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Surprise! Scientology sue for showing Tom Cruise video

gawker.com — But Gawker is having none of it: "Here, below, the request to remove clips posted to Gawker and Defamer as part of our coverage of the Tom Cruise biography; and, after that, Gawker's refusal to comply."

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  • Iconoclast25, on 01/17/2008, -43/+406Scientology makes less sense than stuck-on-stupid cindy sheehan; it's a cult created out of thin air by a third rate SF writer. I am utterly amazed anyone embraces it except to use as raw material for jokes on late night TV.
    • spawnfree, on 01/17/2008, -2/+74When gullible and trusting people realize it is all about the money they choose to ignore the pain of realization that they are being scammed.
      By then the cult has its claws in and most of the minions opt to take out their anger on the 'unbelievers' and even take private pleasure in seeing others lose their savings.
      I wish they would all wake up.

      • Charlotte_Web, on 01/17/2008, -7/+22Title of digg article is inaccurate.

        Cease & Desist != lawsuit
        • theodenking, on 01/17/2008, -4/+9Reply by Charlotte_Web is completely irrelevant to comment.

          Your comments != more important than everyone else's.
      • Nitesmoke, on 01/17/2008, -3/+15Just wondering how far I'm gonna have to scroll down before I see "Christians are just as bad!!!" posts.
      • Kardall, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3All i have to say is... Why does the Church of Scientology sue at all? They protect their own monies... look at their creed: http://www.bonafidescientology.org/Creed/index.htm

        Quoted: "That all men have inalienable rights to think freely, to talk freely, to write freely their own opinions and to counter or utter or write upon the opinions of others; "

        come on... stop making us hate your belief system.
    • loneBoat, on 01/17/2008, -20/+10I read Battlefield Earth, and didn't think it was third-rate. I liked it.

      But the rest of your comment - yes.
    • petrodollar, on 01/17/2008, -18/+43So basically you're saying it's like any other religion.
      • RealmDown, on 01/17/2008, -15/+9So basically you are trolling to derail the topic by saying we can't be specifically critical, only generally critical.
        • petrodollar, on 01/17/2008, -4/+7Hurts, doesn't it?
        • GRTWHT, on 01/17/2008, -6/+6Actually, petrodollar makes a great point - all religions (that I'm aware of) are fantasies created by/for their believers and regarded as somewhere between silly and downright insane by non-believers.
      • AlexanderBlue, on 01/17/2008, -9/+28Cult: a small, unpopular religion.
        Religion: a large, popular cult.
        • SeaBass22, on 01/17/2008, -3/+26So...
          Religion is a large, popular, small, unpopular religion?
        • 1159, on 01/17/2008, -4/+3and....Dugg.
        • JoeVet, on 01/17/2008, -6/+4Cults use coercion, confusion and isolation to destabilize the victim. Cults aim to cut off family ties to keep the victim disoriented. Religion aims to strengthen family ties and is concerned with the well being of the individual.
        • Angostura, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2Well, yes and no. In fact, simply promulgating that view plays into real cults' hands. A religion that actively attempts to disconnect the new member from non-believing friends and relatives gets a few more ticks in the cult column. One that attempts to remove stubstantial amounts of money from you, by - for example - getting you to pay to 'level up' gets a few more ticks.
      • SeaBass22, on 01/17/2008, -2/+4Yes
      • babar77, on 01/17/2008, -3/+10Except it's not a religion. It's organized crime.
      • bosssmiley, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2Sounds more like a pyramid selling scheme with menaces to me.
    • mlvassallo, on 01/17/2008, -2/+44Whats with the Sheehan rip? Are we still hating her? I lose track.
      • jebudas, on 01/17/2008, -5/+17I like Cindy Sheehan, but you cant call me biased about this: Connecting an article about scientiology with her is completely out of left field and totally absurd.
        • Iconoclast25, on 01/17/2008, -14/+6The cult and the leftard are both whackjob nuts . . . connecting the two is a slam dunk where both parties are easily dismissed as crazed idiots.
          • CoolWind, on 01/18/2008, -2/+10I bet you thought you'd get more diggs
          • Iconoclast25, on 01/18/2008, -7/+2@ CoolWind -
            "I bet you thought you'd get more diggs"
            REALLY ?! LOL !!! To the contrary, I bet you know virtually nothing about me and certainly nowhere near enough to deduce the reasons for my choices of phrase. But thanks for playing. HAND
          • stopwatch00, on 01/18/2008, -2/+1you're so mysterious
    • fugimugim, on 01/17/2008, -10/+16Give it perhaps 2000 years, just like all religions they start out as some sort of cult and evolve into something bigger. Maybe in 2000 years there will be some sort of Scientology Vatican city in Hollywood. It's unfortunate that people can't see through this thing for what it is. but the people they prey upon are those that seem to me suffer from low self-esteem and are seeking something and think Scientology will offer them it. All believers of all religions exists within their own 'bubble of delusion'.
      • 1159, on 01/17/2008, -2/+13See this? A worthless trinket. But when I bury in the sand for two thousand years it becomes PRICELESS....who knows, Dr. Jones, someday even you may be worth something!
      • anononon, on 01/17/2008, -1/+421012, pal. They have until 2012.
        • Angostura, on 01/18/2008, -1/+3Why, is something odd scheduled to happen at the London Olympics?
    • BobOki, on 01/17/2008, -9/+24To be fair, if you put Christianity under the same scrutiny, and pick and chose like we do with Scientology, you get a pretty unbelievable story as well. Case in point: http://www.herr-bawl.com/index.php?automodule=gall ...
      That said, I wonder why Tom doesn't just take over people with his psychic powers he was granted for reaching lvl 12 from his great space lord xenu to pop all non-belivers heads. It would be much more efficient than the crusades, with the same effects.
      • NJank, on 01/17/2008, -0/+13Psychic crush is only a level 4 ability...
      • MarkOfTheDead, on 01/17/2008, -0/+9Level 12 they take away your Scientology powers and grant you a nonexistent sense of humor.

        Your only chance is jumping on couches to absorb their defensive aura.
      • CoolWind, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Tom just uses his lawyers to pop people in the wallet.
    • narcofiche, on 01/17/2008, -0/+33Only Tom Cruise, an actor, can say that ***** with a straight face.
    • smrekar, on 01/17/2008, -1/+57Scientology is the only thing Digg users can unite on and hate together.
    • KMartSheriff, on 01/17/2008, -0/+12http://theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com/
    • MrSprout, on 01/17/2008, -7/+11To be honest, I feel the same way about all religion.
    • rblinne, on 01/17/2008, -0/+7I randomly found a link with the following copyright:

      © Copyright 2008 Times Newspapers Ltd.

