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ATTENTION OSA

KnightVision

Gold Meritorious Patron
Yo OSA OSA OSA

BABA COSA

NOVA BALOBA

FEE FI DRA GOGA


STU POSA

STU STU POSA

PID PID DOSA

STU STU STUPID

AH AH AHHHHHHH STUPID OSA......:hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:




:D OK, LIKE THAT WAS STUPID.... BUT HEY WERE TALKING BOUT OSA, RIGHT?
 

duddins

Patron Meritorious
I wish that everyone would quit calling it a "church". It isn't a church. Let's get the terminology correct.

Church to me is a body of people who wish to do good in the world, people who hate to see injustice. It is NOT to my way of thinking a building but a group of like minded people who find so many things wrong with the way the world IS.

I make a point of always putting "Church" in inverted commas when referring to the "church" of $cientology because it is a FARC£E.Never to be confused with an actual religion.Most of the public I speak with at pickets agree with this.


I am on board with this one!
 

duddins

Patron Meritorious
Go for it Ana!

Read up OSA. We are here for you! Tellin it like it is!

Reminding you that you have your heads inserted all the way up there where the sun don't shine!
 

Cat's Squirrel

Gold Meritorious Patron
There currently seems a push to associate the word "attack" with anyone critical of scientology, and to make exposing crimes a terrorist activity. Has anyone else noticed the subtle push for exes to "get even"?

You are not an "attacker" if you are simply stating the truth. We have a right to state the truth, and the world needs to know the abuses, criminal activites and crimes currently being committed. There is no stigma to that.

Quite.
 

Sir Facer

Patron with Honors
Go for it Ana!

Read up OSA. We are here for you! Tellin it like it is!

Reminding you that you have your heads inserted all the way up there where the sun don't shine!

I have found the funniest people on the board:roflmao: :lol: :hysterical: You all make me feel like laughing, gonna laugh the night away:happydance: :laugh:
 

Carmel

Crusader
I am on board with this one!

Yep, you an others obviously! So, to you people -

Putting aside the fact that some of us use this board to communicate to others who are looking, and not yet decided on which direction to take (lurkers/fence sitters), what the hell do you suggest we call this 'thing' - if not the 'church' or 'CofS'?

Do you seriously consider that "cult" fits the bill? I certainly don't! To me, 'the cult' just refers to that group of imbeciles/pawns who have forwarded and fallen prey to the enslavement that's been originated and overseen by a greater power! (even DM himself is too much of a dumb fuck to be anything but a pawn in the game!)

To me, the 'CofS' or 'church' refers to the whole package - the powers that be, the pawns that play it out, and the enslavement that ensues!

If all of you who are so 'on board' with not calling it the 'CofS' or 'church', then what would you suggest calling instead? (and don't say 'cult' - it doesn't cut it, cause it's only part of it!)
 

EastAnon

Patron with Honors
Ceedia,

Sorry, but cult is the only word that describes it. In every cult, there are the ones who have power, the ones who use it, and the ones who are being used. It's a community on it's own, but on a different set of rules.
 

Carmel

Crusader
Ceedia,

Sorry, but cult is the only word that describes it. In every cult, there are the ones who have power, the ones who use it, and the ones who are being used. It's a community on it's own, but on a different set of rules.
Disagree, EastAnon! The CofS encompasses more than just a mere cult. Cults aren't generally a force to be reckoned with - the CofS is!
 

Panda Termint

Cabal Of One
I have to agree with Ceedia on this one.
If you're trying to get your message across to scientologists who are still in or wavering in Doubt, then calling it CofS is probably the only way to go. (If you really have a button on the word "church" you may want to mentally define that as Cult of Scientology or Corporation of Scientology.)
I can distinctly remember my first readings of posts here when I was still more in than out of CofS (at that point I was praying for reform) and I remember how easy it was for me to dismiss much of what I read as "natter" at that time.
I think it's as well to remember that, in some instances, thousands of people are reading these threads whilst not being members of ESMB and many of them are scn'ists wondering about whether or not it's time to pack their bags and move on from CofS.
Calling it the CofS just allows for easier assimilation of the data being communicated, in my opinion, and avoids the instant rejection phenomena associated with more critical language.
As a final point; I think things go easier with the wavering scientologist if you differentiate between the two things: the CofS (a greedy, manipulative, unwieldy bureaucracy) is not the same thing as scientology (a practical philosophy, if you will, which many continue to believe in).
 

