Who would get mixed up in Scientology?

Rasheed

Ah sure it's the same sort of people that turn to the Jehovahs or that Christina Gallagher one.

Stupid despreate people looking for something more in their lives and give money to con artists to get it.

orchidsrpretty

I was walking on Hollywood boulevard one day and one of these people asked me did I want a personality test. After it was over and she started spewing her bull****, I started to question her about the religion and why the famous members get awards etc for being amazing members and the connection with how good a sciencetologist you are is inter linked with how much money and stats a person brings in. She got really agressive and accused me of being drunk and trying to smell my breath! It was about 10 am in
Was very strange but a entertaining way to spend a hour. I did feel a bit sorry for her though.

Dartz

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

The Simpsons have openly admitted that episode was based on scientolgy :P

And has Scientologists among the cast. Nancy Cartwright is a clam, IIRC.


I wonder if they're monitoring this thread?

forfuxsake

Methinks this is gonna be the end of Tommy Cruise.

He's gay - who gives a fúck?
He's a scientologist -ok he's weird but essentially most people still don't give a fúck?
Dirty nasty divorce when he tries to take a beautiful little child away from her brave (and beautiful) mother in a bitter public fight = people gonna start giving a fúck and I for one could certainly stop going to the cinema, renting his dvds being arsed downloading his movies.

The media has begun the job of destroying him and I'm getting me popcorn.

RHarrow

Religion preys on people in a number of different areas, namely:
-Their ignorance and lack of will to do anything about it
-Social fears such as being "alone"
-Fear of death

Scientology, like all other religions, does the same. However, scientology goes a step further than most religions. Most religions assert that basically as a collective we're all pretty shíte and that if we adhere to its rules we'll become good enough to get into heaven. That addresses a number of the aforementioned fears mentioned above. It lets people feel a part of things, disregard bothering to actually study the discoveries that have been made and promises them that they'll be grand after death and that they won't merely cease to exist.

Scientology, as mentioned, takes this a step further. Instead of just saying "you're all sinners, repent!" it takes individuals and says "YOU! YOU have BAD inside YOU!Don't worry about that guy next door, he doesn't matter, but YOU have BAD inside YOU and WE can fix that!".

Religions prey on the vulnerable, this much is known and is evidenced by the fact that as a society becomes less ignorant (more educated), more equal and not struggling, they tend to disregard it. Religion combats this by sending "missionaries" into broke countries and preying on the people they know won't have education, equality or stability in their lives any time soon.

Scientology preys on the vulnerable but in probably the most personal way possible and have the gall to dress some of it up as science. But...it works, doesn't it!? People sign away everything they own, just to feel like they "belong".

I do get a genuine laugh listening to catholics, protestants, muslims etc. proclaiming how much a dangerous cult Scientology is while heading off to their local cult center a few times a year to worship a God that has as much basis in reality as Xenu.

forfuxsake

orchidsrpretty wrote: »

I was walking on Hollywood boulevard one day and one of these people asked me did I want a personality test. After it was over and she started spewing her bull****, I started to question her about the religion and why the famous members get awards etc for being amazing members and the connection with how good a sciencetologist you are is inter linked with how much money and stats a person brings in. She got really agressive and accused me of being drunk and trying to smell my breath! It was about 10 am in
Was very strange but a entertaining way to spend a hour. I did feel a bit sorry for her though.

ooooooo:eek:
:pac:

Rasheed

orchidsrpretty wrote: »

I was walking on Hollywood boulevard one day and one of these people asked me did I want a personality test. After it was over and she started spewing her bull****, I started to question her about the religion and why the famous members get awards etc for being amazing members and the connection with how good a sciencetologist you are is inter linked with how much money and stats a person brings in. She got really agressive and accused me of being drunk and trying to smell my breath! It was about 10 am in
Was very strange but a entertaining way to spend a hour. I did feel a bit sorry for her though.

I'm jealous,I'd love to meet one! Roscommon isn't a scientologist stronghold though....:(

RHarrow

forfuxsake wrote: »

Dirty nasty divorce when he tries to take a beautiful little child away from her brave (and beautiful) mother in a bitter public fight = people gonna start giving a fúck and I for one could certainly stop going to the cinema, renting his dvds being arsed downloading his movies.

Women fight for sole custody of their children, and get it, often based on nothing more than lies on a daily basis.

Why should TC be judged any worse?

