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.

Comments

Re:Should they get off tax-free?

[DangerFace]

Whoever heard of a religion that didn't make money?

Those that feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, provide shelter for the homeless (cf. Matt. 25:35) and that sell their posessions to give to the poor (cf. Luke 18:22). They tend to be the ones you've not heard of unless you're in their neighbourhood and in need.

Dude, seriously? You think I should ring up the IRS and tell them that I don't need to pay tax because I help out at the local homeless shelter? If someone works out a way of profiting from Matthew 25:35 or Luke 18:22, then it should be taxed. You don't appear to have read any of the posts above your own - no one is saying that churches should be taxed period, they're saying that any profits a church makes should be taxed.

Re:A grasp of the obvious?

[Jacques Chester]

Don't get too excited. Xenophon is in the same Senate as that oxygen thief Stephen Conroy.