Surprise Arrest For Online Scientology Critic 954
destinyland writes "An online critic of Scientology was confronted at a routine hearing Tuesday with surprise arrest warrants and thrown into jail. Six years as a fugitive ended in February. (After picketing a Scientology complex in 2000 over the unexplained death of a woman there, he'd been arrested for 'threatening a religion' over a Usenet joke about 'Tom Cruise Missiles.') But 64-year-old Keith Henson had been out on bail, and was even scheduled to address the European Space Agency conference on Space Elevators. He's a co-founder of the Space Colony movement, and one of the original researchers at Texas Instruments. In this interview he discusses both space-based solar energy and his war with the Scientologists — just a few days before he was arrested."
How the hell... (Score:5, Insightful)
Threatening a person, yeah, but a religion? If I express a wish that Christianity or Islam die out can I be arrested? What happened to America's much touted freedom of speech?
I blame the voters (Score:5, Insightful)
What I want to know... (Score:5, Insightful)
Why is it okay for a religion to threaten me with hell, but not okay for me to openly state that I'm trying to bring down a religion? Isn't it my state-given right to work to destroy unfavorable institutions so long as I work within the confines of the law?
A law against "threatening" a religion is a violation of my right to freedom of speech.
Re:How the hell... (Score:5, Insightful)
Total BS! (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't want to see people arrested for criticizing Christianity and I sure as hell don't want to see people jailed for criticizing other religions either! Why is the free speech of non-Christians important than that of Christians??
What a strange world. (Score:3, Insightful)
Brave people (Score:3, Insightful)
Why only Scientology? (Score:5, Insightful)
If so, who was it and what happened to them? If not, why?
How long until people wake up and realize that scientology is not a religion but a dangerous, money-grubbing, control-freak cult/business?
Name one other religion that refuses to open its documents so someone can look at them WITHOUT you having to pay to see them.
Scientology aside... (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Remember (Score:2, Insightful)
He Made Mistakes in His Fight (Score:5, Insightful)
If you want to "ruin Scientology," don't approach it like that. Don't align yourself with anyone that might make you an easier target for their lawyers. Ask questions. Investigate yourself. Don't do anything mildly against the law. Present your findings to newspapers or publish them online, but do not turn to violent attitudes. If you expect to be taken seriously about it, don't joke about it and don't joke about things that people might take the wrong way.
These people have a lot of money and a lot of lawyers, you have to be smart and careful and cautious if you want to expose them for what you believe they are.
Re:How the hell... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Total BS! (Score:5, Insightful)
I want to start an off topic discussion with you (seriously, I'm not trolling). Have you played Bible Fight at adultswim.com, and if so, what do you think? Grievous insult to the Christian faith? Over the top satire? Humorous satire? Not especially playable? I'm just curious.
Re:What I want to know... (Score:5, Insightful)
How very insightful of you. Why should there be a problem with it? If I say I'm working to defeat the Neo-Nazi movement, it would seem no one would care but the Neo-Nazis and most folks would cheer me on. It wouldn't seem likely a judge would have me arrested, either. But as soon as I say I'm working to bring down Scientology, I'm 'threatening a religion'? As long as I work within the confines of the law, I should have the right to say what I want against any institution. That's why the Framers wrote the 1st Amendment -- because bad institutions should be openly criticized.
Re:How the hell... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:How the hell... (Score:5, Insightful)
I mean seriously, we're getting to the point now where even doing something that could possibly be maybe related to a threat against a person/place/idea is a criminal offense. If you can be thrown in jail for picketing a group, especially if you have a good reason, then you have lost way too much freedom. I mean, if someone came and picketed my church I'd probably be more curious to hear their side of the story than wanting them thrown in jail.
Ugh...whatever happened to the place where you could jokingly punch your friend in the shoulder in school and say "I'm gonna kill you for that" then go off and demonstrate peacefully about something you care about and the police wouldn't care a bit?
