Has Scientology’s day of reckoning arrived?
It’s February 10, so you know what that means: the day of reckoning for Scientology is here. Well, hopefully. If Anonymous’s schemings go as planned, today will deal a huge blow to Scientology, with meatspace protests at a multitude of Scientology centers across the world. Although the hopes of deconverting members are slim, the importance of raising awareness cannot be underestimated. I still firmly believe that Scientology draws its cult member recruits from those who remain ignorant of what it stands for. Anyone who’s spent even ten minutes learning about Scientology on their own, instead of through the church’s propaganda, know it’s not something that’s for them. And with all of the recent media attention over Anonymous’s war, a lot of people have been doing exactly that.
It’s February 10, so what are you doing against Scientology today? If you’re going to one of the protests, awesome. I’d love to be there. But my work against Scientology has been more in the realm of perceptions and ideas and than in actions. Since the war began, I’ve been spreading news to all of my friends and writing repeatedly about it on this blog. Here are all of my Scientology-related posts so far — even if you think you’ve been following this closely, there’s still lots more to learn.
- I want humanity to spread to the stars — I examine Tom Cruise’s hopes and beliefs in comparison with my own, noting that they overlap in one particular subject area. But mine are real and rational, whereas him were brainwashed into him by a cult. I conclude that it really does matter if similar beliefs are arrived at through different methods.
- A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant — I support the local anti-Scientology movement by seeing a hysterically funny children’s pageant that lampoons Scientology. You have to check out the trailer. But I am left feeling slightly uneasy, as many of the children in the pageant are too young to intellectually oppose Scientology in any meaningful fashion — how is their apparent hatred of it any different than the brainwashing of children that Scientology itself indulges in? Maybe taking down Scientology shouldn’t be an activity for children?
- A real life Stand Alone Complex emerges against Scientology — I examine the (lack of) organizational structure of Anonymous and note that is very similar to the concept of a Stand Alone Complex from the anime Ghost in the Shell, in which independent actors all embark on the same movement without centralized coordination, or indeed, even any progenitor of the movement itself. It’s as if the answer to the classic chicken and the egg question was neither — except that a Stand Alone Complex is actually possible and is happening in real life at this very moment.
- Scientology faces more criticism in mainstream media thanks to Anonymous — Anonymous is inflicting serious blows with their war. Although it is very unlikely this will lead to the immediate downfall of Scientology, no one can pretend that it isn’t having an effect. This is the most press coverage Scientology has gotten since 1993, and it isn’t flattering. Cults expand and thrive in secrecy. When their torrid inner workings are exposed for all the world to see, their ability to continue festering is severely diminished.
But I must now end this on a cautionary note. All of you who eagerly join in on this fight against Scientology but are religious yourselves are hypocrites. There is little difference between Scientology and any other religion. Is the Xenu creation myth really more unbelievable than the account of Genesis in the Bible? I don’t think so. Both are equally nonsense, but at least the Xenu myth has nuclear bombs in it, which we know are real. The Judeo-Christian mythologies only sound more reasonable because they enjoy such greater exposure and familiarity in our culture. But examine them on their face and they are just as ludicrous, if not more. Scientology isn’t fundamentally any different than the other religions out there — Mormonism, the Moonies, more “mainstream” religions, etc.
I have taken some flak for pursuing Scientology with such zeal, but at least I am consistent. I am simply focusing my attentions on one religion at a time. I will admit to grasping at the low-reaching fruit, but that’s a matter of convenience rather than a fundamental hypocrisy in my position. I may be lazy, but I’m not deluded. The battle against Scientology is part of a much larger war, and we will have no use for those we want to annihilate one religion only because they favor their own. Maybe now you will consider Anonymous’s mantra from a different perspective: We are Anonymous. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget.
Expect us.
And if you had any doubt as to the seriousness of today’s protests, here’s a video from Australia of a protest that has already unfolded:
February 10th, 2008 at 17:14
People have been protesting Scientology for decades. It hasn’t stopped them yet. Calling a single day of protests a “day of reckoning” is silly and vastly overstates the capability of the protestors.
February 10th, 2008 at 17:44
Alas, hence the use of the question mark.
We’re all hopeful though …
February 10th, 2008 at 22:55
We are protesting against the church of scientology, not the religion itself….
