It’s interesting to see how much public opinion can be shaped by just a few ideologically driven liars in the right places.
Scientology is an excellent case study in propaganda. It’s frightening to think how easy it was for a motivated and unscrupulous organization the infiltrate the media and some elements of the government and spread a wildly distorted and inaccurate view of themselves and their goals.
Yes. As a former member, I can certainly attest to that!
It’s frightening to think how easy it was for a motivated and unscrupulous organization to infiltrate the media and some elements of the government and spread a wildly distorted and inaccurate view of themselves and their goals.
Even more frightening when you realize other -isms have been far more effective!
“Scientology is an excellent case study in propaganda. It’s frightening to think how easy it was for a motivated and unscrupulous organization the infiltrate the media and some elements of the government and spread a wildly distorted and inaccurate view of themselves and their goals.”
Indeed.
Scientology is manifest as the closest thing to a verifiably ruthless religious mafia, which makes merchandi$e of both people as well as foundational principals of a free republic, while the later must also have laws that are to restrain abuse. The First Amendment was instituted in response to a request from pious religion, and enables normal ideological expression, though not all actions, but overall presumes upon a sufficiency wise and benevolent government to know the difference. However, the ideology of Scientology at it’s core and by it’s historical implementation has made a mockery of the First Amendment, religion, and judicial laws, and is a far cry from what the Founders meant by freedom of religion and speech.
The violations of free speech by Scientology is not that of yelling “Fire” in a packed movie theater, but that of purposely, knowingly, and i think selfishly, using deceit and increasingly coercive and manipulative methods to entrap it’s “audience,” for “filthy lucre.” And which entail actions which are beyond the freedoms granted by the First Amendment. When a religious mafia joins with law enforcement, and the judiciary, and even the press (their last challenge), then it is not simply a weird religion, but a constantly dangerous to life and civil freedom org. And rather than their modus operandi being an aberration in contrast to their founder’s principals and precepts, they are found to be consistent with them.
Part of a Federal Indictment against Scientology for Conspiracy against the Federal Government of the United States:
“The crime committed by these defendants is of a breadth and scope previously unheard of. No building, office, desk, or file was safe from their snooping and prying. No individual or organization was free from their despicable conspiratorial minds. The tools of their trade were miniature transmitters, lock picks, secret codes, forged credentials and any other device they found necessary to carry out their conspiratorial schemes.”
–Federal prosecutor’s memorandum to the judge urging stiff jail sentences for 9 top leaders of Scientology who had pleaded guilty to criminal charges
The court record is] replete with evidence [that Scientology] is nothing in reality but a vast enterprise to extract the maximum amount of money from its adepts by pseudo scientific theories… and to exercise a kind of blackmail against persons who do not wish to continue with their sect…. The organization clearly is schizophrenic and paranoid, and this bizarre combination seems to be a reflection of its founder, L.Ron Hubbard.” – Judge Breckenridge, Los Angeles Superior Court
See more court quotes: http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/crtquot.htm
Here is more on them:
http://www.christianindex.org/1468.article
http://www.watchman.org/profile/sientpro.htm
http://www.watchman.org/sci/historyofterror.htm
http://www.believersweb.org/view.cfm?ID=607
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scandal_of_Scientology