Re:How the hell... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:What I want to know... (Score:5, Insightful)
As to whether that law restricts your free speech, the claim is that "hate speech" is not protected by the Constitution, particularly when it interferes with the right of others to worship freely. The logic is that allowing people to threaten religions is implicit State approval of those threats.
I believe Scientology abuses the law; but I also believe the law is necessary to protect people's right to worship freely.
Re:How the hell... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:How the hell... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:How the hell... (Score:2, Insightful)
And Ted Haggard [wikipedia.org] does?
Re:What a strange world. (Score:5, Insightful)
The threat he posed was to expose their idiotic (and expensive) teachings, their lies and to illustrate what a malignant mind control cult they really are. This made him their enemy and they have been hounding him with nuisance lawsuits ever since. Unfortunately for him he made some throwaway remark on a usenet forum about aiming a missile at their HQ and they somehow managed to get him prosecuted for making terrorist threats as well as interfering with a religion.
His unrelating persecution by scientologists to silence and even jail the guy show who the terrorists really are.
why you should care (Score:5, Insightful)
the only reason anyone would oppose free speech is if what they have to say would suffer if it had more scrutiny
scientologists have legions of zombie lawyers attacking anyone who infringes on their "intellectual property" and "religious principles" simply because if that crap got out in more general circulation, they would be revealed as the fascist ufo wackjobs they are
same with oppressive governments, same with ip lawyer whores
and so, in the spirit of the recent dmca take down notice on digg for a stupid numer [com.com], i would like to serve and support keith and attack the immoral, yet somehow, incredibly, legal basis for arresting him by serving his cause: posting stuff the church of scientology does not want posted
the digg number fiasco prompted wordwide press coverage. this should to:
it is the exact same issue [kuro5hin.org]
expand the digg number revolution folks. use everything that was used in the digg number fiasco and make it used again. weidl it as a weapon agains tthose who wish to censor in the name of fascist religious fundamentalism and corporate greed. let this revolution continue! let them fear us, not us fear them!
i will respond to this comment with another comment with text the church of scientology does not want known
slashdot may get attacked by me doing this, slashdot has been forced to remove comments before [slashdot.org]. i may be attacked too. i don't care, because i know i am in the right, and i know this is important, and i know i have support
the proper response to my post of the sensitive scientology information? post it some more yourself. post it and post it some more.
post it more, post it more, post it more. post it everywhere. post it a million times
scientology has legions of aggressive fanatical laywers, but we, who love free speech are yet legion more
i support free speech, do you? did the recent imbroglio over that stupid number on digg stoke your righteous indignation at censorship in the name of corporate idiocy? well this man was just arrested in the name of religious fundamentalism. you should be stoked at this too. it is the exact same thing. let's make the revolution over the digg number a permanent fixture on the internet. let's band together and in the same of social justice fight these censoring fascist assholes
the proper response to keith being arrested is bomb post every and all sensitive church of scientology material any of us can find. the more the material makes those fascist assholes squeal, the more it should be disseminated. digg, slashdot, fark, every and all sites you can find. bomb post away, bomb away, bomb away
this is important folks. if a man can be arrested for making a dumb joke on a newsgroup, any of us can. so all of us should band together and prove the futility of what scientology thinks they are doing: when someone is arrested for simply criticizing their stupid church then us on the internet will respond by hurting them where they hurt the most: the mass public airing of that which they deem so personal and sensitive
dear church of scientology and your legal whores: fuck you you fascist censoring pricks
this is war
fire away
Re:What I want to know... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:What I want to know... (Score:5, Insightful)
Along the same lines... (speaking generally, not to you in specific) As a human, you have rights. The constitution was created to guarantee your rights are not trampled on. The constitution does not grant anything, it protects right you alredy had from being violated by a government.
Believe it or not, this country was founded upon the experience of people who were ruled by fundamentally corrupt governments. Over the years they've found ways to constrict how the constitution defends your rights... and that's why we have the sad state we're in today.
