http://theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com/
http://theunfunnysequel.ytmnd.com/

I'll be honest, up until now I knew very little about Scientology or anything it has to do with, and because it didn't have anything to do with me, I didn't really care. Then I watched those two YTMND's that gives a few examples and I'm just awe struck..

So I spent a few hours surfing the 'net looking for information on it and such and I am pretty surprised at how shit like this can go on. Anyone have any good solid information on it or have an opinion on it?

Scientology is such a crock of shit. Every time I hear about their attitude against psychiatry I want to lock them in a room with a violent paranoid schizophrenic whose meds are slowly wearing off. The pseudoscientific froth dripping from their mouths gives them, in my eyes, less credibility than Jesse Jackson as a Ghostbuster.

Everytime I see Tom Cruise these days, it just pisses me off cant stand teh site of him, im so happy that Mission Impossible didnt do that well, here's to hoping his career is in the decline.

I'm in complete agreeance with you Moglor. I have no desire to watch any of his newer movies since he went psychotic. What was the final straw to me was his reaction to pregnant women. His wife couldn't scream when she gave birth, Brooke Shields shouldn't take drugs for her post pardem, he wanted to eat his baby's placenta, etc. He just went off the deep end.

Other than the Brook Shields slam the rest was horeshit. People (media mostly) take what he says out of context. The making noise at birth issue was that she couldn't make noise was the fact they didn't want anyone else making noise. A lot of people have the same request. They decided if she wanted to/needed to she could scream as loud and as much as she wanted and take drugs to ease the pain...the media skewed the truth. The eating the placenta was another huge joke...it was all b.s...he was interviewed a couple weeks before the birth and was asked all those questions..he said it was all made up. So I'll give him the benefit of the doubt..

Keeping in mind that the movie with John Travolta playing the alien when the Earth was taken over and enslaved was based on a book by the same Hubbard that founded Scientology gives me a sense of comfort....

.......it was not just one book of his that was lousy:p

Battlefield Earth

I love Battlefield Earth, good book. One of the better Sci Fi's of our time.

The religion based on fiction is scary though.

I remember reading somewhere (maybe on wikipedia) that Hubbar was joking around with another Author friend that he could start a religion or something and when it got started his friend couldnt get him to stop him from getting followers, Power is a great motivator.

That should be the first clue... a science fiction author starting a religion.... duh?

And Battlefield Earth .... good book, suck hind tit movie.

Hmmmm, maybe I should look at the book again.

I barely made it a third of the way into it when I first picked it up about 20 years ago. Not sure I could separate it from that movie now tho, hehe.

Battlefield earth, be prepared for a loooong read, over 1000 pages if I remember correctly.
Movie was ok. The whole Scientology thing, is just like any other religion; it's just a way to control people.

The whole Scientology thing, is just like any other religion; it's just a way to control people.

Another Sixee quote without any thought or reasoning behind it. The main reason religions came to be were to explain life and creation. Only later did the exploitation of this really become prevelant as different leaders came to power in various cultures - but these leaders were in power already. Not to mention how great a change - and why that change occured - for all religions was probably the printing press and taking the power out of the clergy and putting it into all of its members.

Today most members of the clergy are very much underpaid compared to modern standards. The benefits of modern religions can unarguably be seen as far more beneficial than any harm they've caused - Islam included. Most churches don't even really connect with a head of the church all too often, Lutherans only gather every 4 years to make any large decisions. So who exactly are controlling these 66 million people? My pastor who makes less money than I do (and I just graduated college 2 years ago)?

If one is going to be absolutely stupid about something and not even look at any facts - we can easily say Religions are horrible. But thankfully most people aren't absolutely stupid and they can take a minute and realize that far more people have died to lightning strikes this year than "religion" - probably just God's way of keeping us honest, huh?

That doesn't mean Scientology is a viable religion. It started as a "self-help philosophy" and would better be classified as a pseudo-religion or cult than anything with serious spiritual and relgious background.

But thankfully most people aren't absolutely stupid and they can take a minute and realize that far more people have died to lightning strikes this year than "religion" - probably just God's way of keeping us honest, huh?
Do you mean in the US or the world?

Another Sixee quote without any thought or reasoning behind it. The main reason religions came to be were to explain life and creation. Only later did the exploitation of this really become prevelant as different leaders came to power...
About 30 seconds later. ;)

I don't remember reading anything else of Hubbard's but Battlefield Earth. But I do remember his alleged quote from the '40s, "Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion." [cited in the 1980s by Reader's Digest and reiterated, in a different format, by Harlan Ellison and John W. Campbell.]

Enjoyed Battlefield Earth , didn't like his big 10 book series at all.

The religion proscribed to Hubbard is truly amazing in it's ability to draft celbs. Much as the one Madonna showcases it seems to be all flash in the pan.

Fandros

Thormir beat me to the quote, I couldn't find it fast enough. While I agree with Kelraz assessment of most religions, I think there are a handful that did not start out with benevolant purposes in mind (usually of the more modern sort), Scientology being one of them.

Khaballah

Bless you.