Gummy Panda

Battlefield Earth is a terrible book, rat brains

NegativeCreep

Dartz wrote: »

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

The Simpsons have openly admitted that episode was based on scientolgy :P

And has Scientologists among the cast. Nancy Cartwright is a clam, IIRC.


I wonder if they're monitoring this thread?

Why would they bother monitoring the thread? :L

A_Sober_Paddy

Not a chance but I think everyone should read the book on it...

The Complex: An Insider Exposes the Covert World of the Church of Scientology

Great read, and believe the book was banned for a while as the crazy members of the cult threatened to sue.

Just wondering can an employer sack one of these cultists if they try to recruit it the workplace?

Biggins

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

...Just wondering can an employer sack one of these cultists if they try to recruit it the workplace?

Not outright in most cases but (to be legally covered) if an employer has given enough written warnings (usually 3) stating that their activities at work is harassing and/or interfering with their official work they are supposed to be doing, then yes, an employer can then sack someone trying to recruit.

mattjack

Rasheed wrote: »

I'm jealous,I'd love to meet one! Roscommon isn't a scientologist stronghold though....:(

That's what you think, look behind you .. no behind you...

forfuxsake

RHarrow wrote: »

Women fight for sole custody of their children, and get it, often based on nothing more than lies on a daily basis.

Why should TC be judged any worse?

Because he belongs to cult from from which people find great difficulty in escaping and wanted to send his daughter to a 'retreat' centre which has gates to keep people in. People have gone missing. The leader of the cult's own family had had great difficulty leaving and advise staying the fúck away.

TC should be judged the same. I would fully support taking children away from a mother involved in this **** and given them to the father, all else being equal.

say what you like about Catholicism but when I decided it wasn't for me they haven't come near me since.

BillyMitchel

I'd go once or twice for the craic just to see and experience it. Don't think I could keep a straight face though.

Where is their Dublin office?

RHarrow

forfuxsake wrote: »

Because he belongs to cult from from which people find great difficulty in escaping and wanted to send his daughter to a 'retreat' centre which has gates to keep people in. People have gone missing. The leader of the cult's own family had had great difficulty leaving and advise staying the fúck away.

And...? Most of those women I mentioned trying to get sole custody of their children would (statistically) swear allegiance to some cult or another, be it Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, etc.

Lots of people have had huge difficulty being taken off the books of the Catholic Church as of late also, by the way.

Most people the world 'round would advise staying away from Catholicism.

So, just because its not your cult, does not mean it shouldn't be treated on equal grounds as it.

TC should be judged the same. I would fully support taking children away from a mother involved in this **** and given them to the father, all else being equal.

say what you like about Catholicism but when I decided it wasn't for me they haven't come near me since.

I'll treat all cults the same, to be honest. Spitting at Scientology over its fabrications while holding the bible to hand and swearing there's truth to be found in it is hypocrisy at its finest.

leaveiton

I've seen the personality test they give, it's crazy. There are about 200 yes/no questions, and it's very clearly designed so that they can say "Oh look, you answered this question in such a way, well Scientology will help you with that!" Some of them are ridiculous, I remember one being along the lines of "Do your muscles ever twitch or spasm for no reason?"

Scruffles

one of the lads who is supported by the organisation am under is a scientologist.
he is mildly autistic and living in minimal support, plus he has done a degree so no one can argue its lack of academic ability or traditional inteligence that makes a person support scientology.
and he is a decent guy,he may have challenging behavior but he does far more contribution to the community,farming,jobs and enviroment than probably everyone who bawwwws on and on about 'benefits scroungers' on here.

Fentdog84

forfuxsake wrote: »

Methinks this is gonna be the end of Tommy Cruise.

He's gay - who gives a fúck?
He's a scientologist -ok he's weird but essentially most people still don't give a fúck?
Dirty nasty divorce when he tries to take a beautiful little child away from her brave (and beautiful) mother in a bitter public fight = people gonna start giving a fúck and I for one could certainly stop going to the cinema, renting his dvds being arsed downloading his movies.

The media has begun the job of destroying him and I'm getting me popcorn.

You know I dont really have the same level of sympathy to Holmes as the rest of the world does. Methinks she knew well what she was getting into when she married Cruise. She agreed to this sham marraige to further her own profile and career, had a kid to show authenticity and now when it suits her, she's playing the victim and is on her way. it's the kid i only feel sorry for in this whole situation.

gara

I wonder do they have a theme tune? Psychosomatic! :pac:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLrnkK2YEcE

Biggins

Fentdog84 wrote: »

You know I dont really have the same level of sympathy to Holmes as the rest of the world does. Methinks she knew well what she was getting into when she married Cruise. She agreed to this sham marraige to further her own profile and career, had a kid to show authenticity and now when it suits her, she's playing the victim and is on her way. it's the kid i only feel sorry for in this whole situation.

