Friday, January 25, 2008

Celebrities say "Enough is enough"



The right to believe as you see fit is one of the rights we have in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Attack one man's right to believe as he decides and you attack the right of all.

A culture is only as great as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists. — Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard

3 comments:

Grahame said...

kieraninmotion left a comment that was indicative of someone who has only read negative data about Scientology and the Church of Scientology and has not bothered to look for himself.

However, I'm going to try really hard to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he has simply been misled.

He says: "Pity the church of scientology don't see it the same way eh."

I'm guessing he is referring to "The right to believe as you see fit is one of the rights we have in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Attack one man's right to believe as he decides and you attack the right of all."

His comment is a generality. "The Church of Scientology" is in fact every Scientologist in the world, so he is saying in effect that every Scientologist in the world doesn't care about human rights. That means he is also applying that to me. Well, I do care about human rights and I very much care about our right to believe as we see fit. Just take a look at the blogs I write and the things I say on them.

Human Rights are tremendously important to every Scientologist that I personally know and, in fact, members of the Church of Scientology run the largest human rights educational program in the world.

Then he says: "What with their fair game policy and all?"

This shows that he has gotten his data from biased and bigoted sources and, sadly, has never bothered to check the facts. The truth is that "Fair Game" does not exist. And actually, in the incorrect definition it is given by bigots, it never existed. Here are the facts about "Fair Game":

- What is Fair Game?
- What does the term "fair game" refer to?
- Answer to a question about "critics"
- Questions About Scientology

In my personal experience (and I've been in Scientology for over 30 years) the only time I have come across the term "Fair Game" has been on the Internet when bigots are talking about it. I've never actually heard it mentioned by anyone in the Church (except when referring to the fact that bigots mention it ad nauseam).

So kieraninmotion, I would ask that you take a careful look at the people you've been getting your information from. The two things that they told you above are completely incorrect. If the things above are not true then what else have they told you that may be untrue?

kieraninmotion said...

I'm afraid I cannot believe any of that. The Church of Scientology cares about money and PR, that's it. I get this impression from L. Ron. Hubbards views and opinions when he was alive. Furthermore, I would also point to the evidence of "fair game" policy from ex scientologists, which is where most of the "bigoted" views come from.

Grahame said...

It amazes me how someone can become an expert on a subject without knowing anything about it.

You (kieraninmotion) say "I get this impression from L. Ron. Hubbards views and opinions when he was alive." So how many books by L. Ron Hubbard have you read? How many recorded lectures of his have you listened to?

I've read every book on Scientology he wrote and I've listened to hundreds of lectures he gave and that is not my impression at all. My impression, from my own personal experience, is of a man who cared about his fellows and wanted to do something to help them. A guy who was amazed and saddened by the attacks he got from those who didn't have the best interests of humanity at heart. I think this article sums up his "views and opinions": What is Greatness by L. Ron Hubbard

You say: 'I would also point to the evidence of "fair game" policy from ex scientologists, which is where most of the "bigoted" views come from.'

My answer is simple: See what sociological and religious experts have to say about ex-members of a religion (apostates) and the accuracy of their testimony:

- The Reliability of Apostate Testimony About New Religious Movements
- Apostates and New Religious Movements

You are perfectly at liberty to go on believing the worst, to go on blindly accepting the lies told to you, but you also have the option of casting aside what you've been told and taking a new and fresh look so you can make up your own mind.