Re:How the hell... (Score:5, Insightful)
I would be upset though I wouldn't shed a tear. If the person was just standing there with a sign not hurting anyone, he should be able to.
Re:Total BS! (Score:3, Insightful)
Frankly, I don't think either are particularly damaging. They're just things. As a Christian, my faith is not based on earthly things.
So I'm curious why you brought it up. Was it somehow important to you? Why?
Re:Operation Clambake (Score:2, Insightful)
What happens to the thetans? Where do they go?
But Scientology is a religion... (Score:1, Insightful)
Religion means that some hairless monkeys take themselves seriously, puff themselves up, and. above all else, stifle themselves so as not to burst out laughing at themselves.
From what I've read about Scientology, those people take themselves seriously. Consequently, Scientologists want to forbid all Scientology-related laughter. Therefore, Scientology is a religion.
Re:How the hell... (Score:3, Insightful)
Are you comparing Christianity to Scientology? Here are a few other difference you may not be aware of:
Christianity has a historical significance. Romans really did crucify people using crosses. King Herod really did exist. Other examples form HERE [infidels.org]
This guy should have been arrested (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:I blame the voters (Score:3, Insightful)
Second freedom of religion is protected. People have the right to worship how they please. This law isn't to prevent you from making comments about a religion but to protect peoples right to believe as they choose.
I don't like Scientology but they have a right to their beliefs just as much as you do. Even if their beliefs where the result of a bet with Asimov about creating a religion.
I have to give them some credit. Recruiting celebrities is brilliant. Scientology is all about how great and powerful you really are and how things of this world hold you back. I can see how that can be very attractive to a certain personality type. Then you have the people that wish to be like celebrities following them plus all the great pr you get from them. Of course I expect no more spiritual, moral, and political guidance from an actor or rock-star than I do my plumber I find it all very silly but way too many people do fall for it.
Re:How the hell... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:How the hell... (Score:0, Insightful)
Old news (Score:3, Insightful)
* Believe us or we'll set the spanish inquisition on you - Christianity
* Believe us or when you die you'll be in perpetual torment - Islam
* Believe us or we'll sue you to hell - Scientology
He did show up in court and plead his case ..... (Score:5, Insightful)
How do you "threaten" a religion? (Score:3, Insightful)
How do you "threaten" an idea? How do you "kill" an idea? That's impossible.
I can see, though, that people who try to wage a war against ideas (like terrorism, or like drugs) do actually believe they can kill an idea. But a religion?
To kill a religion, you'd either have to kill every single person whose faith is in this religion, or you have to convince everyone who believes that his religion is wrong. Now, the former is by its very definition impossible. Ya know, there was a nation about 60 years ago whose plan was exactly that. It costed millions of lives, but it did certainly not destroy the religion.
And for the latter, it would require your faithful followers to shrug off their faith. And if you're threatend by THAT
Re:How the hell... (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly the same amount of evidence as there is for a gigantic wooden ship floating around an earth completely covered with water. Or Nefilim roaming the earth, or people rising from their graves, or Herodes killing every young boy.
Re:How the hell... (Score:3, Insightful)
I can live with that.
Re:How the hell... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:How the hell... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:What I want to know... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:How is this appropriate for slashdot? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:How the hell... (Score:5, Insightful)
Your right to religion doesn't give you a right to silence all speech related to said religion. Free speech is important.
Re:How the hell... (Score:4, Insightful)
No, both Scientology and Christianity have nonsensical mythologies. (It's not politically correct to say that, but it is true to the best of my knowledge.) There is no evidence of alien space ships. There is also no evidence of angels, demons, or gods.
There certainly was a Roman Empire. They did crucify people. There was probably a Jesus. But, there is also no dispute that L. Ron Hubbard really existed. None of that has any bearing on whether the magical stuff really happened.
Re:How the hell... (Score:5, Insightful)
Being offensive is what free speach is for (Score:4, Insightful)
Speech that is not "thretening" generally needs no protection.
This is an idenfifyable group, but it not a small one so I doubt the exception for threating speech would apply.