You do realise of course that the way some people can be sucked into a cult, they can also be sucked into a relationship by a VERY slick and manipulative person such as Cruise is?
...No, that would be too much to comprehend!

Suggested reading - How Katie was cast to play Tom Cruise's wife
http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/best_supporting_actress_REdKcnpi4xPjBFGO4Yjp4M/0

A section:

After Nicole, the search was on for a new partner for Tom Terrific. It didn’t take long. Sparks had already flown between the actor and his new leading lady, Penelope Cruz, during the making of “Vanilla Sky.” She was groomed as Kidman’s successor. He took the Spanish actress to Scientology’s Celebrity Centre in Hollywood and encouraged her to take a few courses.

While Penelope studiously read Scientology texts and attended auditing courses — the equivalent of a confessional — she was never really committed.

“I have great respect for all religions, but I do not intend to join any of them at the moment,” she said tactfully, but fatally for her chances of marrying the Scientologist leading man.

When their relationship officially ended in 2004, no one was happier than her father, Eduardo, who had secretly been in touch with an organization based in Germany — the most hostile European country to Scientology — which helps members of cults and their families.

After the Cruz breakup, the lovelorn actor turned to his best friend, Scientology leader Miscavige, for help in finding a new wife. The diminutive church boss, who has a notoriously volcanic temper, became irritated with constant calls from Tom. As the head of a multibillion-dollar operation, he felt it was below him to be seeking out women for the Hollywood star. He deputized his wife, Shelly, to take over the task.

The first girl she chose seemed ideal. She was a Sea Org member, that is to say committed to working full time for Scientology. The girl found herself “running into” Cruise, all the while thinking she was auditioning for a part in a movie. She dated Cruise a couple of times but then asked Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis, the son of actress Anne Archer, if she was being deliberately “set up.”

Her reward was to be told by Davis on Cruise’s behalf that the relationship was over. Then, according to friends, she was sent to a top security Scientology base and forced to scrub public bathroom floors with a toothbrush as punishment for messing up her assignment.

Tom had already moved on, briefly romancing 19-year-old actress Yolanda Pecoraro, whose only claim to fame was appearing as a bikini babe in the TV drama “Dr. Vegas.” She did, though, bear a remarkable resemblance to Penelope Cruz. The daughter of a Nicaraguan mother and Italian father, she had been a Scientologist since the age of 13 and was by the side of the actor when he received a special Scientology award in November 2004.

When that hookup bit the dust, he gave Scientology leaders a wish list of women he would like to date. They included Jennifer Garner and the up-and-coming actress Sofia Vergara.

When Vergara got an invitation from Cruise’s friend Will Smith to attend a pre-Oscar party, she had no idea she was being set up. She was dazzled by Tom’s megawatt smile and amused by the blizzard of phone calls, flowers and chocolates that followed their first meeting.

It was not long before he casually suggested they head for Celebrity Centre where, surprise, surprise, Miscavige was waiting to layer on the charm. It soon became clear that she was being auditioned for the biggest role of her life — Mrs. Tom Cruise Mark III. It was made clear that if she took the part, she would have to renounce her Catholic faith and convert to Scientology.

“She was fundamentally terrified of Scientology,” a friend told me. “She sincerely believed that she would be struck down by God and burn in hell if she joined.”

Exit Sofia — running for the hills.

After that debacle, the church went into overdrive to find him a partner. They put out a casting call for possible brides, telling them that there was an upcoming Cruise movie they might get a part in. Former Scientologist Marc Headley, who filmed many of the auditions, recalls that first they rounded up Scientology actresses like Erika Christensen, Erica Howard and Sofia Milos. None was deemed acceptable.

They were looking for a woman who would accept the teachings of Scientology, but who would also look good on Tom’s arm — and not make too many waves.

“They had to look outside the herd, so to speak. They went for Jennifer Garner, Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Alba, in that order. Jennifer and Jessica didn’t bite, but Scarlett took the bait and came in for an audition. When she arrived at the address and found out it was the Scientology center in Hollywood, she freaked out and didn’t do a tape.”

