans that he was winning the war.
And just a few days prior to that prior when he was telling the Americans that the world was full of terrorists lining up to attack them.
And just a few days prior to that prior he was telling the Americans

 

[BarryMK]

I shall bring this hi-jacked thread (shame on you naughty boys ) back on topic by paraphrasing that other great American H Ford esq...... "Scientology is bunk"

 

[Kraj]

arn't they still searching the White House (unsuccessfully) for any intelligent life?

So... we're discussing scientology which led to space exploration, and then Colin pipes in with a hilariously flimsy link to Bush? Hmmm...

OK... at this point either Colin is making a game of fitting Bush into every thread possible just to see who he can rattle...

...or Colin is obsessively in love with Bush and is bitter over the unrequited relationship. Sounds like the making of a new poll thread to me!

 

[Rich]

...or Colin is obsessively in love with Bush and is bitter over the unrequited relationship. Sounds like the making of a new poll thread to me!

Col gets a feeling in the pit of his stomach when Bush appears, but it doesn't create the same reaction in the throat as when one espies a loved one

 

[MarkK]

I thought Scientology originated from a bet between L. Ron Hubbard and Isaac Asimov. Asimov wrote the Fountation trilogy, wherein a religion is created by a technologically advanced people to control and distribute a superior technology. In the story the founders of the Foundation's religion knew it was a scam, but packaged it that way to inhibit their clients from delving too deeply into how it all worked. Their observation was that if people fervently believe a thing is mystically delivered by some unfathomable intelligence they will not be motivated to question its origins, validity or purpose.
Hubbard bet that he could create such a religion; implement the fiction in reality, and apparently won the bet.
Scientology doesn't bother me any more or less than any other philosophy that might cause people to suspend their own critical thought processes. I have a Christian American aunt who is an avid Bush supporter, and her main argument in his support is that he prays to her God. It is this brand of blindness that frightens me more than anything. Those who believe that the "rightness" of their own perspective is given by some infallible divine sanction are not motivated to question, and have no mechanism to adjust their course of action.
I doubt that Scientology provides opportunity for this to any greater or lesser extent than Christianity or Islam or Blah Blah Blah.

 

[Kraj]

Good points made by all. On the other hand, if we are going to treat blind faith in a religion as a character flaw, then I'd say it's a lesser flaw to believe in something that has been around for hundreds or thousands of years, has millions of followers and has been indoctrinated into you since birth. This is the case with most major world religions. Scientology, on the other hand, has been around for a few decades and it's followers are a handful of otherwise-intelligent (for the most part) adults who actively chose to convert.

 

[MrsGorilla]

After all, Tom Cruise believes in it, so it must be CRAP !!!!

That was good, but more than that I agree.

 

[MarkK]

I don't know. Broken Islam married us to 9/11. Broken Christianity gave us Iraq to have and to hold. Thousands of years religions darwinism had imperceptible mitigating effects on these. Broken Scientology hasn't yet hitched my spirit to some equivalently toxic relationship, but there's time.

Given sufficient time and a sufficient following I have every confidence that any flavour of "ism" will commit to history some novel and remarkable form of injustice. The saving grace of Scientology, and I agree here, is that it is obviously ridiculous enough from the outset that it'll never get strong enough to do us any serious harm.

But then maybe thank God for Scientology; thank God for diluting the concentration of blindness.

Tough call.

 

[ColinEssex]

...or Colin is obsessively in love with Bush

He is after all, so suave, sophisticated, eloquent, he has that gorgeous accent that makes you believe what he says, he has a massive (um) following, he's clued up on world events, lovely eyes etc etc

I can't see why people dislike the poor chap, he's doing his best - christ! you no it ain't easy Its a horrible job he has, he'll always have opponents - I think you should cut him some slack - poor old thing you must stop being nasty about him, he's only doing what is best for the world and mankind and thats really all he has in mind, to make the world a better place to live

Col

 

[Kraj]

Now that's more like it!

