Posted on 02/24/2006 11:05:41 AM PST by Central Scrutiniser
Inside Scientology
Unlocking the complex code of America's most mysterious religion
The faded little downtown area of Clearwater, Florida, has a beauty salon, a pizza parlor and one or two run-down bars, as well as a bunch of withered bungalows and some old storefronts that look as if they haven't seen customers in years. There are few cars and almost no pedestrians. There are, however, buses -- a fleet of gleaming white and blue ones that slowly crawl through town, stopping at regular intervals to discharge a small army of tightly organized, young, almost exclusively white men and women, all clad in uniform preppy attire: khaki, black or navy-blue trousers and crisp white, blue or yellow dress shirts. Some wear pagers on their belts; others carry briefcases. The men have short hair, and the women keep theirs pulled back or tucked under headbands that match their outfits. No one crosses against the light, and everybody calls everybody else "sir" -- even when the "sir" is a woman. They move throughout the center of Clearwater in tight clusters, from corner to corner, building to building.
This regimented mass represents the "Sea Organization," the most dedicated and elite members of the Church of Scientology. For the past thirty years, Scientology has made the city of Clearwater its worldwide spiritual headquarters -- its Mecca, or its Temple Square. There are 8,300 or so Scientologists living and working in Clearwater -- more than in any other city in the world outside of Los Angeles. Scientologists own more than 200 businesses in Clearwater. Members of the church run schools and private tutoring programs, day-care centers and a drug-rehab clinic. They sit on the boards of the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce and the Boy Scouts.
(Excerpt) Read more at rollingstone.com ...
A neighbor and her husband moved out of Clearwater 6 years ago because Scientology had absolutely infected and taken over the town and its politics.
My brother and his boss were involved in the Scientology v Lisa McPherson case and both had bodyguards for 2+ years. Scientologists are VERY scary people. I think it's Germany which has banned the practice of that religion in their country.
I think Rolling Stone can hold its own against the $cientology lawyers. These wackos in Clearwater harrass people who post on the internet against them, even unlawfully attempting to gain access to ISP records by intimidation -- without court orders. They stop people from speaking out through pure 100% intimidation. They will sue people until they go broke.
Remember this next time Tom Cruise goes on a talk show and claims that Christianity and Scientology are compatible and that you can be both.
Yes, and their "cross" is the one Crowley invented, or inverted
Ping for later
You'd call it a money-making scam to deprive wealthy megalomaniacs of their cash, but I was just being polite since they wanna call it a religion.
I don't want to be accused of making fun of anybody.
Give L.Ron some credit...he was a science fiction writer above all other things. The guy could have easily written Star Trek episodes or been one of the best science writers of the century...and instead...he gleefully started a whacked up religion as a joke...and it just never did stop. No fool today could mount this kind of episode and hope to carry it on. Look around...most of these guys all get into tax trouble today or their members end up committing suicide. L.Ron was years ahead of his time.
Bookmark
Given where L Ron is today, I think he would like to have a "do over."
Not entirely true, but even if it were it's primarily because Clearwater finally got a bypass bridge in so traffic to the beach doesn't have to go through downtown. Until a few months ago it was a constant traffic jam.
Sitting here about a mile from downtown.
I'm not sure if those folks need to grow some balls or brains first.
You could ditto that in many more parts of the world with Islam.
Both members of Golden Dawn branches.
If you say so
From your excerpt, I see nothing that is "chilling", just Leftists resentment of whites in khakis.
(Rolling Stone's website sucks as bad as their magazine - it won't load...)
Of course -- if one mentions blacks in khakis or anything but Fubu, and then see how angry and paranoid a democrat gets...
Another instance where the statements apply equally to Islam.
At least I haven't heard of Scientologists using violence yet, though. To their credit, so far they separate themselves in their censorship efforts from Islam in that way.
Ping to self for later reading.
On a bet actually not just as a joke.
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