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The Scientologist Protesters

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Started 4 years ago by greenhouse1014
Latest reply from Tigertree

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greenhouse1014
Columbus
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So, I read this article in TOP today about the people protesting the Scientologists and had a couple of thoughts and wanted to see if I was alone in my madnes or not. First, really, what did Scientologists do to these people to piss them off enough that they actively protest a religion?
Secondly, the masks? The hiding your identity? And Guy Fawkes masks? All I have to say is that you're a pussy if you feel you have to hide your identity to protest. This may not make me a lot of friends, but if you care enough about something to shout it down and protest it, have the balls to show your face. If I'm not mistaken, Guy Fawkes DIED for what he believed in. Thanks to some dumbass movie, we've got these people hiding behind his mask. Even in the movie they died for what they believed. In my opinion, no belief is worth truly having if you're not ready to take shit, or even die, for it. To me, this is the most pussy way to protest something. How can I take you seriously if you're too afraid to actually face what you hate?
I am in no way, shape or form associated with the Scientologists. Personally, I think its silly to take up a religion started by a hack science fiction writer, but what do I know, I'm kinda partial to a guy that was a carpenter and homeless guy...

Posted 4 years ago #
joev
Merion Village
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From how I understand it, they are masked because the Scientologist organization has a tradition of intimidating people who speak against them. Pure and simple, Scientology is a cult, and most cults try to rein in dissidents who seek to expose insider knowledge on their tactics of intimidation/brainwashing. I have no problem with the protesters wearing masks, but they didn't have to wear creepy ones.

Posted 4 years ago #
uncoolcynthia

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I haven't seen TOP yet, but, yeah, it seems there are more egregious things about which to be angry. I can't wait to see the Guy Fawkes masks, tho.

Posted 4 years ago #
CaD
Dublin'ish
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Even more reason to grab a TOP tomorrow.
Reading the TOP at work on Fridays has become a ritual in my short time in Columbus :D

Posted 4 years ago #
uncoolcynthia

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CaD wrote Even more reason to grab a TOP tomorrow.
Reading the TOP at work on Fridays has become a ritual in my short time in Columbus :D
I used to be able to get it at the Cup O' Joe at Lennox on my way to work in the AM, but they're either not carrying it or the guy comes after 8:30.

Posted 4 years ago #
Paul
Vancouver, BC
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greenhouse1014 wrote In my opinion, no belief is worth truly having if you're not ready to take shit, or even die, for it.
Are you willing to die to support that belief itself? :?

Posted 4 years ago #
joev
Merion Village
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From the article, the protesters were people who had either left Scientology or had spoken out against it and had been intimidated. I think it's fair for them to protest.

Posted 4 years ago #
bayrea
Dublin, Oh
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We had a pretty entertaining discussion a few weeks ago regarding Scientology on THIS THREAD

Posted 4 years ago #
Anne
King Lincoln
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I find it more irritating that the Church of Scientology of Columbus has decided to show a tv program and blare it pretty loudly.

Posted 4 years ago #
greenhouse1014
Columbus
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Paul wrote
greenhouse1014 wrote In my opinion, no belief is worth truly having if you're not ready to take shit, or even die, for it.
Are you willing to die to support that belief itself? :?
I stand by my words, though that would be a silly point to kill one over.

Posted 4 years ago #
greenhouse1014
Columbus
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joev wrote From how I understand it, they are masked because the Scientologist organization has a tradition of intimidating people who speak against them. Pure and simple, Scientology is a cult, and most cults try to rein in dissidents who seek to expose insider knowledge on their tactics of intimidation/brainwashing. I have no problem with the protesters wearing masks, but they didn't have to wear creepy ones.
well, whatever, I just think, if you're going to go to the effort of protesting, you might as well go all the way and let people kow who's against them. Seems kind of undemocratic, really, if I'm allowed to stretch the point a bit. Even in a court of law, you have the right to face your accusers.

Posted 4 years ago #
brothermarcus
West Siiiide
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1) not a court of law.
2) anonymous, the organization behind the protests, recommends masks be worn as a uniform which both protects the protesters from a malicious and litigious organization and identifies participation with anonymous. anonymous also specifies how to peacefully protest and educate, but I guess if you're willing to die for your cause you don't have to worry about peace.
3) terrible article, just finished reading it... i assume there was research done for the article, or maybe I hope, because there were no facts present really backing up either side of the argument beyond a few tag-lines. Evidently TOP isn't the place to go for information... not even edutainment really. I think it was trying to be funny? Not funny.

