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RE: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
April 17, 2015 at 9:52 am
Atheism is a non-prophet organization join today.
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RE: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
April 17, 2015 at 8:20 pm
Scientology is opposed to psychiatry and doesn't believe in mental illnesses.
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RE: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
April 18, 2015 at 12:14 am
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RE: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
April 18, 2015 at 3:12 am
(This post was last modified: April 18, 2015 at 3:13 am by Alex K.)
@ Aractus
I don't know of an exactly comparable case, but there certainly was a reason why the roman church did not hold mass in the language of its followers, and provided no widely spread translations of the bible?
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
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RE: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
April 18, 2015 at 7:16 am
Yes, and that lead to the pre-reformation movement that then lead to the reformation. Although do keep in mind that this was before the invention of the printing press, so having a copy of the Bible made was quite expensive to begin with.
Although I should mention that I'm more interested in what the effects of a particular religion are today, not what they were 10 years ago, 20 years ago, or 1500 years ago.
So my point is that just on a public health perspective that Scientology is on shaky ground. If it brings net benefit then fine, leave it alone. If it doesn't then challenge its right to practise as a religion.
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RE: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
April 18, 2015 at 7:19 am
(This post was last modified: April 18, 2015 at 7:20 am by The Grand Nudger.)
Challenge it's right to practice as a religion...based upon some shadowy "net benefit"? No thanks. I think that you've extended your own opinions on this net benefit business entirely too much credibility, and I'm not sure why it would be applicable in any case.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
April 18, 2015 at 7:24 am
Oh right and I suppose you have a better criteria to challenge it on then?
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RE: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
April 18, 2015 at 7:41 am
I don't have to.......what reason is there to challenge scientology's right to practice as a religion?
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
April 18, 2015 at 9:11 am
The government should not recognize ANY religions, period.
Granting religious tax exemption is a violation of the 1st amendment because it requires the government to establish what is or isn't a religion. The government has no business doing that.
Atheist Forums Hall of Shame:
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
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RE: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
April 18, 2015 at 11:45 pm
(April 18, 2015 at 9:11 am)DeistPaladin Wrote: The government should not recognize ANY religions, period.
Granting religious tax exemption...requires the government to establish what is or isn't a religion. The government has no business doing that.
Only thing is, the power to tax is the power to destroy, and would allow government to target religions it didn't like. Though I hate to see organizations like Scientology and the Mormon Church be able to sock billions away with no public accounting whatsoever. Both organizations keep their books completely secret and furnish even the IRS with only minimal information because they don't have to file forms 990 as secular charities do. While the businesses they own or invest in aren't tax-exempt, the capital gains on their shares is. There really ought to be limits to what a religious body can shield from taxation. The costs of building and running meetinghouses, yes, but earnings on huge endowment funds, no. Religions should also have to publish their books detailing stuff they are claiming exemptions for.
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