Germany Bans Scientology

[CptStern]

hooray for zee germans

BERLIN ? Germany's top officials says they will seek to outlaw the U.S.-based Church of Scientology.

The announcement came today after a two-day conference of interior ministers of Germany's 16 states well as federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble.

Berlin Interior Minister Erhart Koerting, who presided over the two-day conference, told reporters that Scientology is an organization that is not compatible with the German constitution.

He says the government considers Scientology not a religion but a commercial enterprise that takes advantage of vulnerable people.

agreed, they're a cult who's main focus is to make money, the only have religious standing as a means of getting tax exemption

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/serv.../?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20071207.wscientology1207


but then germany reverts to it's past goose-stepping ways:

The agency has had Scientology under observation for a decade on allegations that it ?threatens the peaceful democratic order? of the country.

Scientologists have long battled to end the surveillance, saying it is an abuse of their right to freedom of religion.

...still their defense of freedom of religion is laughable ..this is their god:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Xenu_BBC_Panorama.jpg

 

[Lt. Drebin]

Do not f*** with Xenu.

At least they have the balls to call it what it is. Cult. Period. Done.

 

[15357]

Ah, I love Germany.

 

[Pesmerga]

Ah, the end of freedom of religion as we know it.

 

[CptStern]

zee germans dont consider it to be a religion, and I agree ..tom cruise protestations to the contrary notwithstanding ..he's an idiot, and theyre a stupid cult based on completely ridiculous ideology that should be exposed and ridiculed as the crazy nutjobs they really are

 

[Lt. Drebin]

Ah, the end of freedom of religion as we know it.

 

[15357]

Heil Deutschland, das Land von nicht verz?gert.

 

[simonjedi]

seriously moving to swe...germany

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

Well, I hate to say it but Germany has no right to ban scientology. I hate having to defend those freaks, but Germany is in the wrong. One of the human rights are freedom of thought, concious and religion.

 

[CptStern]

yes but they dont see it as a religion, they are within their right not to recognise them as a religion

 

[Raziaar]

I certainly don't see it as a religion. If it were a legitimate religion, then that's fine, but it's certainly not.

 

[-Psy-]

Xenu is not pleased.

 

[Maxi]

Wow, germany wins!

People do have a right to religion.

But scientoligy is not a religion.

 

[Nemesis6]

Xenu is not pleased.

Actually he is very pleased since his opponents have now been silenced. Which is good because I think if you got to know him, he'd actually be a nice guy.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

yes but they dont see it as a religion, they are within their right not to recognise them as a religion

But they are still denying freedom of thought.
If Germany outlawed atheism we'ed attack it mercilessly, yet atheism isn't a religion. I loathe scientology, particulary for the family break-ups its caused, but this is still wrong.

Hell, I consider christainity a cult (it brainwashes childeren and all that shit) but I wouldn't propose a ban on it.

 

[Adrik_Senturu]

But they are still denying freedom of thought.
If Germany outlawed atheism we'ed attack it mercilessly, yet atheism isn't a religion..

But theres no church of Atheism telling us we have to donate x amount of money so we can free our souls from these damn human prisons to be closer to xenu.

Its just a giant money making scheme for the ones at the top :|

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

People don't have to donate, its their fault if they are stupid enough to.

 

[CptStern]

I guess the hint that scientology is a sham is the fact that L Ron Hubbard is/was a science fiction writer ...albeit not a very good one

how anyone could fall for their nonsense is beond me ..besides if I'm going to join a cult, it better be one of those where clothing is optional and they preach free love ..anything less would be stupid

 

[lePobz]

The german government arent looking to get rid of scientologists altogether, but replace them with robots instead.

It worked for half-life.

 

[leib10]

Deutschland FTW.

 

[Crushenator 500]

Is it just me, or does their god look like a japanese looking PiMuRho?

 

[CptStern]

:O lol, it is!

 

[Gunner]

All I have to say.

