Scientology is now a criminal organisation in Belgium

Elessar

At last, one country has seen the truth!

http://www.vrtnieuws.net/cm/flandersnews.be/News/070904_Scientology

The chance is real that several leading figures in the Church of Scientology in Belgium could be issued with court summonses. The Federal Judicial Authorities plan to prosecute the church for being a criminal organisation that has defrauded its members.

The judicial authorities opened their investigation into the Scientology movement in Belgium back in 1997, after having received tip-offs from ex-members of the church.


All aspects of the Scientology Church's practises were gone through with a fine tooth comb. Now the ten-year investigation has come to a close. A total of twelve people all from the Belgian branch of the Church of Scientology or from the organisation's European Bureau stand accused of a list of offences. Those accused are all high up in the Church's hierarchy.

They are accused of having formed a criminal organisation, blackmail, deception, unfair trading, and practising medicine illegally and having broken Belgium's privacy laws.

If the court now follows the public prosecutor's lead, this will be a world first. In some countries like the United States, the Church of Scientology has official recognition. At no time has the Church faced a prosecution of this kind from a country's legal authorities.

The Church of Scientology offers its followers pricy courses to allow them to develop their spiritual skills. Critics speak of "brainwashing". The organisation counters criticism by pointing to its high profile followers like Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

AARRRGH

I love how they point to freaks like Tom Cruise and John Travolta as proof their system is not for the unstable.

PS http://cache.defamer.com/assets/resources/2006/08/travolta-kiss.jpg

¬_¬

This is utter bull****. When are they going to ban other churches?

Slow Motion

Seen the beeb documentary about these nutters a while back ! Scary folk with good lawyers and lots of money !

The Real B-man

¬_&#172 wrote:

This is utter bull****. When are they going to ban other churches?

A Church? More like a very rich Cult

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

¬_&#172 wrote:

This is utter bull****. When are they going to ban other churches?

Scientology is utter bull! even mormons make more sence than them!

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

If we can't throw cardinals, imam's or rabbi's away for the same reasons then this doesn't strike me as being particularly fair.

DarkJager

Now to ban Christianity and Islam and the world will be a much safer and less ignorant place...

seamus

¬_&#172 wrote:

This is utter bull****. When are they going to ban other churches?

I don't think it's as simple as, "We don't like your beliefs so we're going to criminalise you".
The article specifically states, "blackmail, deception, unfair trading, and practising medicine illegally and having broken Belgium's privacy laws.", so I'm assuming that they're acting on evidence of the organisation having broken the law, as opposed to just victimising them because they can.

Their "unique" way of procuring funds was bound to lead to plenty of ex-followers coming forward to reveal corruption and criminal activity.

The Bollox

I don't know how people go for Scientology. I mean I am catholic, but that wasn't a decision I made. If I was told what the church of catholicism believed in before making a decision (at a mature age) I would have laughed my ass off and walked away, which is basically what I did when I heard about Scientology.

Owen

The Real B-man wrote:

A Church? More like a very rich Cult

And the difference would be?

Elessar

ned78 wrote:

And the difference would be?

PC brigade is out in force.

Other churches don't force you to pay to be in it, nor blackmail you, nor practice medicine illegally, nor intimidate you to buy audit packages...I could go on, but the internet will help you further.

I don't think a 10 year investigation is not to be taken lighly.

Slow Motion

ned78 wrote:

And the difference would be?

If you want to go down that debating road take it to the religious forums Etc.

Basically the OPs link is about them acting in a criminal manner and as such face censure ! Would that it happened in more countries. As for Cults most are just full of annoying cnuts but this mob are scary customers who regularly conduct hate/smear campaigns against those who question them, and as the article mentioned are not above downright criminal behaviour !

SimpleSam06

Elessar wrote:

At last, one country has seen the truth!

http://www.vrtnieuws.net/cm/flandersnews.be/News/070904_Scientology

"Flanders News", eh? Coincidence? I think not! Ned ftw!