      Their acceptable use policy has the following statement:

      We, or our licensors, own the copyright and all other intellectual property rights associated with the content, save where otherwise stated. [Note: nowhere on the link stated otherwise]

      Now onto this "random" link I found:

      Transcript of Tom Cruise Scientology Video: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and ...


    • Icyfenix, on 01/17/2008, -1/+6HEY. I happen to like that sci fi writer.
      But yes, it is silly to base a religion off of him.
      Maybe Stephen Baxter... yea I'd follow him. He's actually a physicist.
    • pintomp3, on 01/17/2008, -3/+11what does cindy sheehan have to do with scientology? are you equating being anti-war with being anti-psychiatry?
      • Iconoclast25, on 01/17/2008, -12/+3No I'm equating the dopey leftists with the dopey scientologists . . . saying daffy ditz cindy has more to offer than scientology is the ultimate put-down.
        • catbeller, on 01/17/2008, -2/+13Sheehan only demanded an explanation for her son's death from the president. That she drained her life waiting for him to give her the courtesy rather than the finger is not a reflection on her, rather on Bush. Refusing a to see a mother for demanding an explanation for killing her son is cowardice. She was neither a coward, nor a liar, and most certainly not a fool deserving your slam. Are you in Iraq? Did you lose a son? If not, stop conflating. It doesn't demean her. Only you.
    • bullcutter, on 01/17/2008, -0/+8Hey! You can't say that kinda stuff about my religion! You are soooo sued!!!
    • SuperCUBE, on 01/17/2008, -10/+4I think christianity makes less sense.
      • misterFR33ZE, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1No I don't think you can go below zero. You can't go beyond making *no* sense, so in that sense they're tired.
    • terminal157, on 01/17/2008, -1/+4I hate Scientology and think Hubbard was a crooked nut, but I would call him a second rate sci-fi writer at least. He was pretty well respected in his prime.
    • ipaholic, on 01/17/2008, -5/+7dugg down for the cheap and completely irrelevant shot at Sheehan.
    • poopysnacks, on 01/18/2008, -2/+1You're right, but if you feel that way about scientology you have to feel that way about all other religions. They're all just as crazy and they all want your money. This blog post about the Tom Cruise video and Scientology/Christianity says what I'm trying to say much more eloquently: http://www.demonbaby.com/blog/2008/01/please-stop- ...
      • mGARANDEUR1, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4Except the difference is, Scientology requires your money. No other religion requires you to shell out money to attend. Donating money to any church is optional. You people think that the pastors rake in loads of money and it's just not true.
        • gwtgator, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2the MEDIAN salary of a pastor according to salary.com is $80,000/year. that's not chicken scratch, and it comes from the churchgoers. i can't imagine how much the ultra-mega-church evangelical/televangelist pastors make, i'm guessing 7-8 digits.
    • Damien79, on 01/20/2008, -0/+1Here it is again if you want to download it;
      http://www.celebritysmasher.com/chynas_penis/6-tom ...
  • dclhacker, on 01/17/2008, -95/+270Scientology is nothing more than a modern version of any religion. It just goes to show how foolish anyone who believes in a big invisible kahuna in the sky is. Tom Cruise does a great job in this video showing how foolish they all are.
    • round427, on 01/17/2008, -7/+138I don't know any other religion that makes you cut off ties with your own family if they choose to criticize it. And I don't know any other religion who would sue when one of their own videos leaked. Don't most religions want the most people possible to know what they're about? Why hide it?
      • Rikkochet, on 01/17/2008, -38/+9Um, if memory serves I'm pretty sure criticising the beliefs of your Jewish or Christian family will get your ass pretty shunned. I wonder what happens in Islam and if the man who was arrested, beaten within an inch of his life, and sentenced to death for converting to Christianity feels the same way.
        Face it, they're all nuts and want control.
        • round427, on 01/17/2008, -0/+24Is said shunning anything like the documented Fair Game policy? Are you labelled a suppressive person (SP)? Look into what happened to Paulette Cooper. She wrote the first book criticizing the church. She was harassed for years and had a hitman try to kill her.

          Some religions ask that you tithe 10% of your income. Scientology has no problem taking all of your money and leaving you in the dirt. L. Ron CREATED the thing to become a millionaire.

          Why are celebrities treated better than normal members? Because they have more money to give. Check out the Celebrity Center.

          Sure, all religions are ridiculous, but this is ***** insane.
          • GMorgan, on 01/17/2008, -2/+1They also have the ability to draw in more morons to the 'faith'.
          • capiCrimm, on 01/17/2008, -5/+2did you read his post? All the major churches have done similar things in the past, and all the major churches would gladly take every penny you have.
        • redmaxx, on 01/17/2008, -3/+23I'm sorry, but you cannot confuse the actions of a few with the actual system itself. Christ *never* suggested that you cut ties like that, in fact He did quite the opposite. Please, research before making stupid comments.
          • capiCrimm, on 01/17/2008, -13/+4Actually, he did. To be a disciple you had to give up all your possessions and go wander around with him in the desert. Sounds pretty cultish to me.
          • cJw314, on 01/17/2008, -0/+5Thank you, redmaxx. :)
        • petrodollar, on 01/17/2008, -8/+6For centuries, people who criticized the church had hitmen sent to kill them too.

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisition
          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salem_witch_trials
          • Nitesmoke, on 01/17/2008, -0/+6Im not a Christian, I don't belive in God whatsoever. I believe evolution is the most likely explanation of how we came to be. But that being said, sometimes I go to church with my family, it makes them feel better and gets them off my ass about it. Ive been hundreds of times over the years. Never ever have I seen them ask people to shun their families. Every time someone has a problem, the church does what it can to help them. They don't demand money from anyone, if you want to give an offering, yaou may, if not, don't bother. They don't say to hate gays, though they disagree with them, they aren't racist, many races attend. They teach about not judging others, and respect your fellow man. Everyone there seems to be genuinely happy. The Christains of the past may have done terrible things but so have every other group. I juts don't understand the misconceptions and lies that get repeated again and again. If you don't believe them thats ok, but no need to call them all idiots and morons and worse. Sme of the best people I know are Christians, and I'm sure this is true for most of you. Im America, we have the first amendment. Its not only freedom of speach, but religion as well. Stop picking and choosing which parts of the constitution you love to defend, take it as a whole or don't take it. I don't mean to rant, but I'm gettig tired of the out right hatred of Christians, when I know many, and they're not anything like what some of you say.
      • Chyeld, on 01/17/2008, -21/+17Absolutely, there have NEVER (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peoples_Temple) been adherents of other religions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquisition) who have pulled this sort of game before. Ever.

