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I reject the "Anonymous" campaign against Scientology, and its widespread acceptance.

Scientology is an unpleasant and sometimes frightening organization. I find nothing to love about them. They are a cult in every negative sense of the word, they use coercive and threatening tactics, they have an alarming amount of money, and they are particularly good at snaring well-known people and using them as propagandists. Let's assume that I agree with everything the opponents of Scientology say about their bad behavior.

The group is an easy target for bullying. They're rich and litigious, but there are not many of them, and they are not a mainstream religion. I have seen national surveys that described them as the most hated or feared organization in the country. Attacking Scientology in public can result in litigation and threats, but it's socially acceptable.

Their evils are not unique, and their reach and power are limited. It's true that they extract money and service from their followers, use coercion and even force to retain them, present their associated groups dishonestly, and give terrible advice about mental health care, some of which may be deadly. That's terrible.

Let's look at the Catholic Church. Their history is two millennia of war, murder, intolerance, hatred of women, racism, slavery, corruption, terrorism, invasion, stealthy control of governments, and absolute autarchic invididual power. To this day they manipulate politics all over the world. They protect their priests from the law, even when nauseating crimes have been committed. And their strictures on women's health are deadly, cruel, and irrational and have the force of law over millions worldwide. They are even complicit in the Holocaust.

Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists have a deadly disregard for modern medicine, and their members die for lack of readily available care. They impose this fatal ideology on their children and recruit others, who will then also face life-threatening disease with a crippling religious stricture.

I could move on to the Mormons here, but the point has been made. Scientology is a destructive ideology and the church is a dreadful organization. But on the larger scale of religious wickedness they are a small player.

Scientology looms large in the world of educated Americans with Internet access. Celebrities are our pantheon, and most of us have encountered Scientology in colleges too. We're their primary recruiting target. And most importantly, we're permitted to despise them as a group. They are, as they themselves would put it, fair game.

The language used by the Anonymous people is that of communal violence. Their half-funny, half creepy manifesto is mostly tongue-in-cheek, but the language is venomous. Invoking Rosa Parks and the Velvet Revolution in a document that declares war on a smallish religion is just nasty, even if you're trying to be funny. The half-baked teen speechifying is bad enough, but something like "Social unrest will follow social awareness, social revolt will follow social outcry, and at the end of all of this there will be change" in the context of an attack on a religious group is nastier.

Imagine for a moment that this crusade was pointed at the Seventh-Day Adventists, the Mormons, or the Catholics. Or take a look at the rhetoric of the American war party about Muslims, and compare. And this, too: Imagine an elementary school aged child in a family of Scientologists who reads this, and then walks to school and looks around at the other kids wondering what's going on?

Scientology isn't an ethnic group or nation. This is not like an attack on black people or Mexicans or Germans.

But doesn't anyone find it disturbing that so many are cheerfully supporting a mob attack? It's impossible to list all the victims of Catholicism or even Christian Science. If you waged a propaganda war and invoked demonstrations against Jehovah's Witnesses people would call you an intolerant jerk.

We can attack Scientology because they're already disliked and socially marginal, and because they loom large in our own privileged and celebrity-obsessed world. But they're a bad target.

There's a war on. In the U.S. our own government is tossing Iraqis and Afghans into a giant woodchipper, 24 hours a day. Among religions, well-known and respected organizations support the war, successfully oppose the distribution of condoms in AIDS-ridden places, condone the molestation of children, and oppose the HPV vaccine on the grounds that sexual punishment of fornicating women is just.

Why is anyone at all being trolled into this nonsense?

Jehovah's Witnesses Knocking?

Date: 2008-02-25 08:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] exjehovah.livejournal.com
I applaud your blog

Who are Jehovah's Witnesses?

Dissident Jehovah's Witness speaks out.
No tolerance,the Jehovah's Witnesses are a cult because they try to cut you off from others who do not have the same beliefs, including family.
The Watchtower is an oppressive cult if there ever was one!

