Flyer from the Scientologists (see link):
http://img200.imageshack.us/im.../3205/att00000em.jpg
Notice "no clue" use of images (most are American rather than British) and the slogan: Win the real Battle of Britain by building our Ideal Org!
Considering the number of bout airmen and civilians who lost their life during the campaign, isn't it just a tad disrespectful to use the commemoration to shore up money for a shrine to L. Ron Hubbard? Or is that just me.
Yeah, you're probably right. Even though they have nicked all the images themselves (notice the non-original Rosie the Riveter with a 350 wristband), I suppose it's best not to take chances.
And here's another one, this time its Bomber Command who is used to recruit for some Scientological branch:
http://img211.imageshack.us/im...ltrecruitmentkw8.jpg
Scientology just another religion? Hardly. C'mon Andy, you're smarter than that.
As for Dawkins I actually agree with you, despite sharing bout his beliefs and profession. His problem is that he comes across confrontational no matter what he says. He's simply not a person you'd want to agree with. David Attenborough means mostly the same things, but he's a lot more sympathetic as a person.
Friendly_flyer:
Looking at your last point first:
Yes, that's part of the problem. He is just so darned patronising. I also have issues with this nonsense about 'memes' in his 'God Delusion' book: he seems incapable of distinguishing between a metaphor - which is what a meme is, and a physical object, like a gene. A strange position for a diehard materialist if you ask me, and more to do with his wish to use neo-Darwinism as an explanation for everything than a properly formulated scientific theory.As for Dawkins I actually agree with you, despite sharing bout his beliefs and profession. His problem is that he comes across confrontational no matter what he says. He's simply not a person you'd want to agree with. David Attenborough means mostly the same things, but he's a lot more sympathetic as a person.
And as for whether Scientology is 'just another religion', well every religion has its own characteristics I suppose, but I don't think it is so far from the norm that it needs to be understood as anything else. It likes to present itself as different - most religions do, of course, and it certainly has opponents who try to present it as a mind-controlling cult, but I'm not convinced it has any more of a hold on its members than other more established religions - indeed, a lot of the fiercest critics of Scientology have been believers in other religions who evidently see it as a competitor, or at least as something that brings to light how arbitrary and controlling religions can be.
As an atheist myself, or at least an extreme agnostic, I find some aspects of Scientology bizarre, but that is probably more to do with my upbringing (C of E) than anything else. If I was trying to be 'objective' (not really possible of course) I might even say that believing in Robot Gorillas, as some Scientologists have been alleged to do, is no more irrational than believing in the Holy Ghost, and perhaps even more sensible.
Then again perhaps religion is just God's punishment for the gullible.![]()
Numskull indeed, RPMcMurphy. Notice for instance Glen Miller on a BoB poster. These people doesn't have a clue.
Andy: If I were to classify Scientology, I'd say it is a mystery cult. These used to be all the rage a few centuries ago, today it is sort of ... quaint, in a perverse way.
As for being just your average religion, Scietology is only recognised as a religion in the US, UK and a few other countries. In Israel and Japan, there are very careful not to be a religion. As far as I know, they are the only "church" to fashion themselves as a religion, a philosophy and a self-help group depending on where they are. If you know of any other group that does the same, I'd be happy to be proven wrong.
As for it's hold on it's members, I had a mate who joined in the 80'ies. Watching a guy you know degenerating like that was scary. I have known people of various faiths, but scientologits are by fare the most scary.
Is there a rider,
'Give us everything you own'
Terrible abuse of information and so disresectfull, especially the first.
'Win the real Battle of Britain' my ar@e, done and dusted before those leeches were about.
Why don't they bu@@er off back to the world of showbiz and rich gullable fools and leave us alone?