Finally, the Scientology casting crew hit on Katie Holmes, then 26, after they read an interview in which she said she would like to marry Tom. A senior Scientologist was sent to New York to give her the once-over. He liked what he saw.

She must have been thrilled. Ever since she was a little girl, she had told her three older sisters that she was going to marry Tom and live in a beautiful mansion where she would start the day by sliding from her bedroom into her own swimming pool.

Their first meeting was right out of the Cruise book of romance. He took her on a motorcycle ride to the beach at Santa Monica, later sending a limousine filled with chocolates and flowers to her apartment.

“I was in love from the moment I shook his hand,” she later gushed. In the coming months, the former star of “Dawson’s Creek” would turn gushing into an art form.

Tom, meanwhile, was bouncing up and down — literally. Vergara watched their antics from a distance, and thanked her lucky stars. “She had a narrow escape,” recalled a friend. “She privately pitied the poor girl. Katie is a much weaker, more innocent person than Sofia.”

It had been only six weeks since Katie had broken off her engagement with actor Chris Klein, and now she was falling into marriage with a star 17 years her senior. Her family and friends watched in horror as they saw the normally vivacious woman turn into a Stepford Wife, silent, dutiful and stooping. She was now nicknamed “Dead Eye” Holmes, the young actress cocooned by Scientology handlers wherever she went.

Katie may now regret signing in June 2005 a comprehensive contract with Scientology. But the reward was a proposal on top of the Eiffel Tower and marriage in an Italian castle in November 2006.

In her rare interviews since, her responses are brief, guarded and inconsequential, endlessly repeating the numbing mantra that her life is “magical.”

But, hey, presto, the magic has worn off. Hollywood’s modern-day Snow White has woken from her dream. While she and her family face whatever hocus-pocus Cruise and Scientology try on them, the search will be on for Mrs. Cruise Mark IV.

Poison apple, anyone?

Source: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/best_supporting_actress_REdKcnpi4xPjBFGO4Yjp4M/0

Jester252

When into one of their bookstores. Got pulled out my one of my friends

Jaxxy

They stopped my Dad one time somewhere near Abbey Street and asked him if he wanted to take a personality test. He said he didn't have a personality and walked on.

They got a work colleague of mine. They are a very scary organisation.

HOS 1997

How many members, approximately, do they have in Ireland?

Biggins

HOS 1997 wrote: »

How many members, approximately, do they have in Ireland?

There is no official figure for the number of Scientologists in Ireland but members of the church, founded in Los Angeles in 1954 by L Ron Hubbard, have claimed there are up to 500.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/irishsun/irishfeatures/4411540/Scientology-Ireland.html

They are financially in the red also - funds from America is keeping them a float.

According to financial documents lodged by the Church of Scientology Mission of Dublin Ltd, the company's revenues more than halved from €484,070 to €193,509 in 2009. As a result of this 60 per cent drop, the church's operating surplus fell 74 per cent, from €271,804 to €68,292. The accounts are for the 12-month period to the end of April 2009, but were only signed off by the board on July 20th last after a long delay by the company in lodging the return. The last occasion the company filed accounts was in October 2008. Last night the non-executive director of the Church of Scientology Mission of Dublin, Gerard Ryan, blamed the recession for the drop in revenues. "We are not immune to the economic circumstances of the wider community and clearly this has impacted on our fundraising efforts," he said.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0802/1224301719186.html

Sindri

These links are an extremely interesting read somewhat related to Scientology and cults. It's about a different cult but it is informative on the subject of cults and why some people join them and why some people start them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peoples_Temple

iCosmopolis

crosstownk wrote: »

Same happened to me about 20 years ago. I was at a loose end and some dude came up to me in Abbey St. Same story, stress test, yada yada. I went upstairs and the dude asked me questions (without the metal cylindrical wired jobbies). Then they came to some conclusions about my life and lifestyle and I politely told them to fcuk off.

After that they sent me mail for years till I eventually had to ring them and accuse them of harassment. The mail stopped after that.

Weirdos.

EDIT: They also gave me a free copy of the Dianetics book by that Hubbard bloke. I attempted to read it but after a few pages it was very much WTF? It burnt well though.

Same here, nearly 20 years ago on abbey street they stopped me for a personality test - I went up and sat down on the couches with one of them but the questionaire was too long,didn't want to miss my bus etc., and got a bit freaked out by the general atmosphere and went to leave- they were creepily insistent to keep me there,and the girl then was trying to get me to BUY their book, for about 20 pounds or so if I remember right, but I was still in school and had spent any money I'd had in sound cellar-took ages to get away from her. Around the time I heard they used to offer to go to an atm with people when they said they'd no cash for the kits/books are they still there?