It's amazing they are still around after 100 years of 100% failed prophecies. Truly amazing,that they can prompt their followers to actually go door to door with a 100% bogus message.
Their Message is a Watchtower Gospel that,Jesus had his second coming in 1914 and they were the only ones who saw it and consequently the only hope for mankind.

The Watchtower is a truly Orwellian world.
--
Danny Haszard www.freeminds.org

(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 05:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mcfnord.livejournal.com
My sister married one. We're still welcome.

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Date: 2008-02-25 08:48 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] king-felix.livejournal.com
People like easy.

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Date: 2008-02-25 08:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] caladri.livejournal.com
I have a little bit more time for the direct-action freegan vegan batshit insane anarchist hippie communal types when they actually engage in creative direct-action, which some of this was, and they managed to actually organize people in their communities, like they claim to. Scientology is gaining members faster than any of those you list except the Mormons, IIRC (and I'm very willing to be wrong), at least by their own statements which may be lies. The way they affect people's lives and mindsets is harmful to the community, and they readily engage in direct human rights violations in our communities, not just far-flung approval and disapprovals that amount to policy decisions if people are stupid enough to listen. So from that perspective, I think it makes sense to start with them.

That said, the whole thing struck me as pretty childish from the outset. While some folks managed to participate in protests with style (nobody is stylish with cyberterrorism), most of them were just sad and kind of painful to watch. Alas.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 09:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] substitute.livejournal.com
I agree with most of what you said.

I can't believe that Scientology's human rights violations are anywhere near the scope of the Boy Scouts, much less Mormons. The manifesto listed one suspicious death.

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start firebombing stuff

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(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 08:57 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nebris.livejournal.com
Mr. Cruise raised their profile to the point where they became an easy target. And now they're reaping what they sowed. Nothing more. Nothing less.

~M~

(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 09:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] substitute.livejournal.com
One embarrassing video should not start a witch hunt, even a really amateurish witch hunt.

One embarrassing video

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(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 09:23 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jpeace.livejournal.com
I have no dog in this fight, but I do want to see what pure internet culture is capable of. This (stupid) happening was started by the frothiest vanity cultures on the Western internet and they actually managed to put feet on streets. I think it's a barometer of how many true believers 4chan (or whoever the fuck) can muster. Depressingly, I think it's also the face of future campus/youth activism.

TEXT MEETUP TO KENTST4T3 LOL

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Date: 2008-02-25 11:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] maria-sputnik.livejournal.com
Yeah. For one thing, it's uncool to protest a religion, even a creepy cultlike religion. For another, Anonymous is 4chan, isn't that right? So it's "protest for the lulz"? I mean, the vibe I get is more "it's fun to torment Scientologists" than "we'll keep at this until Scientology mends its wicked ways".

I strongly disagree with the commenter who said that Mormonism was socially acceptable in the U.S. It so isn't. Jehovah's Witnesses are not socially acceptable either. Anyway I wager that the /b/tards would just as happily set upon on Witnesses, Mormons, or your frail old grandmother.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 05:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] substitute.livejournal.com
You're right that Mormons and JWs aren't seen as mainstream, but they are Christian heresies rather than new religions. They can "pass" most of the time, since hardly anyone who isn't either a serious Christian or interested in the subject knows more than a few things about them.

Scientology goes in the "cult" bucket along with Heaven's Gate and the Hare Krishnas, I think.

I'm less worried about the /b/ kids than about the effect of this thing if it gets more popular.

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From: [identity profile] dmlaenker.livejournal.com - Date: 2008-02-26 12:40 am (UTC) - Expand

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Date: 2008-02-25 12:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] maps-or-guitars.livejournal.com
I think that it's pretty comforting, for a certain unreflective mindset, to find a "problem" to beat up on that they have nothing to do with. It lets them forget that there are bigger problems that need tackling that they themselves are complicit in.


(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 12:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] judgefudge.livejournal.com
As a friend of mine put it so elegantly, "This is 4chan versus Scientology. No matter who loses, the world will be a better place."

