Did you hear about the scientologists in Haiti?

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Fuzzy
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04 Feb 2010, 4:44 am

Massive incompetence. They are hindering the other organizations and causing harm to the people who need help most.

http://gawker.com/5462117/scientologist ... e=true&s=i


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Omerik
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04 Feb 2010, 5:51 am

A lot of people who mean good cause harm.
The problem is not the people who believe in this thing, but the ones who understand it's a scam, and keep manipulating people.

I think the usual things people say against scientology can't convince the believers - because it is said against every religion. I prefer to explain why I think it's a scam, let them hear ex-scientologists, see how they hurt people, show the famous L. Ron Hubbard quote about money and inventing a religion, etc.

Telling people that they're fools for being scientologists won't convince them.
People also tell me that I'm a fool for being an Anarchist...
I also think that if people just trash scientology, the scammers can use it in favour of their money-making-movement. They'll say we're just afraid because our religion (?) will lose believers or something.

Imagine you followed this cult - would you be convinced when people just laugh at you, and in turn you feel "at home" when talking to other scientologists? Think of how people mock Aspies, but we feel good together. The difference is that we can help those people instead of mocking them. and we can use rational claims against this cult.

I sometimes get the feeling that some people prefer to make fun of scientology-believers, rather than getting them out of this s**t. Almost as if they're happy to see other people fall in scams, and it makes them feel smarter or something...



PLA
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04 Feb 2010, 7:14 am

I heard that a second group of scientologists in blue shirts only came to help the real medics with carrying and fetching equipment. No source, though.


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PlatedDrake
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04 Feb 2010, 9:01 am

One phrase comes to mind . . . EPIC FAIL!! Someone needs to record these people and mail it to the news stations . . . public discrediting would be a great beginning.



zer0netgain
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04 Feb 2010, 9:26 am

I knew John Travolta wasn't flying down there for his health.



Liir
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04 Feb 2010, 1:16 pm

Omerik wrote:
... and we can use rational claims against this cult ...


Since when has that ever worked in a religious debate?



Omerik
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04 Feb 2010, 1:56 pm

Liir wrote:
Omerik wrote:
... and we can use rational claims against this cult ...


Since when has that ever worked in a religious debate?

Well, it's not a "normal" religion.
It is new, it takes money from people, they are confused - you can get them out of this. They're not in because they believe in that South Park animation, I guess. I think there are more ex-scientologists than ex-christians, for example. You can lead a reform in a religion, but in a cult it's a bit more difficult... I'm not sure scientologists actually know what they believe in.

It's a commercial organisation disguised as religion. It's not even the same as a rabbi demanding money for holding a wedding - it's totally about money. I can pick a bible if I want, but I have to pay for "self-help" to become a part of a "religion" that's made by a science fiction author. Their activism is about denouncing psychiatry (the supposed reason for the holocaust...), so you pay them instead of your pharmacy.

They encourage people to cut off relationships with people against the "religion". They demand A LOT of money, according to people who were members and tell their stories. It's not a religious debate, it's a fraud.

(By the way, I do use rationalism when talking about religion, with a religious friend of mine. Not all religious people are blind)



xenon13
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04 Feb 2010, 5:25 pm

So they're handing out Creole-language copies of Dianetics in the displacement camps?



TheOddGoat
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04 Feb 2010, 5:43 pm

Omerik wrote:
Well, it's not a "normal" religion.
It is new, it takes money from people, they are confused - you can get them out of this.


Are you... joking?



phil777
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05 Feb 2010, 2:49 am

For future reference and discourse, please explain your definition of cult and how is it different from an organized religion. ~



Asmodeus
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05 Feb 2010, 10:12 am

Omerik wrote:
A lot of people who mean good cause harm.
It's called America. :lol:
Unsuprisingly 4chan's splinter group "Anonymous" got involved, they'll probably try to DDOS haiti into relief or something.
All in all the occupation is going fairly smoothly, 20000 are on the ground.



Omerik
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05 Feb 2010, 11:08 am

TheOddGoat wrote:
Omerik wrote:
Well, it's not a "normal" religion.
It is new, it takes money from people, they are confused - you can get them out of this.


Are you... joking?

No. There are people who take money from people in the name of religions, and there is scientology, that only takes money.

phil777 wrote:
For future reference and discourse, please explain your definition of cult and how is it different from an organized religion. ~

Good question. I think scientology is organised. I think sometimes "cults" are legitimate even when they aren't considered so publically or by authorities.

According to former-members, you don't get any access to the "sacred" texts until you pay a lot of money, and then you're "ready" for it.

Quote:
Scientology has a singular structure. The Religious Technology Centre, chaired in America by David Miscavige, the de facto leader of the movement, claims ownership of the trademarks of scientology. Trademark law is used to enforce hierarchical power. Any church falling out of line with the centre can be stripped, through the courts, of permission to practise. Heretical offshoots or imitators may be stopped in their tracks. All Scientology’s texts are said to have been written by Hubbard. Since the full knowledge of the faith is reserved for those who complete the course, there can be no official confirmation to outsiders of what they ultimately believe. According to popular culture, Scientology teaches that 75 million years ago the intergalactic tyrant Xenu brought millions of space aliens to earth.

Hubbard’s writings are controlled by the California-based Church of Spiritual Technology. This uses copyright law to police access to the holy books, charging royalty fees to organisations, even churches. New technologies are used to ensure that the writings are kept “in forms that can withstand natural catastrophes”.

If this all looks rather businesslike, the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises formally promotes the application of Hubbard’s teachings to the workplace. It licenses the application of Hubbard’s methods in business.

The problem is not with them being a "cult", it's with them being a commercial business.



phil777
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05 Feb 2010, 6:14 pm

Well, in my classes, we've been able to establish a few criterias : 1) cults are usually reclusive and do not actively contribute to society. 2)They are usually centered around a charismatic leader (magical performance or what have you, organized religions have a hierarchy). Hrmph i may be forgetting some, but that's it for now. We are also discussing how sect-like groups are appearing in organized religions such as in the USA's protestant catholics.