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...
@Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.: you can't NOT fail the test, or pass...whatever. they just want your money, it's totally bogus, so they bait you and ask you loaded questions and spin it to convince you that you need the salvation they are hocking...at a premium
it's odd to me how transparent the scam aspect of it is, and all these people are still eating it up. it's insane #calendar
@Bootknife-Jackson: Ah, they used to give a written test which any normal person would, of course, fail according to their standards, and then they'd go on with the scam.
But I heard tell of those who'd answer perfectly by their standards, just to watch their heads spin. The drones knew what to say to average people, but had no ingrained patter to deal with anyone who got them all "right".
@Evil Tortie's Mom: R.O.A.C.H.: hah. yeah that's essentially what my experience with the tests were like, thought they were usually integrated with an interview, that's really why we went, to mess with em, make up outlandish claims and answers. we never really dedicated ourselves to 'cracking the code' or even to answering correctly ;)
@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
Nice to see Luke Chueh here, if not a little unexpected. His work is one example of being both rock-solid art, but earnestly salable (as opposed to a regular sellout fine art whooore).
Awesome. Just awesome. Is the cat at the top of the mouse/cheese hill doing the rock out sign or the supposed Diablo sign. I always got told (being metal through and through), that this sign was never the sign for the devil, but infact spanish for Bull. I think Dio was the one who said it in an interview about how it caught on from one of his gigs. Im not saying its true or right. But has anyone else ever heard of this story???
@CoffinDodger (If the typos crap. Blame my keyboard): There is a small separatist nation inside of the United States; it is called Texas. They would claim they coined the gesture, and in between barbecue pork belches, they say WHOO HOO HOOK 'EM HORNS while doing that horn-thing. Yep.
Sports fans, same all over the world.
@AmishJohn: Trues, beef for certain. My tasty-barnyard-good-eats geography was off. I think it was my inner neanderthal expressing his repressed bbq bloodlust, because he is not allowed to eat greazy terrestrial creatures anymore.
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
11/20/09
01:42 AM
.....i hear...
#calendar
02:00 PM
08:10 PM
it's odd to me how transparent the scam aspect of it is, and all these people are still eating it up. it's insane
#calendar
09:44 PM
But I heard tell of those who'd answer perfectly by their standards, just to watch their heads spin. The drones knew what to say to average people, but had no ingrained patter to deal with anyone who got them all "right".
10:17 PM
#calendar
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
09/15/09
09/15/09
09/15/09
09/15/09
Dung beetles?
09/15/09
09/15/09
09/15/09
Sports fans, same all over the world.
09/15/09
09/15/09
Go Horns.
09/15/09
09/15/09
[en.wikipedia.org]
09/15/09
09/15/09
09/15/09
Now which one to pick as a background?
09/15/09
You're sure of a big surprise.
If you go out to Hades today
You'd better go in disguise.
For every bear that ever there was
Will roast there for certain, because
Today's the day the teddy bears burn in their inferno.
09/15/09