 

[Pesmerga]

I think Germany's case is that Scientology is as much as a religion as a scam artist is an artist.

 

[Mr Stabby]

It's absurd to ban Scientology, it's no more ridiculous than any other religion, and if Germans wish to become scientologists, they should be free to do so. Germany just over reacts to crazy organizations, because of post Nazi sensitivity.

 

[Pesmerga]

It's absurd to ban Scientology, it's no more ridiculous than any other religion, and if Germans wish to become scientologists, they should be free to do so. Germany just over reacts to crazy organizations, because of post Nazi sensitivity.

There are, if I'm correct, several dozen reported cases that members of Scientology have been forced to give their entire savings to the "Church". They directly forbid contact with their parents, and even go to extreme measures, including murder, to practice its power over its members.

Now Christianity might not be a great role model for civilization, but generally speaking the Church doesn't exercise the kind of violence and illegal activity that Scientology does. I'm sure all religions are guilty of many illegal offenses, but Scientology takes the cake. It's as much as a religion as neo-Nazism is an ideology.

 

[Mr Stabby]

There are, if I'm correct, several dozen reported cases that members of Scientology have been forced to give their entire savings to the "Church". They directly forbid contact with their parents, and even go to extreme measures, including murder, to practice its power over its members.

Now Christianity might not be a great role model for civilization, but generally speaking the Church doesn't exercise the kind of violence and illegal activity that Scientology does. I'm sure all religions are guilty of many illegal offenses, but Scientology takes the cake. It's as much as a religion as neo-Nazism is an ideology.

Then those individual cases should be dealt with as such acts are already illegal, but a religious view shouldn't be banned. The catholic church as committed illegal acts, it would be better to prosecute those responisble than ban catholicism.

 

[Pesmerga]

The problem with Scientology is that it is knowingly, and frequently, committing these atrocities. The Church isn't a requirement for people to believe its ideologies, it's just a trap to lure idiots into giving their life for it. If someone wants to believe Xenu and all that shit about volcanoes and whatnot, they can.

The Church of Scientology is like a Church of the Apocalypse. You can believe with all your might that humanity deserves to die in a raging inferno, but you can't go make a church designed to actually burn people alive.

 

[Mr Stabby]

The problem with Scientology is that it is knowingly, and frequently, committing these atrocities. The Church isn't a requirement for people to believe its ideologies, it's just a trap to lure idiots into giving their life for it. If someone wants to believe Xenu and all that shit about volcanoes and whatnot, they can.

The Church of Scientology is like a Church of the Apocalypse. You can believe with all your might that humanity deserves to die in a raging inferno, but you can't go make a church designed to actually burn people alive.

It's still not reason to ban it, as a whole, those individual within the church, that carried out illegal acts of exploitation etc. should be prosecuted. All new age spiritual ideas are utter nonsense, intended to make money, but Buddhism, all the old crap, also makes money out of people.

In a free society the government should not be making the decision for you, as to whether you can be a scientologist.

 

[Pesmerga]

He says the government considers Scientology not a religion but a commercial enterprise that takes advantage of vulnerable people.

You're defending the right for a scam artist to practice its exploitation of vulnerable people. That's ridiculous.

I don't know of any other Church that specifically targets and threatens the lives of its members and their families.

 

[Mr Stabby]

You're defending the right for a scam artist to practice its exploitation of vulnerable people. That's ridiculous.

I don't know of any other Church that specifically targets and threatens the lives of its members and their families.

No I'm not, if a catholic cardinal murders someone, they should be prosecuted, but catholicism should not be banned, or if a Muslim kills an infidel etc.. In the same way the individual responsible for harassment within the CoS, should be prosecuted, if the CoS is doing this as an organization, then every member of the CoS hierarchy that conspires in such activities should face prosecution.

You support a blanket ban on the organization and the 'religious' view it supports. That's ridiculous. Also people join Scientology by their own choice, it's not the role of the government to decide for them.