Biggins

There are a number of reasons why the cult has not been so successful here in Ireland.
Some of them reasons often cross-over each other - but the short version is that the Irish people to their great credit, know a lot more about this cult and just how sinister it really is.

Irish people are a lot more aware than other countries just how bad and how the cult operates, than other less informed populations.

Anonymous in Ireland deserves some of this credit for monthly publicising on Dublin streets against the cult and further making people aware.

Fentdog84

Biggins wrote: »

You do realise of course that the way some people can be sucked into a cult, they can also be sucked into a relationship by a VERY slick and manipulative person such as Cruise is?
...No, that would be too much to comprehend!

Suggested reading - How Katie was cast to play Tom Cruise's wife
http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/best_supporting_actress_REdKcnpi4xPjBFGO4Yjp4M/0

A section:


Source: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/best_supporting_actress_REdKcnpi4xPjBFGO4Yjp4M/0

Hmmm. Using articles containing a load of hearsay to back up your arguments. Good business to be in.

Biggins

Fentdog84 wrote: »

Hmmm. Using articles containing a load of hearsay to back up your arguments. Good business to be in.

The article is a summary - of material that is widely available in book form that your free to read - that contains names, dates, places, documentation, witness statements, etc.

...And stop for one second. The absolute army of lawyers that the cult - HAS NOT - refuted or challenged the stated facts within the article - that again is only summarising details that are available out there elsewhere.
...Never mind that in order to post such a substantial article that major quality newspapers would have to have verified the material from various sources it was publishing, in order to avoid liability and slander! Articles having passed though the media own legal teams for allowance to be published.

...But its cheap and easier to knock that isn't it? Simple push things like that conveniently aside!

Please post here where the facts in the article have been refuted!
Please do - we will await your post with refutes by the cult.

leggo

Was in New York a couple years ago. The hotel we were staying in was across from The Church of Scientology. I started telling the lads some of the things that I'd heard about the whole thing.

"Let's go in!" one said.
"No! Have you been listening to a word I said?"
"Yeah, it'll be an experience."
"Nah I prefer to live to talk about my experiences, sorry."
"I'm going in..."

And he walked right in, so we had to follow. I like this guy, he's the type of piss-taker who thinks everything is a joke and unwittingly ends up in dangerous situations as a result. So I didn't want to be 'disconnected' from him.

There were two people standing in the lobby to great guests: a really attractive woman and a movie-star looking bloke. They looked at us, big thick touristy, Irish heads on us dressed in our shorts and 'I Love NYC' t-shirts, looked at each other and the gorgeous girl walks our way.

"Hi!" she said, in that fake, smiley American way that's so over-the-top you'd actually think you had a shot.

"We'd like to join the cult," my mate said. She frowned. I elbowed him and quickly scanned the doors to make sure they hadn't been locked behind us. They were spinning doors. We were safe. Or were we?

"We're just having a look around. Heard a lot about it just wanted to see what this place was like," I said.

"Of course!" she said, "If you'd like to follow me, we can show you a real quick video explaining everything about the religion."

"Nah we're alright," I said. "Just in for a quick peak, I think we've seen enough."

"Nah c'mon man, let's watch the video!" my friend said. Knowing him, he thought prolonging our time there meant he could chat up yer wan. That's what they want you to think. There's a reason Kirsty Alley doesn't greet you at the door.

"We don't have the time!" I glared at him.

"Sure we do! Where's the video?"

So she led us up a staircase to the 'cinema room'. The walls had pictures of all of their celebrity members and she made small-chat as we walked, asking about whether it was our first time in the city and so on.

Eventually she led us in to a dark room and told us that it would just be 20 minutes long. "20 minutes?! We didn't have the..." She closed the door. It was like my first ghost train all over again.

What followed was a horrific, propaganda movie about a college footballer who was destined for the NFL and suffered a career-ending injury. The story is sad...we could have done without the graphic imagery, the flashing images and so on. He was left in a wheelchair. His life had been destroyed. He had no reason left to live. He contemplated suicide.

Then Scientology came along.

"C'mon, we're leaving," I said.

"It's just starting!" the funny lad said.

"This is a propaganda video. I'm doing it for your own good man," and I walked, relieved to find the door still unlocked.

