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Church of Scientology On Trial In France
An anonymous reader sends word that a trial has opened in Paris that could shut down Scientology in France. The organization stands accused of targeting vulnerable people for commercial gain. Scientology does not have the status of a religion there, as it does in the US, and anti-cult groups have pursued it vigorously over more than 30 years. The current case is based on complaints filed by two women in December 1998 and July 1999. Three other former members who had initially joined the complaint have withdrawn after "reaching a financial arrangement with church officials." If convicted, the seven top Scientologists in France face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of €1M. The Church of Scientology-Celebrity Centre and its Scientology Freedom Space bookshop not only face a much larger fine but also run the risk of being shut down completely.
don't knock it til you've tried it
The revolution will not be televised... but it will have a page on Wikipedia
I agree, now when are the other organized religions going to be outlawed?
POKE 36879,8
What is so weird and whacky about the fundamental tenet of "love thy neighbour as you love yourself"?
Hehehe.. it's the whole zombie Jesus raising from the dead and did we mention that he's actually God in human form, after impregnating his own mother, oh, and God invented the universe in 6 days too. Ya can't just pick and choose the bits that make sense to you and then get surprised when people paint you with the same brush as your insane fellow cultists.
How we know is more important than what we know.
I guess the whole "child slavery" thing hasn't been working out so well lately.
I'm sure there's a French joke in there somewhere.
France already imprisoned and killed a pope or two, but they never defeated the catholic church itself. You just can't get the mafia or the church out of Italy without first dealing with the other.
An easier target might be Islamists in France or Islamic groups who don't integrate into French society.
The Christian religion has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world. -- Bertrand Russell
Umm. Do you believe in zombie Jesus or not? Do you believe in an omnipresent father-like God? Do you believe in an afterlife? Cause if you do, you're insane. Maybe not clinically insane.. but you're clearly susceptible to bullshit which makes you behave in a way that is irrational.
How we know is more important than what we know.
Unless that person or family is wicked and/or practices something other than Christianity. Then, Christians think it is OK to tear people away from their families, torture them, and then burn the at the stake, for their own good.
Yes, because that 10% tithe Christians are supposed to pay is not stealing. Christians have a long and glorious history of oppressing, imprisoning, torturing, and murdering anyone who does not believe in or dares to show any proof that Christianity may be wrong. They still do it today. They try to subvert secular institutions to gain new recruits. Christians openly lie to suit their ends, discriminate against non-Christians, and seek to have their beliefs taught to children, not just as the truth but as the complete truth.
In other words, Christianity is an open cult.
Let's take a closer look, shall we:
Let's see what else they believe:
Christians also believe that Jesus was an only child and that his mother remained a virgin even though the bible refers to Jesus's brothers and sisters.
Christians believe that Jesus was silent, mornful, finally crying out "Father why have you forsaken me?!?" then dying while crucified AND that Jesus had a conversation with one of the two men crucified with him.
Christians believe that the whole bible is the word of God, but only the second half is actually important unless it is something they against like homosexuality or abortion even though there is nothing about abortion in the bible.
Christians believe it is wrong to kill unless it is for God, or God's glory, or because someone committed a grievous sin, or the pope tells you to, or the bishop, or the king, or the president.
Apparently, really devout Christians think it is OK to have sex with children and protect those that do. And, to have sex with prostitutes, commit adultery, and break one's vows.
Christians think that the world is less than 6,000 years old, that the world and all the creatures in it were made by God exactly as they are today and nothing changes. Or not, depending on your church.
Christians think abortion is wrong, but killing doctors who perform abortions is OK. T
There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
For the same reason that I don't have to read everything published by Kent Hovind and the Answers in Genesis crew to know that Young Earth Creationism is a load of whacknut loony flaming poo. At first glance Hovind's views are nuts so a second glance isn't required unless its morbid curiosity. Taking a first glance at things I have actually read (both during childhood indoctrination as well as during undergrad) in some of your source documents (albeit in translation since Medical Spanish is worth more time for me than Latin, however in what are considered reliable translations)... you believe that a Jewish zombie can make me live in eternity with him if I eat his flesh and telepathically agree to accept him as my master, so he can remove an evil force from my soul that is present in me personally because a woman created solely from the bone of a man's thorax was talked into eating a magical fruit by a talking snake over 6000 years ago.
Seriously. That wouldn't even make for a good acid trip.
But you have an informed choice to believe in Zombie Jesus or not to
Not if you are indoctrinated about Zombie Jesus since age 3.
"You can't allow somebody to commit the crime before you detain them." [Condoleezza Rice]
Prosecuted religions typically thrive as the "community" comes together against the perceived threat, see: Christianity, Judaism, Mormonism.
You forgot one: Environmentalism
Mine is Good
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Now I'm no christian, but I'll tell you that there's a little problem that you techie "athiests" that seem to be the popular crowd on these sorts of sites have lately.
You all seem to becoming a little unhinged and quite distant from regular boring old people. 7 or 8 years ago atheists were pretty thoughtful individuals, these days the average "atheist" around these parts is *worse* than the born-agains EVER WERE.
In fact I'd say that your the opposite side of the same bent coin as the ultra religious and getting about this internet like I do I must say that lately when a bunch of "atheists" get together it's starting to sound a lot like when a bunch of born-agains get together. Lot's of self congratulations, lots of ridiculous 'arguments' and a laundry list of worthless worn out sound bites.
Here's the list of approved mindless soundbites and talking points guaranteed to have everyone thinking your the coolest mofo in your groups:
Stating as a matter fact that christians are child abusers.
Calling for religion to be banned.
Calling religion a cult.
Stating as a matter of fact that the 'forefathers' were atheists.
Using the phrase Zombie Jesus.
The following is an important part of being a cool and popular atheist:
Know *nothing* about the other groups philosophy:
Never stepped foot inside a church but seen a lot of movies? Then don't worry, just assume that Catholicism = all christianity and the 1% you know about *that* means that you know have an indepth knowledge about "christianity" and it's hundred or so distinct branches.
Cherry pick your people:
Feel free to assume that the other group are mentally deficient. Conveniently ignore the giants of history who also subscribed to that groups philosophy.
Remember the Crusades!:
Don't forget to mention the Crusades! But at all costs forget about Stalin, Mao & Pol Pot. Though they did indeed have people rounded up specifically for publicly believing in any sort of god; that's uncomfortably close to what you advocate so feel free to apologise for them! Their actions were just misunderstood right?
Go to the extreme:
Find nutcases and who spout religion and state emphatically that it's religion that made them nutcases
Go to the middle:
Find Humans erring as Humans do and point out what hypocrites *all* religious folk are based on the actions of a few.
Look I don't care about these silly little internet holy wars but the techie "atheist" circle jerk that starts up anytime somoeone mentions anything even related to religion no matter how obscure is starting to get a little out of hand.
Please stop, or their will be a general backlash against atheists in general.
as "a child who had to go to church", parent has a good chance of having being filled with something else...
"Get off the cross - we need the wood" - Tori Amos
I love it. They get to say their messiah was only joking. But when Jesus said that if your eye offends you, you must remove it, we can't say "He was only kidding." Or can we?