Nevyn

YES, YES YES

what wonderful news

¬_¬

because criminalising a faith will stop it :rolleyes:

Christianity was criminalised and later went on to do OK.

monkey tennis

The Bollox wrote:

I am catholic, but that wasn't a decision I made. If I was told what the church of catholicism believed in before making a decision (at a mature age) I would have laughed my ass off and walked away, which is basically what I did when I heard about Scientology.

Eh... are you saying you believe in catholicism because of indoctrination?

If you're now a free-thinking adult, that doesn't make much sense.

Zebra3

When will they ban the kiddie fiddling papist scum? :mad:

The Bollox

I don't follow the religeon any more, but I was still baptised and confirmed

zuutroy

Stupid Flanders. I'm off to find the Cruiser, so I can bring him here and get him locked up.

Jesus Wept

The ironing in this thread from the religious people talking about the 'scientology nutters' is delicious.

Terry

I'm now waiting for Cruise et al to start boycotting Belgian goods and services.

zuutroy

Terry wrote:

I'm now waiting for Cruise et al to start boycotting Belgian goods and services.

Their loss...mmm...beer and chocolate...

The Bollox

maybe he'll go back in the closet

Supercell

Cruise and Travolta are probably jumping up and down on their expensive sofa's somewhere already!

Fair play to the boring Belgian's , when was the last time they made afterhours finest eh?

The Mad Hatter

The Bollox wrote:

I don't follow the religeon any more, but I was still baptised and confirmed

So was I, but I'm not a Catholic.

¬_¬, Scientology is dangerous, both to its members and to society at large. I don't think the same can be said for most (non-extremist) religions.

Karl Hungus

Well, I would've started with the Jews, but good on Belgium!

zuutroy

Longfield wrote:

Fair play to the boring Belgian's , when was the last time they made afterhours finest eh?

<----Every day with my words of inspiration.

Talliesin

The Bollox wrote:

maybe he'll go back in the closet

I thought Cruise was still in the closet. When did he come out? Has he divorced that beard then?

cast_iron

¬_&#172 wrote:

because criminalising a faith will stop it :rolleyes:

Can you not read? They are not baning the faith, per se. It's the associated criminal activity that earned the ban.

It's a bit like the IRA - the idea of a united Ireland was not the problem, but the associated criminal activity was.

Tha Gopher

Great. Yet another thread for people to bash the catholics to be ubertrendy.

Im baptised. I dont go to mass. Im down as catholic on the census. The church has never influenced me either positvely or negatively, so Im not going to go making an arse of myself by demanding it be shut for whateverthefcuk. Until the day the catholic church actually does something wrong against me ive no problem with saying im a non practising catholic.

Longfield- the Belgians made AH not long ago due to a rather un-Harney-like parlimentary candidate called Tania somethingorother if you remember now Offered free bloweys, all you got was a Japanese girl on a video talking utter filth.

Meh, i cracked off to it.

The Mad Hatter

zuutroy wrote:

<----Every day with my words of inspiration.

I'm highly impressed that you made that point exactly at your location.

humbert

Tha Gopher wrote:

Great. Yet another thread for people to bash the catholics to be ubertrendy.

Im baptised. I dont go to mass. Im down as catholic on the census. The church has never influenced me either positvely or negatively, so Im not going to go making an arse of myself by demanding it be shut for whateverthefcuk. Until the day the catholic church actually does something wrong against me ive no problem with saying im a non practising catholic.

Longfield- the Belgians made AH not long ago due to a rather un-Harney-like parlimentary candidate called Tania somethingorother if you remember now Offered free bloweys, all you got was a Japanese girl on a video talking utter filth.

Meh, i cracked off to it.

That was good humoured and achieved a lot of publicity for what they had to say, so what if it offended a few prudes. Now they are acting against a profit driven cult. They also make some of the best beers in the world. Go Belgium!

The Mad Hatter

humbert wrote:

They also make some of the best beers in the world. Go Belgium!