We rushed down the stairs as the male and female sped towards us, looking concerned.

"Was something wrong?"

"Not for us! Thanks though!" and we legged it out the spinning doors. Fortunately, they spun.

A bit long, I know, and apologies. But just found the whole thing very unsettling: how they lure you in and make sure every step of the way, from the attractive, aspirational young people greeting you to the celebs on the wall to the horrific propaganda video in the dark room, that's such a basic, interesting-sounding story with a dangerous hidden meaning. It's all so simple, so carefree, each step feels like you've got complete free will but you can also see how it traps you, if you know how to look. God knows what the next 'stage' was.

It shouldn't be legal but I have a feeling it's already too powerful to be stopped. Fortunately the only thing that can stop it is freedom of expression on places like this, and the Tom Cruise scandal could be its most damaging blow yet. Hopefully, Katie Holmes has the courage and protection around her to speak out eventually.

Degringola

I think the reason no celebrities can defect from the cult is because they have so much dirt on them from all the 'auditing' they do on them. They know all their deepest, darkest secrets.

Biggins

Degringola wrote: »

I think the reason no celebrities can defect from the cult is because they have so much dirt on them from all the 'auditing' they do on them. They know all their deepest, darkest secrets.

That has been suspected many a time.
As soon as the cult has the start of its grips upon a victim member, the well established standard operating procedure is to slowly coax the darkest of their activities out, jot them down and record them.
Its known as "sec-checking" - and its VERY professionally done. The slick methods used to get information out of people are well practised and polished.

Many have stated they fear the publishing of stuff that they have told while in the cult and as such many are reluctant to speak out against the cult. Preferring to take a more neutral stance once they have left.
They prefer (understandable) not to provoke the cult further and hope that the cult will respond by not releasing earlier collected and collated material they might have on a now ex-member.

Its a mighty hold that the cult has over ex-members even after they leave.

Fentdog84

Biggins wrote: »

The article is a summary - of material that is widely available in book form that your free to read - that contains names, dates, places, documentation, witness statements, etc.

...And stop for one second. The absolute army of lawyers that the cult - HAS NOT - refuted or challenged the stated facts within the article - that again is only summarising details that are available out there elsewhere.
...Never mind that in order to post such a substantial article that major quality newspapers would have to have verified the material from various sources it was publishing, in order to avoid liability and slander! Articles having passed though the media own legal teams for allowance to be published.

...But its cheap and easier to knock that isn't it? Simple push things like that conveniently aside!

Please post here where the facts in the article have been refuted!
Please do - we will await your post with refutes by the cult.

Im in no way affiliated to scientology but this whole brainwashing/manipulation
nonsense i dont buy it. Ok in the case of kids it may be different, but if a grown human being,who i assume were well educated, such as katie Holmes falls for this kinda nonsense, then its their fault. This ''oh they brainwashed me, now you must feel sorry for me'' sorry but Ive no sympathy whatsoever for her. I do hope she wins this custody battle for the kid, but even then I would be fearful for her suitability to look after a child as she must have some mental problems to allow herself get involved with those nutters.

mattjack

leggo wrote: »

Was in New York a couple years ago. The hotel we were staying in was across from The Church of Scientology. I started telling the lads some of the things that I'd heard about the whole thing.

"Let's go in!" one said.
"No! Have you been listening to a word I said?"
"Yeah, it'll be an experience."
"Nah I prefer to live to talk about my experiences, sorry."
"I'm going in..."

After all the above ,I was waiting for John Travolta to make an entrance

Biggins

Fentdog84 wrote: »

Im in no way affiliated to scientology but this whole brainwashing/manipulation
nonsense i dont buy it. Ok in the case of kids it may be different, but if a grown human being,who i assume were well educated, such as katie Holmes falls for this kinda nonsense, then its their fault. This ''oh they brainwashed me, now you must feel sorry for me'' sorry but Ive no sympathy whatsoever for her. I do hope she wins this custody battle for the kid, but even then I would be fearful for her suitability to look after a child as she must have some mental problems to allow herself get involved with those nutters.

VERY perfectly sane people have been sucked into it.
You don't have to have a mental deficiency to get suckered in.
The cult has a very skilled way in stating that they have a lot of 'the right answers' when (if they are lucky) they come across a person that is having sorrow or worries at times in their life.

I have fought against this cult for over 20+ years now in Ireland and I can honestly say, they can take a genuine sane person and turn them into a complete mental mess - leaving them totally dependent on the cult just for basic survival.

