Scientology vs The Internet

If you only use the internet for Gmail and Facebook you are probably missing one of the largest internet uprising ever. Anonymous and Project Chanology are raging an all out war against the Church of Scientology, everything from DDOS attacks to actual protest outside Scientology headquarters. The number of people involved could be in the tens of thousands. I am rooting for the internet in this one.

Scientology is not - to say the least - a traditional religion. If you want to believe that aliens came to earth 75 million years ago aboard DC-8's and laid the groundwork for our civilization, go ahead. I wasn't here, maybe they did. I don't care if you believe that psychology is evil, whatever. But I think its dangerous that the "Church" of Scientology charges people money with false promises of making their life better. It certainly didn't make it better for Noah Lottick or Lisa McPherson. I think that to any reasonable person, they would see that the Church of Scientology is less of a church based to help people and more of a money making scheme.

I am impartial to peoples personal religious practices most of the time. The only time I take issue is when people try to force religion or use rhetoric to advance their view and when religions try to silence debate about their practices.

Scientology uses legal means to silence critics of their religion. They attempted to shut down a early internet newsgroup alt.religion.scientology which was hosting a healthy debate about the practices and beliefs. They have sued numerous other critics was lawsuits that amount to nothing more that harassment. They have threatened action against Viacom using Tom Cruise as leverage against a South Park episode that made fun of their religion. It was the vary same episode that caused Issac Hayes to quit the show. Albeit 10 months later, and in my opinion at the urging of Scientologists. I guess it's fine to mock Christianity and Judaism, but once they turn to your religion then its over the line.

Its possible that this war could be waged for a long time. In addition to raising awareness about the danger of what in my mind is a cult, they will hopefully be able to challenge the Co$'s non profit standing. Anonymous's main goal is to have people decide for themselves their view, and to have both sides available, not taken offline because of lawsuits and bullying by the Church of Scientology.