The thing is, unconstitional laws happen, that is what courts are for, to make them go away.
This is not how I would choose to do battle with an orgnization I opposed, but it is not illegamitate.
Saying "be nice" undermines the key issue, that sometimes it will be nessacry to not be nice. That is why we protect people who aren't. It is hard to tell, contempriously, who is right.
Scientology lawyers (Score:5, Insightful)
If its a religion i say they forfit their IP rights. If they are a business, they need to forfit any benefits they get claiming as such.
Shouldnt be able to have it both ways, regardless of how silly they are ultimately, this 'dual protection' really should stop.
What her ass meant, and the First Amendment (Score:2, Insightful)
Somebody peacefully expressing ideas you disagree with is not "harrassment", although you may "feel harrassed". Get over it.
Do you really want to have the feelings of group X given the force of law and enforced against you, someday soon? (If you're conservative, let X === liberals, and vice-versa...)
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
The right not to have Congress pass laws establishing or prohibititing religion has got nothing to do with how you feel about picketers outside your church. The first amendment constrains *Congress*, not the people.
Further, it seems to me that if I have the right to picket BoomBoomGenocide Corp, I have the right to picket even the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, let alone Scientology. Wouldn't ruling otherwise constitute an "establishment" of religion?
IANAL, and if that matters, let's get us some torches and pitchforks...
--
phunctor
Have *you* been touched by His Noodly Appendage?
Re:Old news (Score:3, Insightful)
Anyways, Scientology just does things the American way: lawyers and lawware.
Re:Operation Clambake (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:How the hell... (Score:5, Insightful)
Cult: small unpopular religeon
Religeon: A large popular cult
Re:How the hell... (Score:3, Insightful)
The difference is (drumroll): One is a cult, the other is not. As a scientific community, you should not be wishy washy about your definitions.They should be clear and differences discernible.
So you say, what is the difference between a cult and a religion? I'm glad you asked that. Rule of thumb: Religion - You can leave it. Cults - You can't leave it. If you ever find you cannot leave a religion without some kind of threat, or repercussion (beyond the supernatural); then it is in fact a cult.
Another difference is the impetus. Religions will (in general) be concerned with your spiritual well being as their motivation for existing. While with cults they are only interested in how they can control you and grow in power from controlling people. There are varying degrees of borderline situations (jehovahs witness, mormons) where there is pressure not to leave and social consequences for doing so (though none that are illegal); there are sects like Waco that would qualify as a cult. But these are a small subset. Overall you simply cannot call Christianity a cult, because you can leave it.
Cults and religions share one thing in common, belief in supernatural things that cannot be validated scientifically. However, assuming slashdot is a scientific community, since when does one thing in common imply equality? Take my brother, an agnostic. We used to go to church growing up, Christian church. He does not go anymore. He has not received threatening phonecalls, nor has his image been "black balled", nor has anyone from the church ever said anything to him, at all. Therefore, the Christian church I went to growing up, was not in fact, a cult. Just using this single counter example, you cannot say that all Christians faiths are a cult. There is really only a small subset of them qualify as such, when you look at the types that compose the largest popular religions.
Muslims? They're on their own here, classify them as you may; as long as you consider the guidelines above. But you can't say Christians are, for the above reasons. If you require additional proof, I'll go to church one Sunday, and stop going for 6 months. Oh wait I've done this already.
Notice I did not say that Christianity is provable, I said it's not a cult. Please don't twist my words because I've made a good point. The debate lives on, but you no longer have the "cult" rhetoric to use.
Re:How the hell... (Score:4, Insightful)
DC-10 aircraft exist.
There are other planets in the universe, even in our own galaxy.
Hydrogen bombs and volcanoes exist.
What never happened are the fantastical events linking them all together as described by the Church of Scientology.
Similarly, the Bible mentions all kinds of stuff that existed (ancient cities, a few historical figures [of which Jesus is probably not one]) and links them together with fictional stories. It's just been around for a lot longer, that's all. But at one time, Christianity was freshly invented too.
