The Passion of ‘Anonymous’

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  • Posted By: LuisaB @ 02/08/2008 10:41:25 PM

    Those people from "Anonymous" you are glorifying in this article are simple criminals and their underage dupes who think that attacking, harassing and threatening members of a minority religion is ok "just" because some Tom Cruise is also a member. Who cares about Cruise. Brian Braiker, this is irresponsible reporting or lazy research. YOUR family is not being threatened by "Anonymous" or did they blackmail you?

  • Posted By: annnnon @ 02/08/2008 10:34:49 PM

    "Mr. Feffer, [his wife,] Ms. Yingling and Thomas C. Spring, another of the church's tax lawyers, appeared in formal attire on stage that night and received Waterford crystal trophies [FROM DAVID MISCAVIGE!!!] in recognition of their [tax exemption] efforts."

    The New York Times, March 9, 1997 "Scientology's Puzzling Journey From Tax Rebel to Tax Exempt"
    Scientology's Puzzling Journey From Tax Rebel to Tax Exempt

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    By DOUGLAS FRANTZ
    Published: March 9, 1997
    New

  • Posted By: annnnon @ 02/08/2008 10:30:54 PM

    Feb 8, 2008
    Judges Press IRS on Church [of Scientology] Tax Break
    By JOSH GERSTEIN

    A Jewish couple's bid to take a tax deduction they say the Internal Revenue Service reserves only for members of the Church of Scientology is getting a friendly reception from a federal appeals court, increasing the possibility of a ruling that could create a tax break for taxpayers of many religions who pay tuition to religious schools.

    During arguments on the case this week, three judges who ride the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals expressed deep skepticism of the IRS's position that the way the agency treats Scientologists is irrelevant to the deductions the Orthodox Jews, Michael and Marla Sklar, took for part of their children's day school tuition and for after-school classes in Jewish law.A Jewish couple's bid to take a tax deduction they say the Internal Revenue Service reserves only for members of the Church of Scientology is getting a friendly reception from a federal appeals court, increasing the possibility of a ruling that could create a tax break for taxpayers of many religions who pay tuition to religious schools.

    During arguments on the case this week, three judges who ride the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals expressed deep skepticism of the IRS's position that the way the agency treats Scientologists is irrelevant to the deductions the Orthodox Jews, Michael and Marla Sklar, took for part of their children's day school tuition and for after-school classes in Jewish law.
    Staff Reporter of the Sun
    February 8, 2008

    During arguments on the case this week, three judges who ride the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals expressed deep skepticism of the IRS's position that the way the agency treats Scientologists is irrelevant to the deductions the Orthodox Jews, Michael and Marla Sklar, took for part of their children's day school tuition and for after-school classes in Jewish law.

  • Posted By: respectful_anon @ 02/08/2008 9:32:32 PM

    Killbot, I digress. There are several enormous diferences between Christianity and Scientology. If you miss church, your preist doesn't come looking for you or even call you. If you want to leave Christianity, you are free to do so. If you are a Christian and your husband/wife/children/friends are not, they do not command that you stop communicating with them. If you are a Christian and are reading the Quran (or any book (s)he doesn't agree with), your preist isn't going to sentence you to some physical work project which you are paid little to nothing for. When you have a child as a Christian, they don't insist that you send it off to an out-of-country "ranch" so that they can "teach" them the "proper" ways in life. You sir are so uneducated on this subject, I seriously encourage you to research a subject before presenting your ill-informed opinions.

    • Posted By: GustoMaybe @ 02/08/2008 10:20:15 PM

      go e/b/aums!

  • Posted By: Anon E. Mouse @ 02/08/2008 9:53:16 PM

    Good job, Ebaums world!

  • Posted By: socalcal @ 02/08/2008 9:50:05 PM

    Inform yourselves.

    Watch Scientologists "handle" an SP (suppressive person) who shows up to their party. "What are your crimes? Murder, perhaps!" Great stuff: http://youtube.com/watch?v=pPol_m8wm8Y

  • Posted By: LOLNINETHOUSAND @ 02/08/2008 9:49:22 PM

    WHAT???? OVER 9000?!!?!?!!!?!!?!?!

  • Posted By: LOLNINETHOUSAND @ 02/08/2008 9:48:52 PM

    WHAT? OVER 9000???

