Give us all your money!
Scientology Faces Criminal Charges – AP.google.com: A Belgian prosecutor on Tuesday recommended that the U.S.-based Church of Scientology stand trial for fraud and extortion, following a 10-year investigation that concluded the group should be labeled a criminal organization.
The probe also concluded that Scientology’s Brussels-based Europe office and its Belgian missions conducted unlawful practices in medicine, violated privacy laws and used illegal business contracts, said Lieve Pellens, a spokeswoman at the Federal Prosecutors Office.
A Belgian parliamentary committee report in 1997 labeled Scientology a sect and investigations were launched into the group’s finances and practices, such as the personality tests conducted on new members.
Investigators have spent the past decade trying to determine how far Scientology went in recruiting converts after numerous complaints were filed with police by ex-members alleging they’d been the victims of intimidation and extortion.
#62 – Well, spiritual describes the feeling of awe and respect I have for things that are so clearly more powerful than I, like the Earth and the Sun or perhaps the creative power of a whole civilization…
Spiritual describes the soar in my heart as I rise up from the underground cavern on State Street and see the glory of Chicago rise up before me…
Spiritual describes the amazement I feel as I peer out over the majesty of a great natural wonder, like a Grand Canyon or Devil’s Tower. Or the feeling I got a few years ago when I woke up 20 minutes before sunrise in Badlands National Park to discover that I was being visited by about 50 head of Buffalo.
There is an element of “I don’t know what it is” but I can say its like a post modern variation on native American religions, minus the mythology. So, I don’t worship the Earth, Sun, or Moon, but I do feel a spiritual connection to them. Equally, I revel in the greatness of man’s true achievements, like the Internet, the Moon landing, or New York’s irrepressible skyline… I suppose it is that simple.
There’s nothing mystical to see here. I just respect greatness.
That’s why I read John C Dvorak 🙂
The religionists just can’t believe that those feelings are the results of neurochemical activity in their brains. Which it is.
Instead, since they can’t comprehend that the actions of neurochemicals is a miraculous thing, they have to attribute it to something more believable – invisible Big Daddy, who says, “Tell me you love me and I’ll treat you right”…
O, brother.
#65 – Three things rule this universe. Math, chemistry, and physics.
Beyond that, there is nothing…
Correction – chemistry and physics. Math is just the measurements.
>>invisible Big Daddy, who says, “Tell me you love me
>>and I’ll treat you right”…
Well, some of us have a Big Daddy; you have a Big Mommie. It all ends the same in the long run.
#67 Correction again? Math is the description of Chemistry and Physics…
Cheers,
Mr Semantics
I was going more for terse rather than literal. What information does your version add, hmm?
In the immortal words of Graham Chapman, “Well, if you’re going to split hairs, I’m going to piss off.”
Ok, Ok… 😀
Cheers
Hey leo,
I heard you and leo playing down what people believe about scientology. I have not seen the videos you speak of however I have done extensive research on Scientology.
A member of my family was involved in a dangerous cult for several years. From reading Scientology’s own publications and research by experts, I have found like the cult my family was involved in, Scientology is also a cult. Before playing down these people who made a video, and acting like it is overreacting you should do your own research.
So many familys have been pulled apart by scientology and other cults, such as the one my family was involved in, that it is 1) infuriating, 2) insulting, to hear you guys play it that way.
Scientology is a wolf in sheeps clothing. It is not a religion. I will probably go search down the video you talked about. But Please, do some reasearch. I am dissapointed in your assumptions of peoples overreaction. I have listened to you for years and watched you on TechTV. Please do some research.