Depends on the Atheist (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Old news (Score:3, Insightful)
This isn't just the mode of religions. Governing regimes practice it, too.
As to Scientology being a religion, I think that's a very broad definition of Religion - it's a pyramid scheme and cult rolled up into one.
Re:Threatening a religion (Score:3, Insightful)
Scientology pushed for charges to be made against Keith. This isn't about Islam, or multiculturalism (as much as that word clearly hurts you), but about Scientology's doctrine of using the law to harass critics, even without a conviction, to silence or discredit them. If what you said was true - that multiculturalism is to blame - then the multicultural places around the world would be having the exact same problems as are being discussed here. As they're not, your trollish behaviour is nicely outed for us all to see.
9/10 for the post, though. Seriously good.
Re:How is this appropriate for slashdot? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:How the hell... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:He did show up in court and plead his case .... (Score:5, Insightful)
if Keith had been allowed to put the fact that it was Scientology he was picketing (rather than making it sound like a real church) the jury would have acquitted him
This implies that its acceptable to picket Scientogoly(a fake church) while it is wrong to picket a "real" church, ie real as in christian? Just what kind of bigoted ridiculousness is this, no matter what church it is, it is acceptable(ie constitutionaly protected) to picket and protest its presence.
Re:Old news (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Old news (Score:5, Insightful)
And other religions aren't pyramid schemes and cults?
I have no lost love for organized religion but name me another one that charges you money to learn the church doctrine. And I'm not talking about a collection plate. Name another religion that was started by a guy that came out and said "Starting my own religion would be a good way to make money".
If the Catholic Church operated like Scientology they would have a copyrighted version of the bible and charge you money to read it.
Re:This guy should have been arrested (Score:5, Insightful)
The question is where (and how!) do you separate an organized crime syndicate from a religion? Is the crime syndicate equivalent to religious organization, or is it comprised of individuals within, but separate from, the organization?
The only way to answer that is to have knowledge of the organization, which is why I suspect Scientology clamps down so hard on public availability of their written materials.
Re:He did show up in court and plead his case .... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:How the hell... (Score:4, Insightful)
If they're making threats that's a crime, call the police.
"...and stiflings to their spirituality."
Oh, honestly, that's grade A bullshit. A religion founded by a guy nailed to a cross, which had a formative period of persecution by the Roman empire* and you're bothered by a placard? If a piece of cardboard causes you spiritual trouble you just plain aren't a christian.
*Assuming you're some kind of christian, if not then obviously I retract my statement.
Re:How the hell... (Score:2, Insightful)
Now does it make sense? Scientology is obviously closed-source.
Re:This guy should have been arrested (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:What I want to know... (Score:4, Insightful)
IRS == Treasury Department == Executive Branch.
Supreme Court == Judicial Branch.
Didn't you know that the Executive Branch now supercedes the other two branches?
Re:How is this appropriate for slashdot? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Old news (Score:5, Insightful)
L. Ron Hubbard (Score:5, Insightful)
Schitzophrenia has two sides, sometimes you feel terrible, like the entire world hates you; sometimes you feel like a god, immortal and wonderful. and when you are in each state, you can't even conceive the other one. I've seen people off their meds go from laughing giddy, to believing that they have never been happy in the space of 15 seconds.
If you take your meds, you lose the Highs, but also the Lows. because you lose the Highs, and are having paranoid delusions, it's common to think that the medications are bad, and the doctors are trying to poison you. (a belief of L. Ron's) Because of the auditory hallucinations, you may think your body is occupied by multiple entities (a belief of L. Ron's), and come up with a bizzarre world-view that attempts to explain the world that you are perceiving (Scientology or TimeCube)
One possible trait of Schitzophrenia is a difficulty producing 'normal' emotional responses, aka 'Flat Affect'. people with this symptom may appear emotionless, and disinterested (like the VT shooter, as he was decribed before the shootings). My personal thought is that someone with this symptom, if they are very smart, may be forced to 'fake' emotions in order to interact with others. this self-training from a young age could make someone a VERY good actor, as they have essentially acted their entire life. I suspect that Tom Cruise and possibly John Travola may be in this situation. Unfortunetly as they aged they may have started showing other signs of Schizophreneia, were urged to take medication, rebelled, and then joined a cult that supported their decision... Think about Tom on Oprah and a 'giddy high'. I think Tom Cruise is intelligent, and a great actor, but without meds he may get progressivly less sane.