Katie Holmes was an absolute gem, sparkled with life and energy before she got involved with Tom Cruise and the cult.
It will take at least many, many months to get her life slowly back together - but she is NOT alone.
Now she has her family back more so - much of which she lost previously.

ArtSmart

lazygal wrote: »

Like, how thick would you have to be? Who doesn't know its a cult designed to extract as much money as possible from you?

Also, anyone availed of a free personality test?

years ago, on Henry st i think. 5 mins in I started asking wtf questions, (as the 'test' began to appear intrusive/ weird) and i got the bum rush. still, got a free fanta, so....

leggo

mattjack wrote: »

After all the above ,I was waiting for John Travolta to make an entrance

Pulp Fiction is my favourite movie of all-time. So if that had happened, I'm not gonna lie...I'd probably be a Scientologist (?) right now.

BQQ

Was approached in Abbey st one day when I was at a loose end and offered the free personality test.

Knew full well who they were, but was curious about how they recruited, so I decided to go in (staying as close as possible to the exit)

Gave fake name and contact details obviously, and then had some fun with the test. It was very long. Took ages. Questions were quite transparant and repetitive, with a few tricky ones thrown in.
One stuck in my mind. Was something about giving away possessions. Can't recall the exact wording, but, at first glance, it seemed innocuous. However, since I knew they were Scientologists, I looked at it a bit more carefully and I'm pretty sure it was a question to identify someone who was depressed / suicidal. (another question just asked outright "Are you suicidal?")

Anyway, I amused myself by answering like a well-adjusted normal person except for any question about aggression or violence. Basically making myself look like a nutter.

I waited for the results. The guy explained that i had anger issues that they could help me with showing me a graph on his computer.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?", I snapped.

Couldn't really keep up the angry act cause I thought i was so funny:o
He tried to get me to take a book on dianetics to help me with my anger. I declined saying I wasn't angry, I was happy.

Got the hell out. Got the fire brigade out. And stayed out.

Duggy747

Did a Scientology test years ago for the buzz online on their main site.

If anyone saw that episode of South Park where they took the piss out of the questions like "Do you ever find that you whistle to yourself sometimes?" were spot on.

200 questions, about 30-40% of them where the same question phrased differently and very confusingly to throw your results off.

The results were that I was low in confidence and self-esteem. I did another test answering the opposite of my last test and wound up with similiar results.

A week or 2 later I get an email from a recruiter asking me to come to Dublin for further testing.................he specifically asked me to bring €250 as a down-payment towards the €500 self-improvement and starter fee.

Fùck off!! :pac:

Wibbs

Biggins wrote: »

There are a number of reasons why the cult has not been so successful here in Ireland.
Some of them reasons often cross-over each other - but the short version is that the Irish people to their great credit, know a lot more about this cult and just how sinister it really is.

Irish people are a lot more aware than other countries just how bad and how the cult operates, than other less informed populations.

Anonymous in Ireland deserves some of this credit for monthly publicising on Dublin streets against the cult and further making people aware.

I'd reckon another reason is our catholic past. We're used to a better quality of bullshít and we rejected it for the most part, even though the majority of Irish people were schooled in and by the religion. I would reckon your cults like this crowd have a harder time in countries with a strong single religion background. In cultures where there were historically lots of different faiths they'd have an easier time of it as people would be used to differences and might be more open to chopping and changing. In a religiously homogenous culture(and more homogenous countries overall) this would be a harder sell, as those who were "meh" about the religion of the culture would either quietly drop out, or be like a goodly chunk of Irish people even at the height of the church here a la carte about the whole thing.

New world cultures like the US and Australia etc would prove more fertile ground with their heterogenous cultures and faiths. Cultures in flux like Russia and the former Soviet satellites would be also be in that mix as people seek a new internal reality because of an uprooted past. I'd not be surprised to discover these and other eejits will aim at places like Greece as possible areas of expansion. Many cultures in Africa would be charms for that shíte. China too.

sbsquarepants

It's no crazier than any other religion really. They only surprising thing is that very few people have been brought up scientoligists, they come to it in later life usually. But then worldwide how many turn buddhist, muslim or whatever in later life. It's all bolloxology - just slightly different flavours.

forfuxsake

sbsquarepants wrote: »

It's no crazier than any other religion really. They only surprising thing is that very few people have been brought up scientoligists, they come to it in later life usually. But then worldwide how many turn buddhist, muslim or whatever in later life. It's all bolloxology - just slightly different flavours.

