Scientology - good or bad?

trent bortknob · February 13, 2008 03:59 AM

well people saying faggot all of the time is NOT BECAUSE OF ME if that's what you're thinking

Gerkinman · February 13, 2008 04:03 AM

jeez, i dunno, by following advice, something very few people here know how to give.

how does age factor into it?

anigen · February 13, 2008 04:03 AM

i sit and draw every day while my teachers are talking
that is how i improve

Gerkinman · February 13, 2008 04:06 AM

Not everybody has that option.

Gerkinman · February 13, 2008 04:11 AM

Because "most" isnt the first word in the quote you just used.

MRat · February 13, 2008 04:28 AM

Is improve short for improvisation? IF SO, "CHEWING GUM IS REALLY GROSS, CHEWING GUM I HATE THE MOST!"

psi43 · February 13, 2008 05:51 AM

It's great and I am a part of it.

rtil · February 13, 2008 05:58 AM

if i thought this forum was comparable to 4chan i would have closed it and probably wiped the boards

anyway if you have read my lengthy journal post about scientology i am neutral. if you're a scientologist, it's your money, it's your time, it's your life. believing in body thetans and an alien named xenu is no different than believing in any other life force or eternal being.

also, religion is not free. scientology is just bad at pretending it is.

ThunderCurls · February 13, 2008 07:03 AM

The Church of Scientology is nothing but a lie with a bunch of brainwashed weirdos. They call themselves a 'religion' but to become a member you have to shell out $$$. They are not a religion. They are a business. They believe they need to destroy Psychiatry entirely due to them believing it is evil. Yet they brainwash their members and destroy the lives of those who try to leave the cult. Many women who joined the Church of Scientology are FORCED to have abortions. Regardless of your stance on abortion, shouldn't the right to choose include the right to keep?
Like many religions, the Church of Scientology claims that they are pro-family. The Church of Scientology practices a policy of "Disconnection". This means that if you join the church and have friends or family that are not Scientology members, you will be forced to sever all ties with them. Conversely, if you ever decide to leave the Church of Scientology for whatever reasons and you have family members who are still part of the Church, they will be forced to sever all ties with you. This means that you can never see or speak to your loved ones ever again.

The Church of Scientology is given preferential treatment above all other Religious organizations within the United States of America, thus violating the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution.
The Establishment Clause was created to stop the federal government from declaring and financially supporting a national religion. This means that, according to the Constitution, the United States of America cannot give preferential treatment to ANY religion, in any way, shape, or form.
However, contrary to this, the IRS is contractually required to give preferential treatment to the Church of Scientology, and DISCRIMINATE against all other groups. In other words, the Church of Scientology won a special right to claim tax deductions that in 2002, Judge Barry Silverman stated "are contrary to law and rightly disallowed to everybody else."

Therefore, the Church of Scientology CAN and DOES make tax claims that legitimate religious groups such as the Jews, Christians, Muslims, etc, are NOT allowed to make. This is not only unfair to other religious groups, this special consideration of the Church of Scientology by the IRS, establishes Scientology as the national religion of the United States of America. Unless you are a member of the Church of Scientology, this is an obstruction of YOUR right to practice your faith.

rtil · February 13, 2008 09:31 AM

your idea of scientology being the national religion of the united states is a bit far fetched, especially since you previously stated that scientology is clearly a business.

still, while you have the right to criticize their methods, you have no right to make people do otherwise. if one wants to be a scientologist and agrees with these behaviors, that is their choice. it is not illegal and should not be illegal to be a scientologist.

zomfgbie · February 13, 2008 09:36 AM

all religions are too far-fetchd for my taste. sure, it'd be cool if there were talking snakes, body dwelling aliens, some 6 armed elephant and all that other cool stuff each religion makes up, but you gotta be pretty dumb to believe that

the british army is forced catholic. once a week my regiment goes to church, i pay lip service, donate a lil money and leave. religion is nothing to me

ThunderCurls · February 13, 2008 11:22 AM

Quote from: rtilyour idea of scientology being the national religion of the united states is a bit far fetched, especially since you previously stated that scientology is clearly a business.

still, while you have the right to criticize their methods, you have no right to make people do otherwise. if one wants to be a scientologist and agrees with these behaviors, that is their choice. it is not illegal and should not be illegal to be a scientologist.

I'd be fine with scientology if they weren't so secretive and shady. Having to pay $40,000 to find out that your group believes in an alien warlord must be pretty shit. Scientology is a menace.

ZekeySpaceyLizard · February 13, 2008 11:31 AM

It's stupid.
But then, most organized religions these days are.

What I find funny about it, is that it's a fairly new religion and people are just flocking to it. Its so much more far-fetched than most crap.

It like "we didnt have a religion before but this one with the aliens made by the scifi author sounded pretty gewd so we done joined it"

psi43 · February 13, 2008 12:17 PM

I improve by not drawing. I swear to god it works.

ThunderCurls · February 13, 2008 01:41 PM

Quote from: ZekeyIt like "we didnt have a religion before but this one with the aliens made by the scifi author sounded pretty gewd so we done joined it"

They're not allowed to know about Xenu until they pay to become an OT III. (operating thetan lvl 3)

rtil · February 13, 2008 04:21 PM

it's just another version of a self-help group or program. money = happiness, it's an age old concept, and scientology is just another twist on the game. while they have committed crimes in the past, those people should be punished. however, if someone is dumb enough to give hundreds of thousands of their own money to a group of people in order to achieve happiness, that is their own problem, and it is not shady or illegal. it is indeed business.

psi43 · February 13, 2008 06:19 PM

it's really gay business but yeah you are right. Others do exactly the same, but we're talking about Scientology and not the others.

Here's something I told rtil on Deviantart:

Yesterday, after I wrote my last response I went to bed and watched TV, news. There was something about Scientology once again. They offer private lessons, like normal private lessons businesses. Not a single hint that they're actually Scientologists. Then the kids who need help at school go there and the tutors try to convince them to join Scientology. A reporter went there with a hidden camera and it was pretty gay what they tried to do. Before they even talked about anything, she asked if he had problems AND if he had money. He said yeah and then she told him about the Hubbert guy and all that stuff.

That's what I call low.

Gerkinman · February 13, 2008 09:15 PM

QuoteThey're not allowed to know about Xenu until they pay to become an OT III. (operating thetan lvl 3)

Between $300 000 and $500 000 later.

KingDavid · February 13, 2008 09:56 PM

How was Scientology founded?

rtil · February 13, 2008 10:18 PM

by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard