Slashdot Mirror
AU Senator Calls Scientology a "Criminal Organization"
An anonymous reader passes along news that an Australian senator, Nick Xenophon, has denounced the Church of Scientology as "a criminal organization" from the floor of Parliament. "Senator Xenophon used a speech in Parliament last night to raise allegations of widespread criminal conduct within the church, saying he had received letters from former followers detailing claims of abuse, false imprisonment, and forced abortion. He says he has passed on the letters to the police and is calling for a Senate inquiry into the religion and its tax-exempt status." It wasn't that long ago that the CoS was calling for Net censorship in Australia; a month later the organization was convicted of fraud in France.
Senator Xenophon? He must be in the clutches of Xenu! Someone get me an e-meter, quick!
512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
Anonymous should now use Nick Xenophon masks for all of their events.
Something tells me he's a CoS plant, hmmmmm...
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
Good
I can't help but wonder if the COS would even exist without its tax exempt status. Sure the people up top would be doing well like any pyramid scheme but would there be such an incentive for new members to join without the tax exemption?
Sigs are too short to say anything truly profound so read the above post instead.
If you think a person has broken the law then call the cops. Don't just splash allegations around under parliamentary privilege. If people in the CoS have broken laws then that says nothing about other people who associate with that organization.
In the absense of facts the senators statement in the summary could be applied to pretty much any set of people.
I don't like Scientology either but I value my freedom to associate.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
In before Xenophon/Xenu jok-... -sigh- too late.
To me, all religions are a scam. Some have been around longer than others and thus emanate a sense of legitimacy but they're mostly cults with a God that we offer our prayers and money to in return for a hope of a better life.
Religions come and go, their Gods are offered gold, placed upon altars and have great building and churches erected in their names - and yet, people die of violence, starvation, and famine. Their Gods grow weak and frail, their subjects grow old and a new religion eventually emerges and takes its place as the new "true" religion. A sad cycle indeed.
The magical number is: 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
Anyone else shocked that a failed entrepreneur discovers a religion that requires significant capital outlay from it's followers? Hm....me either. Just google "e-meter"
It wasn't that long ago that the CoS was calling for Net censorship in Australia; a month later the organization was convicted of fraud in France.
So does the CoS have to call for Net censorship in Belgium before Australia can convict them of fraud?
My webcomic
That's fairly rare among politicians. Congratuations, Austraila!
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
Nick Xenophon is the only independenr of the Australian Senate. I wonder if that is related, as he doesnt have to please his party?
Would that make Xenophon a Xenuphobe? ... to be fair, I got that line from Dominic Knight's Twitter feed :)
I don't like Scientology either but I value my freedom to associate.
Should all associations be given tax-free status? If not, then what conditions deserve tax-free status, and should that status be irrevocable once obtained?
If it's for-profit but free, you're not the customer -- you're the product (e.g., the Slashdot Beta's "audience").
We all know how Scientology works. If you don't, look it up.
What method of assassination will Scientology take?
1) Physical Assassination
2) Assassination of Character and Reputation
3) Assassination of Assets
4) Assassination of Family Members
5) Something Else
6) All of the Above
Really, don't expect this guy to be around much longer.
Have friends who are into scientology? Get them hooked on Scat-entology instead. I formed it from the words "Shit" and "To sell as a religion". The difference is I accidentally set the buy it now price at $0 and so it's free. I'll get it right next time.
www.voiceofthehive.com - Beekeeping and Honeybees for those who don't.
Pretty OT here but with people making Xenu gags because of the name its worth point out that Xenophon's Conversations with Socrates is one of the few sources for views of the great Greek philosopher and orator.
CoS are of course a shill, its not even a very clever shill, their "e-meters" are almost as dumb as the bullet proof pants that the Mormons try and pedal.
Why should any religion get tax status? They aren't a charity, the money is primarily there to support their own organisation. They are selling a product called "salvation" and people are paying money in the belief they are getting something back.
Socrates wasn't the biggest fan of religion either... question everything.
An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
An "anonymous" reader. Hm, ironic?
Xenophon, for those unfamiliar, was an ancient Greek general best known for writing The Anabasis -- an account of the trials and adventures of The Ten Thousand, a group of Greek mercenaries hired by Cyrus the Younger. After he's killed in battle, the Greeks have to march back to Greece from deep within enemy territory. It's quite a thrilling tale with plenty of action and treachery. Surprised they haven't made a movie out of it a la 300.
If I was Mr. Xenophon, I'd rather go up against the Persians than the Scientologists :D In any event, he has an awesome last name.
The new ones cost less that the used one ...
Following on from the informative comment from Onetus, The Age also has a full transcript of Xenophons speech to the Senate. He makes it clear that he is tabling letters in the Senate with names removed to protect informants and innocents and has left the names in the copies sent to the Australian Federal Police.
The point of his speech is to open dialogue in the Senate with a view to holding an inquiry into the CoS tax exemption. The purpose of sending the letters to the police with original names is for the police to investigate any criminality. Kind of a pincer movement really, good on him.
From the speech:
I don't therefore I'm not.
I can only hope this means no more promotional tours from John Travolta and Tom Cruise. That's a protest I can live with and love. Also, Jenna Elfman.
Can we use this as a precedent to get rid of other religious organizations too? ;P
Sooner or later the westerns will suffer from it.
"In November 2009, Xenophon labelled the Church of Scientology as a criminal organisation in a speech to the Senate. [42] This is clear evidence that he has very large testicles."
I'm not in favor of vandalism, but LOL!
Still not dead.
Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister, has said he's concerned too, and wants to see the material before calling a full inquiry.
It's a sudden outbreak of common sense in the House in the Hill, that's for sure.
Man who leaps off cliff jumps to conclusion.
I'm amazed that this pyramid scheme has been allowed to continue unabated (and with tax-free status) for nigh on 40 years !
It's no more a religion than Amway, Avon or Tupperware is ... although you'd need a firemans vice to separate my mother-in-law from her overpriced plastic boxes.
Xenophon? Sounds Foreign
I suppose that should be enough to have Senator Xenophon (he's got a cool last name, any way you look at it) declared as a suppressive person by the Church, and hence becomes fair game. He'd better watch his back.
You don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion. - L. Ron Hubbard, 1948
... glad for Austrailians. Personally I wish we had a stand up politician like him in America.
Mod Me Up. You'll make a grown man cry.
This is gonna be a good fight. Get the popcorn!
Xenophon? Sounds Foreign
Sadly not too many moderators know their greek roots.
.....and I can tell you from personal experience that it really is pure concentrated evil.
Scientology has gotten away with innumerable crimes over the years in part because the average person is incapable of imagining that anything can be so completely malign in its goals. The organization is completely sociopathic.
They kicked me out because I wouldn't drink the koolaide.
If you want to know more, I recommend you check out operation clambake (www.xenu.net)
Muslim community leaders warn of backlash from tomorrow morning's terrorist attack.
Maybe you should have gone with "sounds alien" - might have clicked a few more gears into place for some.
From an outsiders perspective (atheist), scientology isn't any more corrupt or evil than any other organized religion in the world. It always amuses me when people of other faiths unload on scientology, while ignoring the crap their own religions promote.
Give it a couple of thousand years, and they'll be able to join the club of Established Religion.
Scary thought? Not really. It's no different than the bronze age fairy tales that millions of people believe in today...
South Australia Premier Mike Rann hates Senator Nick Xenophon because he could upstage him in state politics with clever and cheeky media stunts and is more popular.
South Australia Deputy Premier and Treasurer Kevin Foley doesn't like him either, as evidenced by Nick calling him a fucking cunt. (Which he is.)
Consequently, the Labor party hates Nick Xenophon.
Don't always agree with Nick, but he definitely isn't afraid to call out bullshit when he sees it and you have to respect that. Apparently a huge number of fellow South Australians also think the same, which is why he polled enough primary votes to win 1 of 6 senate seats in the last federal election.
The world would be a better place with more people like Nick Xenophon in parliament.
From an outsiders perspective (atheist), scientology isn't any more corrupt or evil than any other organized religion in the world. It always amuses me when people of other faiths unload on scientology, while ignoring the crap their own religions promote.
Give it a couple of thousand years, and they'll be able to join the club of Established Religion.
Scary thought? Not really. It's no different than the bronze age fairy tales that millions of people believe in today...
Nooooo! Somebody please stop the Australians before the Americans wake up, or else Tom Cruise is going to jump up and down on the sofa again!
Scientologists went after Slashdot with lawyers some time ago and forced the only deliberate comment removal from this site. That is why it is on topic here.
Maybe you should have gone with "sounds alien"
I was not the OP. Strange as that may sound.
Slashdot doing articles about Scientology predates 4chan's existence.
Scientology has been known for calling up on censorship and claiming copyright theft since the 90s. They got articles pulled from usenet servers by issuing false cancel messages on insecure nodes, DDoSed servers to prevent information from being spread, threaten internet anonymity etc.
Seems like something "nerds" would rage on to me and certain articles seem relevant to Slashdot in my opinion.
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
Alan Grayson
Republicans attempt to cut off Rep Grayson's speech
His Youtube channel: RepAlanGrayson
Note, that he has balls and he is on a war against the republicans in congress, this means he is going against lobbyists and their underlying corporate masters, this is like going against 10000 CoSs at once.
You can't handle the truth.
Let us all spend a minute to send Senator Xenophon messages of support. You can bet he'll be receiving unsavoury communications, let's do our best to offset this and encourage the Senator to keep at it. His e-mail address is: senator.xenophon@aph.gov.au Don't worry if you're not Australian; international support is just as valuable.
we need to get rid of the rest of the religions and we might just save humanity.
I'm not sure its religion, as such, thats the problem. I think its monotheism.
Monotheism creates a kind of mono-mania in people where they can only perceive one very specific way of looking at the world as being 'correct'.
Take Hinduism as a contrast. Hinduism contains within itself as much variation as you'd find between, say Christianity and Taoism.
And then look at the behaviors of these entities that Christians, Jews and Moslems call 'God'.
Judging these so-called 'Gods' by their behaviors as documented in their *own* 'holy' scriptures, I'd have to characterize Christianity, Islam and Judaism as devil-worship.
In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
Thank the Hollywood stars who keep funding it.
It should have been dissolved in France but what happened instead is really shameful. The judge was probably going to order the dissolution of the scientology, considered culprit of being a criminal organization of fraudulent aim (that means that money was considered their driving motivation). But two weeks before the verdict (a perfect synchronization). Our parliament made a "mistake". Inside a huge corpus of law modification (aimed at simplifying the laws regarding buisnesses and companies), someone "inadvertently" put a law removing the dissolution as a possible verdict for fraud. Nobody was able to point out the person who put this amendment (how comes !?) and everybody said it was a mistake and they would correct it with a new law. Unfortunately, the verdict was due two weeks later and instead of dissolution, the scientology got a record fine.
They are loosing adepts, but they still have people in the higher spheres...
The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
The sad truth is that religions become centres of power, and centres of power attract criminals. It's interesting to see how even the green movement is being plagued with criminals selling people massively uneconomic wind and solar systems, because people's desire to do good often exceeds their ability to see through bullshit. But some religions - Zen, Quakers, Reform Judaism, the liberal wing of the Episcopalian Church - have proven very resistant to criminal infiltration. That's possibly because they attract mainly very educated people. To be blunt, one reason Scientology is so successful might be because it has targeted the rich and gullible.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
As an Australian I have had to endure years and years of idiot Senators embarrassing me in front the world's nerds here on Slashdot. Finally we have a half-smart one.
Classical Liberalism: All your base are belong to you.
I see this argument everytime slashdot reports on Scientology. Many ideologies that people hold to are shams but harmless (look at aromatherapy). Whether it is true or not is irrelevant and a straw man argument. The issue here is whether the organisation is causing harm and whether that harm that it does is intrinsic.
That would make him a Xenuphile.
FRA: STFU GTFO
Start your own 12th Day eventist, Saturn Nights Church, Church of Nerdology - all computer parts are tax free weeeeee
Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.
They also got the text of OT3 removed from slashdot after an AC posted it. Only other time that has happened I recall is when some windows source got pulled. Confirming MS and Scientology lawyers are worth the hefty fee.
Yes, unfortunately the idiom "A fool and his money are soon parted" doesn't apply when you have more money than you know what to do with.
As a polytheist myself, I have to say that does give you a fair amount of freedom that monotheism doesn't.
First off, when different polytheistic cultures met up with each other, they frequently exchanged religious ideas, even if they were fighting each other. They recognized that it was quite possible that different cultures were either worshipping the same gods in a different way, or maybe had encountered different gods. The conversation might involve a Greek guy explaining Hermes to a Roman, and the Roman saying "Oh, we know about that god, but we call him Mercury". Julius Caesar tried to describe the faith of the Gauls as well, despite trying to kill them. The fighting was almost invariably for political ends rather than religious.
Secondly, polytheism allows for interests to compete with each other without one of them being evil. For instance, let's say one faction wants a city to focus on creating a better irrigation system so the harvest can be larger, while another faction wants to focus on building strong defenses in case a neighboring city attacks. Which side is evil? Probably neither. In a polytheistic environment, an agricultural god is motivating the first group, and a warfare god is motivating the second group, and they're competing interests, but both motivated by decent people. In a monotheistic environment, what's more likely to happen is that the chief priest of the city will say "God says to work on building strong defenses" and all of a sudden that becomes dogma for the faith, and anyone who doesn't agree with it is evil and subject to being repressed or at the very least looked down upon.
I am officially gone from
/standingovation
Life takes interesting turns, but the most interest is when you're off the beaten path.
Senator X used Parliamentary Privilege in exactly the way it is meant to be used: to start a discussion about something that the regular institutions may not be handling properly. Note the word "start". Things a parliamentarian says under privilege are not authoritative -- in fact, they're usually trite, and often wrong -- but sometimes they initiate very useful public debates.
It's the new casting couch, and it's just as psychologically damaging... but you can't get therapy to cope afterward.
Imagine a world where people motivated themselves with reason.
Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
Whenever there's something about CoS it seems like there's a crowd of people who chime in with, "But ALL religions are corrupt, criminal, and commercial." Which inevitably leads to the conclusion that, if you happen to not have a problem with religion in general, you must accept anything which calls itself a religion, or become an atheist.
Here's the problem. We'll put aside my Pollyanna-esque belief that most of the time religions really are about a genuine and sincere effort to understand the metaphysical aspects of existence. Yes, the Catholic church is responsible for suppression of science and learning, set up the "indulgence" system, and a host of other sins. Keep in mind, however, that the Catholic church was the last vestige of Roman-style socio-political organization after the fall of the empire. While the West dissolved, the Catholic church was the closest thing to a stable government that was able to provide legitimacy to regional and local rulers, preserve some measure of learning, and mitigate internal conflict. Not until the Treaty of Westphalia does the modern concept of the state enter into Western thinking, and that was well after the Inquisition's height. So, yes, the Catholic church has done some nasty things, but compare it to any other nation-state if you want an appropriate ethical comparison.
CoS, on the other hand, actively seeks to defraud individuals through a deliberate pyramid-scheme. It is felonious by any legal standards, and does no charitable work to speak of. Churches, synagogues, and mosques routinely collect money from followers as a sign of devotion and as a means of maintaining themselves (literally, as in a "building fund").
Some Slashdotters appear to be confused as to the concept of nonprofit. A nonprofit organization is allowed to raise money through sales and donations in order to pay it's employees and maintain itself; it only has to show that, at the end of the day, it doesn't have any money.
This unbiased moderation brought to you by the Porcine Aviation Group!
Maybe they're just xenophobic.
You're talking about God(s) as if you were choosing a fabric softer...
As a complete Atheist with no links to any groups, I can say safely say that
older religious groups have gone through the same growing pains as the Scientology
nuts, but over time have gotten beaten back into the mainstream.
Most new "Religions" seem more aggressive and are devoid of any Faith Based Morality.
So let people believe what they want unless it does harm, then shut it down...
We need Religions as a guiding influence on those who cannot find or create their
own meaning in life, but that doesn't mean we have to let these people walk all
over the rest of us.
As for Scientology, yeah, they're getting their hands in too many pockets and
creating economic ripples and ruining the lives of many poor unfortunates...
time to shine a light on that...
End of Line.
Yeah, but you got to admit, it IS kind of kewl to do both.
Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
To be more accurate, the Church of Scientology (California) was granted tax-exempt status in 1954, and obtained tax-exempt status nationwide in 1957.
In 1967, the Church of Scientology was stripped of it's tax-exempt status by the IRS, asserting that its activities were commercial (and not charitable or religious) and benefited L. Ron Hubbard. It did not regain tax-exempt status until 1993, which it has had since.
So, as far as it matters in the U.S., the CoS as a national organization, has had tax-exempt status (as a 501(c) organization) for 26 years out of the period spanning 1957 to 2009.
That being said, they should lose their tax-exempt status on any careful examination of their books.
Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
Maybe instead of dissolution, France wanted to be able to fine someone who could afford it, and continue to do so going forward?
For the clueless, I have translated high level church language, which appears to be English on the surface, but seems to be the CoS version of speaking in tongues, from Virginia Stewarts remarks in the story. It seems to be a language derived from buy here/pay here used car dealers in the Midwest u.s.
"If these people had key issues, then how come they haven't contacted the church officially?" she said.
( We could've definitely driven the evil spirits out of these people with a bathtub of scalding water,avoiding any bad publicity from non CoS sources)
"We actually have an entire section that responds to people. So if someone has a complaint about the church, we really are so happy to meet with them."
(We have a section specializing in quieting dissenters. We can't disrupt our revenue leeched from the spiritually confused of the public, dissent could only mean evil spirits, so they need a nice warm bath)
Ms Stewart says the church tried to contact Senator Xenophon earlier this year after he spoke about Scientology on television.
( I was going to coax him over for a plate of kickback, a cup of blackmail and a nice warm bath)
"We offered to meet with him, to be completely open, answer any of his questions," she said.
( We wanted to see if he was receptive to veiled threats, but he claimed he'd just bathed)
"He didn't even bother to reply so I think it's a bit disingenuous that someone stands up in Parliament, where they can say whatever they want.
(He called us wack jobs and hung up citing laws regarding kickback, now the bastards gonna smear us and I'll have to be reeducated and purged because I didn't stop it. Where's my rubber ducky?)
"He hasn't even spoken with us before, and we have attempted to speak with him."
(Repeated callbacks begging for a deal didn't work, now some butch from SeaOrg is gonna drown me in the tub)
This is all just kind of a general translation, local dialects in both places make this kind of hard to keep diction from doing the babblefish dance.
Scientology is a criminal organization with a history of stalking and harassment, as well allegations of burglary, intimidation, kidnapping, bribery, attacks on the U.S. government (specifically the FBI), and murder both direct and through neglect.
Scientology's own documents show they believe in terrorizing and murdering anyone who opposed them.
It should be perfectly legal to use Scientology's own "auditing process R2-45" on every single member.
There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
If they're really operating as a non-profit, then their year-over-year balance shouldn't really be increasing that much.
Speaking as a certified accountant, non-profit status has NOTHING inherently to do with the amount of cash they hold. A non-profit organization simply does not distribute its surplus assets to owners or shareholders and instead uses them to further the goals of the organization. If holding a lot of cash would further the goals of the organization they can do that. The IRS might review their status if they are holding a lot of cash for no obvious purpose but by itself it means nothing. Foundations typically have large amounts of cash and moderately liquid investments. Non-profit organization can have a significant rise in assets and that is fine. Many hospitals and hospital systems are non-profit but they have large amounts of cash and other assets and frequently grow significantly.
Personally I question the idea that being non-profit should mean tax exempt (especially for religions with vast assets) unless it is an organization with a clear charitable charter but I didn't write the rules.
And not Islam? Islam is more criminal an organization that all other "religions" in the history of the world combined. Scientology may have killed a few people, but Islam kills people wherever they can find them. It's like cancer for any government.
Scientology isn't going to start shooting it's own servicemen or dropping grenades into their own people's bunker. They are scam artists and brain washers, sure. But they don't rise to the level of muslim scum.
Impressive post you just made, with quotes within quotes, bulleted lists, bold fonts .. wow. I'd rate it insightful on the layout alone!
No, the law will be reverted. A dissolution would have been a lot more profitable to France and justice is (still) enough independent from the political power to prevent such a good synchronization. It really sound as a last resort measure.
