Scientology.

[Badinage]

So. Apparently theres going to be an attempt at a nationwide protest against Scientology this Sunday.

Its an organization that I've never taken seriously. Everything you hear about it in the news, or from celebrities has made it seem pretty silly to me. But I just finished a long conversation with a friend about them. He went on about all the shady things they've been doing, sounded like a very important issue to him.

http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9859513-57.html

Anyone else hear of any of this? Is there going to be a protest at the church in Anchorage?

[Oni]

Never heard a think about it till just now hun. Just another organization getting protested. LOL.

[Taylor-MadeAK]

Scientology is a religion, not just another organization, buddy.  You need to do some reading.

L. Ron Hubbard was a decent Sci-Fi author, but I swear the dude founded a religion just to see if he could pull it off and make money doing it.  Scientology is basically just a more complicated version of spirituality, but it de-emphasizes the presence of any kind of ruling deity.  My experiences with scientologists has been that they're out to make everyone's life more complicated.  I stay the hell away from 'em...but then I pretty much keep my distance from all religious nuts.

In spite of my usual "live and let live" attitude, I gotta tell you that there's absolutely no reason for anyone to not protest against the Church of Scientology.  They're not the Roman Catholic Church (which I have a different beef with), but they've been known to use some pretty questionable tactics to make money and/or get their point across.  Let me be absolutely clear here: protest against the entity known as "The Church of Scientology," not the belief system is supposedly represents. 

Never try to reason with someone who believes in something.  They're always right, no matter how wrong you can prove them to be.

[Oni]

I have heard of Scientology. Just not of the protest.

[Oni]

Rufus: He still digs humanity, but it bothers Him to see the sh** that gets carried out in His name - wars, bigotry, televangelism. But especially the factioning of all the religions. He said humanity took a good idea and, like always, built a belief structure on it.
Bethany: Having beliefs isn't good?
Rufus: I think it's better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier. Life should malleable and progressive; working from idea to idea permits that. Beliefs anchor you to certain points and limit growth; new ideas can't generate. Life becomes stagnant.


Bethany: You're saying that having beliefs is a bad thing?
Rufus: I think it's better to have ideas. You can change an idea. Changing a belief is trickier.

Dogma

[alaskawolf]

i want some scientologist monies