Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. chief executive, has twitted on his views of evil. While various people of late have been citing Murdock with the same criticism after the eavesdropping scandal, Murdoch was moved to discuss evil with regard to recent complaints by Katie Holmes that she is being followed by what her friends call “Scientology goons” — reportedly raised fears that the Church might try to snatch the child of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Murdoch responded with “Scientology back in news. Very weird cult, but big, big money involved with Tom Cruise either number two or three in [hierarchy].” That must make work a bit awkward since Greta Van Susteren, one of his leading hosts, has been a prominent member of Scientology for decades. Her show “On The Record” airs every weekday.
Murdoch wrote “Watch Katie Holmes and Scientology story develop. Something creepy, maybe even evil, about these people.”
He later stood his ground and referred to Scientology’s reputation for harassment: “Since Scientology tweet hundreds of attacks. Expect they will increase and get worse and maybe threatening. Still stick to my story.” However, when pressed on his view of Mormonism, he said “Mormonism a mystery to me, but Mormons certainly not evil.”
The Katie Holmes stories raise an interesting possible legal issue. Scientology has often been accused of harassment, including following reporters and critics. There is nothing illegal in following a person in public absent a charge of stalking or a court order. The latter would require some greater something than a suspicion. Since both Cruise and Holmes were often accompanied by Church “handlers,” a court order could present problems for Cruise in visiting his daughter etc. When men in a white SUV were confronted by bystanders in front of Holmes’ building and asked what they were doing, one responded “waiting for a bus.” New York police came by and ran the plates of the Tennessee vehicle and then left.
It raises a practical problem for Holmes if these are Church members but the Church continues to change vehicles and individuals.
As for Fox, Murdoch’s comments could make the annual party a bit chilly with Van Susteren and her husband John Coale have long been leading Scientologist members and closely aligned with the Church. Such comments could be cited if there are later employment issues with Van Susteren. Obviously, Murdoch has a free speech right to call Scientology a “cult,” a view shared by others including some countries. However, he is also the ultimate boss of Van Susteran at Fox’s parent company. It does not exactly make for a friendly work environment when you come up for contract renewal.
Source: Yahoo
I remember being approached by Heinlein’s cultists in Seattle, and I decided to have some fun with them. I was a little drunk (read: completley smashed at three in the afternoon) and went and watched a video, then just laughed loudly and obnoxiously while pointing at each individual in the room. It was fun. They beat me up 😀
The *Cult* word gets overused,but in some cases it is appropriate.
The definition of a destructive religious cult is like alcoholism-if booze controls you instead of the other way around you are an alcoholic.
I was in the Watchtower society Jehovah’s Witnesses,they are not benevolent and won’t let you leave their organization in peace.
The Jehovahs are not without scandals-child abuse, sadistic mind control tactics, sex scandals, money scams, general bad behavior — you know, religion.
Is it a cult?
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck….
*tell the truth don’t be afraid*- Danny Haszard
Schroeder,
Which one are you referring too….. A lot of folks like me can’t distinguish which one is the money grabber….. Or which one is truly evil……. Now if you’re going comparative…… You maybe onto something……
Why do Americans have such limited knowledge about almost everything? Why are you people so goddamn stupid? An article that mentions two organizations; one providing value to consumers and jobs to a large number of people, and the other a money grabbing scam (i.e., religion in the old fashioned sense) with hundreds of proven cases of abuse, extortion, etc. And you guys jump on Murdoch. You are all so retarded, it’s really frightening.
Pot meet Kettle….
meh. Let’s be frank – Murdoch is well aware of the piles of cash the $ology organization rakes in every year from their poor “adherents”. Once he figures out how to get a cut of the action, he’ll be just fine with them. He’d gladly give Miscavage a host slot if it made him money.