 

[Pesmerga]

No I'm not, if a catholic cardinal murders someone, they should be prosecuted, but catholicism should not be banned, or if a Muslim kills an infidel etc.. In the same way the individual responsible for harassment within the CoS, should be prosecuted, if the CoS is doing this as an organization, then every member of the CoS hierarchy that conspires in such activities should face prosecution.

You support a blanket ban on the organization and the 'religious' view it supports. That's ridiculous. Also people join Scientology by their own choice, it's not the role of the government to decide for them.

The German government, from my understanding, isn't, nor can they, ban the belief of Scientology. They're simply banning the Church.

They're not going to hunt down Scientologists. They're just going to completely stop the Church from being able to practice. If you think the Church should be able to operate freely without restriction, then you're obviously a far left libertarian, and that's a debate I haven't the time for.

Scientology - a corrupt, greedy, and murderous organization of which I don't care two shits about if people follow the beliefs or not. I think it's a terrible tragedy that some little girl is going to get lured into it because of misguided teenage angst, and be manipulated and brainwashed till death parts her from the Church.

 

[kirovman]

Aren't scientologists just parodying religion to show how ridiculous it is?

Well except Tom Cruise that is.

 

[Mr Stabby]

The German government, from my understanding, isn't, nor can they, ban the belief of Scientology. They're simply banning the Church.

They are going to ban the open practicing of a church

They're just going to completely stop the Church from being able to practice.

Freedom of religion, and freedom of speech are infringed by this.

If you think the Church should be able to operate freely without restriction, then you're obviously a far left libertarian, and that's a debate I haven't the time for.

You don't seem to understand this. The Pope can't murder people, but that's not because of regulation against the catholic church. The illegal activities the CoS is involved in are already illegal, and those directly responsible should face prosecution. That is not the same as just a blanket ban on the religion.

The reason the Germans are banning them, is that Germany is sensitive about loony organizations due to it's past issue of another loony organization.

Scientology - a corrupt, greedy, and murderous organization of which I don't care two shits about if people follow the beliefs or not. I think it's a terrible tragedy that some little girl is going to get lured into it because of misguided teenage angst, and be manipulated and brainwashed till death parts her from the Church.

Scientology murder people? Again your confusing an act with an organization, the act of exploitation is already illegal, there is no need to then ban an organization, just prosecute those responsible.

 

[Mr Stabby]

Aren't scientologists just parodying religion to show how ridiculous it is?

Well except Tom Cruise that is.

You have to respect Hubbard for turning the most ridiculous idea for a religion possible, into a multi-million dollar business.

 

[Mr-Fusion]

Well, I hate to say it but Germany has no right to ban scientology. I hate having to defend those freaks, but Germany is in the wrong. One of the human rights are freedom of thought, concious and religion.

Germany aren't stopping people from believing in anything.

You can never ever stop freedom of thought unless brain surgery evolves to a point where that element of the human brain can be removed.

I 100% support Germany in this. Scientology is a scam religion, at the least a religion should have hundreds of years of history and oppression and paedophilia.

Scientology is a pathetic joke, it's just sad that in this day and age of education and knowledge, people still fall for it.

 

[Mr-Fusion]

You have to respect Hubbard for turning the most ridiculous idea for a religion possible, into a multi-million dollar business.

Hmm almost! I just feel sad that humans are so ****ing utterly retarded.

 

[Saruke]

The reason scientology isn't a religion is because you have to pay money to "advance" in it. Where as in real religions it's free.

But yeah Germany shouldn't restrict it's people's rights to be dumbasses.

 

[Pesmerga]

Now this is a left vs. right argument.

Legalize all drugs, legalize monopolies, free market and free love! Woooooooooooo

NAWT

 

[phantomdesign]

Hiding behind the tag of religion to support illegal activities is not right.

What some people in this thread are missing is this simple fact; extortion & other illegal activities are rooted in the very core of Scientology.