The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
Grey Comet Another site about Scientology and Anonymous.
Tory Magoo This web site is dedicated to all of the many critics who have spent years helping to expose the abuses of the organization known as the Church of Scientology and to those who have helped people wake up and see the light.
Lermanet A Scientology related website run by Arnaldo Lerma. This site has enough information to keep you reading for months.>
Lisa McPherson A site that tells the story of Lisa McPhersons life and death.
Time Magazine 1991 Scientology Article One of the best articles in a major publication about Scientology. A must read for anyone interested in more information.
You Found The Card A sister site in the protests against Scientology. This site is meant as a viral marketing site. Print up business cards and flyers with the url on them.
Who is David Miscavige Designed to show the true face behind the brutal Chairman of the Board for Scientology, David Miscavige.
Why Are They Dead A list of people who have died at the hands of Scientology.
XenuTV Mark Bunker, an Emmy award winner, show videos about Scientology.
Xenu.net A site full of information about Scientology. If you are really up for a lot of reading, this is the place to go.
Ex Scientology Kids
Ex-Scientology kids is designed, owned, and operated by three young women who grew up in Scientology, and later left the Church.
A forum for Anonymous Protests against Scientology Signed appropriately, Anonymous We do not forgive, We do not forget, Expect Us.
Greece isn't foreign?
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Hey, if it can be used to keep some idiot from holding up a liquor store and shooting someone, I'm all for it. Sure, said individual SHOULD not shoot anyone because he has an individual sense of morality and because he recognizes that to advance as a society we must have a social contract in which we all show each other basic respect and courtesy. But, let's face it, most people are way too stupid to appreciate that level of social abstraction. So if we need to tell them that a sky god will come and kick their ass if they don't behave, then so be it. The only real danger comes when a group of them (i.e. Crusaders or Jihadists) get it into their head that the sky god wants them to kill. But in the modern world that's (thankfully) a relatively rare thing.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
The Bible being translated in Latin was called the Vulgate - meaning "ordinary language", equivalent to being translated into English today. And there was much internal competition over doctrine, with the Dominicans (for instance) upholding the secular power and property of the Church and the Franciscans supporting holy poverty and the rights of the poor. The gap between Dominicans and Franciscans was much, much bigger than that between Republicans and Democrats. If you want a period when debate is suppressed by the media and public opinion is limited to a very narrow discourse, the first decade of the 21st century in the US of A trumps the Middle Ages, almost every time.
Scientology is a child of its time, not the past.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
Thanks for triggering my R6 implant. Thanks a loT
With any other religion I know you first of all get to hear the message and get flooded with how awesome it is and what the great lord/saviour/guru/whatever had to teach you, then you get asked for money. A business wants to see money before you get any information. One wants to spread its word and asks for donations in return, the other sells you info.
It's up to the reader to decide where CoS fits in here.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Oddly enough, the Catholic Church funded most of the scientists of the day. Including Copernicus and Kepler....
"I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
You make it sound like hindu fundamentalism doesn't exist. They make up a large bloq in Indian politics and social structure.
-molo
Using your sig line to advertise for friends is lame.
Are you saying the "after necessities" amount is $0?
If we're talking about $0 taxable income, wouldn't the tax amount be $0 too? I think most poor people can afford to pay $0.
They kicked me out because I wouldn't drink the koolaide.
Leave Kool Aid alone!
You mean Flavor Aid, don't you?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavor_Aid#Jonestown_suicide
[UID-HeinzIntel]
Not if you're greek.
Seriously.
Of course, many religious organizations including those where the leaders don't get paid, use organizational money to influence corporate and government policy, so in a sense even if your not a member of a church, you still stand a chance of getting screwed.
And Now.....A song from cake............
We are building a religion,
We are building it bigger
We are widening the corridors and adding more lanes
We are building a religion.
A limited edition
We are now accepting callers for these pendant keychains
To resist it is useless,
It is useless to resist it
His cigerratte is burning but it never seems to ash
He is grooming his poodle
He is living comfort eagle
You can meet at his location but you'd better come with cash
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_accounting/
In the US it is also practiced fairly effectively by corporations with profit margins regulated by percentage -- not making enough (size-wize, not percentage-wize) then just increase spend more.