 

[jsanders]

He is after all, so suave, sophisticated, eloquent, he has that gorgeous accent that makes you believe what he says, he has a massive (um) following, he's clued up on world events, lovely eyes etc etc

I can't see why people dislike the poor chap, he's doing his best - christ! you no it ain't easy Its a horrible job he has, he'll always have opponents - I think you should cut him some slack - poor old thing you must stop being nasty about him, he's only doing what is best for the world and mankind and thats really all he has in mind, to make the world a better place to live

Col

Are you loosing your mind?
Snap out of it man.

 

[jsanders]

Now that's more like it!

I think that tiger is saying his blessings.

 

[Matt Greatorex]

Just to get back to the original question, I used to work with a guy who'd joined the Scientologists while he was in the army. Supposedly, a lot of the people from his platoon did.

He said they believed that your body didn't belong to you but was 'on loan' to you, during your time on Earth, so it was your job to look after it as best you could. This meant that he hated junkies, alcoholics, tatooed people, prostitutes, etc., as they were wasting their (temporary) gift.

He was pretty passionate about it and got beaten up at least once for walking around Victoria in London, taking the prostitute's advertising postcards out of the telephone boxes (before anyone asks, it was a pimp who beat him up).

I have no idea about the rest of the Scientologists' beliefs, but isn't that 'body is a temple' part similar to some of the Eastern religions?

Also, where would they draw the line? Kirsty Alley was pretty obese for a while - which is hardly looking after your body - yet she's been a scientologist for years. If it's anything like most religions, I suppose the extra money she's able to contirbute doesn't hurt?

 

[reclusivemonkey]

Also, where would they draw the line? Kirsty Alley was pretty obese for a while - which is hardly looking after your body - yet she's been a scientologist for years. If it's anything like most religions, I suppose the extra money she's able to contirbute doesn't hurt?

Ah now this one I can answer. There are two types of Scientologist; regular scientologists and celebrity scientologists. Obviously they don't attempt to get Tom Cruise to give up all his worldy possessions to them and spend the rest of his life recruiting more scientologists. He can go about happy in the knowledge he is a superior being because that few-thousand dollar Van Der Graph they sold him tells him he has magical powers. Remember, celebrities are mostly simple minded fools.

 

[neoartz237]

I saw this South Park episode about Scientology, it pretty much sumed up all their BS, ....accurately. It was hilarious!! I just cant imagine myself believing to such bullcrap. How can they!?

 

[KalelGmoon]

The easiest way to get into the church of Scientology and to advance is to be rich. the more money you give them the further you go into the church. I have read, sorry no sources, about persons who ran out of money and were let go from the church because they didn't have any more money.

and I believe that L.R. Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, is credited with the quote "the easiest way to make money is to start a religion"

 

[neoartz237]

and yet people are still part of this cult!?

........ stupid mammals....... sorry for the word, but who doesnt think they 'are' anyway!?

 

[GaryPanic]

nuts.................

 

[GaryPanic]

walking dead heads .....
Religion does have a place -but where
does god exist ..dunno

is there something more intelligent than Mankind (including Womenkind)
shit would not be hard .. sometimes I think worms have more intelligence

 

[GaryPanic]

The easiest way to get into the church of Scientology and to advance is to be rich. the more money you give them the further you go into the church. I have read, sorry no sources, about persons who ran out of money and were let go from the church because they didn't have any more money.

and I believe that L.R. Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, is credited with the quote "the easiest way to make money is to start a religion"

Its not just the Scientology bunch- my nephew want to be christened /baptised and as he is in the US , most of the churches said he had to "Donate " a percentage of his income to the church !!! - I freaked out he came over on Holiday and we got him done over here Good old church of england - bunged the Vicar a couple of quid - as a donation church roof , vicars holiday - who cares and it was done - now its up to my nephew to decide if he wants to donate any money or time to religion

As he's only a younster - hopefully he'll be chasing the girls (or the boys if it makes him happy) and being CofE the church does not care too much either