fourchan:

Another good reason to install Adblock...

Are you afraid that upon seeing the ad you might suddenly be sucked into scientology?

I knew this whole site was just a trap to draw us into Scientology! Just like Windows Vista, Sugar-Free Red Bull, and those sparkly cellphone faceplates!

bstorer:

I knew this whole site was just a trap to draw us into Scientology! Just like Windows Vista, Sugar-Free Red Bull, and those sparkly cellphone faceplates!

Nonsense. That's just the kind of brainwash psychiatrists try on you. As long as no-one mentions Xenu, we are all safe. Ooops.

What's so bad about scientology? So they sue a lot and my view of them is that they are basically a out of hand cult following. Worse things have happened in the name of religion. 

stratos:

What's so bad about scientology? So they sue a lot and my view of them is that they are basically a out of hand cult following. Worse things have happened in the name of religion.

stratos:

Worse things have happened in the name of religion. 

Perhaps, but at least the others weren't made by a guy who wrote science fiction and freely admitted his 'religion' is a scam to make money...

The rest are at least still in denial.

stratos:

What's so bad about scientology?

For only USD 60K, I'll tell you. 

ammoQ:

stratos:

What's so bad about scientology?

 

For only USD 60K, I'll tell you. 

I'd be a fool to pass up that offer!

ammoQ:

For only USD 60K, I'll tell you. 

Just give me a year and with the decline of the dollar i'll give you the 10 euro then.

I'm quite sure scientology is bad, perhaps even really bad. But religion is a choice, perhaps a bad one, who knows. The point is that i find the argument that "real" religions have been around longer quite weak. There is something to say for the culteral value of the old religions but you don't need to allow the practice of religion to appriciate the culture it has created. 

Religions give you the oppertunity to have faith, and if there are people who want to have faith in Xeno and keanu reaves, so let them. If scientology kills people and makes them disappear they are quite possibly breaking a law and can and should be prosecuted for that. However that does not invalidate the fact that they present a religion in which you can believe if you so choose. The argument that the guy who started it has publicly said it was a way to make money and the backstory is 'fake' is hardly a suprise but again does not remove the chance for people to have faith in it, with whatever twisted logic those people may have.

 As religions go, scientology may not be the best choice, but they deliver what one should expect from a religion, a chance to believe in them.

stratos:

breaking a law and can and should be prosecuted for that.

Fortunately some countries don't tolerate the behavior of this religion company. Here's a lovely series of leaflets from the Bavarian interior ministry.

The series also informs about islamic extremism and organized crime. That's exactly where this organization belongs.

As far as ads go, I think that even giving the impression of receiving financial support from scientology is most unfortunate. I'm sure Alex has no control over which ads are shown, but that is not an association i could ever support myself.

stratos:

the chance for people to have faith in it

Would having faith in their theories on drug addiction and mental illness be of any use to someone who joins the scam in the hopes of being cured? Last time I checked, addiction to methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, etc... was *NOT* caused by a vitamin deficiency, as Scientology loudly and proudly proclaims.

You're right, though. People can believe in whatever bullshit they want. That's one of the costs of living in a free society. But when the pushers of that bullshit use the money they're scamming from their minions to try and push the scam onto even more people, that's when it crosses the line. Scientology's just a fancy Ponzi scheme wrapped around some fake religious and ultra-pseudo "scientific" crap published by a not-very-good author years ago.

Any "religion" whose sole tenet is "the more you pay, the more you're saved" is not a religion at all. It's a business, and a scam.

stratos:

a chance to believe in them.

... a chanced to be billed by them, you mean. 

just on /.  http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/08/05/21/0037212.shtml   UK Teen Cited For Calling Scientology a "Cult"

Wel if norway/denmark/sweden/germany? (assuming its a goverment flyer) tells people that its bad, they are probably playing on a fine line between legal and illegal. I still think religion should be as free as possible though, so that if you want to believe in wicca or the flying spaghetti monster you should be allowed too.

However i think even if you would want to ban the ad, it will be a problem to do so specifically, i'm quite sure that by asking to have the scientology banner removed you are stepping on some kind of freedom of religous expression law, and could potentially be sued.  But perhaps you could opt to simply ask the ad company to block any religious advertisments, thus not specifically targeting scientology.  

stratos:

just on /.  http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/08/05/21/0037212.shtml   UK Teen Cited For Calling Scientology a "Cult"

I think that was a good decision. Calling Scientology a cult is abusive and insulting to all those legitimate cults, e.g. the cargo cult. It's like calling the Cosa Nostra a trade association. 

ammoQ:

It's like calling the Cosa Nostra a trade association. 

Well, they are a major high-speed pizza delivery organization. I'd love to have a Deliverator's car. Firing a pound of bacon into the asteroid belt sounds like fun. 

MarcB:

ammoQ:

It's like calling the Cosa Nostra a trade association. 

 

Well, they are a major high-speed pizza delivery organization. I'd love to have a Deliverator's car. Firing a pound of bacon into the asteroid belt sounds like fun. 

Just finished reading that book :) a great read, although the ending is a bit abrupt.

MarcB:

Any "religion" whose sole tenet is "the more you pay, the more you're saved" is not a religion at all. It's a business, and a scam.

Wait, what does catholicism have to do with this???

MasterPlanSoftware:

Wait, what does catholicism have to do with this???

I wonder if the Catholic Church can shut down Scientology by using the DMCA.. 

morbiuswilters:

I wonder if the Catholic Church can shut down Scientology by using the DMCA.. 

I would like to see the two churches do epic battle and kill each other.... But that is probably way off in the future....

stratos:

Just finished reading that book :) a great read, although the ending is a bit abrupt.

Yeah, it's a great book. So's most of the rest of his stuff. And all of them have pretty abrupt endings. At least with the Baroque Cycle you knew that the story line would eventually be picked up again in a sequel in two of the volumes.

MasterPlanSoftware:

Wait, what does catholicism have to do with this???

At least the Catholics had the decency to call it indulgences. Scientologists just call it "here's some stuff, next level costs 10x costs as much. Will that be first born, left parietal lobe, or your immortal thetans?".

MorbiusWilters:

I wonder if the Catholic Church can shut down Scientology by using the DMCA.

I don't think the DMCA was made retroactive. Would it apply to stuff created back in the Stone-tablet Millenium. STMCA doesn't show up on any of the books I've searched.

MasterPlanSoftware:

I would like to see the two churches do epic battle and kill each other.... But that is probably way off in the future....

No kidding. We don't even have buildings that can move, let alone fight one another!

bstorer:

MasterPlanSoftware:

I would like to see the two churches do epic battle and kill each other.... But that is probably way off in the future....

No kidding. We don't even have buildings that can move, let alone fight one another!

I am hoping (praying???) for a return of lions and pits...

MasterPlanSoftware:

I am hoping (praying???) for a return of lions and pits...

AbbydonKrafts:

Also, wouldn't it be "Roman" instead of "Medieval" ?

I have no idea. Ask pitchingchris or belgarion, the two Jesus freaks.

MasterPlanSoftware:

I have no idea. Ask pitchingchris or belgarion, the two Jesus freaks.

bstorer:

MasterPlanSoftware:

I would like to see the two churches do epic battle and kill each other.... But that is probably way off in the future....

No kidding. We don't even have buildings that can move, let alone fight one another!

You haven't seen the advance trailers for Transformers 2, then?   A car that turns into a giant space robot fighting a battle against a church that turns into a giant mecha-Ron L. Hubbard, with eye-beams!