        Scientology is the sole and only philosophy that has ever practiced shunning of those who don't adhere to 'the rules' or suppression of 'inconvenient truths' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heresy). Thank God, Allah, Buddha, and FSM that we had never had to deal with THAT before now.

        *eye roll*
        • capiCrimm, on 01/17/2008, -1/+10how dare you implicate FSM in this!

          ****** shotgun*
      • TsuruchiBrian, on 01/17/2008, -11/+13Look harder.

        The only reason that other people aren't separated as much is because it is quite common for people to be born into a religion and consequently entire families to be of the same religion. When a member of a family converts religions, you'd better believe that both religions involved will be telling their side that their other family members are a bad influence on them.

        It happens in scientology frequently because it is a new religion and more people are converted than born into it, unlike Christianity and Islam.
        • Kythas, on 01/17/2008, -1/+4Jehova's Witnesses are forbidden to speak with any person who has left the Witnesses. I know two people who have left and both of them have had their families cut ties with them.
          • catbeller, on 01/17/2008, -1/+3Noted, but as I said earlier, not relevant to the cult's actions. "Someone else does it too" is not a defense. Esp. not with this cult. They have set the bar for viciousness.
          • TsuruchiBrian, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1This was not intended as a defense of Scientology but a condemnation of other religions in addition to Scientology.
      • pintomp3, on 01/17/2008, -3/+10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excommunication
      • j4200, on 01/17/2008, -1/+4I have some JW's in my extended family. They won't talk to any of us unless its in the context of trying to convert us. They wouldn't even come to my Grandma's funeral since the church was 'full of sin' as they put it.
      • AmICoolNow, on 01/18/2008, -3/+2Ever heard of Excommunication in the Mormon religion?
      • HeroreV, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2What?! I was raised Christian for 17 years, and I distinctly remember hearing several times about "blessed is the man who turns away from his own family to be near God" or something like that. The Bible clearly tells people several times again and again that you should sever all ties with your family if they're interfering with your faith.

        Christianity, Scientology, Mormonism, Islam, fortune telling, astrology, reincarnation, homeopathy, etc are all on the same level. They're all superstition, and they all encourage irrational thinking. (E.g. see correlation between religion and racism.)
    • shotgunefx, on 01/17/2008, -3/+40No, I think it's worse than that. They are certainly more cult like than other popular religions (at least as they are current day).
      • sadilak, on 01/17/2008, -0/+12I watched that video and Tom Cruise looked more like Hitler. Crazy man with his crazy ideas. Fricking scary
      • petrodollar, on 01/17/2008, -2/+11Wake me when they get elected to national office and try to cram their religion into our courts, public schools, and legislation.
        • Dubbsacc, on 01/17/2008, -0/+12Maybe you should look into Clearwater, FL.
        • round427, on 01/17/2008, -1/+8" try to cram their religion into our courts, public schools, and legislation."

          Time to wake up. The COS is trying to do all three and has done them before. PLEASE, people, do your research.
          • MarkOfTheDead, on 01/17/2008, -1/+5Church of Satan is fuming pissed that they stole their acronym.
        • shotgunefx, on 01/17/2008, -0/+2They do stuff like that all the time under guises. You might want to check out http://www.xenu.net/ if you haven't.
      • Kbennett, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2"You know what I mean?" No Tom. What the **** do you mean?
    • GMorgan, on 01/17/2008, -4/+36I'll assume that you made an implicit exception for his noodliness.
    • dondara, on 01/17/2008, -4/+21But at least in something we would all call a religion, there are some good people. In scientology, they are all criminals and morons
      • Wade, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1Criminals and morons only? Religious irony? Scientology preys on the weak and while they may be morons that doesn't specifically make them bad people.
        • dondara, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2True, being weak enough to fall for CoS ***** doesn't make you "bad" but it sure doesn't mean good either. I do truly feel for someone who would fall into such a ridiculous scam. But for those unfortunate few, some other tragedy was just waiting for them. I would rather see a loved one get hooked on meth than join CoS.
          And we should all agree that CoS is NOT a religion, just a scam. It is not based on faith, it has no philosophy and certainly has no science behind it. It is just a pyramid scheme with a ***** backstory. They are a criminal organization that should be outlawed like the KKK or the mafia.
    • CedEx, on 01/17/2008, -0/+34When I first came across the Church of Scientology I thought to myself, "Hey, a Church that is for scientists and a religion of science, maybe I should check it out." Turned out obviously, I was completely wrong. The name is a bit misleading. I hate them for crushing my hopes.
      • zydeco, on 01/17/2008, -0/+18Hey, there's aliens and nuclear bombs! What's not to like?
        • MarkOfTheDead, on 01/17/2008, -0/+5Bankruptcy, Isolation, and Death by the hands of the church :(
      • ramallama, on 01/17/2008, -1/+6Ya, the same for me when I first discovered Intelligent Design. It does to to appeal to my inner hope that the universe/science/et all is part of some greater design.

        Then I found out it was just a cover for Creationist! Crap!

        Oh well, I'll keep looking.
      • ziptnf, on 01/17/2008, -0/+10Sciencefictiontology?
    • empiric, on 01/17/2008, -0/+3Except for the part where you show what it "goes to show". Surely you don't take your own guilt-by-association fallacies seriously, do you?
    • mrcabnit, on 01/17/2008, -0/+3For a second I thought I was watching Magnolia. He really is that crazy.
    • jetsetter883, on 01/17/2008, -8/+2thank you for having the gall to say it is no different from any other religion.
    • chyya, on 01/18/2008, -1/+6well said dcllhacker... spoken like a true dumbass. and while we're at it, might as well catagorize all americans as scientologists too, since, in fact, we all live in america too right?

      moron
    • taylorr05, on 01/18/2008, -0/+10On the contrary, Scientology is not a recognized religion in most countries, including the United States. Almost all over Europe it has been deemed a cult and in Germany Scientology has been labeled and recognized as a terrorist organization. Scientology does not work like other religions in the sense that it is a giant multi-billion dollar marketing campaign with little to no non-profit work. Let's face it, Scientology is the most successful, new age get-rich-quick scheme ever conceived. It's so obvious why it flaunts its big stars... Christianity does not do that. Judaism does not do that. Islam does not do that. People of those religions come out on their own accord. You don't see the Pope ever come out and say "Halle Berry loves Jesus! Look how cool we are!"

