Teenager being prosecuted for calling Scientology 'cult'

WTF are the police playing at, it is clearly a cult, are you not allowed to say this now?

Journo's , Courts and the governing bodies of several countries have described the church of scientology as an unscrupulous commercial enterprise and cult, why is this kid alone taking the blow for holding up a placard? Many have accused it of harassing its critics and abusing the trust of its members.

The church of scientology officials argue that most of the negative press is motivated by interest groups and that most of the controversy is in the past. I think their PR crew are about as motivated as John Candy was with physical exertion.

At the very least, couldn't these guys have handled their public image just that lil' bit better?

Well, in the UK, since they take money from people they can't call legally themselves a religion. A high court judge did indeed called them a cult. This means

i) Scientologists hired some policeman's uniforms

ii) Xenu has infiltrated Scotland Yard

I can't see the police being so word-sensitive to any other protests in the UK, so why this?

It's absolutely crazy. I'm sure good old British democratic sense will prevail. Lordy...

I was there and not only did almost everyone have a sign with the word cult on it but the police actually defended the right to protest when the scienlolgists asked for the protest to be dispersed.

It was a misspelling, the kid had a personal message for the ghost of L Ron Hubbard.

It's a shame you haven't got some footage Chazz...the police have better things to do (like arresting people for drinking alcohol on the tube, etc).

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2SraUpcJfqw

6.25 mins in shows the police defending the right to protest

yay!

rebbill good find, cool video... clearly at the end the police are defending the right for the protesters to be there. I wonder if those police would've done the same if they were protesting a Christian church though...?

Having a rally Rick Roll Scientology is better than having a 15 year old with a little poster. Just saying...

I guess the teenager said the truth then since they is all defensive about the word cult.

This is a complete joke, it's rediculous to think that one can be summoned for using words.

nice one jonbrooks

Technically,all religions are cults.

cult [kuhlt] –noun
1. a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology. a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.
6. a religion or sect considered to be false, unorthodox, or extremist, with members often living outside of conventional society under the direction of a charismatic leader.
7. the members of such a religion or sect.

Protesting has created a nice little niche cliche for itself. Protesters have now become priest in a world of choir boys. They are trying to molest people into agreeing with them and that's just not pretty.

I don't care if it's a cult and I don't care that someone feels the need to waste his life to tell people who will only agree with him because they already thought it that it's a cult. Who was he trying to convert into his line of thinking with this name calling? Did he convert anyone? I think not. He did a stupid thing and got in trouble for the stupid thing for a stupid reason. I think if he feels the need to be stupid and he's not harming anyone directly with what he's doing (though he might die...they might put the hit out on him....cause cults do that...right? those hateful things...like mobs and yet people still feel the need to ruffle their feathers...oh the brightness of them all.) then let'em do it.

The world has been saturated with nitpicking protesters and guess what? No one cares any more. It happens SO much that who the hell cares why someone doesn't like the big bad company or a cult or anything, for that matter. I think protesting has lost its luster. Time to do something else that actually causes change instead of doing nothing but showing those who agree what you think.

Scientology, or as I like to refer to them - the Borg, isn't a cult so much as it's a big scam. They have a lot of cult like tendencies and certainly attract the same simple minded, low self esteem individuals but their main purpose is to collect dead presidents or in this case monarchs.

Even if you think it's name calling in a democracy people should not be arrested for name calling.

Aren't British teens given the right of free speech? I support the teens views, Scientology has many qualities of a cult.

Did they cane him, too?

Has anyone found out what the actual cause of arrest was?

"The City of London police came under fire two years ago when it emerged that more than 20 officers, ranging from constable to chief superintendent, had accepted gifts worth thousands of pounds from the Church of Scientology."

Does this news shock anyone? Scientology is a scam/cult and apparently has the London Police in their pocket. I find it very troubling that a government law enforcement agency is now working for the so called "Church of Scientology."

Now why is calling Scientology a cult so offensive that it can be punishable by law? Besides they are quite cult like considering that their inner workings, meetings, and doings are all kept secret. I mean if they aren't a cult and they aren't doing questionable things then whats with all the secrecy. And don't say privacy because no needs that much privacy unless their hiding something.

Oy vey.

Scientology= Paid in FULL!

Clay..i'm so sorry

I think what gives me the creeps are all the stories of members who have left the church only to be harassed, stalked and then randomly die.

The idiot L.Ron.Hubbardites need to get a grip on their stupid thetans. That ruse is a cult founded by a failed sci-fi writer. The kid just told the truth.

Stupid! The picture shows the London branch, so FREE speech and the right to protest in the name of FREE speech!!!! He should appeal to the Human Rights court.

I thought there was a thing called free speech. False advertisement?

Freedom of speech? Oh thats right, only if everyone that hears agrees with it.
I love how people believe its a religion XD The guy that founded it said "The best way to make money is to start a religion." Later he starts scientology and people believe it!! Haahaha!! Genius. Complete genius.

Didn't McDonald's do the same thing to a group of people handing out pamphlets that were critical of the fast food giant?

The libel/slander laws are a little different in Europe so it might seem strange to us that this would happen -- but my understanding is that over there you can't say anything defamatory or false.

Here we can say whatever, but you can't over there.

I'm so angry I could go take a Free Stress Test! Oh wait...

Brian. Oh poor, poor Brian. Not to worry. Nothing will happen to you. The unmarked van outside of your building is there to...um...check the water meter. Yeah. That's it. Come on out, young journalist. All is clear...WELL! I meant well.

There has to be more to this story than what was written above.

why is everybody gettin mad. its made up from men just like ALL other relegion.

I don't think any religion at all would have a good argument against being called a cult. I mean, all faiths are, at the very least, cult like. Thats not to say that it is unhealthy to be faithful or a member of a faith or even a 'cult' for that matter. I mean, the Christian faith, the Jewish faith, Islam, my faith,.... all these religions could arguable be called cults.
Truth is, most of us are in a cult.

cults and heathenism is something modern " society " looks down on, and scientology wants to distance its self from it. there is no clear defenition for the religions prior to catholic europe, they call it heathenism, which its self means barbarism. if we tolerate scientology i want the cult of odin back and to reform the druids. it seems like the next big club for the best and brightest.

its interesting to think that scientology, although almost as old as wicca itself, is just now being exploited. for years paganism and wicca have been dubbed as evil witchcraft by 'The Ignorant', and until recently there was no uplift. i just think it intruiging that the oposite is just now happening.

Why the heck should anyone care what Scientology is except the Scientologists? They should focus on their own thing and not get so sensitive about free speech issues - apparently there was no vandalism so how damaging are words? Making a big thing about it just calls more attention to the question. Everyone else, in turn focuses on their own belief systems and stops worrying who doesn't think the same way they do. When there are serious human rights issues THEN a belief system can be under scrutiny, but otherwise...Live and let Live.