February 10th, 2008 at 22:57
Is there really a substantive difference? Can you separate an organization from the beliefs it exists to espouse in any meaningful fashion? I don’t think so.
February 10th, 2008 at 22:59
Came out of the Charlotte, NC raid full of win. I’m just going to say, that if you’re paying attention to anonymous, you know that what we’re protesting is NOT their beliefs. We have repeated that over and over again. We are protesting those killed by scientology, its exploitation, the virtual enslavement of individuals, and its squelching of free speech. As a flyer says, “Ask a Christian a question, and he will give you a Bible. Ask a Jew a question and he will hand you a Torah. Ask a Muslim a question and he will hand you a Quran. Ask a Scientologist a question and he will hand you Dianetics… as soon as your $300 check clears.”
So, thank you for your analysis of our cause, and know that we do not debate the Stand Alone Complex. Many of us probably agree with it. But please, read our statements which we’ve spread all over the internet. We do not hate Scientologists themselves. We do not persecute their choice of religion. We stand against the organization of Scientology, its practices, its exploitation of its believers.
We are Legion
We do not Forgive
We do not Forget
Beware the Ides of March
February 10th, 2008 at 23:07
Ooooh, March 15, eh? I take it that’s the next big day of planned global protests? I’ll make a note on my calendar. Should be exciting.
I don’t quite understand all of the nitpicking regarding exactly what is being protested/disagreed with. The Xenu story is pretty ridiculous in my book, and deserves a bit of ribbing. Now the Church of Scientology’s practices which have caused serious injury deserve much stronger condemnation, but I see no reason to leave the beliefs themselves entirely alone. Especially the beliefs regarding psychiatry and psychiatric drugs. Remember, they’re out there attacking your beliefs, so isn’t it only fair to attack them right back?
February 10th, 2008 at 23:27
Yes, their beliefs are worth being targeted, but the reality is that it is -not- our target in this situation. Our one and only first objective is for them to lose their tax-exempt status and then work from that point. If we were targeting their beliefs as it were, we would be nothing more then hypocrites for targeting only one religion instead of them all. And they could play their religious persecution card against us.
Here’s a bit better of an explanation.
http://digg.com/world_news/Anonymous_Reflects_on_Feb_10
February 11th, 2008 at 00:05
Well, given that it is a Stand Alone Complex we are dealing with, is it within any one person’s ability to state what the collective’s goals are? I think not. I think each member of the Stand Alone Complex defines those goals for themselves, and the larger phenomenon of Anonymous emerges because many disparate individuals have set themselves against Scientology. But saying it’s about targeting their actions, not their beliefs, is being too specific — within the overall movement there are many people targeting the beliefs as well.
You are right to point out the hypocrisy of attacking one set of nonsensical religious beliefs while believing in another set of them. Luckily that’s not a hypocrisy I have to deal with. But I suspect that it does limit many members of Anonymous into this curious semantic nitpicking of “We’re attacking their actions, not their beliefs.” And if they want to whine about religious persecution, why should I care? They’ve already called us terrorists. I care not what they think of us. And more importantly, is anyone else going to care besides the Scientologists?
February 11th, 2008 at 13:54
You’re right in that a movement as large as Anonymous, there is little control over the specificity of Anonymous’ goals. But look at the local news channels that did reports on the event, they’re all over youtube. All Anons interviewed declared how they were specifically targetting Scientology’s practices, NOT their beliefs.
And, one last point, Mr. Weys. surely you have discovered the existence of the Freezoners, Scientologists who distribute the religion of Scientology freely, and therefor are under risk of a constant manhunt by the Church of Scientology. If Anonymous was destroying the religion of scientology, and not just the organization behind it, why would Anonymous be ignoring them? They would surely be the easier targets.
Its because, Mr. Weys, we fight for the freedom of speech. That god-given right is followed closely by the freedom to practice the religion of your choosing. Hypocrits are those who would fight for the freedom of speech, and yet tell 100,000 people world wide that they could not practice their religion.
Information is free, Mr. Weys. Anonymous thanks you for your support, and the efforts you have made to publicize Anonymous’ activites. Anonymous just likes to be nitpicky with its goal in this battle, as Anonymous is following the advice of Wise Beard Man.
