try googling South Park & Scientology!
Should the Senate have an inquiry into Scientology? Australian of the year, Proffessor Patrick McGorry, who is a mental health expert, thinks so.
I’m not sure. I genuinely feel conflicted on this one.
The allegations are very very serious.
But I’m also nervous about the government deciding what may or may not be an acceptable religion. Is that really a door we want to open? Can’t prosecutions be brought under existing laws?
Their freedoms are our freedoms. You might dismiss them as loopy or see them as more malicious – but how many Australians would see the church in the same light?
What do you reckon?
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March 10, 2010 at 2:05 pm
But isn’t Scientology more like a cult – which defrauds people of money? So it is an organisation that is commiting a crime?
March 10, 2010 at 2:32 pm
and the difference between a cult & an organized religion is…?
would you be happy with the answer the Senate might come up with?
March 10, 2010 at 4:38 pm
I’m with you Michael. It makes me nervous. If there are abuses in the Anglican Church or the Church of Scientology or anywhere else, it’s a matter for the police. Or if a religion negligently tells people they don’t need drugs for their mental condition, one good law suit or prosecution for criminal negligence for their serious breach of their duty of care should put an end to that.
I’m not sure I want the Senate reviewing what is a ‘legitimate’ religion. Anyway, I think the High Court has already said they don’t want to touch that sort of issue in a case about Scientology. The Senate should take heed.
Caveat emptor, when it comes to faith, I reckon.
March 10, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Existing laws will do it for us, and by ‘us’ I mean society. If we start new laws to get scientologists, the religious people among us are done for. Some of my friends are religious!
March 11, 2010 at 3:42 am
As I see it, belief constitutes a religion. Believing in the writings of Scientology, for example the OT3 story about Galactic Overlord Xenu, is perfectly fine. And organisations that allow you to freely believe in something are legitimate religious organisations.
Nothing is free in the ‘Church of Scientology’. They are cult-like in nature, commit numerous human rights abuses, run several deceptive front-groups, charge lots of money for the courses, pressure people into buying more courses or for working ridiculous hours when they can’t pay for courses, lie to the followers, threaten the followers, attack and intimidate their critics, stop people from leaving, punish people, kill people…
You get my drift. This is not an organisation that allows people to have their beliefs freely, and maintain the freedom of choice. The problem with Scientology is that the founder was knowledgeable in the field of brainwashing. The scriptures of Scientology (the ‘Tech’) involve mind conditioning methods, in order to control followers, and seperate them from the outside world. It can be seen as early as the first book most Scientologists are recruited with, ‘Dianetics’, in which words are redefined. This redefining of language seperates Scientologists from the outside world, and encourgaes only Scientologist to Scientologist communication even before the policies of breaking up families and friends by ‘disconnection’.
So as I think is evident, while on the surface questioning a ‘religion’ may seem a worrying prospect, legitimate religions should not feel threatened in any way by this.
Religion is free.
Knowledge is free.
Scientology isn’t.
March 11, 2010 at 11:20 am
i know there are a whole series of taxation cases on the status of Scientology that go back to the 60s in England. France had the same issue maybe a decade ago. Because of the favourable tax treatments given to non-profits & religious organisations it has been an ongoing issue.
But for the life of me, I can’t remember the law on this.
March 17, 2010 at 11:42 am
My understanding is that Scientology only declared itself to be a “religion” for tax purposes