Reply to: Is the Church of Scientology 'stupid'?

[DaveB]

For a whole load of detailed info on the extent of the paranoia and straight up battulip weirdness (in my opinion ) involved check out the Scientology section on Wikileaks.

[xoggoth]

Just been reading Barefaced Messiah, The true Story of L Ron Hubbard by Russel Miller as it happens. Stupid certainly seems an apt description although is it really any stupider than some other religions?

PS Better not say any more as I live very close to Saint Hill Manor. Might get a goldfish bowl put on my head and be left out for the Thetans to eat.
PPS Maybe Zeitghost is a Thetan.

[SupremeSpod]

Religion is the opium of the people.

I'm sure someone said that once

I thought that was football, innit?

[DaveB]

Which is?

Religion is the opium of the people.

I'm sure someone said that once

[Gibbon]

You are "Menelaus in drag" and I claim my £5.

If you carry on in that vein then I'm going to turn up at one of your northern do's and bore you all to death. Believe me I'm a lot worse in real life!

[SupremeSpod]

Not quite true the Greek and Roman Gods didn't provide structure in teh sense that teh Judaic relegions do and those cultures did quite well as I seem to recall. Also the greeks and some romans also work on matters of how to live without using gods to enforce it.

Plato's Republic and Cicero's Good Life spring to mind.

You are "Menelaus in drag" and I claim my £5.

[Gibbon]

Providing a structure that prevents human beings from acting like complete ***** towards each other and themselves, which they would do if they were left to their own devices.

All religions fulfil that role which is one of the reasons I won't believe any of them.

Not quite true the Greek and Roman Gods didn't provide structure in teh sense that teh Judaic relegions do and those cultures did quite well as I seem to recall. Also the greeks and some romans also work on matters of how to live without using gods to enforce it.

Plato's Republic and Cicero's Good Life spring to mind.

[NotAllThere]

The organisation isn't stupid. But the followers may well be. It's rather an odd set of beliefs, obviously manufactured by one man.

Of course, just because you've got stupid people following some philosophy/world view/religion, doesn't mean that the view itself is stupid. There are some quite staggeringly stupid followers of Dawkins.

[Gonzo]

Is the Church of Scientology 'stupid'?

I don't know the answer but I will only observe that during my student days I always used to hurry past their place in Tottenham Court Road just to be on the safe side and come to think of it, even recently I still used to hurry past their place in Queen Victoria Street.

[Gonzo]

It serves a purpose.

Which is?

Providing a structure that prevents human beings from acting like complete ***** towards each other and themselves, which they would do if they were left to their own devices.

All religions fulfil that role which is one of the reasons I won't believe any of them.

[SupremeSpod]

OOooo an unbeliever!! You're only making it worse for yourself!

Cardinal Fang!!!! Fetch the "comfy chair"!

[shaunbhoy]

Indeed. They don't appear to be a particularly friendly bunch if you decide you've had enough...

I think the Christian church stopped burning heretics around the late 1700s so we've only got another 1650 years before the Scientologists cotton on...

OOooo an unbeliever!! You're only making it worse for yourself!

[Moscow Mule]

The problem starts when "The musings of a man" become a method of control and oppression by those with a vested interest.

Indeed. They don't appear to be a particularly friendly bunch if you decide you've had enough...

I think the Christian church stopped burning heretics around the late 1700s so we've only got another 1650 years before the Scientologists cotton on...

[SupremeSpod]

A sense of belonging to a community?

To be honest, I don't go to church and am pretty agnostic about the whole afterlife thing. However, if people want to go to church and be with like minded people, perform charitable works and all of the other stuff that goes along with it then more power to them.

I've read some of the Scientology stuff, it's based on the musings of a man. In that respect it could be said to mirror Christianity quite closely.

The problem starts when "The musings of a man" become a method of control and oppression by those with a vested interest.

[Moscow Mule]

Which is?

A sense of belonging to a community?

To be honest, I don't go to church and am pretty agnostic about the whole afterlife thing. However, if people want to go to church and be with like minded people, perform charitable works and all of the other stuff that goes along with it then more power to them.

I've read some of the Scientology stuff, it's based on the musings of a man. In that respect it could be said to mirror Christianity quite closely.