  • Posted By: Killbot @ 02/08/2008 9:16:31 PM

    As an atheist, I don't see any difference between Scientologists and any other religious whackos. In fact, I'm far more inclined to believe that aliens are controlling my brain than I am to believe in reincarnation, alchemy, etc. that Christianity forces into their disciples. That being said, they're equally goofy.
    Anyonen who believes that Christianity is any more tolerant or less of a cult than Scientology is are sadly misinformed. They're all political beasts that thrive on controlling every aspect of their adherents' lives (see tithing, birth control, homosexuality, etc.).

    • Posted By: Anon13 @ 02/08/2008 9:43:18 PM

      Though, it is sad that many Christian traditions *do* practice cutl-like recruitment; I myself was recruited in this manner. However, I have met no one who has ever tried to "control" me beyond that point, and I do still strongly adhere to the beleifes that I became attached to that day. I find that many churches, or at least, the tolerable ones, encourage individual spiritual journies, with fellow church members and unique sermons to help. This is different from Scientology because: Scientology forces either donations or servitude to progress in the literature (Christianity's literature is practically given away, and tithing/servitude are more or less optional), Scientology does not encourage critical thinking, as it is just the "Reactive Mind" acting up (where in Christianity, Critical thinking is necessary for deeper spiritual findings), and in that Scientology has only a limited number of 'sermons,' which all have only once accepted interpretations, which is strictly enforced (where in Christianity, there are many interpretations of the same script, and it is only a matter of searching and time until one finds a nice "home church" with corresponding beleifes.)

      The similarity between any true religion is mostly skin deep.

    • Posted By: sayitboldly @ 02/08/2008 9:19:37 PM

      Too bad for you atheism was classified as a religion by US Supreme Court in 1977.

      • Posted By: mitch12345 @ 02/08/2008 9:24:53 PM

        Also too bad that you are so misinformed that you don't know that Christianity does NOT believe in reincarnation and Scientology DOES.

  • Posted By: mitch12345 @ 02/08/2008 9:21:50 PM

    Yes but the "indulgences" being sold are not passes to heaven. They are actually passes to see how much the next pass costs.

    You have to spend years of work or hundreds of thousands of dollars just to see if they BELIEVE in a heaven.

    They don't, by the way. They like to recruit from other religions and couldn't if they said that. They say Scientology is not at odds with Christianity or Judism. Years of brainwashing later, you find out that YES it indeed is.

    • Posted By: respectful_anon @ 02/08/2008 9:37:29 PM

      And to elaborate on your point, they in fact have documents that are copyright protected that claim Jesus was a pedophile, that he liked men, that he had a terrible anger problem, etc. All blatant lies. And just in classic Scientology form, they offer you absolutely not a SHRED of evidence to back their claims. Why is this? Because almighty L.Con can never be wrong.

  • Posted By: AnonymousSP @ 02/08/2008 9:15:17 PM

    www.enturbulation.org www.xenu-directory.net www.xenu.net www.xenutv.com www.whyaretheydead.net
    www.scientology-victims-testimonies.com

    Knowledge is free, inform yourselves.

    for some information on the real truth about the cult that is scientology.

    Knowledge is free, inform yourselves.

  • Posted By: AnonymousSP @ 02/08/2008 9:13:44 PM

    Anonymous is in favor of Freezone, a group of people that practice scientology like beliefs, but don't charge money, commit crimes, extortion, or brainwashing. Before you play the religious intolerance or Freedom Of Religion card perhaps you should get your facts straight.

