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Originally Posted by C Elegans  Whereas I am personally an atheist, I do think it is important to distinguish between religion, cults and destructive cults. The important difference is not what stories each organisation believe in, the important and principal difference is the destructive part, that a destructive cult will contain elements that are inherently harmful to some or all of its own members. Core elements of this harm is mind control, totalitarian leadership, using members to recruit new members and to raise funds, and harassment such as threats or abuse when members leave or try to leave the cult. |
A colleague of mine won't hardly talk to me because I asked him a question or two about Salman Rushdie. That's what I mean by having to tiptoe. Most "ordinary", "mainstream" religious people are more offended by my sense than I am by their insanity, which is ironic, annoying and frightening. It's actually much more OK by me if they sit around in a cave waiting for a spaceship, so long as they keep it to themselves.
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Originally Posted by Lady Dragonfly Both Bill and Hillary Clinton were friendly with Scientology groups at the time. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley even accepted a kind of "L. Ron Humanitarian award" from Scientologists.
The real "lobby" is Hollywood celebrities though: Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, John Travolta, Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley etc. |
Does it matter? It's still retarded crap "
science
", no matter who endorses it.