We let that ugly pug Murdock into this country and let him be citizen. This was so he could buy Fox and later the Wall Street Journal. Then yesterday this blog gave the government a lot of gas because they let some good looking Playboy woman into the country on a visa. It was as if you got in if you were good looking. Here is this pug Murdock on a print photo that I put in the kitchen where the bugs are at the clubhouse at our marina and all these bugs are running out scarred. He is worse than Scientology or Mormonism. So why does this blog oppose letting the Playboy woman in the country for a visit. Why not criticise letting the Murdock critter in the borders? Scientology is evil but hardly as evil as the Catholic Pedophile Church. Hardly as evil as the mogul who owns all the politicians in England and many in America. Fox News says Jump Willard!
Is Greta Van Susteran’s contract about to expire? Maybe she’s playing hardball, and Murdock is trying to muddy her reputation so that her value as a “news woman” (wait…wait… Sorry I had to pause there until I stopped laughing) would be far less, and therefore, she couldn’t ask for more money from him.
When my kid was 18 he was approached by some scientologists who said he could have a free psychological test and free interpretation and he went for it, and they took him into their beautiful commodious building in NW DC and he took some test they gave him, and then some attractive young woman his age sat with him “flirting with me and telling me that my test showed that I was living with a lot of stress.” She then offered him a chance to see a video that would alleviate his stress and blah blah blah and he politely declined, saying to her: “But you told me you were going to give me a psychological test and a free interpretation. On that test, you asked if I was under stress and I answered all those questions YES, LOTS OF STRESS, and now you are telling me BACK that I am living under lots of stress. What’s so interpretive about that?” He says the girl was kind of stunned and had no ready answer for him but urged him to watch the video. He says he told her: “It will be another waste of time; you have nothing to offer me.”
When he came home he was laughing about it and telling the story in his humorous stand-up comic way, imitating the very solemn young woman giving him her spiel. I said, “But they DID have something to offer you.”
What?
“Religion. You could believe that your stress would go away if only you did exactly as they told you to do.”
He commented drily: “That’s how I got stressed in the first place.”
David Blauw 1, July 2, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Dredd
Or Bellzebusion.
====================
A poet has it “bluff’s illusion” … same difference.
Well said.
Dredd
Or Bellzebusion.
Otteray Scribe
One of Issac Asimovs non fiction novels has a brief account of a science fiction colleague stating “I can make more money creating a religion than writing fiction”. At the time I read this, I imagined, or it was somewhat clear, that Asimov was referring to Hubbard.
He made money all right, but what he created ain’t no religion.
The things we believe…when we practice….to not perceive.
David Blauw 1, July 2, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Rupert does speak with authority …
================================
It is apparent authority, also known as illusion.
Rupert does speak with authority…. I understand he has a single link RED phone in his office…… it’s NOT connected to the Kremlin. :o)
Ewwww. Agreeing with Rupert on anything makes me feel like I need to take two or three showers. With a pressure washer.
” That must make work a bit awkward since Greta Van Susteran, one of his leading hosts, has been a prominent member of Scientology for decades.”
“Critics have asserted that Fox News Channel promotes conservative political positions[5] and biased reporting.[6] Commentators, news anchors, and reporters at Fox News Channel have responded that news reporting and political commentary operate independently of each other and deny any bias in the news reporting.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_News_Channel
Well, if if ones opinion can be trusted based on their personal knowledge or habits, then Murdoch can be presumed to be speaking from authority on recognizing evil, harassment etc.
Rupert Murdoch is calling someone or something creepy and evil?? The ultimate example of the pot calling the kettle black. That being said, if this religion is behind this kind of nonsense, are they really a religion???
If anyone has been living in a cave somewhere and missed this, the hacker/activist group Anonymous made a video about four years ago. Since this video was made, I read somewhere that Anonymous has been able to rummage around in some of the organization’s records.
Wow, why am I reminded of Orwell’s “bully worship – the universal religion” concepts?
Orwell was speaking more of secular religion, but still Murdock makes these guys seem like bullies of their laity and others as well.
Perhaps they need a good church court system in their infrastructure.