The Church of Scientology is at war with the internet. Previously, any website that opposed them was bought up and shut down. It's lawyers are aggresive litigants that have effectively muzzled most forms of media dissent. But that seems to be changing and it derives from the Tom Cruise videos that they cannot fully suppress. Some have argued that the Church is nothing more than an almost foolproof pyramid scheme - and yet it has achieved charitable status as a religion in the USA.
The fight now centers on a Wikipedia clone website known as Anonymous. It's run by a group of activists and the site can be edited by anyone. The concern stems from their programs that treat drug addicts and hardened criminals. The aim of the programs is reformation, but critics see them as initiatives that create brainwashed cadres that carry out the church's harrassment measures against critics.
Most of what Scientology deems as religious content can be found in Norman Vincent Peale's "The Power of Positive Thinking" - except for the part about hostile aliens from an extinct civilisation. There is also the problem with their dogma that lists handicapped people and homosexuals as deformed souls. Also, as Tom Cruise's bouts with incoherency point outs, the effect of L. Ron Hubbards teachings on a person's mental health.
"Tom Cruise, Scientologist, a man who has affected the lives of over a billion people. And it's only just beginning...and, no, he does not need permission".
The fight now centers on a Wikipedia clone website known as Anonymous. It's run by a group of activists and the site can be edited by anyone. The concern stems from their programs that treat drug addicts and hardened criminals. The aim of the programs is reformation, but critics see them as initiatives that create brainwashed cadres that carry out the church's harrassment measures against critics.
Most of what Scientology deems as religious content can be found in Norman Vincent Peale's "The Power of Positive Thinking" - except for the part about hostile aliens from an extinct civilisation. There is also the problem with their dogma that lists handicapped people and homosexuals as deformed souls. Also, as Tom Cruise's bouts with incoherency point outs, the effect of L. Ron Hubbards teachings on a person's mental health.
"Tom Cruise, Scientologist, a man who has affected the lives of over a billion people. And it's only just beginning...and, no, he does not need permission".