      I'm not very religious myself, but Scientology should not be slumped with other religions. Many actual religious groups go out and give back to the community on their own accord, and almost never for profit. Scientology does not do that.

      Also, it is not foolish to believe in a god. It gives many people strength and hope. It doesn't matter what religion you tie yourself with (or do not, for that matter), just that you do not force your beliefs unto others. Even if you don't believe in a god, telling people that their beliefs are foolish makes you no better than those who do the same on religious behalf.
      • Shabonkerz, on 01/18/2008, -2/+1Many falsehoods can give people hope and strength. That doesn't make them true, or entirely beneficial. Our "beliefs" affect people no matter how much we try not to let them. We are all connected. We all depend on each other in some way. If you can't deliver some food to starving people because your beliefs prevent you from distributing anything with beef in it, your beliefs affect people. If you can't administer a shot that would clearly save many lives because you believe the body should not be tampered with, your beliefs affect people. When your beliefs call for you to reject people who think differently, your beliefs affect people. It is foolish to hold beliefs that can never be proven. It is more foolish to hold such beliefs when they affect others in any detrimental way.

        Scientology is just like any other religion, except it is more hardcore in its ability to be completely wacky.
    • geoken, on 01/18/2008, -0/+5Actually Scientology is much different. According to Tom Cruise, Scientologists are the authority on everything.
  • abbagirl, on 01/17/2008, -4/+130brave of the gawker to refuse to comply and to take the video down. the church of scientology would be a goliath to try to take down in the courtroom! you better be prepared, gawker -- those attorneys will be all out to take you down!
    • tracker198x, on 01/17/2008, -0/+12we need a seth green spoof of this video like...NOW
    • androothebear, on 01/18/2008, -1/+2while i think that Scientology is a little out-there, to insult religion as a whole, or to bash those who believe in it is nothing more than hypocritical and ignorant. America was founded upon the principle of free religion and speech, and to criticize someone else's belief, or belief all together is just wrong. Let the Christians have their Christ and the Scientologists have their lord Zenu. As long as you don't try to convert me, why should I care?
      • Epik, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1Because religion might just be the worst thing in the history of the world and it will continue to do harm until rationalists step up and say what needs to be said.
    • rizzo2008, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2Church of Scientology
      Every time you insult us we kill a kitten. So please think of the kittens!
  • ilgaz, on 01/17/2008, -11/+140Submitted:
    18 hr 8 min ago and 19 diggs. If I was a Digg admin, I would be reviewing what is happening with this story and insanely low amount of diggs. Some organized "Bury" could be happening.
    • round427, on 01/17/2008, -2/+60There's a couple of Scientologists on Digg. They do nothing but digg up each other's stories (about Scientology).
      • chaosium, on 01/17/2008, -0/+10Be sure to add them so you can bury their spam :)
      • NJPENSO, on 01/17/2008, -12/+5So they're just like Applefags, Linuxfags, tazefags, and Ronpaulfags?
        Interesting...
        • chaosium, on 01/17/2008, -0/+5More sleazy than all combined, though smaller in number.
      • anononon, on 01/17/2008, -0/+9We want names, dammit.
      • card51short, on 01/17/2008, -7/+2"There's a couple of Scientologists on Digg. They do nothing but digg up each other's stories (about Scientology)."

        So they're like every other user on Digg?
        GET THEM!!!
    • chaosium, on 01/17/2008, -2/+30There are a bunch of people on Digg and Wikipedia from the COS, but them burying does not prevent diggs from showing up.
    • logicalnoise, on 01/17/2008, -2/+7no worries now(unless for some reason digg takes it down).
  • pateo, on 01/17/2008, -7/+419"The way to make a million dollars is to start a religion."
    -Hubbard

    • Skyfire, on 01/17/2008, -15/+9"He became a well-known author in the science fiction and fantasy genres..."
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._Ron_Hubbard#Early_ ...
      • dbsmoker, on 01/17/2008, -1/+7Why are you being dugg down? Thanks for the link to the wikipedia on LRH.
    • webtroll, on 01/17/2008, -3/+25Correct. Scientology isn't a church, it's a business posing as a church. It sets you back over $250.000 to reach the highest echelons (without study materials like books!) and almost nothing is free. Salvation certainly doesn't come cheap with them.
      And I am glad that some countries are recognizing this and don't allow Scientology to also pay not taxes on all the money they make.