I'll second that. *raises glass of Chimay Blue*

indough

Scientology only gets a bad rep because its a relatively new religion. None of its beliefs are any more ridiculous than those of the worlds main religions, and in regards to the charges of criminal activity, how many crimes have been committed and people killed in the name of christianity/islam/judaism?

Many people see scientology as a profit driven cult, but how many of you would think twice about seeing the collection plate being passed around at mass?

estebancambias

I love the religion haters. They insult people calling them names such as ignorant. Yes from your perspective we are, from ours you are the ignorant ones. It's all comes down to where your coming from.

People who don't believe in relgion, are just doing it to be anti-mainstream.

biko

Zebra3 wrote:

When will they ban the kiddie fiddling papist scum? :mad:

Ulster says no to taigs
No surrender 1690

indough

That makes no sense at all. The majority of people in the world don't subscribe to your religion. Therefore you are anti-mainstream

Irish Wolf

estebancambias wrote:

Yes from your perspective we are (ignorant), from ours you are the ignorant ones.

What's the difference?

Edits made to estebancambias's original post..

Karl Hungus

estebancambias wrote:

People who don't believe in relgion, are just doing it to be anti-mainstream.

People who don't believe in religion? Is there even such a thing? Sure, there's plenty of people who don't believe the teachings of religion, but to not believe religion exists is just silly. :rolleyes:

But yes... People just do it to be anti-mainstream. Of course. :rolleyes:

adam_ccfc

DarkJager wrote:

Now to ban Christianity and Islam and the world will be a much safer and less ignorant place...

qft

estebancambias

No indough, I did not say Christianity, I indeed said religion. Therefore, religion is mainstream.

Irish Wolf, what do you mean by 'What's the difference?' That makes no sense in relation to what I wrote previously.

indough

But you are a christian, not in the majority and therefore anti-mainstream. It's your own logic i'm following, are we not allowed to think for ourselves for fear of being called anti-mainstream? I think the argument wasn't really against religion anyway, just against prejudice towards specific religions. What makes you think that there are more theists than atheists in the world anyway?

Capt'n Midnight

indough wrote:

Many people see scientology as a profit driven cult, but how many of you would think twice about seeing the collection plate being passed around at mass?

Collection plate is just loose change, no one ever puts real money into them so not really a good comparison.

Maybe you could compare it to the "tithe" that had to be paid to the church in the past.

If you have ever read any of L Ron Hubbard's SciFi <cringe> sorry I have to stop here words fail

Irish Wolf

Exactly.. People call you ignorant, you call people ignorant.. So what's the point in arguing?

We're all fkn dum-dums.. move along..

indough

Tithes are still paid in reformed churches, just not in the catholic church. Many people do put a lot of money into the collection plate.

Most scientologists don't contribute much to their church, the extreme cases are more often than not brought into the limelight (as is the case with most things really). I'm not a scientologist or anything, but it seems like some sort of bullying to me in some ways.

There are many religions which treat their followers far worse IMO, such as the church of Jehovah's witnesses for example. Not an attack on them, just a personal observation

The Mad Hatter

indough wrote:

Scientology only gets a bad rep because its a relatively new religion. None of its beliefs are any more ridiculous than those of the worlds main religions, and in regards to the charges of criminal activity, how many crimes have been committed and people killed in the name of christianity/islam/judaism?

Many people see scientology as a profit driven cult, but how many of you would think twice about seeing the collection plate being passed around at mass?

What utter rubbish. No-one's ever been bankrupted by a collection plate.

indough

Who was bankrupted by scientology?

DeVore

They are a menace and a danger. They arent the only ones but I'm glad Belgium has taken action.

DeV.

seamus

indough wrote:

Many people see scientology as a profit driven cult, but how many of you would think twice about seeing the collection plate being passed around at mass?

The collection basket/plate is a charitable donation. Nobody is expected to give anything and nobody cares whether you do. Your ability to "get on" in Catholicism isn't directly related to your monetary contributions.

Dr_Teeth

indough wrote:

Who was bankrupted by scientology?

Are you kidding me? If you're that ignorant of the subject please stop posting.