Cults: Scientology and Homophobia

Nope, thank the metaphorical God...If they or any other religion tries to shove their religion down my throat, I just to tell them to fuck off...

 

Why you think i never liked Tom Cruise.

 

I am glad that my area has no overt scientologist presence, because they are the creepiest, most evil organization not openly warred against by good people. Even with my strong support of the First Amendment, it needs to be outlawed. People's lives are being destroyed if not taken.

 

You hate someone because of their religion...That is all...

 

lol no i was really joking. I just never liked his acting.

 

I always found Scientology to be a money-grubbing ploy turned quasi-religious cult.

As I like to think, though, the difference between a cult and a religion is, usually, time.

 

This is true, but other than pressuring people to drain all their financial assets and betray everyone in their lives, they literally kidnap, imprison, and very likely kill people. And the brainwashing doesn't help either.

 

My dad worked in the Fort Harrison hotel before it was bought by those turds in the mid 70s. He said Clearwater turned into a mess with them. There are few things that really anger my dad and the church of scientology is one of them.

His words of advice are stay away and out of their way.

 

Even Scientology...is there any religion that isn't "against gays"? And I don't mean "it's a sin, but we love you anyway", I mean, it's a straight-up non-issue for them.

 

The only thing I can think of is many Wiccans are often pro-gay rights. Secular humanism also says that LGBT people should be equal, although secular humanism isn't considered a religion by many.

 

Back in 1985, I was freshman in college. I got involved with fundamentalist church that was on campus. I had been brought up Catholic, and I had wanted a more personal relationship with God.

An RA on a lower floor asked me to a bible study. Me and my newly-found college best friend went too. There was a cute blonde there, so it had it's pleasantries. Eventually from there, i started studying the bible. It seemed less hypocritical than the Church. Everyone was my friend. The local college people love-bombed me. Six weeks later I got baptized.

I never had a problem so much with the doctrine, but I was never good at evangelizing; because I figured my choice was my choice. It's not in my makeup to force other people to my views. It was an incredible time-sink. Most of my free time was structured for worship and church service.

But one time during the summer, a PE student I was friendly (member as well) with on campus had to confess to the sin of homosexuality in front of the whole congregation! I thought it was outrageous; because if God made us, why would he make us like that, if it wasn't okay? Especially, if we were made in his image. Later at the end of the summer, there was this huge conference where people were signing over deeds to their houses and thousands of dollars in cash and check.

The kicker for me was a brother who drove me home wanted me to go to Sunday service the next day. I told him I was moving into my dorm with my Dad and it was one of the few times we got to hang out. I said as much, and he said, "Well, your Heavenly father cares much more for you than your Earthly one."

This did not stand well. I never went back. A few weeks later a few of my good friends, came by with a tape that I had made when I had to preach to a local group. Girls I knew, but never though would like me; would leave message on my answering machine.

That was 29 years ago this fall. And some days when I am at my weakest I yearn for those days. But I am a much stronger person because I left.

 

If the people in the cult itself are happy and not harming anyone, then I don't see the problem. If not, then I feel sad for it too. But in that matter, I see no difference between a cult and a religion. Both shouldn't make one unhappy and both shouldn't be harmful in my opinion.

That is because secular humanism doesn't fit the definition of a religion..

 

I think one of the defining traits between a cult and regular religion is the insular nature and absolute dependence on that sense of belonging. More dangerously so, the constant need to prove your dedication in grander ways to keep your membership benefits. So somebody in a cult like this can never truly be happy, as they're always walking on eggshells, an inch away from being punished or shunned by what becomes their only lifeline.

 

Well, some courts in the US have ruled to give Secular Humanists the same types of religious freedoms as religious people because of how many people in the US have negative views of essentially atheists for no good reason. I just wish more people would try to understand what exactly atheists who are SH believe instead of just being called devil worshippers like my friend was called at school.

 

My mum told me a story where she took one of their 'personality' tests. Every week for a few months, they would constantly ring my grandparents house, asking for my mum to join their 'religion'. This was in the 80s. So they used unrelated personality tests in order to lure people to their 'religion' and tried to gain followers by incessantly persuading them to join their 'religion'. They also have this tiered system in order to achieve a clear and 'all knowing' perspective of life but in order to advance the tiers you need to pay money...like money can give you new perspectives and meanings of life, right? L .Ron Hubbard, a complete an utter fraud, who inherently knew that people would buy into his religion and that he would make money off scamming people.

 

Scientology is the only religion that I truly hate, if you can even call them a religion. They take advantage of stupid people, which in my opinion is just as bad as scamming an elderly person. There are people who lost their entire livelihoods to Scientology, and it's not just rich movie stars that believe in this crap.

The point of Scientology is that you have to pay to have some machine strapped to your head, for a process called "Auditing." The first level is like $100, and there are many more levels, costing more and more, and once you've paid them enough money, they say you'll cross the "Bridge to Total Freedom" when you die. Of course, between now and your death, you are encouraged to donate even more money to them.

There's a Scientology church on the outskirts of Flint that I've seen, and they operate out of a double-wide trailer.

 

Many mainline Christian churches are very supportive of gay rights, particularly the Episcopalians and the United Church of Christ. There is even a gay church the Metropolitan Church of Christ. There is also the Unitarian Church. Southern Baptists and more fundamentalists do not accept us, but there is some light even among the evangelicals.

It's hard for me to even think of Scientology as a church. Particularly, as Ron L. Hubbard lied about his military ventures, cobbled the tenets of his "church" from his science fiction writings, and terrible mental abuse visited upon some of the "elders" of the "church" to prove their loyalty. Sounds like a cult to me.

As for their rejection of the gay community, I couldn't care less.

 

Cure being gay?!
1. That is just fucking sick, just NO!
2. However hard you try, you can't stop natural feelings, especially ones as strong as love and sex.
3. Being gay is 100% natural, and other animals are sometimes gay too, not just humans.

Anyone who is homophobic and not repressing their own sexuality can go fuck themselves.