Rolling Stone Investigates Scientology

[troutman]

Inside Scientology

Unlocking the complex code of America's most mysterious religion



http://www.rollingstone.com/news/sto...de_scientology

During the time I was researching this piece, I received a number of e-mails from several of the Scientologists I had interviewed. Most were still technically members of the church in good standing; privately they had grown disillusioned and have spoken about their feelings for the first time in this article. All of the young people mentioned in this story, save Natalie, are considered by the church hierarchy to be Potential Trouble Sources. But many have begun to worry they will be declared Suppressive Persons.

Their e-mails expressed their second thoughts and their fears.


Clearing the stages along the Bridge to Total Freedom is a process that can take years and cost tens and often hundreds of thousands of dollars -- one veteran Scientologist told me she "donated" $250,000 in a twenty-year period. Other Scientologists can wind up spending family inheritances and mortgaging homes to pay the fees.


An earlier Time Magazine cover story (1991): The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power:

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Fishman/time-behar.html

Ruined lives. Lost fortunes. Federal crimes. Scientology poses as a religion but really is a ruthless global scam -- and aiming for the mainstream

[Bobblehead]

In the late 1940s, pulp writer L. Ron Hubbard declared, "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." link

[Cowperson]

"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."

Combine that with "there's a sucker born every minute" and you've got something.

Its almost like Hubbard made his cause so deliberately idiotic that he was tweaking his nose at anyone who would think that common sense would ultimately prevail, as though Scientology itself is a deliberate statement about the gullibility of mankind.

Cowperson

[Cheese]

so we need to start our own brand....a CP version of Scientology perhaps...we could call it Fotzeism, troutmen or transplantanians....or simply Cowperson's!

Ill write the bible...we need a good authoritarian figure to be our Hubbard...anyone?

[Bobblehead]

Call it Xenu's Armada

[Cheese]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Call it Xenu's Armada

ROFLMAO... Xenu rounded up 13.5 trillion beings and flew them to Earth, were he flung them to the many volcanos, which he then vaporized with bombs. This scattered their radioactive souls, or thetans, until they were caught in electronic traps set around the atmosphere they were then "implanted" with a number of "false" ideas such as gods or orginized religion.

[Cowperson]

Start a religion that revolves around the belief that God - or the Lords of Kobol - was/were responsible for the Big Bang . . . . . acknowledge the known universe is 12 billion or so years old . . . . . . acknowledge evolution as a self-guiding process which God merely observes, but does not interfere with, making your God or Gods less controlling of events, a welcome change from the current bunch (remember to distinguish your product so it stands out from the competition), . . . . . throw in some good behaviour clauses and agree there is an afterlife as a reward or maybe go the reincarnation route but make it so that you are reborn in an alternate universe created by other big bangs . . . . . . think up some kind of punishment mechanism for straying too far or just KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) and suggest reincarnation will be denied and death will be final . . . keep out the superstitious scare tactics. . . . lastly, of course, think up some reason why you need money.

I think people would respond to a religion that acknowledges obvious facts, allows for looser morality than many religions demand but provides for an end reward, an afterlife which makes death less than final.

They'll probably pay for that.

What would you have in your religion?

PS: On another front, FYI, Hinduism and textbooks in California, an interesting battle:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...home-headlines

Cowperson

[Tron_fdc]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Start a religion that revolves around the belief that God - or the Lords of Kobol - was/were responsible for the Big Bang . . . . . acknowledge the known universe is 12 billion or so years old . . . . . . acknowledge evolution as a self-guiding process which God merely observes, but does not interfere with, making your God or Gods less controlling of events, a welcome change from the current bunch (remember to distinguish your product so it stands out from the competition), . . . . . throw in some good behaviour clauses and agree there is an afterlife as a reward or maybe go the reincarnation route but make it so that you are reborn in an alternate universe created by other big bangs . . . . . . think up some kind of punishment mechanism for straying too far or just KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) and suggest reincarnation will be denied and death will be final . . . keep out the superstitious scare tactics. . . . lastly, of course, think up some reason why you need money.

I think people would respond to a religion that acknowledges obvious facts, allows for looser morality than many religions demand but provides for an end reward, an afterlife which makes death less than final.

OK, you need to stop talking before you start losing me money.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Cheese

so we need to start our own brand....a CP version of Scientology perhaps...we could call it Fotzeism, troutmen or transplantanians....or simply Cowperson's!

Ill write the bible...we need a good authoritarian figure to be our Hubbard...anyone?

You all need to send my ministry lots of $$$$, or the Great Trout will be "calling me home".

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

OK, you need to stop talking before you start losing me money.

We need to build a place of worship. Do you think these things grow on trees?

Or . . . . . since we're all over the evolution angle, services are outdoors, rain or shine!!! I always wanted to do that in June in school.

Now, since we're believers in processes going their "natural" way, would we be for or against global warming? Would we care if the ice caps melted and sea levels rose?

And would we count the days for when our brothers on other planets and in other universes all joined us holding hands in a big cosmic loopy de loop?

Would our morals be loose enough that we could sell our endorsement of beer brands?

Cowperson

[MolsonInBothHands]

Would our morals be loose enough that we could sell our endorsement of beer brands?

I would be happy to give the endorsements for free, if they promised to provide supplies for sacriment ceremonies for free.

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

And would we count the days for when our brothers on other planets and in other universes all joined us holding hands in a big cosmic loopy de loop?

You mean kind of like that "Hands Across America" thing, except instead of huge gaps in the midwest, there would be huge gaps through the Crab Nebulae?

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

You mean kind of like that "Hands Across America" thing, except instead of huge gaps in the midwest, there would be huge gaps through the Crab Nebulae?

Exactly.

But, in doing that, we'd recognize the reality of the thing, the impossibility of it, and have a psychic connection, through our lordly designated filter, the preacher/teacher, with all those other beings and that person would confirm, via his own wah, that we were all in touch and Lordy, can ya feeeeeeeeel it!!!

We could bury pyramids under the grassy places where we sit as a way of focussing energy for our cosmic connection.

Then crack a cold one to all our brothers and sisters out there and catch some rays . . . .

Cowperson

[Frank the Tank]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Would our morals be loose enough that we could sell our endorsement of beer brands?

Cowperson

I'll design the packaging!

[SuperManning]

haha, has anyone here seen the South Park where they make fun of scientology? **THIS IS WHAT THEY ACTUALLY BELIEVE** hahaha, that was one hilarious episode

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

I think people would respond to a religion that acknowledges obvious facts, allows for looser morality than many religions demand but provides for an end reward, an afterlife which makes death less than final.

They'll probably pay for that.

I dunno about the looser morality..nothing can beat good old guilt. Make em feel bad and beat it into them. Nothing makes people pay up like guilt. They need to buy their way back to salvation from the get go.