It is and it isn't. IMO like other 'religions' it's bollocks but it more like a cult as it actively encourages people to turn away from their family and friends and give them all or most of their money, as opposed to Abrahamic religions which encourage you to follow a moral path and give them some of your money.

The idea of a God and an afterlife is not crazy, the ideas behind scientology are bat****. Read about it. It's nuckin' futs.

Wibbs

I don't buy this lazy(IMHO) comparison between scientology and religions like Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc that seems to reduce the argument to "ahh sure they're all the same, they were all cults once". Not quite. Even in the earliest stages of say Christianity they weren't pulling the kind of guff scientology does. For a start at no point in the other world faiths did you have to write a cheque for attending your local church, mosque or temple. Sure you could donate, but there isn't a pricelist in your local church. The Catholic church tried that for a time with indulgences and got the reformation on their arses for it. Even then you didn't have to pay if you didn't want to.

Even if we suggest that scientology is the same, do we really need another one? Especially one as threatening and insidious as this one? Hell no. We certainly not one cooked up by a third rate, paranoid, drug addled eejit like Hubbard. Remove the elements of magical thinking involved and line up Jesus, Muhammed, Buddha and Hubbard in a room and Stevie wonder on a bad day could win a spot the difference competition.

sbsquarepants

forfuxsake wrote: »

It is and it isn't. IMO like other 'religions' it's bollocks but it more like a cult as it actively encourages people to turn away from their family and friends and give them all or most of their money, as opposed to Abrahamic religions which encourage you to follow a moral path and give them some of your money.

The idea of a God and an afterlife is not crazy, the ideas behind scientology are bat****. Read about it. It's nuckin' futs.

That's a matter of opinion. In my opinion it's quite crazy.
But i do agree that scientology is probably that little bit crazier, i have read a little bit about it and as far as i'm concerned it's nothing more than a con job. Basically a pyramid scheme designed to seperate fools from their money, but then - that vatican didn't pay for itself either, most "religions" are just a business.

A_Sober_Paddy

Wibbs wrote: »

I don't buy this lazy(IMHO) comparison between scientology and religions like Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc that seems to reduce the argument to "ahh sure they're all the same, they were all cults once". Not quite. Even in the earliest stages of say Christianity they weren't pulling the kind of guff scientology does. For a start at no point in the other world faiths did you have to write a cheque for attending your local church, mosque or temple. Sure you could donate, but there isn't a pricelist in your local church. The Catholic church tried that for a time with indulgences and got the reformation on their arses for it. Even then you didn't have to pay if you didn't want to.

Even if we suggest that scientology is the same, do we really need another one? Especially one as threatening and insidious as this one? Hell no. We certainly not one cooked up by a third rate, paranoid, drug addled eejit like Hubbard. Remove the elements of magical thinking involved and line up Jesus, Muhammed, Buddha and Hubbard in a room and Stevie wonder on a bad day could win a spot the difference competition.

Forgot paedophile

stinkle

Wibbs wrote: »

Many cultures in Africa would be charms for that shíte. China too.

Not sure how interested they are people from poor countries, although didn't a lot of Scientologist celebs make "humanitarian" trips to Haiti after the earthquake? It's actually quite scary if they have notions to convert in the aftermath of disasters like that.

We get a lot of junk mail from them as I live near the HQ in Dublin, some of the rubbish printed is unreal. I personally find it funny, but it's all along the lines of "my life was crap/I was bereaved and depressed etc, but thanks to dianetics it's all great again". It's fishing for vulnerable people.

forfuxsake

sbsquarepants wrote: »

That's a matter of opinion. In my opinion it's quite crazy.
But i do agree that scientology is probably that little bit crazier, i have read a little bit about it and as far as i'm concerned it's nothing more than a con job. Basically a pyramid scheme designed to seperate fools from their money, but then - that vatican didn't pay for itself either, most "religions" are just a business.

The desire for there to be something after death, even as a coping mechanism for the innate fear of the death that most of us possess, is a natural human psychological trait. Evidence for this is that every human culture has created some kind of afterlife.

Believing in a afterlife is not crazy, it is human. It is no different to believing in santa as a child.

sbsquarepants

Believing in santa as a child is fine, as an adult it's crazy!

LittleBook

Wibbs wrote: »

We're used to a better quality of bullshít

:pac: :pac: