@daveyjonesisdead: If it is, the company has plausible deniability re: telling workers not to talk. That's probably why the "respectfully ask" is in there. #newyorkpost
Hey, Post employees- do you feel dirty all the time? Do you imagine smelling brimstone in the air? ....Have you considered working elsewhere? #newyorkpost
I think Apple is doing publishers a favor here, not the other way 'round. One could easily imagine dumping the NYT as a featured aspect of the tablet without much impact on sales. #appletablet
Ahh! The Might Zenu shall not be pleased! Paul Haggis shall be sent through the highway to the danger zone to battle with the Rain Man.
There will be no vanilla sky for Paul, only days of thunder. A few good men have attempted to disgrace the mighty church of scientology and all have found the mission impossible.
When all is said and done it’s risky business opposing the mighty church and for Paul all that he can hope for is for mercy from the Last Samurai of death, before the young guns of revenge play taps at his funeral #scientology
I'm surprised at some of the responses here. This organization clearly has given a lot to its members in terms of personal growth and/or healing - like baconismyaesthetic's father. To stand on the outside and call it's members "tards", ect is not only cold, but shortsighted. Many members of religious organizations disagree with their churches' stances. I certainly know Catholics who disagree with the misery created world wide by the churches stance on contraception. And, some of them have congregations and priests who stumped for Prop 8. Should they leave the church? Are they "tards" if they don't?
Haggis has clearly had difficulties with his church for some time, and even stated that he refused to cut off his in-laws. The support of Prop 8 by religious groups (not just Scientologist, LDS, and Catholics, but also some Jewish groups, among others) was heartbreaking for many people in those organizations. But any thinking person with a religion will have difficulty at times reconciling their personal beliefs with that of their religion.
And please, can we stop calling it a cult? As an athiest, all religions seem nutty to me, but it's pure bigotry to single out Scientology. I thought we were better than that here. #scientology
@sweetbeans: The Church of Scientology is a cult, by definition. Not cos it's a fruity religion, but because it is literally a cult that practices mind control techniques. #scientology
@Benny: My point wasn't to defend Scientology, but since you bring it up, the definition of "cult" is a system of religious beliefs and ritual. Whether or not they use mind control is kind of beside the point, as that practice isn't limited to cults.
I've certainly read a lot about Scientology that gives me pause, especially the cutting off of non-members (which from what I've read is a better indicator of a cult than mind control is). I do know, however, that Scientology is recognized formally by the US and many other countries as a religion. #scientology
@sweetbeans: Scientology is recognized as a religion by the US for tax purposes -- and only for tax purposes -- because they took the Treasury Department all the way to the Supreme Court. Repeatedly. Treasury finally just gave up, deciding that the resources to continue the fight were better spent elsewhere.
(From a legal standpoint, I think the Scientologists were correct -- if you're going to treat Yom Kippur seat fees -- which are really just payments for good Temple real estate -- as charitable contributions to a religious organization for tax purposes, it's hard to distinguish payments to Scientology for "cleansing" -- again, really just payment for services -- as being substantively different. But that's neither here nor there.)
Also, you have some logical fallacies there. "A system of belief or ritual" is ONE definition of "cult". It's not the one that springs to mind when most people hear or use it, however. And usage of mind control is absolutely relevant to the common definition of "cult" -- which is, as Benny said, a religious group that is potentially non-voluntary with respect to its belief system. #scientology
Living near St. Pete and having been in the middle of protests around the headquaters located in Clearwater I can tell you it gets pretty heated around there. The 'church' has even made pamphlets slandering former members that they have handed out around where the person lives. Regardless of their beliefs the basic practices of the organization is just horrid and awful and ugh, it makes me angry thinking about it. #scientology
The St Petersburg Times coverage certainly was key in helping Paul Haggis and many other Scientologists become aware of what was going on in their church. But Gawker deserves a big pat on the back also. It was Gawker that kept up the Tom Cruise video in January 2008 that has been so helpful in stirring up Anonymous and getting the public interested in Scientology stories. And Gawker has kept up the reporting ever since. Nice work, guys. Now that MSM is finally beginning to come on board, we won't forget the work you did. #scientology
Wow. I can't imagine how painful it must be to do this, and how strongly he must feel about. I think Scientology is nuts, and its leaders pretty much hateful criminals, but I still feel for those who have the scales ripped from their eyes.
Personal sidenote: My mom told me this story. During the 50s or so, my late grandfather was trying to get control of his terrible rages. He was a good man, and a brilliant one, but he had belted the crap out of my mother and some of my aunts and uncles and he wanted to stop. He and a few other men in their 30s started getting together and studying something L. Ron Hubbard came up with. I don't remember what my mom told me it was called, if anything, but they were all big sci fi guys and thought Hubbard was onto something. I assume it was some kind of proto-"clearing." My mom said it mostly seemed to involve meditating and intensely working through...something. I dunno. I heard this second hand!
Anyway, time goes by, and my mother clearly remembers this: One day she came across her father holding a book and shaking his head. "Hubbard's going to turn this into a damn religion, and the minute he does, I'm out."
My mom says my grandfather really did get his shit together, helped in part by this very very very early version of Scientology. I find the story so strange. #scientology
11/17/09
11/17/09
Just asking. #newyorkpost
11/17/09
11/17/09
11/17/09
11/17/09
10/27/09
10/27/09
10/28/09
10/27/09
10/26/09
There will be no vanilla sky for Paul, only days of thunder. A few good men have attempted to disgrace the mighty church of scientology and all have found the mission impossible.
When all is said and done it’s risky business opposing the mighty church and for Paul all that he can hope for is for mercy from the Last Samurai of death, before the young guns of revenge play taps at his funeral #scientology
10/26/09
10/26/09
Haggis has clearly had difficulties with his church for some time, and even stated that he refused to cut off his in-laws. The support of Prop 8 by religious groups (not just Scientologist, LDS, and Catholics, but also some Jewish groups, among others) was heartbreaking for many people in those organizations. But any thinking person with a religion will have difficulty at times reconciling their personal beliefs with that of their religion.
And please, can we stop calling it a cult? As an athiest, all religions seem nutty to me, but it's pure bigotry to single out Scientology. I thought we were better than that here. #scientology
10/26/09
10/26/09
I've certainly read a lot about Scientology that gives me pause, especially the cutting off of non-members (which from what I've read is a better indicator of a cult than mind control is). I do know, however, that Scientology is recognized formally by the US and many other countries as a religion. #scientology
10/26/09
(From a legal standpoint, I think the Scientologists were correct -- if you're going to treat Yom Kippur seat fees -- which are really just payments for good Temple real estate -- as charitable contributions to a religious organization for tax purposes, it's hard to distinguish payments to Scientology for "cleansing" -- again, really just payment for services -- as being substantively different. But that's neither here nor there.)
Also, you have some logical fallacies there. "A system of belief or ritual" is ONE definition of "cult". It's not the one that springs to mind when most people hear or use it, however. And usage of mind control is absolutely relevant to the common definition of "cult" -- which is, as Benny said, a religious group that is potentially non-voluntary with respect to its belief system. #scientology
10/26/09
Almost. #scientology
10/26/09
10/26/09
10/26/09
10/26/09
10/26/09
Personal sidenote: My mom told me this story. During the 50s or so, my late grandfather was trying to get control of his terrible rages. He was a good man, and a brilliant one, but he had belted the crap out of my mother and some of my aunts and uncles and he wanted to stop. He and a few other men in their 30s started getting together and studying something L. Ron Hubbard came up with. I don't remember what my mom told me it was called, if anything, but they were all big sci fi guys and thought Hubbard was onto something. I assume it was some kind of proto-"clearing." My mom said it mostly seemed to involve meditating and intensely working through...something. I dunno. I heard this second hand!
Anyway, time goes by, and my mother clearly remembers this: One day she came across her father holding a book and shaking his head. "Hubbard's going to turn this into a damn religion, and the minute he does, I'm out."
My mom says my grandfather really did get his shit together, helped in part by this very very very early version of Scientology. I find the story so strange. #scientology
10/26/09