      • MarkOfTheDead, on 01/17/2008, -1/+4And Germany saying GTFO.
        • hellokittyownsu, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1It's good for Germany. Remember the last time Germans believed in something crazy?
      • IllBeBack, on 01/17/2008, -5/+2Uh, that's what ALL religions are out for. Money. Heard of the collection plate? Tithes?
    • tgc1, on 01/17/2008, -3/+6Or print it, like the Fed.
    • pahool, on 01/17/2008, -4/+4I hate Scientology as much as the next guy, probably more. But this "quote" is at best a paraphrase, and may or may not be accurate.
      See:
      http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/scientology/sta ...
      Anyway, there's PLENTY of other reasons to hate Hubbard and Scientology. Read "A Piece of Blue Sky" by Jon Atack for starters:
      http://www.apologeticsindex.org/A%20Piece%20of%20B ...
      and check out Operation Clambake:
      http://www.xenu.net
      • AriaStar, on 01/17/2008, -1/+2Sadly, as of now, you're in the negative on Diggs, but it's true that this quote, at best, is a paraphrase. I spent a few months dabbling in Scientology in 2006 (but that was then), and the people there I asked about this said that what they know if him saying was in reference to TV Evangelists AFTER Scientology was set up, not before.
  • Shogi, on 01/17/2008, -2/+134That video was hilarious. I love the part where he says only scientologists are good people.
    • logicalnoise, on 01/17/2008, -1/+33only good people want money from you.
      • PropCulture, on 01/17/2008, -25/+9You have an extra "o" in there. Only "god" people want money from you.
    • yohnstoppable, on 01/17/2008, -7/+6Sounds similar to another religion that is very prominent in the US
      • ssjninja, on 01/17/2008, -2/+0its only the crazy ones that think like that tho ask a one what they think of ghandi
  • look4alec, on 01/17/2008, -6/+56"You are so sued! I'm gonna sue you in england!"
    • waspbr, on 01/17/2008, -0/+13I say we should boycott this ***** movies , not that would watch it anyway, but a boycott campaign would be a way of telling tom cruise to STFU
      • MadEnvoy, on 01/17/2008, -0/+5Done did, looong time ago...
        • JudgeMonkey, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2Yeah, I used to be able to tolerate his stuff. But now when I see him I remember how bat **** crazy he is and I just can't bear it.
  • Waskonator, on 01/17/2008, -2/+52CSI: Tom Cruise
    "Watch, this week, as Tom learns to read peoples minds to help save the world! Tuesdays @ 9"
    • RealmDown, on 01/17/2008, -0/+7Make him a cop and add a cheerleader.
  • Grova, on 01/17/2008, -2/+286Xenu was the dictator of the "Galactic Confederacy" who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of his people to Earth in DC-8-like spacecraft, stacked them around volcanoes and killed them using hydrogen bombs. Scientology holds that their essences remained, and that they form around people in modern times, causing them spiritual harm. Sorry....this ***** cracks me up!
    • chaosium, on 01/17/2008, -2/+30Read over the ex-COS stories from xenu.net . The Xenu story is funny, but their stories are heartbreaking and/or frightening.
    • GMorgan, on 01/17/2008, -0/+47You forgot the part where the more money you give to the church. The more likely it is that your Thetans will be cleansed from your body. See Thetans like generous people.
      • MarkOfTheDead, on 01/17/2008, -1/+4Looks like I have nothing to worry about.....
    • poihead, on 01/17/2008, -3/+24How can you believe in all of that and not believe in the flying spaghetti monster? The second is so much more plausible...
      • GMorgan, on 01/17/2008, -2/+21The FSM is the absolute truth, I'll suggest you take your 'plausible' and stick it where the sun don't shine. Less you anger his pirates.
        • MarkOfTheDead, on 01/17/2008, -1/+6"Take this all of you and eat from it. This is a cup of my noodles which will be given up for you."
        • JudgeMonkey, on 01/18/2008, -0/+4Ramen.
    • kymike, on 01/17/2008, -0/+17Wait. If Xenu was an evil dictator, then wouldn't all the people he killed be the victims? Why does their "essence" causes spiritual harm to humans? Shouldn't they be the "good guys"??? Gimme some Thetan love! I want to be surrounded by Thetans! Pour some Thetans on me!
      • chaosium, on 01/17/2008, -0/+3Think of trapped souls in any mythology, they're reliving the horror of their existence until you "free" them.
      • taquitohater, on 01/17/2008, -0/+4He forgot the part where Xenu brainwashed them to be all evil and *****. He also told them to randomly ***** with people and make them believe in Buddha.
      • Qumahlin, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Yeah I never bought that whole horror genre of a good person dies and their spirit turns evil and attacks the innocent..ala "The Grudge" (worst movie ever). If someone murders you violently...wouldn't you do the same to them instead of just killing random people uninvolved with your plight?
        • JudgeMonkey, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1You... were killed. That sort of thing could, just maybe, screw with your head, a little bit? You might not be thinking perfectly straight, just guessing.
    • penguinxp, on 01/17/2008, -11/+13as supposed to a "god" who is some omniscient being who has always been there, and created the earth and everything on it on a whim in 7 days. and their is no real physical evidence of this god, just the earth and that only counts if you believe thefirst part...

      maybe that ***** cracks me up.

      and im not saying i agree with scientology, im just saying pretty much all religions are based on FAITH of some higher power, whether its an alien or some being who has no physical form, are they really so different? no, theyre not. it all seems to be ***** insanity when looked at scientifically.

      • digitallysick, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1I agree with you, if you replace "Xenu" with "devil" its a similar story, someone causeing us harm and we must do this XXXXXXXX or else XXXXXXX will happen. People that believe in the god/devil story are in the same boat as scientologist
        • JudgeMonkey, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2Umm... Scientology says to give them money. Other faiths simply say "Don't be an ***** to people."

          Yeah... same thing. I mean sure, they pass around a basket at church to throw money into, but they don't say you are hellbound if you don't do it.
    • tony23, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3Why aren't they teaching this in school?
    • Vowieotw, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3I find it odd that 75 million years ago, DC-8s and Hydrogen bombs were already invented.
  • alekies, on 01/17/2008, -8/+188ALL YOUR THETAN ARE BELONG TO US
  • round427, on 01/17/2008, -3/+53I just hope that Gawker doesn't cave to their demands. The CO$ are so litigious. I'll donate to Gawker's legal defense fund (if they need one).
    • catbeller, on 01/17/2008, -0/+3It isn't just the lawsuit(s), which can number in the dozens or hundreds. They go after your job, your relationships, your kids, your school, your rep (pedophilia has been a favorite smear since at least 1958, when they dropped pamphlets in L. Sprague Camp's neighborhood accusing him of such). They especially like calling your employers -- and they can swing some serious weight, since a large number of "legitimate" businesses are Sea-Org run, or at least are run by owners who are Scientologists and thus can be asked to use their position to smear you behind the scenes -- in my opinion.
      • Qumahlin, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2All it takes is one person proving they were fired because of that to end the C.O.S and whatever company you got fired from. I'd love my employer to do that, i'd be able to retire on the 1% of the award I would win from the resulting lawsuits.
    • leolll, on 01/18/2008, -3/+1It's a pretty clear cut violation of copyright law. What's their defense, beyond the fact the video's funny?
      • catbeller, on 01/18/2008, -0/+3It's news. And informative. Fair Use. They could have defended themselves by showing representative samples. But the clip IS representative samples. And Scientology would sue if it were a three second sample. They tied up the Washington Post with a copyright lawsuit for years over ONE SENTENCE from sekret skriptures. As Elron roughly said: the purpose of the lawsuit is not to win, but to harrass and intimidate. If possible, destroy them utterly.
        Sue and sue again until they are broken, divorced, and unemployable, then sue them again. Get a signed document saying they will never mention Scientology again or face serious financial and legal penalties. Then keep harrassing them, now that they no longer can mention the harassment publicly. I assume they would enjoy a suicide - it would be a Big Win and get their org's stats up.
  • uggidi, on 01/17/2008, -28/+9dugg for my digg friend that hates Tom Cruise and scientology
  • f4nt0m4s, on 01/17/2008, -3/+179Wait...the Scientology people think they can stop the spread of a video over the Internet, with lawsuits nonetheless?
    Hahaha...that's like someone saying the RIAA is going to stop the illegal distribution of music.

    This just in: Tom Cruise is a ***** nut job; Scientology, a scam.
    • acomj, on 01/17/2008, -0/+6Someone should upload a torrent to TPB.

      See there are legit uses for that technology.. Plus I'd love to read the response to the COS of the takedown request.
      • f4nt0m4s, on 01/17/2008, -0/+8http://btjunkie.org/torrent/Tom-Cruise-Scientology ...

        There ya go...if the link breaks just search "Tom Cruise" on btjunkie. The video was uploaded as a torrent right when it was pulled from youtube. Like I said, if the RIAA and the Government can't contain torrents, neither can Scientologists. Enjoy!
        • Myonosken, on 01/17/2008, -0/+3Actually, the Scientologists would probably be more likely to succeed than the RIAA and gov- they're ***** insane and rich.
          • catbeller, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2True. And that is why we need a Radio Free Internet, a samizdat network of encrypted wireless ad hoc nodes, as a backup to the corporate Internet now taking final shape.
    • vidar808, on 01/17/2008, -0/+2This is partly how they make their money.
      One lawsuit at a time.
    • stafa786, on 01/17/2008, -0/+2I actually can't find the video. What happened to posting 10 for everyone they take down? Anyone have a new link to the video?
    • phpchris, on 01/17/2008, -0/+1http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3979221 torrent of it I created when it was first posted on Digg for anyone who hasn't seen it.
    • atlex2, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2THATS IT! Your SO sued!
    • jadenar, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Dugg for proper use of semicolon.
  • BigEasy, on 01/17/2008, -2/+171Surprise! Scientology lawsuit informs more people about existence of Tom Cruise video!
    • cambob76, on 01/17/2008, -0/+16Yup, suing just draws more attention to the story. Once something of interest is posted on the 'Net, forget about it. It's not going away. I'm glad Gawker told them where to go. Tom Cruise is the new Michael Jackson... well almost.
    • MindTrigger, on 01/17/2008, -0/+10The mainstream news is having a field day showing Cruise babble on with his Scientology acronyms over and over again. It's hilarious.
    • funkyjunk3, on 01/17/2008, -0/+4Streisand Effect at its best.
  • dcormier, on 01/17/2008, -4/+23Looks like a takedown notice, not a notice that they're suing.
    • ilgaz, on 01/17/2008, -0/+3For such cults with millions of dollars (billions?) in hand, a "takedown notice" is "you better take it down or I am sending my army of lawyers". Tip to Gawker: The Pirate bay or a German video hosting site.
      • centran, on 01/17/2008, -1/+1I would say maybe with Scienctology cause they are crazy.

        However, a cease and desist letter is just a first strike scare tactic. The just want the media removed and hope you will comply. When you refuse it is when the lawyers then actually have to do work. They have to look at the law more carefully and decide if this is a case that can be easily won.... could you "force" a win and if so is it really worth it?... or is it just a wash.
  • Synthesize, on 01/17/2008, -5/+87Tom Cruise just come out of the closet already.
    • mywhitenoise, on 01/17/2008, -17/+8But he's not in the closet.
      • mywhitenoise, on 01/17/2008, -15/+7God damn it! I'm just continuing the joke of the South Park reference. Doesn't anyone remember when Tom Cruise replied "but...but i'm not in the closet."?
        ***** YOU DIGG!!! ***** YOU!!!
        • Dubbsacc, on 01/17/2008, -1/+12I remember, but you're coming off as a psycho now, so bury it is.
        • jon30041, on 01/17/2008, -0/+7I dugg up for the psycho. Made me laugh at how sensitive he is to -1's.
        • mysedai, on 01/18/2008, -0/+0Dugg for extreme anger. Now, take a happy pill and relax.
    • kingmanic, on 01/17/2008, -2/+5There is a closet for short crazy people with good teeth?
    • blueRAP, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2Only after he realized the real Hubbard didn't say his acting sucks.
    • IAmTomCruise, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1I'm not in a closet...
  • cutebutnerdy, on 01/17/2008, -5/+58What ever happen to freedom of the press and speech?
    • dondara, on 01/17/2008, -2/+14HAHAHAHAHA ...the best comment on Digg today. Priceless
    • kingmanic, on 01/17/2008, -2/+15It got slowly eroded by self interested big and small business, politicians, the left, the right, the religious and judiciary. basically any one who want you stupid and apathetic.
      • Tenareth, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1No, it was eroded by common people not caring anymore. An opportunity was given to the government and big business by the common people, and then people were shocked when they took advantage. Constant vigilance wasn't supposed to just be a buzz word.
    • Gauthic, on 07/09/2008, -1/+15..and on the 8th day God created lawyers to undo all that He hath created.
    • Exact0, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1I'm guessing they probably sell (or will claim they sell) this video to make all their dirty money.
  • diggonit, on 01/17/2008, -2/+41If only Tom Cruise would fall in to a freaking volcano.
    • Gauthic, on 07/09/2008, -0/+6He did, but the volcano gagged.
    • bluepass, on 01/17/2008, -0/+2Wow. I just saw the clip for the first time right now. It's so easy to see that Tom Cruise is completely brainwashed by their *****. You can see him stop in the middle of a sentence that doesn't make sense, trying to think of a way to make it clear then spit out something completely unrelated. It just throws you off track. You have no idea what he's talking about. And I'm sure that in his mind things are exactly the same. He knows he wants to believe in it, but he has no idea what he believes in.

      This is too messed up, man...
  • XxLindyxX, on 01/17/2008, -2/+69This is what scientologists actually believe:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3QqjTsFKm4

    not rick roll. i promise.
  • JedicodeWarrior, on 01/17/2008, -4/+97Scientology isn't a religion. It's the makings of a failed science fiction writer who believes in too much of what he writes. It's not a religion -- it's a circle jerk with Ron Hubbard as the pivot boy.
    • recoletta01, on 01/17/2008, -6/+12Hmmm....It has a large set of mythical, irrational beliefs, and a fanatical band of followers who adhere to these beliefs despite their conflict with reason and common sense, charismatic founders who promise salvatation? Sounds pretty much like any other religion...
    • gemmakicn, on 01/17/2008, -0/+4L. Ron didn't believe what he wrote, he just packaged his writings in the same way any other scam artist works.
    • Phatt138, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2*shudder*
      "Pivot boy?"
    • IAmTomCruise, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1LEAVE HUBBARD ALONE!
  • truspect0r, on 01/17/2008, -2/+46The funny thing about scientology is that the founder Hubbard was a science fiction writer.
    • nblsavage, on 01/17/2008, -1/+31"writer" being a kind term, Battlefield Earth (the novel, not the movie - which was even worse) was a giant pile of crap.
      • gemmakicn, on 01/17/2008, -0/+7I think the DC-10 shaped spaceships showed his level of imagination.
    • dn11, on 01/17/2008, -0/+17that's where the funniness begins, but not where it ends
  • aspec, on 01/17/2008, -4/+13I don't know why they're suing. Makes me want to join.
    • Ireland, on 01/17/2008, -1/+2Even sarcastic pro-scientology comments are not allowed on digg :P
    • PixelD, on 01/17/2008, -0/+2IT'S A TRAP!
      ...you better check it out anyway
  • HollowMarkeD, on 01/17/2008, -1/+59I'm glad this made the front page, it looked like scientologists submitted it before under a crappy title to stop it becoming popular see here http://digg.com/celebrity/gsh
  • gerbilthemonkey, on 01/17/2008, -18/+7I liked top gun
    • Rikkochet, on 01/17/2008, -0/+13It would have been more enjoyable if instead of F14s they flew DC-8s though.
  • daxsymbiont, on 01/17/2008, -11/+5Don't worry princess! Xenu will save u!
  • iSmart, on 01/17/2008, -17/+3All your base belong to us.
  • britblogger, on 01/17/2008, -2/+83Dugg for 1st comment over at article's page:

    "Way to take out your ***** and slap it on their desk."

    Hilarious.
  • Kyburo, on 01/17/2008, -2/+57Tom Cruise, the only man that can help you in an accident.
    • stigma15, on 01/17/2008, -2/+5"Tom Cruise, use your witchcraft to get the fire off me!"
    • Ireland, on 01/17/2008, -1/+5"Tom, do you know how to help?"

      "Sure I've got some vitamins here."
  • DeathByGuitar, on 01/17/2008, -2/+99Scientologists flat piss me off. I had a conversation with one a few weeks ago so he could enlighten me on what they actually believe, and this whackjob claimed that Scientology audits can cure things like AUTISM. Yeah...right.

    Not only that, but his weak attempt to refute the concept of medication only used crazy isolated cases of a few people on Zoloft going crazy and killing eachother. Sure, that has happened, but the problems of a few aren't enough to negate the concept of an entire science.

    ***** you, Scientology.
    • CheeseburgerBro, on 01/17/2008, -4/+14Ironically, autism may be one of the few conditions Scientology's fairly psychologically brutal tech CAN address.

      My wife performs behaviour modification therapy for young autistics, and some critics of this kind of approach (despite its success in bringing mid-functioning kids to a high-functioning level socially) is that it resembles...brainwashing.

      So, since CSI is well-versed in actual brainwashing, they may have an edge there.
    • Ireland, on 01/17/2008, -1/+8Well they helped Cruise become a better reader. They did ***** him up in the process mind you, but he almost reads like a 10 year old now.
    • Linua, on 01/18/2008, -3/+1A few Christians in Kentucky drink venom from the fangs of snakes, they say their god protects them from the poison.
  • sharkd, on 01/17/2008, -2/+50>> I am utterly amazed anyone embraces it
    >> except to use as raw material for jokes on
    >> late night TV.

    The appeal of Scientology is the same as any other cult: it obviates the individual of responsibility for their choices and actions, in the process subverting their free will and individual choice while simultaneously convincing them that giving up control of their lives (and finances) is freeing them.

    You'd be surprised how readily people will give up their individual freedoms and choices, if they think that it will make their lives better.
    • round427, on 01/17/2008, -1/+14Scientologists prey on the weak. They prey on people who are desperate for help: maybe people who have depression that hasn't been helped by antidepressants, people with no family or friends, and even prisoners and homeless addicts (Narconon, one of their front groups).

      There's a lot to make fun of the organization about, but it's actually really sad/scary. I'm sure if more people knew what really happens, they'd agree. http://www.xenu.net
      • Qumahlin, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1Congratulations, you also described Christianity. Every religion plays on society's weakest members...they are the ones that need placating. People seem to forget that if the idiotic masses actually grew a brain and started thinking for themselves quite a few countries/governments would be in for some serious trouble
        • ManoWar, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Sounds much more like Islam. Do you really think the masses want to grow a brain?
    • tman84, on 01/17/2008, -2/+5Digging this comment hard. Doesn't just have to be applied to religion either, seems to work that way in politics as well.
  • sn0w, on 01/17/2008, -1/+42I'd be willing to bet that the Church of Scientology are infringing on a few copyrights themselves with some of the music used in the very video in question.
    • manicblvd, on 01/17/2008, -0/+1Fred Durst is gonna be pissed when he finds out.
  • elvenseven, on 01/17/2008, -1/+15Xenu is attacking the internet since the spread of that crazy tom video. "xenutv" even banned from youtube when they didn't even host copyrighted materials.
  • insomniac8400, on 01/17/2008, -1/+10I always find it interesting when an organization isn't willing to take the steps to keep something private, but is willing to later get into the impossible task of removing something from the internet.
  • SemiSarcastic, on 01/17/2008, -4/+6WE'LL SUE YOU IN ENGLAND!
  • brodie7838, on 01/17/2008, -5/+8Here is the original video:
    http://www.megavideo.com/?v=TZKDTEOC
    • EXreaction, on 01/17/2008, -8/+1Youtube or die.
    • JudgeMonkey, on 01/18/2008, -0/+2maybe it wasn't there 11 hours ago when you posted this link, but there is now a link right in the story to the video. It's just a flash video, does it really HAVE to come from the youtube domain. It has the youtube watermark still on it if that makes you feel better.
  • jeremyduffy, on 01/17/2008, -4/+18Can someone point to a summary of the stupider things he says? I'd rather not have to watch the video if at all possible.
    • Chassit, on 01/17/2008, -1/+20This is why ridiculous religions get formed, people are too lazy to read (or watch it) for themselves.
    • zephyr42, on 01/17/2008, -6/+1.
    • buffbuddha, on 01/17/2008, -1/+6robble robble *giggle* robble is all I heard
    • orxor, on 01/17/2008, -0/+5It's worth a watch. It's one of those videos where someone uses way too many words to say absolutely nothing and come off completely insane at the same time. But I would say buffbuddha's description is very accurate as well. I was hoping for some special effects of him walking through walls or shooting lightning from his hands to show off his scientology super powers but no such luck.
    • JoeVet, on 01/17/2008, -0/+4Read the transcript: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and ...
  • daxsymbiont, on 01/17/2008, -22/+5I for one,

    ***** off scientologyp

    ps. scientologyp, not to be confused with scientology.
  • Visarga, on 01/17/2008, -5/+21There are many levels to religion:
    1. Beliefs: like belief in the existence of soul, or reincarnation, or the final judgment, or in nirvana -> this is just philosophy and might be OK
    2. Mythology: like the belief in the miracles performed by Jesus as described in the Bible, or belief in the deeds and miracles performed by Krishna or Rama as real historical acts -> this is very difficult to swallow by the scientific community
    3. Churches and sects: They are sometimes in a state of war with the members of other sects or with the whole society. Much harm can come out of such "frictions".

