Anti-Scientology Protests

[Surazal Dloc]

I'm home now and can post a bigger message. So I was in Sydney since yesterday with a friend, did some shopping and what not. Then today the Sydney group of Anonymous were doing an Anti-Scientology Protest around the city and outside the Sydney Churh of SCientology and the Church in Glebe. MY friend and I decided to join them when we saw them moving to their first destination Town Hall.

I already know enough about Scientology to form the opinion it is well basically a cult that has somehow become giant and succesfull. And most people who use the internet regularially know who Anonymous are so I thought it would be a good experience. The other protesters were very friendly My friend and I made friends almost instantly.

Here are some educational links:
Wikipedia: Scientology
Operation Freakout - A campaign of Harassment, slander, libel, and forged by bomb threast that nearly put an innocent journalist in federal prison.
Fair GAme Policy - Scientology's critics "May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed."
Operation Snow White - A coordinated infiltration of U.S. Government agencies carried out by high-ranking Scientologists. The single largest infiltration of the U.S. Government in history.
Scientology and Me - BBC documentory where reporter John Sweeney was stalked, spied on, and harassed. Viewable on YouTube.
Lisa McPherson - Died from dehydration and starvation while in the care of Scientologists. An autopsy revealed a body convered in bed sores and cockroach bites.
Clearwater, Florida - Scientology-controlled town where critics are silenced by off-duty police officers employed by the Church.

I'm not expecting you all to just drop what you are doing and look at these. Perhaps bookmark this thread and come back to have a look. This is something that was originally to me just a joke. What I mean is I jsut used to make stupid jokes about scientology but now it has become something more serious to me.

Today at the protest the was a man who had not seen his father for 20 years because his father is a Scientologist and Scientology teaches you to seperate yourself from Non-Scientologists, even if they are family. With this man was his teenage daughter who had never met her grandfather. We asked the man to come out and meet his grand daughter and see his son again after 20 long years.

It wasn't long before police arrived. We were being very peaceful and the roughly eight police were pretty cool. A Police inspecter arrived. For those that don't know an Inspector in the Australian Police is the rank above a Senior Sergant. A Senior Sergant runs an individual police station and the Inspector oversees many Stations.

The Inspector went into the Church and reurned about half an hour later. She returned and it appears the man we wanted to come out and meet his family was willing to do so. We had earlier given our word to leave if he would agree to meeet, so the protest group moved on.

Congratulations if you have read all of this. And extra Kudos if you have gone through all the extra information. Please discuss you opinions on Scientology. I would prefer this to be a serious discussion and not a verbal bashing of Scientology or my views, but I wont frown upon it too much if it makes me lol.  

[Surazal Dloc]

The masks V wore was actually a Guy Fawkes mask. He was the revolutionairy V was following.

Oh and the group is Anonymous so of course there is some fun to be had. We were blasting music and dancing. But not saying things quite like L Ron Hubbard is a Douchebag.  

[Sanzoskitsune]

Honestly, Scientology kind of scares the hell out of me. I mean its really obviously a cult. Not only that but... wasn't it created not to become a REAL religion but a way for Hubbard to show how easy it is for religions to make money? I dunno I was under the impression he never meant for it to become a real religion but I could be wrong. I'm all for respecting other people's beliefs and letting them live their own lives and all but not when it harms other people. My biggest problem with Scientology IS that they are encouraged to distance themselves from family if they aren't part of the religion too.

Oh also Laz hun, I started to go through the articles but realized that well... they're all "let me google that for you" type of links. It kind of would've just been simpler for me if you had some direct links to certain websites.. just a little non-important info here.  

[shiny dollar]

I can't say I care for it.
But people can believe whatever.

I think Scientology can be pretty devious. Collecting money and all that.  

[Surazal Dloc]

Thats cool Sanzo, I know only a couple are direct links. The reson for the "let me google that" links is because there is not one major source out there, but I understand some people would prefer like a bunch of wiki links smile

@ Shiny: I'm all for letting people have their beliefs too and what not, but Scientology is more brainwashing than people just trying out Scientology and decided to stick with it.