  • Posted By: PhysicsFrog @ 02/08/2008 9:08:39 PM

    'Immortal Spirit' and being 'vaporized' appear to be a conundrum-- logic conflcted --and it is. The false leaders who have taken control of that Church have about the same moral caliber as pervert preachers or Al Queda mullahs and they use similar religious connivings to control their followers. There's no problem saying there are many types of beings. Why would God create only one kind? It's like: Why would there only be one Big Bang? But now they've told Tom C. & John T. and their rich clientele (including families) that they can rid them of the effects of these other beings on their bodies and minds --which they can't and which they will never know how to do (LRH died before completing the research --that was his research project). Nowadays others in various faiths have taken up the task.
    So, they blame their parishoners or disconnect family members from each other when things go awry ...petulance as policy, suppression of communication as enforced mental and social agreement. Freedom --forget it..
    Many of those in-charge now --(note: There are no Blacks or Orientals at the highest levels of management --and women have been relegated to secondary 'important roles ' by the RTC (David McScavige) and CST (lawyers etc.) who own the Church building titles, materials and debt obligations.) ...alas, many of those in-charge now were recruited to the Cause as teenagers twenty or thirty years ago --they don't have formal educations so lack the tools to evaluate their own indoctrination as well as that which they enforce on others. How could Tom Cruise avoid confronting all the altering of tech or mis-application of ethics that has gone on? Are there no ruined families? That's an important question --because no matter who he blames: Marcabs, Squirrels, Shrinks or SPs --his buddies in the 'Cause' continue to alter auditing tech and mis-apply ethics.. That's why they get attacked, and that's LRH --unquote.
    They've become the new medieval priests selling fake passes into Heaven. Give us your money or we'll give you to the Inquisition.

  • Posted By: kiyiyi @ 02/08/2008 9:08:39 PM

    Nice article. Scientology is a criminal racket and definitely does not deserve the tax breaks of a "religion." Anyone who thinks Scientology is a religion needs to see a Psychiatrist immediately. For more information about the worldwide anti-Scientology protests this Sunday, 10 February, see:
    http://project-chanology.blogspot.com

  • Posted By: sayitboldly @ 02/08/2008 9:06:12 PM

    Scientology is a waste of time....If they are so concerned as Travolta says about getting their information into the hands of the whole world then why do they charge exorbitant prices for their courses?

  • Posted By: PhysicsFrog @ 02/08/2008 9:05:14 PM

    'Immortal Spirit' and being 'vaporized' appear to be a conundrum-- logic conflcted --and it is. The false leaders who have taken control of that Church have about the same moral caliber as pervert preachers or Al Queda mullahs and they use similar religious connivings to control their followers. There's no problem saying there are many types of beings. Why would God create only one kind? It's like: Why would there only be one Big Bang? But now they've told Tom C. & John T. and their rich clientele (including families) that they can rid them of the effects of these other beings on their bodies and minds --which they can't and which they will never know how to do (LRH died before completing the research --that was his research project). Nowadays others in various faiths have taken up the task.
    So, they blame their parishoners or disconnect family members from each other when things go awry ...petulance as policy, suppression of communication as enforced mental and social agreement. Freedom --forget it..
    Many of those in-charge now --(note: There are no Blacks or Orientals at the highest levels of management --and women have been relegated to secondary 'important roles ' by the RTC (David McScavige) and CST (lawyers etc.) who own the Church building titles, materials and debt obligations.) ...alas, many of those in-charge now were recruited to the cause as teenagers twenty or thirty years ago --they don't have formal educations so lack the tools to evaluate their own indoctrination as well as that which they enforce on others. How could Tom Cruise avoid confronting all the altering of tech or mis-application of ethics that has gone on? Ort he ruined families? That's also an important question --because no matter who he blames Marcabs, Squirrels, Shrinks or SPs --his buddies in the 'Cause' continue to alter auditing tech and mis-apply ethics.. That's why they get attacked, and that's LRH --unquote.
    They've become the new medieval priests selling fake passes into Heaven. Give us your money or we'll give you to the Inquisition.

  • Posted By: respectful_anon @ 02/08/2008 9:04:05 PM

    Quantom - I neglected to read your last little sentence and did not comment on it. I agree there is no problem with starting a CORPORATION for monetary gain. I cannot envision a successful "religion" which discloses this is their true nature. Who would join them? Furthermore, if that IS the goal, HOW is that a religion? Suddenly worshiping money is a religion? You lost me on that one my friend.

  • Posted By: respectful_anon @ 02/08/2008 8:57:30 PM

    Quantom Idea - You are in fact correct sir and I was making this SAME argument. Indeed, as far as the definitions of the word religion itself goes, they are unarguably a form of a religion. However, no other religion on the planet has a commission based program, just like an MLM (multi-level marketing). No priest in any recognized religion makes a commission on his tithes. This is one element of the group that should clearly define them a corporation and not a religion in respects to their IRS status. They could not achieve a tax-exempt status without barraging the IRS with thousands of lawsuits all files by individual members until they finally gave up and came to a "secret" agreement. This "secret" agreement, as you might be aware, is already under contemplation currently and the judge already said the special treatment Scientology has been receiving is unconstitutional.

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