Scientology

[Ex-SD]

My wife and I are atheists but we truly don’t care if other people want to believe in some sort of religion: Hell, it’s their business and if it makes them feel better about themselves or life in general, more power to them. But………..I am always amazed how otherwise, rational, intelligent people are suckered into giving away their money to religious organizations, preachers and hucksters involved with religion. We sold our home in San Diego in 2005 and moved to South Carolina which is in the buckle of the bible belt. You can’t go anywhere without someone asking you what church you attend or inviting you to attend their church. My wife was standing in line at the grocery store last week and carrying on a conversation with the man behind her when he asked her where she went to church. She told him that she was an atheist and he moved to another line. I guess he thought she was going to drag him to hell or something. We find it all quite amusing.

Germany is about an inch away from outlawing Scientology.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/12/07/scientology-germany.html

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Ex-SD: If you think telling them you’re an atheist gets ’em going, try telling them you’re Catholic. When I was stationed in the Army down South, I made the mistake a couple of times. After that, I kept my mouth shut. They do take their God very seriously in that part of the world. Have you ever caught any of the local televangelists telling viewers to touch their TV screens to feel God’s healing love? That is one of my all-time favorites. It doesn’t work with porn, either. Or so I’ve heard.

Svelte: Scientology is exceptionally litigious, and uses lawsuits and the threat of same very effectively. I had heard similar things as to how they exerted control over followers, as well as those that had fallen away. I don’t ascribe Tom Cruise’s wackiness to Scientology; I think he would have been a wingnut regardless of faith or denomination.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Ex-SD: If you think telling them you’re an atheist gets ’em going, try telling them you’re Catholic. When I was stationed in the Army down South, I made the mistake a couple of times. After that, I kept my mouth shut. They do take their God very seriously in that part of the world. Have you ever caught any of the local televangelists telling viewers to touch their TV screens to feel God’s healing love? That is one of my all-time favorites. It doesn’t work with porn, either. Or so I’ve heard.

Svelte: Scientology is exceptionally litigious, and uses lawsuits and the threat of same very effectively. I had heard similar things as to how they exerted control over followers, as well as those that had fallen away. I don’t ascribe Tom Cruise’s wackiness to Scientology; I think he would have been a wingnut regardless of faith or denomination.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Ex-SD: If you think telling them you’re an atheist gets ’em going, try telling them you’re Catholic. When I was stationed in the Army down South, I made the mistake a couple of times. After that, I kept my mouth shut. They do take their God very seriously in that part of the world. Have you ever caught any of the local televangelists telling viewers to touch their TV screens to feel God’s healing love? That is one of my all-time favorites. It doesn’t work with porn, either. Or so I’ve heard.

Svelte: Scientology is exceptionally litigious, and uses lawsuits and the threat of same very effectively. I had heard similar things as to how they exerted control over followers, as well as those that had fallen away. I don’t ascribe Tom Cruise’s wackiness to Scientology; I think he would have been a wingnut regardless of faith or denomination.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Ex-SD: If you think telling them you’re an atheist gets ’em going, try telling them you’re Catholic. When I was stationed in the Army down South, I made the mistake a couple of times. After that, I kept my mouth shut. They do take their God very seriously in that part of the world. Have you ever caught any of the local televangelists telling viewers to touch their TV screens to feel God’s healing love? That is one of my all-time favorites. It doesn’t work with porn, either. Or so I’ve heard.

Svelte: Scientology is exceptionally litigious, and uses lawsuits and the threat of same very effectively. I had heard similar things as to how they exerted control over followers, as well as those that had fallen away. I don’t ascribe Tom Cruise’s wackiness to Scientology; I think he would have been a wingnut regardless of faith or denomination.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Ex-SD: If you think telling them you’re an atheist gets ’em going, try telling them you’re Catholic. When I was stationed in the Army down South, I made the mistake a couple of times. After that, I kept my mouth shut. They do take their God very seriously in that part of the world. Have you ever caught any of the local televangelists telling viewers to touch their TV screens to feel God’s healing love? That is one of my all-time favorites. It doesn’t work with porn, either. Or so I’ve heard.

Svelte: Scientology is exceptionally litigious, and uses lawsuits and the threat of same very effectively. I had heard similar things as to how they exerted control over followers, as well as those that had fallen away. I don’t ascribe Tom Cruise’s wackiness to Scientology; I think he would have been a wingnut regardless of faith or denomination.

[Ex-SD]

Allan: We live in a major city (county population is 500k people) and we are bordered on the north and south by two other counties that make the total population of the area slightly over 1 million people………..and I believe that there are only three, Catholic churches between all three counties so I can imagine the reaction that a self-professed Catholic would receive from the local Baptists who literally have a church on just about every corner. I read a Newsweek article (online) the other day that was written by a reporter who was traveling with Huckabee. He was astounded at the number of Baptist churches that he saw while riding in the car for only about 10 miles. I was born and reared in this area but left to go in the military for four years and only returned for a couple of years before leaving again for over 30 years. Many things have changed here but the large numbers of honest to goodness, bible-beating zealots have not diminished. There are are HUGE, Baptist churches here and they take in some serious money every month to support their buildings, upkeep and staff’. They are exempt from state sales taxes (and other state taxes as well) which makes no sense to me.

[Ex-SD]

Allan: We live in a major city (county population is 500k people) and we are bordered on the north and south by two other counties that make the total population of the area slightly over 1 million people………..and I believe that there are only three, Catholic churches between all three counties so I can imagine the reaction that a self-professed Catholic would receive from the local Baptists who literally have a church on just about every corner. I read a Newsweek article (online) the other day that was written by a reporter who was traveling with Huckabee. He was astounded at the number of Baptist churches that he saw while riding in the car for only about 10 miles. I was born and reared in this area but left to go in the military for four years and only returned for a couple of years before leaving again for over 30 years. Many things have changed here but the large numbers of honest to goodness, bible-beating zealots have not diminished. There are are HUGE, Baptist churches here and they take in some serious money every month to support their buildings, upkeep and staff’. They are exempt from state sales taxes (and other state taxes as well) which makes no sense to me.

