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    "Religious"* news

    Scientologists, eh?

    Not only are they crims, they're homophobic bigots to boot.

    * Only because I can't think of the adjective that describes a cult, rather than a religion.

    #2
    "Religious"* news

    Gosh. When I heard that the French were trying to ban a made-up bunch of hocum and fairytale designed to extract money from the gullible, I thought the Catholic Church was in for it.
    But it's Scientology. Which is a somehow less legitimate bunch of hocum and fairytale designed to extract money from the gullible because it's relatively new.

    Comment


      #3
      "Religious"* news

      hobbes wrote:
      Gosh. When I heard that the French were trying to ban a made-up bunch of hocum and fairytale designed to extract money from the gullible, I thought the Catholic Church was in for it.
      But it's Scientology. Which is a somehow less legitimate bunch of hocum and fairytale designed to extract money from the gullible because it's relatively new.
      Erm…

      Comment


        #4
        "Religious"* news

        hobbes wrote:
        Which is a somehow less legitimate bunch of hocum and fairytale designed to extract money from the gullible because it's relatively new.
        Yes, that's exactly why.

        Comment


          #5
          "Religious"* news

          I can't see a great deal of difference.
          Hell, Christianity was the new kid on the block a few tens of centuries ago.

          Comment


            #6
            "Religious"* news

            hobbes wrote:
            I can't see a great deal of difference.
            Which is, of course, the sole salient criterion given your expertise as a theologian, forensic accountant, cultural historian, and much else.

            Comment


              #7
              "Religious"* news

              It's lovely of you to put so much of your faith in me.

              Comment


                #8
                "Religious"* news

                Hobbes is in one way right on the money here: the distinguishing difference between a religion and a cult is that religions are older. That's not to say all of them are the same, but in practical terms, that's exactly how the difference in usage works. Complete with the fact that ageing-but-not-yet-ancient examples like Mormonism have a contested and ambiguous status.

                Mind you, that doesn't license the conclusion that religions in general, or any particular religion, is wrong or bad. I believe that conclusion is true, but it doesn't follow from the above.

                Comment


                  #9
                  "Religious"* news

                  There does appear to be something of a sense-of-humour fail occuring on this thread, I have to say. Especially as I was no more than gently tickling a sacred cow.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    "Religious"* news

                    We had an assembly in our school a few weeks back, by a group of regular visitors, all of them hardliners.
                    They dramatised a story celebrating the wonderful events of the mid-20th century when Stalin, seeing that the revolution wasn't working out as he planned, chose to kill about 5% of the population. Then all the children stood up and sang a song funny, catchy praising Stalin's efforts.
                    Nah, I'm joking; it was about when God killed 99.99% of all life on the planet by drowning them in a flood because creation wasn't working out as He planned. They still sang a funny, catchy song though.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      "Religious"* news

                      THE LORD SAID TO NOAH:
                      "THERE'S GONNA BE A FLOODY, FLOODY..."

                      thank you so much

                      Comment


                        #12
                        "Religious"* news

                        To be fair, the Church of Scientology works by directly extorting money out of gullible fools using the threat of isolation and victimisation. The RCC hasn't actually directly extorted any money out of it's followers for years , and generally used the threat of excommunication or bloody torture and execution to keep people in line, not psychological torture. Unless you count telling kids that they're going to hell and are intrinsically evil as mental abuse. Which it is, obviously.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          "Religious"* news

                          the jesuits seemed to be every bit as politically unpopular 200 years ago. Even the pope suppressed them for a while.

                          ChrisJ makes a good point about the flood. Surely the flood is an enormous gaping hole in any literalist interpretation of the bible.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            "Religious"* news

                            No, I think the Flood is completely consistent with the religious fundamental (be good or die).

                            Comment


                              #15
                              "Religious"* news

                              Real Madrid's defence has fewer gaping holes than a literalist interpretation of the bible.

                              (I wonder how many other threads I can shoehorn yesterdays result into?)

                              Comment


                                #16
                                "Religious"* news

                                but bruno, there are just so many different types of animals in the world. Scientists have discovered literally hundreds of different types of animal. where did noah put at least 200 animals on that boat?

                                And where did he put all the plants? I'm not sure that most trees respond well to being submerged in 27,000 feet of salt water, and now scientists have discovered literally hundreds of different types of plants.

                                And are the aborigines of Australia, and the andean indians really directly descended from Noah?

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  "Religious"* news

                                  Oh, I thought you meant moral holes (what ChrisJ was getting at) not physical ones.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    "Religious"* news

                                    Bruno wrote:
                                    No, I think the Flood is completely consistent with the religious fundamental (be good or die).
                                    Nearly: Be obedient or die (horribly at the hands of a loving God. Oh, and be tortured for all eternity at His behest).
                                    It was the moral hole I was thinking of. The literalist interpretation is too silly to be considered.

                                    You have fine singing voice, btw!

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      "Religious"* news

                                      I have to say that I agree somewhat with WE and hobbes (that sounded wierd)

                                      A cult is a religion that isn't yours (or one your one sprung from). If you are an atheist, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't see all religions as cults.

                                      I spent two hours yesterday trying to define working definitions for "spirituality", "religion", "world religions" and "new religious movements" and, at the end, I don't think I am spoiling it to say that our decision is, it isn't worth or possible defining.

                                      The most popular suggestion was, I have to say, mine of just calling them all "God((ess)s))-bothering and whatnot". Needless to say the clunky ((-ess)es)) suffix wasn't mine.

                                      I always feel that Christian cult-busters are on very dodgy ground. People in glass churches shouldn't throw stones

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        "Religious"* news

                                        but bruno, there are just so many different types of animals in the world. Scientists have discovered literally hundreds of different types of animal. where did noah put at least 200 animals on that boat?
                                        Baraminology has the answers. You see, dramatic genetic and phenotypic change is impossible over long periods of time, but no problem in 4,000 years. Duh.

                                        And are the aborigines of Australia, and the andean indians really directly descended from Noah?
                                        Again, you're missing the obvious, extremely reminiscent of homeopathy, argument that plate tectonics didn't happen slowly as now but that our modern continents formed from the instantaneous break up of Pangaea.

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          "Religious"* news

                                          hobbes wrote:
                                          There does appear to be something of a sense-of-humour fail occuring on this thread, I have to say. Especially as I was no more than gently tickling a sacred cow.
                                          I think we should all worship Hobbes. He's wise (except about lager), he's benevolent, and I know for sure that he exists because he bought me a beer last Saturday.

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            "Religious"* news

                                            but look what happens when the plates move a couple of millimetres at the san andreas fault. are you telling me the continents moved thousands of miles in an instant? Wow, I'm glad I wasn't around for that split second.

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              "Religious"* news

                                              Yeah, creationists aren't great at following through on their logic. It's the same with their handwaving about how light has reached us from distant galaxies, or the rates of radioactive decay. The creationist's Earth six thousand years ago would have made the real earth 4.5bn years ago look like, well, the Garden of Eden.

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                "Religious"* news

                                                meanwhile here's a gloriously snarky letter vaguely on the credibility of mainstream religion compared to scientology

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  "Religious"* news

                                                  meanwhile here's a gloriously snotty letter vaguely on the credibility of mainstream religion

                                                  Comment

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