Scientology is getting more into the news recently.  Russia has now decided it's a hate-mongering organization (Moscow Times) and is treating it as a criminal organization; England and France long ago decided that it hardly worth being called a Church; Australia is debating whether it deserves to be given a tax exemption (article1 and article2);  last year, the St Petersburg Times in Florida ran an exposé of Scientology practices;  famous Scientologists John Travolta and Tom Cruise have been getting scornful press;  and more.  What surprises me is why Scientology can get away with their totally unethical and sometimes criminal activity.  Too many people seem to think that because it's a "religion", it should be left alone.  But it didn't start out as a religion - it just calls itself one because 1) it allows it to be tax exempt and 2) they can get away with talking about mystical things without men in white coats carting them off.

The founder of Scientology was Science Fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard and he published many books on the subject.  In these books, there are quotes of his that destroy any credibility the organization has.  For example, he initially said that Scientology was a science and definitely not a religion - it was better than a religion.  But as time went on, he worked towards the dream he had talked about earlier - and he founded a religion that made him rich.  Further, according to L Ron Hubbard, it deliberate lies to "control" people.

The following video summarizes some of what he said and wrote.

If you look at what they teach, they basically say that they can help you become more intelligent, more knowledgeable, more successful.  A very attractive proposition as long as you don't mind the enormous fees they charge.  But hardly related to religion!  Their mystical component talks about aliens and not a god and they do not worship or pledge obedience to a god or have any of the other common attributes of a religion.  They are working on the premise that if they call themselves a religion, then they are.

Now I'm willing to let people think weird thoughts and even give their money away for no value.  But they are not harmless:  they destroy lives; they milk taxpayers and they do virtually no "good works" like (e.g.) the Salvation Army or even many Christian Churches.  So why is it that only Russia prosecutes them yet they get a tax exemption in Canada and many other countries?  Some would say it's because Russia is atheist - but in this case that's a benefit because that means they are not blinded by the need to "leave religions alone".  I suspect that it's a bit like terrorists who launch rockets from inside a group of children - surround yourself with religious trappings and no-one dare attack.   If one group that calls themselves religious gets prosecuted and called a hate-monger, maybe Christians and Muslims will be prosecuted next because of what's in their bible and Qur'an?   Maybe that would be good but who in Canada wants to open that can of worms?

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