Scientology and Me - BBC Panorama

[DaveL]

Hoo Boy,

I, like many other was pretty amazed to see BBC Panorama reporter John Sweeney blow up on camera. But it's amazing how quickly the followers of L.Ron posted his tirade on youtube.

If you watch the Panorama doco, it's easy to see why. He was hounded by an L.Ron camera crew, complete with 'smarmy zealoted' spokesperson at every turn.

http://www.youtube.com/v/6J8-Zfzd55E

(follow the links to parts 2 to 4)

Beliefs are beliefs, go for it, but is it right to ruthelssly crush independent investigations and smear those reporting it?   

Hoo man that was scary!

[Sibling Chatty]

Scientology people can be quite...persistent? Domineering?? Annoying??? A researcher friend had to sue to get off their mailing list.

[Swatopluk]

Currently they are metastasizing (sp?) in Berlin.
They obviously have lists of "suspicious" people (=reporters) and stop them from entering their premises even on open door days (so papers send one known to the front door while an unknown one does the spying).

Bonus question:
What's worse: L.Ron or Enron?

[DaveL]

Oh I know, I know. Wouldn't that be El-mo (or Emo)? 

Has any one checked out 'Operation Clambake'. What a hoot! This is a Norwegian site, hosted by Andreas Heldal-Lund a famous CoS critic. The hate mail is amazing - some of it worse than FSM.

http://www.xenu.net/

[Swatopluk]

Maybe someone should ask the current GOP candidates their opinion about it (if Mormonism is a topic, Scientology should be too).

[Opsa]

I have to wonder how they were able to claim themelves as a non-profit (tax-escaping) church. The profitted like crazy. I have known people that spent thousands of dollars trying to acheive status as a "Clear" (and didn't!). Isn't a church supposed to offer spiritual transcendence for free?

I don't mean to be intolerant, but it sure sounds like a racket to me.

[beagle]

But it's amazing how quickly the followers of L.Ron posted his tirade on youtube.

They must really believe in the "No publicity is bad publicity" school of marketing. A lot of people's reaction will be "they must be bad to provoke such a reaction in a Panorama reporter" (Not unused to dealing with snake oil salesmen, lying politicians, and other low life).

[Swatopluk]

They love to present themselves as persecuted. E.g. they claim (while in the US) that they are treated in Germany like the Jews under Hitler and compare caricatures from "Der Stürmer" with anti-Scientology editorial cartoons of today.
In a way they outdo the religious far right with their persecution complex (or is that 'prosecution'?).

[Griffin NoName]

I was proud to boycott the Panorama programme.