Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Angry
To seek to deny others the right to practice a religion different to (some may say in competition with) ones own based on some human interpretaion of semantics is beyond laughable.
Again, as Pierre said, it's religious snobbery at its finest.
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But that's a continual misrepresentation of what the argument is. People should be able to practise whatever religion or abstract notion they want but where there is conflict is when the state recognises it as a religion and therefore grants them the special status that comes with it. The tax breaks and the protective laws. This status should not be granted by the mere fact a group identifies as a religion.
Scientology is one of the few 'faiths' that charges it's members for it's basic function. The fact that a more traditional church doesn't is part of the reason why they have such tax breaks. When you're paying the vicar and the upkeep of the church whilst relying largely on charitable donations then tax breaks make a lot of sense.
Religion snobbery? Detractors of Scientology have far more reasons to be cynical of the 'religion' than mere snobbery. The complaints are many. Just look at the 'Fair Game' technique they are alleged to have employed against their critics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_game_(scientology)
There are many other examples of that around. It's also disingenuous to claim that this about mere snobbery.