Posted 4 years ago #
jazzypants
Eastmoor
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Anne wrote I find it more irritating that the Church of Scientology of Columbus has decided to show a tv program and blare it pretty loudly.
Word. I pass it every day. Srsly. :roll:

Posted 4 years ago #
th0m
Beechwold
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the thing that is most interesting to me is that the "Anonymous" group behind this is more of a *rotating* group of people... arguably those that started the whole thing are probably no longer in it... they use the p2p nature of the net to offset peoples' singular ideas of what "anonymous" should do, i dunno... it is random, ad-hoc, virual activism.... and when i was at a thing where some of them were presenting i was like "this is great and all, but what happens when you come after me?" and the guy repeated one of their *isms as answer that "anonymous is not my personal army" .... note that they used to do DDOS attacks, which aren't legal, and may have gotten into other things, but like democracy, or Al Qaeda, it is more of an "idea" than a particular group.

Posted 4 years ago #
joev
Merion Village
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eh, it's the same as those folks who keep protesting NAI Ohio Equities along High, State and Broad all the time. Those people aren't even affected by whatever is being protested. They're hired to picket. But I say protest the Scientologist if you want, protest John McCain or Barack Obama if you want. I don't think it's a very effective tool anymore.

Posted 4 years ago #
brothermarcus
West Siiiide
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joev wrote But I say protest the Scientologist if you want, protest John McCain or Barack Obama if you want. I don't think it's a very effective tool anymore.
Conflict theory emphasizes the role of coercion and power, a person's or group's ability to exercise influence and control over others, in producing social order. It states that a society or organization functions so that each individual participant and its groups struggle to maximize their benefits, which inevitably contributes to social change such as changes in politics and revolutions.
wiki
breaking down our ability to organize with the promotion of competing interests is the cornerstone to our status quo, protest is still a strong tool - we just lack unity and appropriate focus because our attentions are so fragmented... and before this goes any further left field - I'm not advocating any particular focus at this time, I'm more of a mechanical student currently.

Posted 4 years ago #
MikeReed

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Sort of related, but not entirely.
Is TM a cult? I heard about it and looked it up. Online you can find lots to supoprt that it is a cult. In fact, lots of things are purported to be cults.
How do we really know that Scientology is a cult?
(Note: I am not a Scientologist- I'm just perplexed by the sheer number of things people claim are cults... and I've been involved with an organization that people swear is a cult... and I'm fairly clear it is not from experience.)
I just don't easily buy into the idea that Scientology is in fact a cult when I don't have any first hand info on it.

Posted 4 years ago #
artbomb112
The Heights
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MikeReed wrote ... and I've been involved with an organization that people swear is a cult... and I'm fairly clear it is not from experience.
Please tell me that it's Couchfire.... because that would be hilarious.

Posted 4 years ago #
brothermarcus
West Siiiide
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I would never personally consider transcendental meditation (the activity) a cult, it's an activity which can be entirely individual. Unfortunately there is an organization associated with the action that bears potential for inappropriateness. Meditation involving someone (guru, roshi) who can manipulate others, deconstruction and reprogramming... those are activities I become concerned about, when individual will is bent or broken. Granted, for most military groups this is necessary to ensure submission and function in times of stress... but they are not far off from being a sanctioned cult in my opinion- and for their purposes this is almost a necessity.
Free will is a paramount feature of humanity to me, and we all make sacrifices for safety and other reasons which restricts total freedom - but when someone needs to isolate me from my family, the outside world, and make me only listen to their voice... I become concerned. A nuclear family can be very cultish if a parent is very dominating, or a social group, it doesn't have to revolve around some seemingly off-kilter religious concept. An activity isn't a cult, to round this back to the beginning... an individual can jump off a building with no coercion, I would label a cult to a group where individuals who would normally not injure themselves by jumping off a building are guided to that decision.
/edit - this is a sinkhole of a question, I keep wanting to elaborate! I like people making their own decisions, groups or individuals chopping these people into puppets to do whatever I don't agree with... I'm no moral compass and each person can make their own choice- but why would you give up your will?
"I've never held power over another man, and wouldn't accept it if it were offered to me"

Posted 4 years ago #
joev
Merion Village
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MikeReed wrote
How do we really know that Scientology is a cult?
(Note: I am not a Scientologist- I'm just perplexed by the sheer number of things people claim are cults... and I've been involved with an organization that people swear is a cult... and I'm fairly clear it is not from experience.)
I just don't easily buy into the idea that Scientology is in fact a cult when I don't have any first hand info on it.
I had a journalism course with Terry Anderson at OU. One class, he brought in a woman who had been a Scientologist and left, only to be harrassed and cut off from her loved ones and threatened physically. (It was an exercise in reporting on emotional topics accurately.) Sounded like a cult to me.
Mormons on the other hand - have you ever met a depressed Mormon? They don't exist. Whatever decaffeinated juice they're drinking, it seems to be working.

Posted 4 years ago #