I added alot more info on my journal if you want to use it:
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/331955/

Good for you. =)

Scientology was started on a drunken bet because L Ron Hubbard couldn't get his books published.

I can't believe that Tom Crusie and Issac hayes joined them. I would understand if Micheal Jackson did.

Down with Scientology! People have got to be crazy to join a cult like that.

lol scientology

I can laugh at Scientologists, but I can't tell them that their religion is wrong. Because I don't think people should be able to do that to me.

Therefore, I respectfully disagree, If they want to be nutcases, let them go ahead, maybe they'll pull some attention away from us.

The religion is not what is being attacked - it's the organization behind it that's dangerous.

If you havn't, check out some of the link mentioned and you'll see that there's more to the business of Scientology then just wacky actors.

D.O.P.R

I stand by my disagreement. While the Fair Game Policy does have a malicious intent, I fail to find in any source that it has been upheld in any court as a "religious practice" of any kind, and therefore protected.

Their disbelief in most medicine and psychological help is not unique; Christian Scientists have similar beliefs. However, it is probably good that this information is readily available so that people who may wish to join can know what they are getting into.

And I also disagree with your first point -- if the organization that runs the church is being attacked, I do believe that the church is thusly under attack. If this attack was against one person, I could understand how you could claim that the religion is not being attacked, but this is an attack against the ruling body. That's like saying you are attacking the Vatican and its members, but not Catholicism.

What I want to know is, why do celebrities get hardcore into it?

Celebrities are generally the only ones who can afford it.

"Auditing" sessions cost in the thousands of dollars, and as you advance in the rankings, you pay for more expencive materials (like $5,000 books, and CD recordings of seminars by Hubbard).

OT3 materials cost in the tens of thousands.

This is all mentioned in xenu.net.

As for the religion thing, in circumspection, you're right. But I was wrong by mislabling Scientology as a religion. Like all philosphys, it can be taken religiously, but Scientology itself in not a religion (despite what they claim) it is a financial and cultish organization.

I don't care if someone beleives in thetans, Lord Xenu, or the curitive powers of private electrotherapy (or if they choose to reject modern medicine) - but in his directives to the 'Orgs' (copies of which are on xenu.net) he made the point clear that Scientology should be the "only" religion/practise, superceading all others.

It's also exceptionaly harmful to its members, and their families. The "Fair Game" policy is, and has continued to be enforced within the Scientoligy Orgs, including "Disconection" - where a person is deliberatly taken away from family members (mothers away from children, kids from their parents) who may disagree with the cult.

There have been deaths, directly and indirectly attributed to the cult, more then I feel can be disregarded.

Overall I'll say this: from the research I've done, and stories I've heard, I've decided that the Church of Scientology is not a church, nor a religion - and is rather a dangerous and moneycentric cult that should be disbanded.

As I said above, is someone wants to beleive in Lord Xenu in the privacy of their own homes, then they can. But Scientology needs to be stopped.

D.O.P.R

"Their disbelief in most medicine and psychological help is not unique; Christian Scientists have similar beliefs."

To be clear, however, Christian Scientists are somewhat similar in their avoidance of medical treatment. In almost all other regards, the Church of Christ, Scientist is vastly different.

Even on this point of similarity, Christian Scientists are generally far more conservative than the delusions of a scientologist. In Christian Science, an individual who personally feels safe in confronting a medical challenge with their understanding of spiritual harmony is simply encouraged to do so by their own study and decision and not by any external organization of people. Nowhere in Christian Science teachings would a person have a decision forced upon them that they felt unsafe with, and they always have access to Christian Science practitioners (who work daily to help people through spirituality) OR whatever medical professionals they choose to seek out.

There are even a few health insurance companies whose policies are designed for Christian Scientists, and include coverage for the services of both practitioners and doctors. So, as far as I can tell, the CS religion is nothing like the scientologist cult that encourages forceful and even violent treatment of its members.

Christian Scientists really can't tell one another what to do, much less people outside the religion. Sure you'll get parents being stupid about their kids, or churchmembers bullying one another, but that happens regardless of the faith.

Anyway, just wanted to clarify. ^^ I really enjoy seeing someone participating in intelligent discussion.

*laughs* I made that more complicated than necessary, I guess.

I should have just pointed to the official CS website.
http://www.tfccs.com/media/faq.jhtml

I have, unfortunatly, some things that mainstream religions have as part of their religious law. Let us examine a bit of that:

Exodus 21:17
Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.

Exodus 31:15
For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.

Deuteronomy 18:20
But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.

Granted these last three are from the Old Testament. But Exodus is quoted and reiterated in the New Testament in Matthew 15:4:
Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.

Let us remember that is is God's Word. Not "you may" but "must" be put to death. To disobey God's word often brings death upon you, at least biblically speaking.

I propose that if Scientology is a cult by means of being money-centric, having violent doctrines and using them on its congregation, and proporting that it is the only true religion, then we must also classify all other religions as cults and treat them with the same distrust and disgust.

As a note, I'm not trying to tell you that you're wrong, I'm trying to debate intelligently.

I appreciate that you're actually discussing this, rather then shouting back.

Christianity does indeed have quite a few imbedded doctrines that by themselves can be, and have been used dangerously.
So do most, if not all the major religions. But if Christian preists began taking children out to international waters and held them there until their parents reliquished banking information, and then sued them for libel when they went to police, wouldn't you be concerned?
If the Catholic Church took up stoning in the streets again for such offences (including against non-beleivers), wouldn't you want to do something about it?

Scientology was also not started as a religion. Dianetics was put forth in the 1950s as a form of "regressive therapy" which, through various influences as well as the self-help "fad" at the time, gathered conciderable interest and money.
During the 1970s, the IRS began an investigation in which it conluded that Hubbard "was skimming millions of dollars from the church" and began to take actions against it.
A US federal court in 1971 ruled that Hubbard's medical claims were bogus and that E-meter (an electrical device proported to be able to erad minds) auditing could not be called a scientific treatment. The CoS responded by "going fully religious, seeking First Amendment protection".

Seriously, I myself am still learning and investigating Scientolotgy, and the links listed above will provide you with all the info the could wish.
Scientology is, for the moment, using it's claims of religion as a cloak and a sheild to continue unambiguously harmful and in some cases, blatantly illegal actions.

For a breif history of Scientology, go here:
http://xenu.net/archive/infopack/8.htm

D.O.P.R

Reposted, as you did.

"There are a lot of dangerous groups out there. Quite a lot. In fact, there are some that are so dangerous that they shouldn’t exist. Or rather, not be allowed to exist? From the CIA to Al Sharpton’s group. Private agendas, supremacy, absolution, violence, iron-fisted, so on.

Funny thing though, the real big nasties, the ones that matter, all have the same two things: validity and power. In laymen’s terms, they can take all your money, make you lose present/future employment, harass you, drive you out, imprison you, kill you, execute you, list goes on and on.

I suppose compared to that, facing the the dead alien cult, with it’s laughable image and surveillance by various law agencies, has much more appeal, despite serving little purpose. Massaging guilty consciences maybe?

Wave your signs, cowards. But keep in mind the period of consequences will come. There's still time to prevent the removal of your ability to oppose things."