People who think Scientology shouldn't be considered a religion are dumb.

forfuxsake

Let's look at the arguments for:

1. It's completely bat-**** crazy
2. It's followers are wired to the fcukin' moon.
3. It requires blind faith in the impossible
4. It's leaders are sinister
5. They expect lots of cash

ticks all the boxes.

FearDark

This is totally new information to us all, thanks OP.

Dudess

We couldn't stop older religions from gaining a foothold, we are more equipped to do that with this one. Plus, if you leave the Scientology family, you face intimidation.

Andromeda_111

Sounds like Catholicism so now I'm confused

Immaculate Pasta

Cool story bro

FearDark

Dudess wrote: »

Plus, if you leave the Scientology family, you face intimidation.

So just like other religions then.

shancoduff

Misleadingly tendentious thread title. Your definition of religion may cause some problems!

galwayrush

You're calling a lot of people dumb OP...

aquaman

The OP = Tom Cruize

The King of Moo

I think an important distinction is that Scientology leaders demand cash, not expect it.

I'm pretty sure that all the established religions are technically free, especially for the basic stuff, but I'm pretty sure Scientology says you have to pay in order to move up through the levels.

Also, despite the similarities, established religions have a history and a power base built up over thousands of years to give them a sense of legitimacy, even in the eyes of some intelligent people.

But to believe in the more ridiculous stories of Scientology which were clearly made up by a man who said that making up a religion would be a great moneymaker, you have to be a special kind of stupid.

Born to Die

People should be free to believe what ever they want.
The one true God gave us free will.

shancoduff

Born to Die wrote: »

People should be free to believe what ever they want.
The one true God gave us free will.

Joe Pesci gave us free will?

Biggins

Born to Die wrote: »

The one true God gave us free will.

...Shush! :mad:

Someone here in Ireland might tax it!
Quiet you!

I don't have it - I don't admit to owning it!

ejmaztec

forfuxsake wrote: »

Let's look at the arguments for:

1. It's completely bat-**** crazy
2. It's followers are wired to the fcukin' moon.
3. It requires blind faith in the impossible
4. It's leaders are sinister
5. They expect lots of cash

ticks all the boxes.

1 The Irish legal system
2 That's only the Moonies
3 That covers FF
4 That covers FG and Labour
5 That's all of the above.

Born to Die

shancoduff wrote: »

Joe Pesci gave us free will?

Is he the typecast short arse actor with the funny voice?
If so then the answer is no.

mattjack

forfuxsake wrote: »

Let's look at the arguments for:

1. It's completely bat-**** crazy
2. It's followers are wired to the fcukin' moon.
3. It requires blind faith in the impossible
4. It's leaders are sinister
5. They expect lots of cash

ticks all the boxes.

A bit like Chelsea supporters.

afatbollix

They only want to be a religion for tax reasons. Its all because they dont want to pay tax

krudler

aside from the mandatory paying to go to higher levels, yeah its exactly the same.

alien warlords hiding bombs in volcanos? ludicrous!

virgin births, talking snakes, a god who sent himself to save us from himself? totally legit.

Born to Die

afatbollix wrote: »

They only want to be a religion for tax reasons.

Plan coming together.

shancoduff

Born to Die wrote: »

Is he the typecast short arse actor with the funny voice?
If so then the answer is no.

George Carlin says otherwise.

Born to Die

shancoduff wrote: »

George Carlin says otherwise.

Did he now, was he trying to be funny at the time. He is also wrong.

shancoduff

Born to Die wrote: »

Did he now, was he trying to be funny at the time. He is also wrong.

He is a comedian so yes, he was trying to be funny!

Even if he was being serious though, can't prove he's wrong. Just like I can't prove God doesn't exist. He's using the argument to turn the burden of proof thing on its head.

Ellis Dee

Born to Die wrote: »

Is he the typecast short arse actor with the funny voice?
If so then the answer is no.

The late great George Carlin used to say he had as much faith in Joe Pesci as in God. He found that praying to the former worked just as well as praying to the latter.:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o

As for scientology being a religion, its leaders claim it is and this is recognised by the IRS in the United States, where it enjoys tax-free status. The US State Department has also criticised other countries, such as Germany, which do not recognise scientology as a religion and even lists them in its annual reports as human rights violators (!!!)

Of course it's a religion. How much wackier does it need to be to qualify?:eek:

biko

http://cdn2.holytaco.com/wp-content/uploads/images/tomcruisecomic1.jpg

MungBean

Biggins wrote: »

...Shush! :mad:

Someone here in Ireland might tax it!
Quiet you!

I don't have it - I don't admit to owning it!

Yet you think you can talk away about it without so much as a by your leave do ya ?


^^^^^^ SHERLOCK !!! I CAUGHT ONE !! ^^^^^^

starch4ser

forfuxsake wrote: »

Let's look at the arguments for:

1. It's completely bat-**** crazy
2. It's followers are wired to the fcukin' moon.
3. It requires blind faith in the impossible
4. It's leaders are sinister
5. They expect lots of cash

The Occupy movement?

