There's a big difference between trying to control someone's life vs. trying to influence their behavior.
"How many Jewish families refuse to allow their kid to marry a non-Jew?" Compared to how many don't? Or, how many of those kids go ahead and choose to marry a non-Jew after all? And, how many of those parents come around to their kid's way of thinking, in the end; particularly when the first grandchild is born?"How many Thumper families disown their own kid if they are gay?" Compared to how many don't?
"In Islam, people across the world get killed for leaving the religion or not being "devout" enough." Compared to how many don't?
"Jehovah Witnesses are just as much a cult as Scientologists." True, however I'm not aware of them using lie-detector machines, lawyers and spies. I've know a few that left that group. They got a lot of pressure to stay, but in the end, they were still able to see and be with their families.
"Millions of Righties refused to vote for Mitt because they think Mormons are nothing but a cult (and they do some crazy stuff too)." So, what's you point? How many people didn't vote for JFK because he was Catholic, and they view the Roman Catholic church as being a cult?
"How many 'real" conservative families would kick out their kid if he showed up at Thanksgiving wearing a 'I love Hillary/Obama" shirt? " Compare to how many would not?
Scientology was started on a bet between 5 personalities in the Science Fiction community.
It was the idea of a mediocre Sci-Fi author named L. Ron Hubbard for a tax shelter using religion, based on his own
story ideas to flesh out the lore. He sketched it out on a napkin sitting around
a table with four others at a convention, including author Harlan Ellison and Sci-Fi artist Frank Kelly Freas.
Eyewitnesses to the truth of Scientology's origin as a tax scam.
It is a monstrosity.
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I do not know this couple, but I have known others like them:
Hollywood's Anti-Scientology Billboard: Couple Says, "We Lost Our Kids" to "Brainwashing"
Since erecting a billboard near Dodger Stadium on Monday, April 4, Phil and Willie Jones, a 60-something married couple from Las Vegas, have drawn a great deal of media interest — including an appearance on Today — to a deeply personal cause. The Joneses want to speak to their two adult children, Mike, 42, and Emily, 38, whom they say they've lost all contact with through a process known within the Church of Scientology as "disconnection." The family once was enmeshed deeply in the organization, but the parents began to have doubts about it five years ago, whereupon Phil's sister, also a Scientologist, allegedly reported them to church leaders. They were excommunicated swiftly, and communication with their children immediately reduced to a trickle, say the Joneses. They have neither seen nor heard from either of their kids for over two years. The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Phil Jones about his "Call Me" billboard campaign.
link to full story belo
I prefer the South Park version.
The only difference in the level of ridiculous she they expect you to believe is the fact that the tomes of the "Major Religions" were written before modern science was around to debunk the bullshit and now they can simply claim some things were lost in translation and not meant to be taken literally. Well expect for a few dumbfucks who really believe that a snake convinced Eve to eat the apple or that God created woman out of one of Adam's ribs. Nobody would believe something THAT dumb, would they?
The main thing that sets the "Church" of Scientology apart and makes them some really scary fucking people is their cultish behavior and the lengths they will go to in order to maintain control of their flock.
Mainly that Scientology was invented as part of a scam in the '50s, when people should have known better. Christianity was invented when people were ignorant about the causes of most things and needed a fairy tale to explain the scary stuff. Even Mormonism was fomented during a time more than 150 years ago when people were ignorant of many things.
But to believe in Scientology you have to willfully ignore what's real. But I guess the same thing goes for Christians who insist the earth is 5,000 years old.