[Illuyankas]

HAIL XENU

[HoosierDaddy]

Illuyankas;343942 said:

HAIL XENU

Two days later, and still there is no possible retort. Well done, sir.

[cerveza_fiesta]

I used to see them on Broadway in Vancouver...alongside the greenpeace folks and the PETA people. Talked to them once cos I was bored. They seemed perfectly reasonable on first impression to me. Just like greeting a Mormon at your door. They have a belief and it's their mandate to spread it. I don't think you probably get into the Xenu shit until you're pretty well hooked by everything else.

If christianity was an up-and-commer and they were trying to convert people on the street in today's society, they'd be looked at with the same scrutiny. I imagine they'd start people off light, with the teachings (love your neighbor, give to the needy, blah blah blah) and then once a convert is thoroughly hooked onto the idea of Jesus and God...then they'd start getting into the less believable stuff. Before you know it you think the world was created in 7 days and a flood drowned the entire earth and there's no such thing as evolution.

Same thing with scientology. They start off light with the E-meter readings and psychoanalyses...and then once the placebo effect starts making the convert believe that it's improving their life, they're more receptive to DC-10 spaceships and Xenu.

[Gem Windcaster]

Optimus Prime;262535 said:

We could set up a phony religion with Abyss as our God and all run around worshiping cats and the almighty power of Rep. We could be TRILLIONAIRES!

That would make me the High Priestess, so I approve! (well, pardon me for finding this thread so late, I am trying to read every thread on the forum, mind you )

[Gem Windcaster]

Wait, that wouldn't make me Tom Cruise or something, would it? Because I don't want to be Tom Cruise *pout*.

[anakronisM]

Terez;343234 said:

all religions encourage blindly following the leaders.

I resent the idea of blindly following religious leaders, and yes religion in all of its forms has been presented like that in various ways. People tend to turn to leaders though, there's something about authority. I would say the only form of leadership acceptable is that which isn't self-elected and doesn't abuse its position in any way thinkable, or have some agenda of his own that it strives to execute.

The leader who doesn't want to be a leader, full with humility and grace, is indeed a true leader.

But i guess religious leadership always is gonna look strange from the outside.

On Topic: Isn't the Aliens here on earth as wombats?

[HoosierDaddy]

doxa;350235 said:

I resent the idea of blindly following religious leaders, and yes religion in all of its forms has been presented like that in various ways. People tend to turn to leaders though, there's something about authority. I would say the only form of leadership acceptable is that which isn't self-elected and doesn't abuse its position in any way thinkable, or have some agenda of his own that it strives to execute.

The leader who doesn't want to be a leader, full with humility and grace, is indeed a true leader.

And yet, all religious followers are... followers. Stating that follower's blindly follow a faith is not in itself negative. Faith requires blinders. Logic: blinders on! Faith is belief in the absence of fact, thus, faith requires some blind following. Doesn't make it any worse. Claiming that one is somehow more prescient than others though, does invite questions.

[cerveza_fiesta]

one of the funniest southparks ever

[ATTACH]7684[/ATTACH]

I like that episode because they describe scientology's beliefs all at once to a non-scientologist audience. It just seems too ludicrous for even a complete and utter idiot believe. I'm guessing there's a lot more context when it's described to you by a Scientologist priest (or whatever the leader is called) but xenu and DC-10 spaceships?? They must put some deadly spin on the teachings of scientology to get people to actually believe it.

It reaffirms my belief that human shit, if presented in a nice package, would feed the masses for years to come.

[relentless]

Harlan Ellison said:

Scientology is bullshit! Man, I was there the night L. Ron Hubbard invented it, for Christ's sakes! (...) We were sitting around one night... who else was there? Alfred Bester, and Cyril Kornbluth, and Lester del Rey, and Ron Hubbard, who was making a penny a word, and had been for years. And he said "This bullshit's got to stop!" He says, "I gotta get money." He says, "I want to get rich". And somebody said, "why don't you invent a new religion? They're always big." We were clowning! You know, "Become Elmer Gantry! You'll make a fortune!" He says, "I'm going to do it."

Though, it's not really the masses they prey on. It's the friendless and insecure social recluses who are yearning for some type of community feeling.