Of course /b/ will choose an easy, high profile, and inconsequential target for their brief campaign (that will lapse after a month or two when the next big LOLmeme occupies their consequence). They aren't equipped to handle real political thought.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 12:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] yoscott.livejournal.com
Anonymous = 5555555555 after watching anime and v for vendetta for 15 years.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 01:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dossy.livejournal.com
Amen, brotha'. Amen.

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Date: 2008-02-25 03:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] eyeteeth.livejournal.com
I hadn't even heard of this until now and ultimately, I think that makes me the winner.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 04:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dmlaenker.livejournal.com
Do you read [livejournal.com profile] pope_guilty?

He has an awful lot of explanations for what's up and why you should care.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 05:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] substitute.livejournal.com
I don't read that LJ, no.

I despise Scientology; I thought I made this clear! I also despise communal violence and its roots.

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Date: 2008-02-25 04:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hepkitten.livejournal.com
my argument for the war against scientology begins and ends with this statement:

even tithing to the catholic church is voluntary both this century and last.

you don't see a fucking church of amway. either they are a cult and they lose religious status or they are a religion and the tithing becomes voluntary. you can't have it both ways.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 05:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] substitute.livejournal.com
I agree with you and others that Scientology is a horrible organization. But not only does the leadership say they're a religion, but so do the ordinary members, and they won their case with the government that they're a religion too, right?

I just can't stand harassment campaigns of this kind, at all at all.

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Date: 2008-02-25 04:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] advorpt.livejournal.com
Why is anyone at all being trolled into this nonsense?

Convenient target, too much free time, personal vendetta, misplaced anger, a smaller cause they feel they can "win"? In today's society there are a lot of people (perhaps an entire generation) who feel out-of-control...and there seems to be plenty of room for more Hate. :/

A well written and thoughtful piece as always, friend.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 06:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sooz.livejournal.com
everyone has their battles i guess.. no one has the energy to fight them all. i suppose these anonymous campaign people feel more affected by scientology than the other a gatrillion injustices in the world

Stress Test- Just say NO!

Date: 2008-02-25 07:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] klikitak.livejournal.com
The other day I made a remark (in a sense playing devil's advocate for ol' father hubbard) and my Mom backlashed, "Well, how would you feel if you lost your cousin and sister to that organization?". Then I remembered that my Mom's relaties succombed to the church about 13 years ago and broke off all contact. I can understand her anger- they do have that who cult hoo-ha going for them...

I am for people and organizations challenging things with a face. For all we know, this anonymous group could be Bree and Crazy Bird Lady :/

Re: Stress Test- Just say NO!

Date: 2008-02-25 07:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] substitute.livejournal.com
Yeah. Scientology is ugly. "Confronting" is way uglier when it's done this way.

Re: Stress Test- Just say NO!

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(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 07:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] handstil.livejournal.com
I have stopped understanding things and caring about them.

My brain hurts.

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Date: 2008-02-25 10:05 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] hebisner.livejournal.com
The danger as I see it is adopting the mob mentality towards groups or idea's we don't like, and then employing methods outside the rule of law to vent that dislike. Who gets to decide who deserves this treatment? I don't recall empowering anyone to jack with Scientology. The likelihood that they are a pack of jackholes who deserve it is not the issue. It's a group of self-appointed judges who step outside the rule of law to apply their own justice. If Scientology, or Mormons, or whomever plays by the rules, they should not be harrassed in this manner. If they don't, they should be litigated, prosecuted, or simply ridiculed out of existence.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-25 10:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] loose-joints.livejournal.com
Very well said.

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Date: 2008-02-25 10:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] loose-joints.livejournal.com
As always, I appreciate your thoughtful treatment of difficult subject. Unfortunately it seems that there is a fine line between communal anger and action and communal violence.

That's my platitude for the day.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-26 12:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] violet-fade.livejournal.com
Word. I agree with everything you just said.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-02-26 08:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] f4te.livejournal.com
And what are you doing!?

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