Dudess

FearDark wrote: »

Dudess wrote: »

Plus, if you leave the Scientology family, you face intimidation.

So just like other religions then.

A lot of the time, that's more to do with the politics of the country they're in though.

aaronjumper

I thought religion was believing in a higher power watching over us God, Buddha etc etc. Isn't Scientology the belief that Aliens put us here or something?

Killer Wench

I'm just tickled that the ad I received at the bottom of this thread is for Second Life and it has a vampire sucking the blood of a human.

Yakult

Theirs only one god and that is the big yellow/orange thing in the sky called the Sun.

forfuxsake

Yakult wrote: »

Theirs only one god and that is the big yellow/orange thing in the sky called the Sun.

THERE'S FFS.

and I've looked and looked and there's no such fcukin thing as that big yellow/orange thing in the sky.:cool:

galwayrush

Yakult wrote: »

Theirs only one god and that is the big yellow/orange thing in the sky called the Sun.

There are bigger yellow/orange things in the sky farther away, billions of them...:D

forfuxsake

galwayrush wrote: »

There are bigger yellow/orange things in the sky farther away, billions of them...:D

Counted them, have we?

galwayrush

forfuxsake wrote: »

Counted them, have we?

No, i have better things for doing.

nibtrix

Killer Wench wrote: »

I'm just tickled that the ad I received at the bottom of this thread is for Second Life and it has a vampire sucking the blood of a human.

Mine is for "The Devil Inside". Excellent placement of an ad.

paddyandy

I spent some time at saint hill manor years ago and the atmosphere was static like
i was in a stock exchange because the air was filled with a money sort of 'tang' and it was palpable .It was unreal like walking onto a movie set unawares .All criticism was strictly taboo and 'Ron' was always revered ." Ron said this or that ' and it went on all day .I did'nt stay very long .It's 5 minutes drive outside e grinstead . It's a Business in a Religious Garb .Ron understood very well from his sci-fi days that people will believe almost anything and his naval career probably gave him some more insights into human nature .

Wattle

I think we should keep denying them status as a religion. It gets them riled up which is always good for a laugh.

themadhair

From the 2009 Charities Act:

For the purposes of this section, a gift is not a gift for the advancement of religion if it is made to or for the benefit of an organisation or cult—

(a) the principal object of which is the making of profit, or
(b) that employs oppressive psychological manipulation—

(i) of its followers, or
(ii) for the purpose of gaining new followers.

It depends on the group and not the ideology. If your group following your bat**** insane ideology does public good then you should get a tax exemption. If, however, your group does no public good and merely exists to gouge the maximum amount of money out of people in the shortest period of time, regardless of the financial mental and societal damage, then probably not. Scientology beliefs may be a religious ideology, but that in no way means the actual organisation is a religious institution. Groups and beliefs shouldn't really be conflated as in the OP.

AngryBollix

aquaman wrote: »

The OP = Tom Cruize

The well known zcientologist

joseph brand

galwayrush wrote: »

There are bigger yellow/orange things in the sky farther away, billions of them...:D

Do they support life on this planet too? Please divulge this new information you have gathered.

I pray to both Joe Pesci and Bill Murray.

paddyandy

AngryBollix wrote: »

The well known zcientologist

Big names in entertainment can be amazingly naive sometimes .

Capt'n Midnight

I could quote some of their scriptures, but they are copyrighted and scientology uses lawyers


anyway here is the circuit diagram and history of the E meter if you want to set your own religion

https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/E-Meter/

paddyandy

There is a different catechism at every level of the hierarchy within the management of the Org. So one level below does not understand what the next level up are thinking .That is not new but in a 'religious' setting it can be worrying .

Nothingbetter2d

Biggins wrote: »

...Shush! :mad:

Someone here in Ireland might tax it!
Quiet you!

I don't have it - I don't admit to owning it!

not only might they tax it but you'll have to have your will tested once a year too for safety and reliability down at the NWT centre and charged for the privaledge

Dartz

Three words come to mind when I think of Scientology and it's documented abuses:


Arbeit Macht Frei

Nothingbetter2d

gynacology is probably a more believable religion.... sure the fanny has being controlling men's wallets for years

AeoNGriM

Biggins wrote: »

...Shush! :mad:

Someone here in Ireland might tax it!
Quiet you!

I don't have it - I don't admit to owning it!

That free will was just resting in my conscience....I swear, your Honour!!!

Winty

The King of Moo wrote: »

I think an important distinction is that Scientology leaders demand cash, not expect it.

Try and get married or buried in a RCC Church for Free !!

The Catholics also Demand cash

brokenhinge

If you want to worship Xenu and think the spacecraft is coming to collect you, good for you- I don't give a shit

Capt'n Midnight

Dartz wrote: »

Three words come to mind when I think of Scientology and it's documented abuses:


Arbeit Macht Frei

Except it's not free

More like yendo , the way of the money

The King of Moo

Winty wrote: »

Try and get married or buried in a RCC Church for Free !!

The Catholics also Demand cash

For extra services like those, yes, not just to be a member.

Getting married and buried in a Catholic cemetery aren't prerequisites of being Catholic.