At the risk of being seen as a god-hater, I'm hesitant to put murdering (or manslaughtering) toddling children under the umbrella of Freedom of Religion.
I know. What a stick-in-the-mud.
Aztec blood sacrificing - especially of the ripping hearts out of gushing chests - however, involving adults and being spectacularly YouTube-friendly, needs to be added.
Well, I can't really see any way that the Scientologists could possibly force anyone to do anything, since membership is voluntary and they have no legal enforcement/coercive powers.
Seems like we have two cases of kids dying because of poor parental responsibility, and a bunch of complaints that people don't know when to say "screw you, I'm leaving".
Always good to blame someone else, especially if they're a persecuted minority. Sounds like a witch hunt to me, just like the rest of the anti-scientology crap.
-Kle.
@Klebert L. Hall: By that logic, no sect, church, gang, corporation or other non-governmental group of people could ever force somebody to do something because these also have no "legal enforcement powers". This seems somewhat illogical and ignorant to me, as it both ignores the various ILLEGAL corcive options available to practically group of people AND ignores the reality of a world filled with groups without legal enforcement powers that use threats, economic damages or just plain social engineering to make it members do what the group wants.
Of course, it also sounds like blatant pro-Scientology propaganda, so it's not really surprising that it's both wrong and devoid of any grounding in reality.
@Klebert L. Hall: While the church may have no formal coercive powers, religions automatically hold a great deal of sway over their true believers, and even those who are not completely on board with the religion are still part of a community whose affirmation/condemnation can be a powerful tool. The notion of people staying in abusive or harmful situations to the consternation of outside observers isn't exactly unheard of. Group membership and external affirmation are very important to us social animals, and we go a long way to preserve them.
we always used to go down to the big Scientology building in downtown Hollywood when we didn't have any money, and take free E-Meter tests, and just generally mess with the scientologists. it was a good way to kill 20-30 minutes...
@ThisDudeRufus: Guy Fawkes was/is a symbol of rebellion to the British and now to people everywhere thanks to V. When you look at the context the mask has in V for Vendetta, it makes sense; the original fell, but people everywhere began wearing the masks to demonstrate their rebellion against the government while also protecting their identities.
@Rocketknight: Think it brought a tear to Alan Moore's eye too. There was an article where said he felt proud that the anti-scientology protestors wore the Guy Fawkes masks.
It was about the only positive thing - in his opinion - that the film achieved.
@Neiten: "I was also quite heartened the other day when watching the news to see that there were demonstrations outside the Scientology headquarters over here, and that they suddenly flashed to a clip showing all these demonstrators wearing V for Vendetta Guy Fawkes masks. That pleased me. That gave me a warm little glow."
It's incredible how they consider each other bitter enemies: one is a mega organization, with incredible funds and vast influences in politics and financial institutions; the other is a group of moderately bored teens... with some hacker skillz.
Of course I mean no harm to either organization. #paranoia
Sure thing Ken whatever you say, these nice people are going to give you something that will help you see truth and all you have to do is sit in this room and draw pretty pictures....
I don't get flu shots and I won't get a swine flu shot because I never get sick, outside of bronchitis I have never had the flu and can't remember the last time I had a cold or strep. I really don't want to have it done or my kids either because they make it seem so scary but nobody at my sons school has caught it yet and my kids never really get sick either, occasional runny nose and/or ear infection is about it and those are few and far between.
Mr. Welch can keep his crazy ass theories, except I do think overpopulation is a joke unless you live in a really major city like LA or New York then I can see it being kind of crowded. In my little corner of Ohio though there is no such thing, and I live between Cincy and Dayton, grew up in Dayton.
This is right up there with HIV was a plot to kill Afro-Americans/Africans/homosexuals (depending on who you ask), menthol cigarettes are a plot to kill young black men, and FEMA is a plot to round up conservative Christians.
@Bill-Lee: Those are all true. Though you left out the part about HIV being the result of an immunization against vampirism, which went awry. That's important. They were testing it on people who smoked Kools, or something.
A very entertaining read. The best part is that he gets his information from "reversed" speech. He takes what the President and other people say and reverses their speech on recordings and finds secret messages in them. He's like a walking talking Philip K. Dick character.
Alright, H1N1 vaccine, you can either cause autism or kill off Baby Boomers and various races that would otherwise taint the New World Order - but you can't do both.
09:28 AM
I know. What a stick-in-the-mud.
Aztec blood sacrificing - especially of the ripping hearts out of gushing chests - however, involving adults and being spectacularly YouTube-friendly, needs to be added.
09:06 AM
Seems like we have two cases of kids dying because of poor parental responsibility, and a bunch of complaints that people don't know when to say "screw you, I'm leaving".
Always good to blame someone else, especially if they're a persecuted minority. Sounds like a witch hunt to me, just like the rest of the anti-scientology crap.
-Kle.
09:31 AM
Of course, it also sounds like blatant pro-Scientology propaganda, so it's not really surprising that it's both wrong and devoid of any grounding in reality.
09:40 AM
11/20/09
11/20/09
01:42 AM
.....i hear...
#calendar
02:00 PM
11/20/09
11/20/09
11/20/09
At all.
11/20/09
11/20/09
11/20/09
01:44 AM
#calendar
11/20/09
11/20/09
11/20/09
It actually kind of brings a tear to the eye.
02:38 AM
Not to mention it utterly confuses people who think internet trolls live in their mum's basements wearing elasticated clothing.
06:56 AM
It was about the only positive thing - in his opinion - that the film achieved.
06:59 AM
link
11/20/09
Of course I mean no harm to either organization.
#paranoia
11/20/09
11/20/09
I didn't want to look like a n00b!
11/20/09
11/19/09
11/19/09
I don't get flu shots and I won't get a swine flu shot because I never get sick, outside of bronchitis I have never had the flu and can't remember the last time I had a cold or strep. I really don't want to have it done or my kids either because they make it seem so scary but nobody at my sons school has caught it yet and my kids never really get sick either, occasional runny nose and/or ear infection is about it and those are few and far between.
Mr. Welch can keep his crazy ass theories, except I do think overpopulation is a joke unless you live in a really major city like LA or New York then I can see it being kind of crowded. In my little corner of Ohio though there is no such thing, and I live between Cincy and Dayton, grew up in Dayton.
11/19/09
"There is only one conspiracy. The conspiracy to make the world believe there is only one conspiracy"
11/19/09
11/19/09
11/19/09
11/19/09
11/19/09
Think about the Free Masons...
11/19/09