February 11th, 2008 at 14:35
Anonymous (nope, not getting old at all): See this post, then tell me what you think. I’m not trying to tell people they cannot practice their religion, but at the same time, religion is stupid, and it’s fair game to try to convince them as such. The beliefs of Scientology really aren’t much different than those of mainstream religions (they even share ludicrous creation myths). Why limit yourself to just going after their practices when the beliefs are silly and potentially dangerous as well?
February 11th, 2008 at 15:23
I’ll go ahead and post my reply under that new post then. Quality as always.
February 12th, 2008 at 10:50
“People have been protesting Scientology for decades. It hasn’t stopped them yet. Calling a single day of protests a “day of reckoning” is silly and vastly overstates the capability of the protestors.”
The long time critics of Scientology have been too small in number to make any kind of effective difference. With the strength in numbers of Anonymous and the power of knowledge of these long time critics, Scientology’s days are numbered. They will be exposed and destroyed, it’s only a matter of time.
“But I must now end this on a cautionary note. All of you who eagerly join in on this fight against Scientology but are religious yourselves are hypocrites. ”
Anonymous bears no animosity to the beliefs itself. People are free to practice whatever religion they want. The battle is against the crimes and actions of the leaders, exploiting and harassing people into giving them money, brainwashing, driving them to suicide, and even committing murder (see: Lisa McPherson). Claiming they are a non-profit organization is an absolute outrage. LRH was a multi-millionaire at the time of his death due to the sales generated from Scientology.
Time will tell the tale, and Anonymous will go down in history as having brought Scientology’s demise. Their tactics of silencing and suppressing their opposition only work if they have information on these people, as you said, so given that little bit of information, Anonymous cannot be stopped and will continue to press forward until Scientology has been dismantled.
February 13th, 2008 at 01:26
“But I must now end this on a cautionary note. All of you who eagerly join in on this fight against Scientology but are religious yourselves are hypocrites.”
Dead wrong. The criminal deeds of the church are what we wish to spotlight. We see the believers as victims of the organisation. Anonymous intends to lift the veil of secrecy around the churches illegal actions, and fully supports all religions and belief systems including those of scientologists. Please reconsider this statement you have made in ignorance of our cause.
We are not out to get any religion.
We protest against a criminal organisation for their actions, not against people for their beliefs.
February 18th, 2008 at 23:14
“All of you who eagerly join in on this fight against Scientology but are religious yourselves are hypocrites.”
No, no, no. We don’t care what they believe, what we care about is that their management is corrupt. And what happens after Scientology’s downfall is not apparent. You may be on a crusade to end all religions, but we are not your personal army. Keep that in mind.
February 18th, 2008 at 23:16
Even assuming I was on a “crusade to end all religions”, that would be a terrible choice of words. Kind of an oxymoron, really.
April 23rd, 2008 at 03:28
You’re funny. Clever. I know a lot of Anons like you.
And the truth is, there are a lot of Anons who agree with you. It’s just not company policy to admit it.
If it were just about the Co$, we’d be offering more support to the Freezoners. Fact is, we have a handful of Freezoners in our ranks, but most of us believe that the belief structure of Scientology itself is dangerous.
Even for free, even without the murders and harassment, even without the governmental espionage, Scientology is essentially a practice of hypnotism and brain washing designed to break down critical thought. It is still opposed to the sciences of psychiatry and psychology despite all common sense. It is still, in its claims to cure physical and mental ailments, quackery in the highest degree, not to mention the practice of medicine without a license.
It’s just that saying such things outside our IRC chats and message boards is not the best PR. And frankly, who cares? Who cares if a scientologist wants to destroy his own mind? Who cares if a Catholic wants to believe that he consumes the flesh and blood of a 2000 year old martyr? Who cares if a Fundamentalist wants to believe that the Earth was created in a week, 6000 years ago? Of course it’s crazy nonsense. It may even be self-destructive nonsense. But it’s not a threat to free speech itself. It’s not a ruthless, bloodthirsty organization that has proven over and over that it is willing to go to any lengths to silence its critics and line its pockets. That’s why the Co$ is the target and not the beliefs of Scientology.
It’s not that we support or even find acceptable the beliefs of Scientologists. We know that they are crazy and self-destructive. We just don’t care. The Co$ pissed in our pool, so we’re going to make them pay. It’s what we do.
And the moral ones who don’t understand that yet… well, the best conmen are the ones who believe their own lies. The Co$ knows that well.
January 25th, 2009 at 02:57
dont be idiots your so called war is only going to be a minor annoyance at best. you need to take action your little protests and forum bashing of these deluded nutjobs brings your entire group of anonymous crediblity down to the point where your not taken seriously. do something that will help or not either way it dosent interfere with my life in any way what so ever. people kill them selfs all the time for diffrent reasons and i said killed themselves because they gave up free thought and that takes away life.With time sientology will only grow just like every other religon the worshipers have a child and they instill the beliefs in the child the child grows up and never questions what he now believes. almost all religious people were made to be religous from birth and there is no reaching these people or changing there mind.
so in conclusion do something now something big like something the whole world can see i didnt even know about this till today and i can already see its not going anywhere. i have a idea (i dont think it will work) why dont you join the curch of sientology and then tell the world the truth as [insert name here] instead of anonymous like that one guy michale moore. at least its a start
June 25th, 2009 at 17:37
-This is in response to everything I’ve seen and arguments I’ve encountered through this article-
– While it is true that an all-out “war” would probably be necessary to wipe away Scientology, there are currently no individuals present who would be strong enough to meet the demands of leading such a call. And, if there honestly were, that person’s time and effort would benefit the dimantling of a more present danger that exists at this moment in history: the emergence of a One World Government. That theory aside, who do any of you know (or anyone among your number) who would be willing to lead a nation-spanning, coordinated attack? And, with that in mind, who among you is really willing to give up your lives to undertake an en masse opperation which has an extreme longshot’s chance of success? With any revolution, (And yes, Anon’s goal of destroying Scientology’s money-mongering church would have to be orchestrated on a revolutionary scale and mindset to have any chance of success.) the movement requires manpower, firepower, and mass financial aid from reliable outside sources, and a figurehead passionate and charasmatic enough to garner all of that support. Until that person emerges to tell and prove to the world that his (and consequently Anon’s) way of thinking is right, the movement will be confined to the depths of cyberspace and the actions of random individuals, who will ultimately be labled as terrorists.
– Another point that I’d like to make, (at the risk of being bashed by every Anon supporter in exsistance) is to address this ridiculous notion that you can destroy an organization without infringing on the core beliefs of it and its individual membership. That’s kind of like saying to Catholocism “Hey! I don’t mind the fact that you believe that a holy man was put to death on a cross to repent for everyone’s sins and I don’t mind that you believe there’s a man who lives at the Vatican who’s closer to that holy man and God than any of us could ever be, but I was attending your church the other day and I didn’t like how they were asking everyone for money. What do they need it for? You say charity, but how do I know that’s true? I know! I’ll just destroy your buildings and structure so you can’t take anyone else’s money!” The fact of the matter is, you can’t damage one without infringing upon the other. Religious organizations are constructed in such a way that the spiritual beliefs and physical presences of the religion support one another. People give part or some or all of their earnings as a way to feel socially responsible and involved. If it is true that someone is simply throwing away their money to a big, heartless machine, then make it known and proven beyond a shadow of reasoning or doubt, because if it isn’t possible to do so, you’ll only be angering those who firmly believe in it and strengthening their resolve against you and other outsiders. And, should your expose’ prove successful, you’ll be faced with the need to deal with people who are facing disillusion, confusion, and depression. for since it was true that the purpose they thought they served was a ruse, what is their purpose now? Who do they look to for answers, if not the religion they had trusted for so long?
– A Final Thought –
As I sit here, wondering exactly how to finish this and also whether or not I’ve made a clear point or the substance was lost in the course of time I was typing away, it has occured to me that because we’re dealing with a clash of not just rightousness vs. a corrupted system, but oneperson’s belief vs. another person’s belief, there is really no real way to justify what is right or what is wrong. Any side or entity that tries to do so for all parties involved then becomes guilty of the same injustices they claimed to be fighting against. The key to success here is not a victory for one side or the other, but the ability to find a common ground on which to level with each other. But, unfoutunately, I’m afraid that my way of thinking will remain something resigned to an Idealistic way of thinking.
If you took the time to read this, I appreciate it and thank you, and I hope you got something other than a reason to bash me out of it.
– Indy
September 17th, 2009 at 22:08
You Cyde, are sad. Though Anonymous is fighting against a church, they know that religion is part of life, and those who reject it are those who are jealous of those who have found their truth. You have no place to try to pass your own spiritual shortcomings onto Anonymous, and try to feel better about yourself.
Anons, correct me if I am wrong.