No matter how smart you are, with a mental disorder warping your perceptions and emotions, eventually something bad may occur by doing something that seems entirely appropriate at the time. If your 'Angel' is telling you that someone is trying to kill you, and your angel is never wrong, shouldn't you attack them in self defense first? If your uncle has lung cancer, and you can 'see' where it is, shouldn't you take a kitchen knife and cut it out? A good friend of mine came to these conclusions, fortunetly nothing seriously wrong happened, and he's now on medications instead of prison for attempted murder, or worse. (like the VT shootings, where my conclusion is the guy went insane, and detached from society... without support of others he rereated into paranoid delusions that ended in a pre-emptive attack, which in his mind was fully justified)
Unfortunetly, it's difficult to seperate 'Mental Illness', from 'Religion'. So some mentally ill states have gained some protections under the law; I've read that in the Soviet Union, when they were being critisized for imprisioning to many people for disagreeing with the Party, they redefined mental illness so that disagreeing with the Party could result in your being declared mentally ill, and being locked up in a hospital; because any 'sane' person agrees with the Party. As much as the idea amuses me, I don't think voting republican should be grounds for be declared legally insane.
Scientology, However, is not just using the law as a Shield, they are using it as a Weapon, and abusing the process. This is entirely wrong, and needs to be stopped. Like false rape accusations damage the chances of real justice for real victims; if Scientology keeps abusing their position as a 'religion' it will harm other genuine religions.
Re:How the hell... (Score:4, Insightful)
Why, exactly? The bible tells of Jesus healing the sick with his touch, raising the dead, replicating bread and fish, changing water into wine, predicting the future, and rising from the grave. Is traveling in time or creating a Volkswagen beyond his omnipotent abilities? And that's just the New Testament -- in the old you get talking animals, world wide floods, giants, pillars of salt, rivers turning to blood. . . .
Why would this thing, a Volkswagen, be the final straw that makes the story ridiculous? When it comes to every other logical impossibility in the bible, God's omnipotent magic is explanation enough for you, but somehow a Volkswagen is beyond the pale -- what makes it different?
Re:This guy should have been arrested (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Old news (Score:5, Insightful)
I hate to make digs at the Roman Catholic Church, but once upon a time, it was against Church rules for laymen to read the Bible. Only the Priests could do so.
Fair enough, but as I said in another post of mine, I don't think that past excesses or abuses by modern religions justify the practices of Scientology. We should oppose their actions regardless of what other religions have done in the past.
Re:He did show up in court and plead his case .... (Score:5, Insightful)
Just because you call something a religion doesn't mean it is. Scientology is a money-making scam, nothing more. That is not to say that there aren't any believers, but every scam has its believers.
But, yes, fake religions, real religions, real presidents, it doesn't matter, you should be allowed to protest it unless you are being a danger to the public safety (which this guy wasn't). For a nation that protects freedom of faith to such a degree the US is pretty poor at protecting freedom of protesting/speech.
Re:How the hell... (Score:3, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:He did show up in court and plead his case .... (Score:5, Insightful)
OK, so what does make something a religon? What's the definition? I'm not disagreeing with you that Scientology is at best rather absurd, but I don't see any clear way of distinguishing it from other more conventional religions other than by number of belivers or age - neither of which seem fair ways to judge legitimacy to me.
Re:Depends on the Atheist (Score:3, Insightful)
I am against religion like I am against adults talking to imaginary friends; they are about the same thing, anyway.
