Comments on: Scientology, Anonymous

By: Jason G

Jason G — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:07:47 +0000

D. Perse Says:
– Just imagine the suicide rate if everyone followed the cold and clinical religion of science.

In Christianity and Islam, this life serves no purpose. The entire purpose is to worship the God in order to receive a ticket to heaven in the afterlife. That is why we have suicide bombers. Imagine the suicide rate if people really believed in heaven and thought they were going there. Humanism gives meaning and importance to our actual lives here on Earth.

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:15:49 +0000

Tom, must we know the details of your religion to ‘know’ it is false? Most religions do some good. This is the base of religion in general. Would people not do good deeds without religion? I am certain they would. The main problem I see in any myth is the possibility of doing harm even as one thinks he is doing good. This can happen to Atheists as well,but history shows that gods command war and suppression of rights and this is to be perpetuated for all time.When a deity makes a rule and the followers think the deity is all knowing, critical thinking stops.
I also think all religious organizations should be taxed. They are all effectively income generating,for profit businesses.There contributions to disaster relief could be a deduction.
I do think though, that religion should have freedom to organize and practice,as long as no one is really being harmed.Speaking out on religion is not the same as not allowing religion.Citizens need freedom of our speech protected to warn others of possible dangers of religions.This does not mean they hate but are simply concerned.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:49:22 +0000

How many of the 104 respondents here have read 1 book on either Dianetics or Scientology in its entirety with the intention of reading it in an unbiased manner? Probably none as most of the comments had a bias to them from word one. That is a good way to learn something if you think you know all which is exactly what most of the respondents sound like. People who know all. What a shame. Did you know that Scientologists were on scene at the horrible tsunami in Indonesia 4 years ago and hundreds came from all over the region to help those who lost everything in the Tsunami. Do you know how many Scientologists were at Ground Zero to help the rescue workers with stress reducing assists so they could do their jobs more effectively? There were over a 1000 who came from all over the US and the world to offer themselves in service to those in need. How many Scientlogists were in New Orleans helping the victims of Katrina and Rita later in the year. I was there along with more than 500 others from my church who came from all over the US. There were also 1000’s of other volunteers of every faith at all these disasters helping there fellow man in his time of need. Were any of you there helping or did you send money or clothes to help. If you were, wonderful, if you weren’t well okay. I am not here to condemn you because you didn’t help, or couldn’t help or had to work and couldn’t go to help. But before you start condemning people because they have a label on them like a jew, or a mormon, or a jehovah’s witness, stop to think about where you are and what America stands for. That was the point the author was making in the beginning. He also has other fish to fry with Scientology. That can be remedied with a willingness to read a book like “A New Slant on Life” or Problems of Work”. Scientology helps one to see life more analytically to make better choices to improve conditions. It helps one win at the game of life. One can learn to give and receive the auditing in a much cheaper way than doing it with a professional auditor. If one has big problems in ones life, Scientology and Dianetic auditing can help rid oneself of debilitating disabilities that can feel like ones life is doomed. Many people have such disabilities. Many hide from them as putting them on the shelf is the only way to cope with them. Some use antidepressants to hide from them and make the pain go away. Most people on this planet have something in their life they would love to get rid of that they feel it is ruining their life. Some never marry because they are extremely shy. They make excuses they cant meet the right guy or girl. Some people feel like they have to be the class clown to feel alive. But they know it makes them look like a fool. Other’s fear confrontation with people or with red haired women or bald guys with mustaches.
All people have something going on in their lives they can not explain or fix. They feel it is ruining their life. They want to fix it but do not know how. So they turn to drugs or alcohol for a quick forget it fix but the “pain” of the ruin so to speak comes back the next morning.
That’s where Dianetics and Scientology come in. It helps you to fix you. It helps you to start living the life you want to live but feel you can not. And, yes it costs money. Those big churches the Baptists have were not free. Many gave thousands in tithes for their church. So do Scientologists. Their religion helps them in every aspect of their loves, both spiritually and materially. Many succeed in business because they have a solid foundation of confidence and self determinism to operate with. Many have said Scientology is actually free from the amount of financial success they attained after experiencing the wonders of auditing and courses of training in the spiritual technology of Dianetics and Scientology. There are millions more like me out there. They just choose not to participate in these hate filled forums. Scientology is helping people in every aspect of life from drug abuse to criminality to human rights to education, to instilling morals and values back into society and many more projects.
I hope this sheds some light on what Scientology is. I am not naive by any means. I am sure there are those who will say I am brainwashed or an idiot but then again, I am participating in a hate forum, what else should I expect right? If this gets through to one person and he she reads a book and realizes there is some truth to this thread, well hell, I did a good job. If you are a hater of things you don’t understand, knock it off and learn something you don’t know.

