State prosecutor Maud Coujard has recommended that a Paris court dissolve the French branch of the Church of Scientology. Scientology has been accused of being little more than a criminal enterprise in France and other countries that uses escalating courses or levels to bilk individuals of thousands of dollars.
We previously discussed this case.
There is little danger of such an order actually shutting down Scientology given the right to appeal. However, the demand is the heaviest possible penalty allowed in such cases.
For the full story, click here.
AY,
I agree with you regarding taxing religions. They should only avoid it with the claim of non-profit status which should be rigidly and continually scrutinized. The problem is though that few politicians have the guts to take them on and so it is all laissez faire.
There is generally no separation of church and state in Europe, so it is usually hard for Americans to comment on these types of stories. As for Scientology, I see no reason why it should be considered any less plausible than any other religion.
Scientology is a scam, but it has received so much negative publicity, both here and abroad, within the last ten years that I find it difficult to treat it as a criminal enterprise. Once you’ve been told that your money is being stolen from you and you continue to feed the thief anyway, why should the government care? It’s not as though Scientologists seek to scare elderly people into turning over their Social Security checks on the threat of eternal damnation. This is one of those situations in which the best weapon is civil litigation by those who have actually been defrauded. Money judgments are much more effective against wealthy institutions than criminal prosecutions.
“him” being Tom Cruise.
Am I a Scientologist?
The easiest way to get rid of Scientology is to convince those that are joining that they are blithering idiots.
(Or show that clip of him jumping up and down on Oprah’s couch… seriously deranged)
Wake me when the task is complete.
Jill,
I am sorry we cannot keep having these types of friendly conversations. It is not allowed on this list. It was inferred that we have to be rude, nasty and mean spirited. We have to now start calling each other names. Personal attacks, no subtleties. That means that the Mike(s), Mespo and a few other cannot join in unless they learn to personally attack the person and not what they have written.
DISCLAIMER
All the above was written as intended adult humor. Those who may be offended please skip this post. Ignore it. Do Not Read. Take your glasses off. Thanks Jill.
If “one” has to dissolve the religion of another with power, because it can not be done with “one’s” civil discourse, then “one” has become bankrupt of the notion of what freedom of expression means.
Same with free speech and press.
foo
You have revealed yourself as an agent of Xenu. Answer Buddha’s question and then I will smote you, puny OT VII!
A.Y.,
I’m with you. Why get rid of these potential profit centers? They should start rendering unto Caesar for the greater good.
Jill,
I’m an OT VII, so it’s all good.
Xenu’s agent wants to know how this will affect EU distribution of the “Xenu vs. the Wiki” series of films and the studio’s planned cross marketing with the Brie Producer’s Association of South Central Aix. I’m not sure why he called and asked me, but there you have it.
I think if you want to raise taxes take away the Tax exempt status of a lot of these churches investments. Such as a loss of the tax exempt status for mega church, multiproperty owner.
Deal it a blow but some churches own a lot of valuable real estate. To wit the Episcopal church owns DoubleDay Printing and at one time Owned the building that housed the NYSE on Wall Street.
foo,
Xenu is displeased!
The one thing I always found funny is that there is no god/deity in Scientology. All of the other major religions (except Buddhism I guess) have one. It’s just a collosal scam.
All religions are sham religions. I don’t think they should be outlawed, but we have to make sure that religion and government are completely separate. Religious pandering by all politicians, the faith-based initiative, god invading our pledge and our currency during 1950’s McCarthyism, Bush (Sr) saying that atheists should not be considered citizens, and other things like that are disheartening.
Harry
The LDS church is hardly the only religious infestation in the US. There are also Christianity, Judaism, Islam and a few others that should be dealt with. The political benefit you mentioned, but confined only to Mormons, would be greatly magnified by outlawing all these organizations.
Too bad we can’t dissolve some of the sham religions that fester in the USA. Mormonism would be a good place to start and would have the added benefit of discrediting and ultimately removing the Mormon politicians that infest our govt.