Artificially inflating costs outside the tax structure is also one of the big ways that multi-national corporations screw the U.S. out of taxes that would be harder under a European-style VAT.
So ...
Profit? Tax it.
Non-profit? Tax it.
it's the only fair way
hehehe, I like this guy, he's funny!
+1 Disagree
Xenophon would be considered an S.P. by the church I believe.
Anyone read the Anderson Report from 1965?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderson_Report
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Cowen/audit/andrhome.html
I fear the Xenophon report will be responded to in the same way. Slander, threaten and blackmail, the Scientology way.
Nai, enai.
I ponder what criminal acts kdawson has been up to?
Link to source
The subject of philosophy is very ancient. The word means: “The love, study or pursuit of wisdom, or of knowledge of things and their causes, whether theoretical or practical.”
All we know of science or of religion comes from philosophy. It lies behind and above all other knowledge we have or use.
For long regarded as a subject reserved for halls of learning and the intellectual, the subject, to a remarkable degree, has been denied the man in the street.
Surrounded by protective coatings of impenetrable scholarliness, philosophy has been reserved to the privileged few.
The first principle of my own philosophy is that wisdom is meant for anyone who wishes to reach for it. It is the servant of the commoner and king alike and should never be regarded with awe.
Selfish scholars seldom forgive anyone who seeks to break down the walls of mystery and let the people in. Will Durant, the modern American philosopher, was relegated to the scrapheap by his fellow scholars when he wrote a popular book on the subject, The Outline of Philosophy. Thus brickbats come the way of any who seek to bring wisdom to the people over the objections of the “inner circle.”
The second principle of my own philosophy is that it must be capable of being applied.
Learning locked in mildewed books is of little use to anyone and therefore of no value unless it can be used.
The third principle is that any philosophic knowledge is only valuable if it is true or if it works.
These three principles are so strange to the field of philosophy, that I have given my philosophy a name: SCIENTOLOGY. This means only “knowing how to know.”
A philosophy can only be a route to knowledge. It cannot be crammed down one’s throat. If one has a route, he can then find what is true for him. And that is Scientology.
Know thyself . . . and the truth shall set you free.
Therefore, in Scientology, we are not concerned with individual actions and differences. We are only concerned with how to show man how he can set himself free.
This, of course, is not very popular with those who depend upon the slavery of others for their living or power. But it happens to be the only way I have found that really improves an individual’s life.
Suppression and oppression are the basic causes of depression. If you relieve those a person can lift his head, become well, become happy with life.
And though it may be unpopular with the slave master, it is very popular with the people.
Common man likes to be happy and well. He likes to be able to understand things, and he knows his route to freedom lies through knowledge.
Therefore, for fifteen years I have had mankind knocking on my door. It has not mattered where I have lived or how remote, since I first published a book on the subject my life has no longer been my own.
I like to help others and count it as my greatest pleasure in life to see a person free himself of the shadows which darken his days.
These shadows look so thick to him and weigh him down so that when he finds they are shadows and that he can see through them, walk through them and be again in the sun, he is enormously delighted. And I am afraid I am just as delighted as he is.
Scientology is a CIA creation to produce Manchurian candidates, so dirty tricks by CIA in France to support them is no surprise. Famous political assassinations by Scientology prepped psychopaths prove this. Murders of Anna Lindh, Olof Palme, JFK, RFK, etc. etc.
On a side note, I have never voted to elect an official to "play politics" I vote in hopes they will actually represent me, the voter, and get things done rather than making a safe path for a career.
Politics should have much stricter limits on duration in office. Limit this to one office held in a lifetime for a short time. Things will change for the better.
*Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
Yeah, but you got to admit, it IS kind of kewl to do both.
The way he did it, and how the organization grew even worse after he died, was in no way "kewl" or any other positive adjective.
You got to love their stance "If people had problems with the church why didn't they take it up with church officials? We have a dedicated department...."
It's like an SS officer saying "If people have problems with the Gestapo why haven't they taken them up with us? We have a dedicated group of individuals that deal with people like them. And by deal I mean assassinate"
Like anybody who's suffered torture is going to complain to their torturers.....
disingenuous