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Hack Scientology

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Hackers who launched a massive online attack against the Church of Scientology are now turning to real-world protests to draw attention to what they call a "vast moneymaking scheme under the guise of 'religion."'

The online assault was triggered by the sudden disappearance from YouTube of a video interview featuring celebrity Scientologist Tom Cruise, in which he discusses his beliefs and reasons for being a Scientologist.

Critics mocked the interview savagely in blogs. The church's lawyers intervened and had the video removed for copyright infringement.

The loosely organized group of hackers, who meet up and coordinate attacks through Internet Relay Chat channels, have set Feb. 10 for a wave of protests at Scientology locations worldwide.
Scott_Bromley

25 responses // Hack Scientology

  • I'm always up for a little bit of 'retro chic.'

    I wonder how much Scientology's 'recruit' rate has gone up in the last 6 months, I'll bet all this coverage is doing wonders in building their numbers.
    mattbrawn
  • I don't know if this is true with "Any publicity is good publicity." But I am sure they are getting tons of new traffic to their sites. I would like to know the spike of Google searches for Scientelbrities.

    Goodness, sounds like it is more of a "Promise Keepers, meet Amway, and wash it all down with some good ol' helping of high pressure car salesman Closer tactics."

    "What do you mean you don't want to join? So you want to die? That is what you are saying? Drive this model of Religion off the lot now, and you will live; your children will live. And you will be amongst the living. You like living right?"
    jennabean
  • I'm afraid to click on just about anything with the word scientology in it, in fear that they will track my IP address and come knockin' on my door.
    anidee
    1 response to this
  • http://youtube.com/watch?v=P3QqjTsFKm4
    I love Matt Stone and Trey Parker!
    Thargor19
  • i just want my own Cease and Desist letter from them...
    marco_polo86
  • I thought most organized religion was a "vast, moneymaking scheme" anyway.
    tatnik
  • The Tom Cruise video is still available on Gawker if anyone is really that interested.
    dootadoo
  • Religion has always been an enterprise, souls for profit, but those who exploit the spirit will soon have a rude awakening...
    Mobius2012
  • re: tatnik

    kudos
    donkeyfly69
  • I think this is messed up. I'm not a scientologist, but even if you think it's the stupidest thing ever, you shouldn't disrespect it like that. Just because you're not religious about something doesn't mean that you have to disrespect other religions (in this case, scientology).
    RaNdOmLyHyPeR
    1 response to this
  • Sen. Grassley was looking into 6 major, Christian based, organizations for financial misdeeds. Don't know where he's at with that these days, but Scientology should've been on his list. These guys, at the very least, keep doubts in mind about legitimacy.
    huntre
  • re: randomlyhyper in big case, little case, big case etc.

    scientology is definitely a cult. you shouldn't have to pay large amounts of money to be saved/healed in any religion.
    donkeyfly69
  • i'm glad that someone's trying to take on the scientologists. i have NO problem with the rligion. I have a HUGE problem with their litiginousness. It's infringing on ppl's freedom of speech.
    saskia
    1 response to this
  • Perhaps the time has come for the government to rethink the whole concept of religions being tax exempt. I have a feeling that eliminating their tax free status would go a long way toward eliminating these so called "religions".
    dootadoo
  • lol, The government will never re-think the tax exemption laws on religious institutions, why? well remember ''religion is the opiate of the masses'', the government enjoys knowing that people are hindered by their moral boundaries, and moral boundaries keep people from taking extreme measures, such as the use of force or ''violence'', the government is not afraid to use force because they are not restricted by moral boundaries..
    Mobius2012
  • anidee wrote:

    'm afraid to click on just about anything with the word scientology in it, in fear that they will track my IP address and come knockin' on my door.

    I am too, I clicked on a link to from current to a blog that had a link on it to a website that supposedly had a summary of all the videos that were circulating on the internet about the Scientology fray. I clicked on it and it showed me a page that looked similar to a list of videos from YouTube.

    Well when I clicked on one of the videos it immediately asked me if I wanted to download the codec to view the video, I said yes, and that is when I was attacked viciously by a trojan/virus/worm. It made me have to reformat my hard drive and re-install my operating system to get rid of the infection. Mind you I have a firewall, I have a virus program, I have a spyware program, I am using Mozilla and not Internet Explorer.

    It still attacked me because it tricked me into thinking I was downloading a video codec. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if that was a Scientologist who made that website with the malicious code to get back at people for being interested in their downfall.

    If that were true then the headline should read:

    Scientology Strikes Back!
    jubal
  • Mobius 2012 wrote:

    Religion has always been an enterprise, souls for profit, but those who exploit the spirit will soon have a rude awakening...

    When I read this I got visions of quantum energy unleashed into the spirits of those who have been searching and waiting for a better time; those who have long held out hope that the better nature of man would prevail in the face of such avarice and political terror are empowered and invigorated with indestructible bodies that cannot be taken into custody or intimidated or hurt. The fear that would overcome the enforcers would be so terrifying that they all drop dead of fright and thus the world is cleansed of all the evildoers (those who "have always been an enterprise, souls for profit,")

    Multinational corporations and religions and politics are the three headed monster like from those old Japanese Godzilla movies where the three headed flying dragon attacks. This is the visual in my mind when I think of these three forces in the world running the game, manipulating everyone with fear, and selling them the lie that mankind is need of salvation.
    jubal
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKgdSJu77D0
    RaNdOmLyHyPeR wrote:

    I think this is messed up. I'm not a scientologist, but even if you think it's the stupidest thing ever, you shouldn't disrespect it like that. Just because you're not religious about something doesn't mean that you have to disrespect other religions (in this case, scientology).

    That is true of real religions. Scientology is not a religion. If it were then sex could be considered a religion, prostitution should be considered a religion, being gay should be considered a religion, just about anything that people do could be considered a religion by the same standards that Scientology claims to be a religion.

    Perhaps you should check out this BBC documentary about Scientology and find out who it's founder was and the life of crime that he led. Judge for yourself if after you watch the doc whether you would still call Scientology a religion that deserves the kind of respect you are advocating for, that in most cases I would agree, but with Scientology, No way!
    jubal
  • Dootado wrote:

    Perhaps the time has come for the government to rethink the whole concept of religions being tax exempt. I have a feeling that eliminating their tax free status would go a long way toward eliminating these so called "religions".

    Thanks for that comment, but just a thought, Corporations hardly pay any taxes, don't you think that they would become just like those corporations and exploit every loophole and grease the palms of our civil servants to further their agendas? Ooops I forgot they already are doing that, but I love the idea of taxing the religions.

    While we are at it, all corporations and religions should be taxed a flat tax on their incomes with no loop holes or deductions.
    jubal
  • Jubal, The Force is within You Brother, Unleash it!!!!!! Yeah!
    Mobius2012
  • Mobius2012, I like your insight...
    Pfestler
  • My problem with Scientology isn't their belief or tax-exempt status or money-making (well, actually I do have a small issue with that) but with their tactics on recruiting new members, keeping members in the fold, and how they respond to criticism.

    They're a pretty vicious group to cross which is why a number of politicians and the like are wary to criticize them. Hubbard's tactics were that they should go for the throat - no decency anything goes kind of things.

    They're not too keen either on letting people walk away either which is a sure sign of a cult unlike many religions. For example I'm Catholic and I haven't been to Church in years but I don't have ninja nuns coming after me.

    Also with money, all that I get is a collection plate that passes by during mass which I can contribute to or not and I can decide how much to contribute.

    Many of those who contribute greatly due so not out of pressure or to achieve the next level but because either they want to do so or it's for socio-political purposes: to look good in the eyes of the community. In other words many contributors manipulating the religious donations system for their own gain whereas Scientology is the opposite.
    SamuraiDave
  • It's cool that people want to speak up about Scientology, but do they really need to get destructive? Are we going to call that a hate crime? Double standard, anyone?
    aswift1
  • It is not disrespecting the religion it is protesting against their ideas that are harming others. Ending in murder or pain. If you are born into this cult they can keep you from medication you need causing people harm. There are hundreds of unexplained murders from scientology, and any protest against that I am all for
    ktriz

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