    Scientology reunites all three of them in the worst possible way. But a guy who believes in the concept of Divinity might be inoffensive and even justified. So let's not attack religion as a whole.
  • iRoy, on 01/17/2008, -3/+13Lol, I like the letter Gawker sent back to the lawyer bitch.

    They are right, people need to know how crazy these ***** are!
  • MNiT, on 01/17/2008, -2/+44Why not blitz the web with the video "09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0" style?
  • tuntcickle, on 01/17/2008, -1/+6this kind of thing happens all the time to reporters. making the decision to stand up against rich people or organizations threatening legal action is a tough thing to do (this one wasn't so scary) and i'm very glad that Gawker's doing what they think is right in this circumstance
    • Tenareth, on 01/18/2008, -0/+1Not Scary? Do you realize the resources available to this group? This was a ballsy move, but one I definitely agree needs to happen. Freedom of Press was created for a reason.
  • anagoge, on 01/17/2008, -1/+12I wonder if the COS could be sued for copyright infringement of the Mission Impossible theme tune?
  • f4nt0m4s, on 01/17/2008, -1/+38I love living in America because we have the freedom to practice whatever we want. We also have the freedom to make fun of what other people practice. The world would be a dull place if we couldn't take stabs at Christians, Jews and Muslims. That's why when someone makes a joke about a Catholic priest the Christian church doesn't go file numerous lawsuits. Scientologists flip ***** at the slightest insult or notion that they are running a scam. If you can't accept negative criticism...well then I think you are an exception. They should be banned from America under the pretense that they can't be made fun of (also, they are a brainwashing cult...).
    • liquidmetalband, on 01/17/2008, -3/+0You won't have that freedom for long.
  • delrin500, on 01/17/2008, -2/+12These people are totally crazy
    • hexydes, on 01/17/2008, -0/+3To be fair, the people at the top probably aren't so much crazy, as they are greedy sociopaths...
  • spawnfree, on 01/17/2008, -3/+7The reason people are so confused and lost is not because of *insert made up story here* it is because sociopaths keep making stuff up.
    If scientology cared about people they would not charge insane money to 'help' them.
    Take the money out of a cult and you have a real religion, but then no religion will help you understand why you are the way you are, or empower you with truth and set you free. If somebody tells you they have your answers; run!
    • BigBallistix, on 01/17/2008, -2/+6Please don't relate Hubbard or any other scientologist to sociopaths, sociopathy is an art form. People respect and fear social engineers who greedily go after people's credit cards, but we mess with people just out of human curiosity. Just for that we get labelled as loonies.
  • dn11, on 01/17/2008, -2/+26 here's another nice clip -
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly-hTPNRlWU
    • badtzmartin, on 01/17/2008, -1/+10Yeah. Puppies are cute... And Tom Cruise is CRAZY...
      (don't digg me down till you watch the video above...)
    • buffbuddha, on 01/17/2008, -0/+10I thought I was going to be rick rolled. :P
  • thetron, on 01/17/2008, -1/+12It was on just about every commercial tv station in Australia. Including channel 7 today tonight aired a story on the candid reveal video
  • Razster, on 01/17/2008, -17/+10So according to Southpark, I need to pay $$$.$$ to hold a machine and then I can become a cult member where I can throw all my money away too? Wait a second, that sounds like my church I went to as a kid, but it was some man named Christ...
    • m00kie, on 01/17/2008, -11/+8His name wasn't Christ, it's Jesus. The Christ is the purpose of his life. Someone needs a hug.
    • thelelander, on 01/17/2008, -3/+13Not that I'm defending the church, but if you want to talk to a priest, it doesn't cost $800. In fact, going to church, biblestudy, confession, etc, costs $0.

      Granted, historically they have been scumbags. But present day you can't compare the two.
    • McLumpy, on 01/17/2008, -2/+10Look, I dislike religion just as much as most people here, but you're making an unfair comparison. Christian churches don't require you to pay through the nose to get salvation. They don't lash out with slander and lawsuits at anyone who criticizes them. They don't force you to cut ties with anyone who isn't a Christian.

      The difference is that getting ***** up by Christianity is the exception, but with Scientology, it seems to be the rule.
      • ninsei, on 01/17/2008, -8/+4You should read more history, do you know how many people died and were oppressed by the church when Constantine converted the Roman Empire to Christianity? Or how many Muslims died at the hands of the 4 Crusades? Or even the deaths between the differing Christian factions?

        I will agree that Scientology is for the birds, but if you break down most religious dogma it's all a pretty hokey!
        • o0oJudgeo0o, on 01/17/2008, -1/+4I'm not overly religious but you can't keep blaming the churches for things that happened over 100 years ago.... Hell maybe not even 50 years ago. It just doesn't make sense.
          We are talking about today, use an argument that is current.....
        • lukas88, on 01/17/2008, -1/+1I think what ninsei is trying to say is that when you consider christianity over span of its existence, it is plain to see that even it can be used by evil people to do evil things. Even as a christian, I think it is important for people to consider the dangers of religion as well as the benefits. Religion is potent, that much is for sure. It can be used for good or it can be used for other things.

          So, even as a christian I think it is important to compare my religion to scientology. As we condemn scientology, we must take a good hard look at ourselves in the process, we may find similarities after all. "Let him who is guiltless cast the first stone"
        • Linua, on 01/18/2008, -1/+1Bombing abortion clinics because god told him too, suicide bombers... Yeah, any religion can bring out the wackos. I just don't care for ANYONE telling me how to think, or how much of my money they deserve for their advice and help.
    • lukas88, on 01/17/2008, -0/+4Not that I think the spirit of your comment is very far off the mark, but you might want to consider an additional source besides south park whenever you make up your mind about something.

      It takes a questionable IQ to begin a serious statement with "According to South Park..."
  • iassocuwinun, on 01/17/2008, -9/+5The question is, are the impending "Scientology Wars" going to be as bloody as the "Christian Wars"? They do have superior alien technology on their side. And all those souls flailing about. Around volcanoes. Almost as strange as someone walking on water...
  • sindex, on 01/17/2008, -3/+13Hail Thetan!
    ΘΘΘ
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