About fucken time the law cracks down on these crackpots

Awesome. The investigation won't be very impactful but the negative publicity will affect their membership drive. That's how the church survives. Any church, really.

Matt's so glib.

*quality

Boosting this quality contribution up in the Hot Listing - declared quality by gwiz665.

*cult

Adding video to channels (Cult) - requested by gwiz665.

Who says Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kelly Preston and Kirstie Alley are smart people? Why? Because they're famous actors? I never knew that acting = intelligence. Maybe they're not dumb, but not dumb does not automatically equal smart. Obviously the cult of celebrity has adherents in the news biz.

Double-Promoting this video back to the front page; last published Wednesday, February 9th, 2011 4:43pm PST - doublepromote requested by kronosposeidon.

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"Never expended any funds for the benefit of Tom Cruise" ??

What a flat out fucking lie.

Finally the government is doing something it should be doing...

This is news? I thought everybody knew scientologists were fucking idiots...

The New Yorker article and it's well worth reading.

Why is the Church of Scientology being investigated for "abusive behaviour" when many individuals in the catholic church rape boys and the church gets little in the way of an investigation.

Not that I do not despise Scientology, but do they rape little boys or blow up people for not agreeing with them?

They're a sick lot, but comparably mild to other cultists.

>> ^ghark:

Why is the Church of Scientology being investigated for "abusive behaviour" when many individuals in the catholic church rape boys and the church gets little in the way of an investigation.
Because no one thinks Scientology is a real religion, except Scientologists of course. If these accusations were coming from some Baptist church somewhere in Alabama, believe me the authorities would be just as sleepy-eyed as they normally are.

Don't forget about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Snow_White

>> ^ghark:

Why is the Church of Scientology being investigated for "abusive behaviour" when many individuals in the catholic church rape boys and the church gets little in the way of an investigation.


EXACTLY what I was thinking.

Fixed the link: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/02/14/110214fa_fact_wright

>> ^Trancecoach:

The New Yorker article and it's well worth reading.

so did I

tnx
>> ^Sagemind:

Fixed the link: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/02/14/110214fa_fact_wright
>> ^Trancecoach:
The New Yorker article and it's well worth reading.

Human trafficking sounds accurate from what I've heard. My brother has a friend who is essentially a minion/slave of Scientology. He moves where they tell him to, works unpaid, and rakes in money for the organization as an auditor.

If someone did this for an ordinary religion they might call it volunteering or missionary work. But it does seem like the executives of Scientology are masters of deliberate brain washing and false promises. . . Then again, the same could easily be said of Catholics or Mormons or really most religions.

>> ^shuac:

Awesome. The investigation won't be very impactful but the negative publicity will affect their membership drive. That's how the church survives. Any church, really.


Not really. If you read Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven, about Mormonism, he points out that many religions THRIVE on perceived persecution. It scratches that, "What is everyone so upset about? Let me check them out for myself--they might be on to something" itch.

Oh silly Scientologists, you're doing it all wrong! You're supposed to dig underground tunnels into lava tubes and chain children to the walls with pick axes and complex mine cart systems. This is a disgrace.

Ya, I think I'll go to a Scientology branch and find out for myself. Thank you Matt.