From gaining as many converts as they can. It would be the same as if I was selling hamburgers. You might think that the version of hamburger I’m selling my not be as healthy as the guy next door to me. So, you decide to single me out and protest me selling my hamburgers. Yet, my I’m allowed to sell my hamburgers legally. There is no law against me including a 2nd tablespoon of mayonnaise on my burgers, but I do because I found people like it. You don’t and are preventing me from selling them. How long should a person be allowed to exercise their freedom of protesting against me before I have to shut my doors and stop selling hamburgers?
Yeah, this is a problem. I occurs to me if this sort of thing is successful then it could be used against the more pervasive religions who , for the most part, are no different than the CoS at heart. Understand this: I don’t like any religion. I think they keep us living in the stone age with their hocus pocus and fantasies. They are divisive and tribal in nature which helps to keep people apart.
But, I also believe in personal freedom. That means that the government should stay out of my way unless I am doing something illegal. I also think that the government should protect my ability to carry on my legal business without others unduly harassing me. The debate, for me, is where does your right to protest over ride my right to carry on a legal business. Why should I be forced to give up my hamburger stand because one lone ‘dick’ (ode to Braniac4) decides he doesn’t like my hamburgers?
I probably wouldn’t bother arguing this if it wasn’t the CoS in this instance. Frankly, the CoS embodies all that is bad about religion. It is so obviously a scam that I really don’t have much sympathy for those who are lured in by them. Protesting them is akin to shooting fish in a barrel. “Wow, you are so insightful! Thank you for pointing out that this obvious scam is a scam. Gee, without you, Mr. Anonymous, I’d have never figured it out otherwise.” I find it unlikely that any additional protests will make much of a difference to those people who are attracted by such cults, in any case.
A legal protest is not preventing you from selling your burgers. It may make your customers uncomfortable, which is precisely why it’s an effective tool, but if done lawfully, it won’t prevent you from conducting business.
There is no law against making people feel uncomfortable, even if it’s done every single day. Women are heckled every day in this country for walking into Planned Parenthood. My place of employment is routinely picketed by PETA because we do animal testing. Such is life in a free country.
I’d say right up until the moment someone goes and repeals the first ammendment. I have the right to speak my mind. I have the right to do so in public. So long as I’m not physically preventing anyone from buying your hamburgers, I’m not doing anything unethical by standing around your shop telling people your hamburgers are gross. If you don’t like it, you’re free to exercise your own freedoms and present a counter-argument as to why your hamburgers are the tastiest in town.
Yes, I kinda picked up on that. Incidentally, it’s nice to see you displaying an attitude that is so warm and accepting of people who are different from you. You do a fantastic job of highlighting the difference between religions and your own personal beliefs, with that attitude.
Public criticism isn’t “undue” harassment. It’s part of the free exchange of ideas that is inherent in the concept of a liberal democracy. You say your hamburgers are good. I say your hamburgers are bad. The government shouldn’t favor either of our expressions of free speech. It should leave it up to the marketplace to determine which idea has the most currency.
Well, odds are pretty long that only one person could drive your hamburger stand out of business. If your practices or product are so objectionable (for reasons either moral or aesthetic) that you can’t attract enough customers to keep you in business, well, you should have marketed a better product.
So, you’re only arguing against the protest because the CoS is being targetted, because you entirely agree with the protesters arguments (if not their methods), which no one will listen to anyway because Scientologists are so stupid.
Why are you even here, again? Is there any reason for your posts at all, except sheer contrariness?
Not that I’m trying to be a troll, but it is looking more and more like the contrariness angle is the correct one.
Seriously, the CoS has some despicable practices. But anyone look at the Mormons when they started out? And frankly if you’ve looked at the glazed look on the people who are on their ‘mission from god’ I don’t think they’ve come very far from their roots. So, if the CoS is the first in a chain of outings, well, I can’t get to worked up about it. I still think change happens through the legislature even if people think that protesting actually does something other than annoy people.
Religion equates quite well with business. They are competing for members with other religions. If they get bigger ,they will make more money. Money equals political power. Once they get big enough they can do practically anything. (like molesting alterboys for 50 years or more)
Scientology seems to have packaged the business model more effectively than most of the others. Small starting fee. Then as you step up each step is more expensive. But you are emotionally committed. I am offended by the selling of religious knowledge. You are eliminating the poor from salvation. Hardly strikes me as a defensible religious viewpoint.