EastAnon

Patron with Honors
Panda, agreed. In trying to get people out, using CofS is far more effective.

But it is a cult. In every sense of the word.
 

EP - Ethics Particle

Gold Meritorious Patron
Registering agreement!

Yep, you an others obviously! So, to you people -

Putting aside the fact that some of us use this board to communicate to others who are looking, and not yet decided on which direction to take (lurkers/fence sitters), what the hell do you suggest we call this 'thing' - if not the 'church' or 'CofS'?

Do you seriously consider that "cult" fits the bill? I certainly don't! To me, 'the cult' just refers to that group of imbeciles/pawns who have forwarded and fallen prey to the enslavement that's been originated and overseen by a greater power! (even DM himself is too much of a dumb fuck to be anything but a pawn in the game!)

To me, the 'CofS' or 'church' refers to the whole package - the powers that be, the pawns that play it out, and the enslavement that ensues!

If all of you who are so 'on board' with not calling it the 'CofS' or 'church', then what would you suggest calling instead? (and don't say 'cult' - it doesn't cut it, cause it's only part of it!)

Splendid, lucid post Ceedia! :thumbsup: :clap:

When I was "in" and also when I was "looking" and beginning to "wake up" - I was very reactive and really "ridged up" on the word "cult". :nervous: :yes:

We need to gauge our post to the audience - and lurkers and "newbies" are important to our collective objectives.

Roy, the EP's EP (Mike)
 

gomorrhan

Gold Meritorious Patron
I'm comfortable calling it what most Scientologists call it while they are in, and while they are out, as the word reflects the reality.

The Org, short for "The Organization"

Some people see it as a delivery vehicle for the tech, others see it as a brainwshing operation, others see it as a Church, others see it as a Ponzi scheme.

Whatever it is, it's an org.
 

duddins

Patron Meritorious
Yep, you an others obviously! So, to you people -

Putting aside the fact that some of us use this board to communicate to others who are looking, and not yet decided on which direction to take (lurkers/fence sitters), what the hell do you suggest we call this 'thing' - if not the 'church' or 'CofS'?

Do you seriously consider that "cult" fits the bill? I certainly don't! To me, 'the cult' just refers to that group of imbeciles/pawns who have forwarded and fallen prey to the enslavement that's been originated and overseen by a greater power! (even DM himself is too much of a dumb fuck to be anything but a pawn in the game!)

To me, the 'CofS' or 'church' refers to the whole package - the powers that be, the pawns that play it out, and the enslavement that ensues!

If all of you who are so 'on board' with not calling it the 'CofS' or 'church', then what would you suggest calling instead? (and don't say 'cult' - it doesn't cut it, cause it's only part of it!)


Well I certainly appreciate your opinion and your passion on this one.

The reason I have difficulty with the term "Church" for the Scientology Organization is that it is posing as a church in the United States in order to avoid paying taxes. There is track history on this that dates back to the beginnings of Scientology in the US.

I know of no other churches that require payment prior to attending services. Generally collections are done regularly and there is pressure to pay up and donate (the standard is 10% of one' income), but there is generally not an entire department of Regges digging into your wallet the second you get through the door, guiding you on taking out loans to pay for 10s of thousands of dollars worth of services.

Another point, I can' walk into Borders book store without seeing Hubbard's name tossed around in the children's book section. The organization is in the business of marketing and selling product.

It is a company selling that product. Period. When income goes down, they find more product to sell. Like the Disney Corp. Re-releasing videos over and over again as new products. Scientology does the same thing.

Disney also has it's way of lobbying and evading tax increase, but they do pay taxes.

In order to not dismiss your point:

The damage done by churches is another topic all together. IMHO they need to qualify being a church to do that kind of damage.

Scientology does not even qualify to be catagorized as a church.


Also, Please try to be civil. I promise I will always attempt to do the same.

I dont really enjoy being referred to as "YOU PEOPLE."

I understand why you are passionate, but in many ways you are preaching to the choir here on the ESMB.
 

EP - Ethics Particle

Gold Meritorious Patron
Some notes on the post.

...deleted portion...

In order to not dismiss your point:

The damage done by churches is another topic all together. IMHO they need to qualify being a church to do that kind of damage.

Note:The above makes no sense that I see.

Scientology does not even qualify to be catagorized as a church.

Note: Again, this is opinion - I may agree, but...it is recognized in the US.


Also, Please try to be civil. I promise I will always attempt to do the same.

Note: May you be successful in your attempts.

I dont really enjoy being referred to as "YOU PEOPLE."

Note:What, then, would you enjoy?

I understand why you are passionate, but in many ways you are preaching to the choir here on the ESMB.[/QUOTE]

Note:
Do you totally discount "lurkers" and members who are still "in" ?


This post leaves me puzzled as to why it was submitted...it seems disjointed and rather a personal "rant" in which offense was taken when none was apparent to me.

Rpy/EP
 

Cat's Squirrel

Gold Meritorious Patron
'Dunno why I'm reminded of this, but Boy George had a hit record in the '80s with a song called "The Church Of The Poisoned Mind.":p

Seriously, Kevin and Duddins are right; they don't qualify as a church in any meaningful sense. They're at best a business corporation.
 

EP - Ethics Particle

Gold Meritorious Patron
Wondering...

'Dunno why I'm reminded of this, but Boy George had a hit record in the '80s with a song called "The Church Of The Poisoned Mind.":p

Seriously, Kevin and Duddins are right; they don't qualify as a church in any meaningful sense. They're at best a business corporation.

Do not take this a disagreement please - I am just simply curious as to what all the fuss is about here. A couple of responses might help, I think:

1.) Are there, in your opinion, any orgs/groups/bureaucracies that do qualify as a "church" and could you cite at least one as an example?

2.) Just to set a "standard value" here - do you consider "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (Mormonism) a "church"?

And for the record - I, personally, never considered or accepted the CofS as a "church"; much less "my" church. :omg: :no: I neither need nor want a "church" in my life! :grouch: I was raised protestant (Methodist), btw. I have never been religiously inclined and the idea of being "born again" and such like is ludicrous to me. (no offense meant to anyone by that remark either.)

Roy/EP
 

Once bitten

Patron Meritorious
I can see Carmel's point of view in her attempts to keep fence-sitters from thinking that we are just as bad as the scifags in our slander and nattering. However, per the definition of the word cult, the CofS is actually a cult

Definitions of cult on the Web:

followers of an exclusive system of religious beliefs and practices
fad: an interest followed with exaggerated zeal; "he always follows the latest fads"; "it was all the rage that season"
followers of an unorthodox, extremist, or false religion or sect who often live outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader
a religion or sect that is generally considered to be unorthodox, extremist, or false; "it was a satanic cult"
a system of religious beliefs and rituals; "devoted to the cultus of the Blessed Virgin"
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

and there can be no mistake about it.

This thread has gone off track anyway, but I think that we do need to be mindful of the state of mind we ALL were in when we were considering leaving. Were we able to be persuaded by radical scientology haters? It's my feeling that this board needs to be friendly and approachable to potential blowees. (FWIW)
 

Cat's Squirrel

Gold Meritorious Patron
Do not take this a disagreement please - I am just simply curious as to what all the fuss is about here. A couple of responses might help, I think:

1.) Are there, in your opinion, any orgs/groups/bureaucracies that do qualify as a "church" and could you cite at least one as an example?

2.) Just to set a "standard value" here - do you consider "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (Mormonism) a "church"?

And for the record - I, personally, never considered or accepted the CofS as a "church"; much less "my" church. :omg: :no: I neither need nor want a "church" in my life! :grouch: I was raised protestant (Methodist), btw. I have never been religiously inclined and the idea of being "born again" and such like is ludicrous to me. (no offense meant to anyone by that remark either.)

Roy/EP

Dunno about the Mormons, but I was a Methodist too. For me a church has to have an "open heart", that is, they do what they can to help people and money comes later. No one could say that was true of the CofS; without money you get exactly nothing from them.
 

gomorrhan

Gold Meritorious Patron
It's not just a cult, it's a PROPRIETARY system of cult control and management. They are a jealous cult, and want no other cults before them.
 
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