By: Margo

Margo — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:55:57 +0000

The difference between Scientology and Judaism, or any other major religion you care to name, is a) they have a much better story, and b) they don’t charge converts for every step along the belief path.

By: sam

sam — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:51:38 +0000

I think scientology has lot of good in it. I just think it is too advanced for our times. Aliens probably practise scientology as every day habit for self healing but we humans are too dumb to understand it. But what bothers me is if it is so good why not do it for free or a very reduced costs. I think because nobody knows how it really works(full potential), therefore corruption is starting to give it a bad name. The Spirit can only know GOD when the spirit does not want to play a game/or is serious. Scientology is the doorway to realise the self. But scientology is not all answers.

But nobody can see their self at will. Why?
Because we have to break all habits, seeing, doing, analysis. and thinking.
One day I asked myself how would I feel if I died and had no thought(after meditating for teenty years some days as intense as 4-8 hrs per day). I had no thought for 4-6 seconds. The spirit was seen as a bright light so was GOD communicating. GOD is very rich. One who gives and becomes richer. This is why you all feel good if you give. The world is programmed. Thoughts are travelling faster than light. We must know GOD to end this suffering. That is why I meditated for twenty years. I Have enough data points from GOD to say he exists. Remember the child in OH GOD movie. How come the skeptics never saw GOD. They had turned
their switches/montors off and did not even knowledge of it. Scientology may help turn this switch on.

By: Mr.XXX

Mr.XXX — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:13:38 +0000

HYPO 2: Imagine reading the following press release (circa 1935).

Hello, Nazis. We are anonymous. Over the years, we have been watching you. Your campaigns of misinformation; suppression of dissent; your litigious nature, all of these things have caught our eye… Anonymous has therefore decided that your organization should be destroyed. For the good of your followers, for the good of mankind — for the laughs — we shall expel you … and systematically dismantle Nazism in its present form…

It is a moral imperative that the parasitical operational structure of Scientology is exposed insofar as its hosts may be set freed.

By: Yin

Yin — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:21:41 +0000

Dear Mr Shermer,

I am completely against scientology, yet I found your work quite thought-provoking. May I please note though, on the layout of your work- making it at first seem a pro-scientology attack on the movement anonymous. The disanalogy you use at the beginning damages the anonymous movement without just cause- as I assume from reading the rest of your article, you are a nuetral party. I recommend that in future you write with more conviction, so that your message is clear, and cannot be used as an attack on either side of the scientology vs. anonymous debate. Despite the fact I am against Scientology, I wish for them to be brought to justice for who they really are, not testostrone-fuelled exaggerations. Overall, please be more clear in future of your message so that you are not misquoted.

I wish you all the luck in the future and I hope that your comments on Scientology’s corruption do not bring you any harm, as very bravely, you have not remained anonymous.

Total regards,

Yin

By: Famous Mortimer

Famous Mortimer — Thu, 21 May 2009 04:36:44 +0000

Michale Shermer once again proves why he is such a reliable source of earnest skepticism.

Reading through the various comments on this site, I am reminded why I eventually abandoned visiting forums related to skepticism. They are haunted by far too many individuals with axes to grind, and individuals who can’t see that their passion for a particular cause has led them down the same path to cartoonish behavior that they often chide their opponents about.

As someone has already wondered, did most of you read past the first couple of paragraphs? The entire point of the essay was to hold a mirror up to those who react with the same sort of misplaced fervor that their opponents do. Ultimately, these types of attitudes do very little to damage groups, and can often encourage people to sympathize with them if the harassment is perceived as going too far.

You can oppose, and disagree with Scientology. I do. However, keep in mind that taking that opposition to the extreme can sometimes lead to unintended consequences, and at the very least you will be guilty of being unreasonable.

Unfortunately, the skeptical community is full of far too many Fundie Atheists, and other naive forms of enraged skepticism.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 04 May 2009 05:27:56 +0000

Mr. Rotgers, you’re undermined by your biased argument against Mormons. You mention their flaws, but you fail to mention their virtues (for example, being among the most generous of charitable organizations in the United States). Not everything that results from organized religion negatively impacts humanity. In fact, the influence of the major Christian denominations (at least in our day) is largely positive. Truth will not be discovered when only one aspect of the available evidence is considered.

By: Mez

Mez — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 04:05:02 +0000

I think the point that we’re all missing here is that we have no evidence for any religious beliefs, and that all religions exist only because of fear, mob mentality and outright stupidity.

Scientology just happens to be more insultingly stupid than most religions, and it’s existence irks a lot of people, myself included. I would like to ask my countries legislators why it’s legal. Why can’t we follow Germany’s good example and outlaw it as the cult it is?