Does Scientology deserve more scrutiny than other religions?

[Ravenshire]

No.  Scientlogy can be dismissed with merely a cursory examination.

Just like all the others.

[brewer]

No.  Scientlogy can be dismissed with merely a cursory examination.

I'm telling. They are gonna sue your ass! hehehehehe

[Rev. Rye]

On one hand, Scientology beliefs are not any more absurd than the beliefs that other religions present.

On the other hand, it was started by a science fiction writer, has copyrights/trademarks in place that "limit outsiders from distorting their intent", and is wildly secretive. It was started in the last century, so a lot of the facts about the origins of the religion are fairly well known.

So while I am an Atheist, and believe that religious mythology are works of fiction; I actually do have a little more bias towards Scientology. To the point where I have to believe that most of it's members join for status reasons, and not because they actually believe it.

What's your take?

I've read quite a few books about Scientology in the past few weeks, including Inside Scientology, Going Clear, Ruthless, and Bare-Faced Messiah. It seems shady business practices have (to say the least) been around since the beginning. But what truly makes it disturbing is David Miscaviage's ways of treating his underlings (including shutting them off in an ant-infested double-wide with hardly any food, and at one point forcing them 100 of them to play Musical Chairs and threatening the losers with menial work in remote outposts with no hope of seeing their families again) and even his wife (shutting her off in a nuclear bunker for the rest of her life after she dared to do some administrative duties that he had been putting off doing for a long time). Honestly, damn near everything I've read that hasn't come directly from the church points the same picture: like Malcolm Tucker, only more foul, and shorter, and more willing to commit alarming crimes on literally EVERYONE and for little to no reason.

Something is deeply horrifying about the fact that David Miscaviage is still a free man after falsely imprisoning his own employees and even his goddam wife.

[Thumpalumpacus]

The only real concern is that they tend to exploit and abuse their members (and staff!) more than other mainstream religions.

I couldn't care less over the idiots emptying their wallets for Scientology, but by all accounts they manage to park their followers in positions of power. The classic example of a fifth column and a danger for the economy as well as politics.

It's not just that. I have a friend in Florida, near their HQ, who in the past as a biker/bouncer has had, shall we say, "business dealings" with that church. Very shady stuff -- gun-running, stalking, drug dealing. My friend was approached for recruitment, which he turned down. Glad he had a concealed weapon; no shots were fired but according to him it was a very tense standoff.

It's a criminal racketeering organization, I'm convinced.

[Jackalope]

Prosecutorial scrutiny, yes. As to degree of absurdity, I don't think they try to keep their most batshit insane "scriptures" secret because they compare favorably to more mainstream offerings.

They're not exactly completely secret, and they take batshit insane to 11.

[vorlon13]

Scientology deserves many things.

I'd put an enema at the top of the list.

[Alex K]

The only real concern is that they tend to exploit and abuse their members (and staff!) more than other mainstream religions.

I couldn't care less over the idiots emptying their wallets for Scientology, but by all accounts they manage to park their followers in positions of power. The classic example of a fifth column and a danger for the economy as well as politics.

They prey on vulnerable people and exploit them and break apart their families, and your reaction to it is "fuck them, they're stupid?"

[Alex K]

The only real concern is that they tend to exploit and abuse their members (and staff!) more than other mainstream religions.

I couldn't care less over the idiots emptying their wallets for Scientology, but by all accounts they manage to park their followers in positions of power. The classic example of a fifth column and a danger for the economy as well as politics.

They prey on vulnerable people and exploit them and break apart their families, and your  reaction to it is "fuck them, they're stupid?"
The whole them taking over politics was pretty much an 80s scare, people are not afraid of them anymore, the internet killed them, fortunately.

[abaris]

It's not just that. I have a friend in Florida, near their HQ, who in the past as a biker/bouncer has had, shall we say, "business dealings" with that church. Very shady stuff -- gun-running, stalking, drug dealing. My friend was approached for recruitment, which he turned down. Glad he had a concealed weapon; no shots were fired but according to him it was a very tense standoff.

It's a criminal racketeering organization, I'm convinced.

They are tied to numerous dubious deaths on an international level. Former members getting too vocal about the ongoings or even their relatives suddenly dying. There's also the rumor that what happens in Clearwater stays in Clearwater, as far as the local police is concerned. They don't seem too eager to shed a light on crimes that seem at least connected to Scientology.

So yes, I would say they're like the Mafia. What I never got though is who's actually profiteering from all the money they're raking in. You always hear about people paying obscene sums for useless seminaries. Even Tom Cruise. But you never hear about the people buying the fat Limousines and building mansions. It's not like Bagwan who flaunted his fleet of Royces or some of the mob bosses.

[Alex K]

It's not just that. I have a friend in Florida, near their HQ, who in the past as a biker/bouncer has had, shall we say, "business dealings" with that church. Very shady stuff -- gun-running, stalking, drug dealing. My friend was approached for recruitment, which he turned down. Glad he had a concealed weapon; no shots were fired but according to him it was a very tense standoff.

It's a criminal racketeering organization, I'm convinced.

They are tied to numerous dubious deaths on an international level. Former members getting too vocal about the ongoings or even their relatives suddenly dying. There's also the rumor that what happens in Clearwater stays in Clearwater, as far as the local police is concerned. They don't seem too eager to shed a light on crimes that seem at least connected to Scientology.

So yes, I would say they're like the Mafia. What I never got though is who's actually profiteering from all the money they're raking in. You always hear about people paying obscene sums for useless seminaries. Even Tom Cruise. But you never hear about the people buying the fat Limousines and building mansions. It's not like Bagwan who flaunted his fleet of Royces or some of the mob bosses.

They did own like 40 huge buildings in Clearwater alone, those didn't pay themselves either...