http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/france/120202/france-labels-scientology-business-not-church

Quote :

"PARIS, France — A French court has slapped a fraud sentence on the Church of Scientology, saying it targets vulnerable people for commercial gain. The ruling is a major setback for Scientologists in France, and it marks the first time here that the Church of Scientology has been convicted of organized fraud. The development puts its famous recruitment methods under a spotlight. Scientologists vehemently reject the conviction, saying that they are the victims of anti-cult organizations trying to destroy them. “Respect my religion,” chanted several dozen Scientologists, braving sub-zero temperatures in the front of a courthouse in Paris."

Should governments really be deciding which religions are real? And should how effectively they use the collection plate be a factor?

2/4/2012 12:54:30 PM

Easy. Regulate churches the same way as any other non-profit. Prosecute abusive behavior like any other criminal act. Next thread.

2/4/2012 1:06:40 PM

Quote :

"saying that they are the victims of anti-cult organizations trying to destroy them."

And what does that tell them?

2/4/2012 1:10:11 PM

When are they going to get around labeling the other religions the same way?

2/4/2012 1:45:13 PM

Other religions aren't the same way.


In Scientology, the only way to move up in rank is by donating more money or property to the church.

Also, actors are at the top rungs of the church. What do actors do best? LIE.

What you see on the big screen isn't real. They trick you into believing it's real. The better the liar, the better the actor. The best actor is the best liar.

What better career for an actor but to be an actor of a religion? All they have to do is act, and they are set for life. The money flow stops at the top rungs.... naturally.

2/4/2012 3:09:53 PM

I'm not sure. On the one hand, I'm not sure that the gov should decide what really is a religion and what isn't. On the other hand, total freedom allows organizations like Aum Shinrikyo to survive.

[Edited on February 4, 2012 at 3:16 PM. Reason : .]

2/4/2012 3:15:36 PM

1) why is the title to this thread in quotes?
2) I am more certain that scientology is 100% bullshit than that Christianity is true and real.
3) When an organization wants to get gov't benefits, such as tax exemptions for bilking people of their money, I'd say the gov't has a responsibility to review said organization and can say when one doesn't qualify. Scientology has plenty of red flags, and while I wouldn't stop it from recruiting suckers and practicing their "beliefs," I'm certainly not willing to give benefits to it

2/4/2012 5:15:50 PM

I don't think churches should get any kind of exemption that other non-profits get. Tax exemption for cults, no matter their size, is nonsense.

2/4/2012 5:32:59 PM

Quote :

"why is the title to this thread in quotes?"

Because I was quoting their title rather than being more creative and coming up with my own.

2/4/2012 5:42:04 PM

i don't think the global post is gonna come in and nail you for plagiarism, dude

2/4/2012 8:17:13 PM

True story: Once, while drunk, I bought http://www.scientLOLolygy.com. I was later threatened with a lawsuit by the "Church" of Scientology because the word "Scientology" is a trademark. I was kind of depressed because my cat had died the night before of cat SARS so I sold it to them for whatever it cost me. In the domain transfer, I put the name of the organization I was transferring it to as "some random cult" which got me a self righteous email.

2/4/2012 8:30:24 PM

wouldn't parody be protected against a trademark claim?
and, for that matter, why didn't those douches buy the domain, themselves, instead of waiting for some other schmuck to do so? seems like it could have saved them some legal bills. not like they care. that's all they exist to do, sue people, while they let their followers rot in hotel rooms with cockroaches feeding off of them

2/4/2012 8:32:47 PM

Quote :

"Should governments really be deciding which religions are real?"

There ought to be some baseline, and tbqh even our government gets into this (like you can't start a religion just to evade taxes), although it's more lenient toward purported religious groups than France.

2/5/2012 12:17:36 AM

^^^that story reminds me of a time when I was 12 and went to http://www.god.com just to see what I would find.

It was a webpage where some guy would go around with a long white beard and take pictures of him and his cat while condemning his buddies to hell over trivial things like eating the last of the Doritos. It was pretty funny. I don't think that page exists anymore.

2/5/2012 1:18:47 AM

I think Scientology is a very cleverly constructed loophole in government language.

2/5/2012 2:22:07 AM