[Ex-SD]

Allan: We live in a major city (county population is 500k people) and we are bordered on the north and south by two other counties that make the total population of the area slightly over 1 million people………..and I believe that there are only three, Catholic churches between all three counties so I can imagine the reaction that a self-professed Catholic would receive from the local Baptists who literally have a church on just about every corner. I read a Newsweek article (online) the other day that was written by a reporter who was traveling with Huckabee. He was astounded at the number of Baptist churches that he saw while riding in the car for only about 10 miles. I was born and reared in this area but left to go in the military for four years and only returned for a couple of years before leaving again for over 30 years. Many things have changed here but the large numbers of honest to goodness, bible-beating zealots have not diminished. There are are HUGE, Baptist churches here and they take in some serious money every month to support their buildings, upkeep and staff’. They are exempt from state sales taxes (and other state taxes as well) which makes no sense to me.

[Ex-SD]

Allan: We live in a major city (county population is 500k people) and we are bordered on the north and south by two other counties that make the total population of the area slightly over 1 million people………..and I believe that there are only three, Catholic churches between all three counties so I can imagine the reaction that a self-professed Catholic would receive from the local Baptists who literally have a church on just about every corner. I read a Newsweek article (online) the other day that was written by a reporter who was traveling with Huckabee. He was astounded at the number of Baptist churches that he saw while riding in the car for only about 10 miles. I was born and reared in this area but left to go in the military for four years and only returned for a couple of years before leaving again for over 30 years. Many things have changed here but the large numbers of honest to goodness, bible-beating zealots have not diminished. There are are HUGE, Baptist churches here and they take in some serious money every month to support their buildings, upkeep and staff’. They are exempt from state sales taxes (and other state taxes as well) which makes no sense to me.

[Ex-SD]

Allan: We live in a major city (county population is 500k people) and we are bordered on the north and south by two other counties that make the total population of the area slightly over 1 million people………..and I believe that there are only three, Catholic churches between all three counties so I can imagine the reaction that a self-professed Catholic would receive from the local Baptists who literally have a church on just about every corner. I read a Newsweek article (online) the other day that was written by a reporter who was traveling with Huckabee. He was astounded at the number of Baptist churches that he saw while riding in the car for only about 10 miles. I was born and reared in this area but left to go in the military for four years and only returned for a couple of years before leaving again for over 30 years. Many things have changed here but the large numbers of honest to goodness, bible-beating zealots have not diminished. There are are HUGE, Baptist churches here and they take in some serious money every month to support their buildings, upkeep and staff’. They are exempt from state sales taxes (and other state taxes as well) which makes no sense to me.

[sd_bear]

Ex-SD I’m totally with you on that. I love the look on the faces of deeply religious people when they ask me what religion I am, and I respond that I’m an atheist. It’s like I punched them in the gut and knocked the wind out. Conversation usually drops off after that.

If you want a really entertaining afternoon head over to the Creation Museum in Santee (its free!). My fiancee and I went once and had a glorious time. It absolutely boggles my mind what these otherwise rational, intelligent people believe.

http://www.icr.org/discover/index/discover_museum/

I was in Texas last month and there were signs plastered all over the place that said “Believe in God? Even DEMONS believe that!” I guess it was implying that if you don’t believe in god you are inferior to demons. Except I don’t believe in demons either…

[sd_bear]

Ex-SD I’m totally with you on that. I love the look on the faces of deeply religious people when they ask me what religion I am, and I respond that I’m an atheist. It’s like I punched them in the gut and knocked the wind out. Conversation usually drops off after that.

If you want a really entertaining afternoon head over to the Creation Museum in Santee (its free!). My fiancee and I went once and had a glorious time. It absolutely boggles my mind what these otherwise rational, intelligent people believe.

http://www.icr.org/discover/index/discover_museum/

I was in Texas last month and there were signs plastered all over the place that said “Believe in God? Even DEMONS believe that!” I guess it was implying that if you don’t believe in god you are inferior to demons. Except I don’t believe in demons either…

[sd_bear]

Ex-SD I’m totally with you on that. I love the look on the faces of deeply religious people when they ask me what religion I am, and I respond that I’m an atheist. It’s like I punched them in the gut and knocked the wind out. Conversation usually drops off after that.

If you want a really entertaining afternoon head over to the Creation Museum in Santee (its free!). My fiancee and I went once and had a glorious time. It absolutely boggles my mind what these otherwise rational, intelligent people believe.

http://www.icr.org/discover/index/discover_museum/

I was in Texas last month and there were signs plastered all over the place that said “Believe in God? Even DEMONS believe that!” I guess it was implying that if you don’t believe in god you are inferior to demons. Except I don’t believe in demons either…

[sd_bear]

Ex-SD I’m totally with you on that. I love the look on the faces of deeply religious people when they ask me what religion I am, and I respond that I’m an atheist. It’s like I punched them in the gut and knocked the wind out. Conversation usually drops off after that.

If you want a really entertaining afternoon head over to the Creation Museum in Santee (its free!). My fiancee and I went once and had a glorious time. It absolutely boggles my mind what these otherwise rational, intelligent people believe.

http://www.icr.org/discover/index/discover_museum/

I was in Texas last month and there were signs plastered all over the place that said “Believe in God? Even DEMONS believe that!” I guess it was implying that if you don’t believe in god you are inferior to demons. Except I don’t believe in demons either…

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