Re:Total BS! (Score:3, Insightful)
No, I agree, there is a huge double standard, but I think it's not a good thing. Christianity itself is of course the dominant religion in the west, and I think it's fair to say that rejections of the signs of Christianity tend to be more equated with a rejection of the values of the old establishment (i.e. one's parents) than of the values of Christianity itself. Christianity is not the problem, the way that Christianity was practiced, and thus the way in which it came to be perceived, is the problem.
That doesn't make it right that Islamic fanatics suddenly feel they have the right to kill me, but here again is the issue behind the issue: what proportion of American Muslims do you think would be signing up for a fatwa against an artist? I think you'll find that the number would be inversely proportionate to the same percentage of, say, Iranian, or Saudi Muslims willing to do the same. It's not a matter of the religion itself being the inspiration for the anti social behavior, but rather the religion provides a catalyst.
The Scientologists, on the other hand, have to justify themselves as a religion. They've convinced a few people, but they behave a lot more like a well organized cult running a good con game based on a badly written science fiction role playing game than they do a religion. I think that people would understand the true motivations of the "church" of Scientology a lot better if they changed their name to an acronym ending in AA.
Re:Depends on the Atheist (Score:3, Insightful)
If not, clearly you are a member of the Disbelievers In Invisible Pink Unicorns religion. You are probably also a member of the My Car is Not Going To Be Hit By A Diamond-Encrusted Meteorite On The Way To Work Tomorrow religion.
Trust me, we're sick to the back teeth of the "Atheism is a religion too" argument.
All religions I've come across have (in my estimation) such a low probability of being true that the only logical response is to live my life on the assumption they are false. Therefore I am an Atheist.
(P.S. I'm also a scientist.)
Re:Old news (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:This guy should have been arrested (Score:3, Insightful)
The Bill of Rights was fought over by two factions. Both agreed on the rights therein, but one didn't want it for fear that, by listing them, future politicians would try to pretend those, and only those, were the rights protected. The other side felt it was needed for fear of encroachment by future politicians who would try to pretend, in the absence of any listing, that they didn't exist.
In the end, both were right. And that's truly sad.
Re:He did show up in court and plead his case .... (Score:3, Insightful)
The world needs heroes. Mr. Henson seems to be one of them. I admire his courage, and those of people who speak out and act against fraud, corruption, theft, abuse, or murder. I also admire, respect, and support those who do so gracefully and within the rule of law: such people make better neighbors and colleagues for the long term. Mr. Henson's arrest for peaceful protest is, frankly, the result of lawyers who spend too much time being paid too much money to game the system and wear other people out.
The fight of Scientology on the Internet is particularly instructive: their attempts to censor traffic, and the spam with which they tried to flood traffic, have helped make ISP's think about how to avoid both censorship and denial of service attacks in ways that protect against other abusers. Like a really nasty case of chickenpox, the experience in the childhood of the net helped strengthen our defenses against a far more dangerous infection later.
Re:He did show up in court and plead his case .... (Score:3, Insightful)
Eh? What's that? Sounds like some antiquated 19th Century notion. Now we have Hate Crimes laws, Campaign Finace laws, attempts to bring back the Fairness Doctrine, etc. Congress shall make no law..... just a fairy story, was never really there ya know. Anybody who says otherwise is just a dirty doubleplus ungood traitor.
Seriously, this crap is the end product of political correctness. Once we crossed the threshold into "Crime Think" it was only a matter of time before everybody could point to a situation where their ox was getting gored. Yea you might think it is just grand when you are wielding the sword to shut up somebody YOU don't want to listen to or some obnoxious protester who is really pissing you off, but sooner or later it gets wielded by somebody ya don't like and THEN you get all pissy. Sorry citizen, the time to have fought this war was when it was first getting started. Congress shall make NO law was a defensible line in the sand, Congress shall make no law that I don't like is a fight you will never win.
Re:But there is some evidence! (Score:5, Insightful)