It’s been a bad month for Scientology. Over the last few weeks several high profile incidents have seen the cult officially branded as a cult, lost high profile members due to homophobia and has been fined 600,000 Euros.
In France a court convicted the COS of fraud, but stopped short of banning the group from operating. France says that the COS is a purely commercial operation designed to make as much money as it can at the expense of often vulnerable victims. Two branches of the group’s operations and several of its leaders in France have been fined.
The case came after complaints from two women, one of whom said she was manipulated into paying more than £18,100 in the 1990s. Prosecutors had asked for the group’s French operations to be dissolved and more heavily fined, but a legal loophole prevented any ban.
Earlier in the week Oscar-winning film director Paul Haggis cut all ties with the
Church of Scientology because what he said was the organisation’s anti-gay stance.
In a letter, Haggis said he was disappointed by the church’s tacit denial of gay rights in the debate over California’s gay marriage ban. Haggis, who directed film Crash, said he could not be a member of a body “where gay-bashing was tolerated”.
All this comes after an interview with ABC reporter Martin Bashir where a representative of the church stormed out of an interview after a series of questions about COS beliefs. Unintentionally this rose the report to a higher profile than expected.
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The article just serves to highlight exactly how unpleasant this cult is. I am continually amazed over why any sane individual would want to join an organisation that claims humankinds descent from aliens, disbelieves in autism and other neurological disorders, thinks that being gay is a neurological misfire, and continually milks its membership of 1000s of dollars a year in “audits” .
About time there was some legal scrutiny here.
A lot of this seems to be falling at Tommy Davis’ door – time to blow, Tommy~.
Also, which the leader of a ‘church’ needs a booster seat in his limo and beats his staff regularly… well, you know it’s go time.
Whoop!
Keep taking the cultists on!
Isnt that the guy from Due South?
Always knew it was more of a cult of noobs than a religion
How can you discriminate against gay people? It’s disgusting.
A bad week for Scientology is a good week for everyone else.
I’m definately feeling the love for the French and Paul Haggis at the moment, especially as Haggis also took them to task about their horrible policy of disconnection.
There are also rumours that John Travolta is getting ready to walk away from the ‘church’ of Scientology.
Who’s the orange dood with Tom Cruise in the picture?
Is that Haggis? Or is Dean Gaffney into Scientology now?
Science of Scams should have a crack at the COS. Then again, it wouldn’t need much of an explaination would it
good,good,good!
And here’s the link to the walkout….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUiUyVqOuJI
Good to know that the madness is beginning to unravel…
In the picture it is David Miscavige the guy who runs things until LRH returns (given LRH has died this might be a while, but they do believe he will return) he rules with an iron fist and has been accused of using that fist against other members of the church (and not in a nice way). Scientology ‘doesn’t lose’ court cases. They will appeal the French case, and barring that working they will probably just never pay the fine. They will counter sue find dirt on people and use it against them. They don’t defend, they always Attack. This doesn’t play well on the media stage however. But its how they play.
Hm .. ehehe .. is the fact that the article mentions that L Ron Hubbard was a SF writer a coincedence or do they try to point out something with that as well??? i don’t think SC and SF were supposed to be linked .. although Mr Hubbard might have come with some ideas whle writing SF. Maybe all members of SC are wannabees ……..
Ofcourse the church is not anti gay … money makes the world, even for them.
In the news report here about this issue there was no mentioning of a gay issue. But it also said that the CS was not available for comments. We get fed different stories … we’d better not buy any for the full 100%, as usual.
scientology is sooooo bollocks any one who belives in this twaddle needs help1!!
I like how Paul Haggis waits till he’s famous before he fucks off. I kinda liked you Mr Haggis, but I didn’t know you were into all tha manipulative soul-selling crap!
Awww, poor scientology *Sniff-sniff*
Guess that’s what happens when you build your castles upon pillars of salt, sand, lies, deceit, greed, intolerence… I could go on, but you get the picture.
When this all burns out for them, please someone… urinate on the ashes.
That’s one pheonix I’d rather not see rise again.
@ Simon:
I’ve heard, Mr. Travolta has been wanting out for ages.
I believe (not sure how true it is) due to his daughter. But you know how it is.. you can’t leave them until they’ve completely broken you down. Oh yeah, all those ‘services’ provided for you ‘gratis’… well, you pay now.
Pax, amor et concordia.
x
oh and lol…
I’m guessing that little alien top right of the piccy was placed in for comical effect, nice one
Pax, amor et concordia.
x
How can scientology be anti-gay when Tom Cruise is probably it’s most famous member?
Could someone use the broom handle and jiggle my first post free please?
Thanks muchly
x
It is a relief when the ridiculous, grown to excessive proportions becomes deflated. May it continue to shrivel and self extinguish.
I’ve now learnt 3 great responses for the next time my boss asks me for things:
1) That question is in violation of my religious beliefs.
2) You are intentionally asking me things that you know are offensive.
3) I’m going to stop you and if you ask me that question again, I will stand up and walk out.
Scientology today Catholicism tomorrow?. I would like to think so, as they all seem to be money making schemes, and there is no objective way to distinguish a “real” religion from a false one. A cult is just a new religion without enough followers.
I think Leary had his finger on the pulse when he published Start Your Own Religion.. It can be found here: http://fliiby.com/file/36684/xyy993j2ny.html
When I think back to the personality test they gave me at 15 [I'm 38 now] I knew nothing about Scientology. What the auditor told me just made my instincts kick in and I refuted the whole pitch. They prey on the vulnerable and follow no respectful method that we commonly accept in faith [I'm aetheist but respectful of people's choice].
The Governments should step in save the followers. This “religion” purports critics to be the enemy. By using unregulated mind control [and they bloody well know it] they make their followers anti-social to others if questioned. The group should not be operating if they are not respectful and transparent.
On one hand, their exploitation of vulnerable people is ruthless and intolerable. But on the other, there are elements of Scientology which just make for comedy gold. I found a hilarious first-hand account of the Dianetics training course on http://www.londondifferently.com, and you’ve got to love that none of them seem at all phased by the science fiction links.
Still bad people though. Just bad people who give us great material to laugh at.
Yes I can see how they are wrong in most respects, but is the Catholic and Islamic Church also anti-gay? Shouldn’t they also receive disciplinary treatment?
GG, they were conviced of fraud, not for being homophobic.