# Is it just me, or is ReligiousTolerance.org's take on Scientology biased? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 4, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-religioustolerance-orgs-take-on-scientology-biased/334082 "2005-12-04T20:52:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-religioustolerance-orgs-take-on-scientology-biased/334082/1 "2005-12-04T20:52:57Z")
It feels like it was written as [Scientologist propaganda](http://www.religioustolerance.org/scientol.htm). Maybe the site has changed its focus since I last read it regularly, but I sure don’t remember the rest of their articles being quite so… positive about the religious that they described. Is it just me? Maybe I was simply expecting something more negative? ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-religioustolerance-orgs-take-on-scientology-biased/334082/2 "2005-12-04T23:33:31Z")
A combination of both, I think. IMHO, they tend to be really hard and harsh on the various Christian sects but don’t apply that standard to other religions. So you were possibly expecting that to bleed over. Second, you may have been influenced by the SDMB. The people here are particularly harsh on Scientology (I am making no judgement myself here), and again, you may have gotten used to that kind of strong criticism. Scientology has also started to get some negative press with all of Tom Cruise’s antics lately, as well, so that is probably not helping either. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-religioustolerance-orgs-take-on-scientology-biased/334082/3 "2005-12-05T00:00:47Z")
That’s probably it. I have a bit of a negative bias towards the organisation myself, so that probably added to the whole dynamic. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-religioustolerance-orgs-take-on-scientology-biased/334082/4 "2005-12-05T00:29:21Z")
The Scientologists bought the website out IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-religioustolerance-orgs-take-on-scientology-biased/334082/5 "2005-12-05T00:34:14Z")
Nope, I’m thinking of the Cult Awareness Network. /nevermiiind ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-religioustolerance-orgs-take-on-scientology-biased/334082/6 "2005-12-05T07:46:28Z")
The purpose of the website is to promote tolerance, isn’t it? I wouldn’t expect it to linger on the more controversial aspects. I haven’t looked to see what it says about various Christian sects, but I am surprised to hear that it is “hard and harsh” in describing some of them – even though I would be. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-religioustolerance-orgs-take-on-scientology-biased/334082/7 "2005-12-05T09:31:15Z")
They’re pretty mild on some of the more controversial Christian groups, as well. After hearing a local minister (who also happens to be a bullying, intolerant money-grubber, based on my personal interactions with him) seethe and rage about the Children of God, I went there and looked them up. Didn’t see what all the fuss was about, really, and don’t think they’re all that bad after looking into them from a few more sources. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-religioustolerance-orgs-take-on-scientology-biased/334082/8 "2005-12-05T11:54:34Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > They’re pretty mild on some of the more controversial Christian groups, as well. After hearing a local minister (who also happens to be a bullying, intolerant money-grubber, based on my personal interactions with him) seethe and rage about the Children of God, I went there and looked them up. Didn’t see what all the fuss was about, really, and don’t think they’re all that bad after looking into them from a few more sources. google “flirty fishing”, “Moses David Berg”, “incest” and “pedophilia” ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-religioustolerance-orgs-take-on-scientology-biased/334082/9 "2005-12-05T19:18:22Z")
Children of God made the Catholic priests look good-the leader actually encouraged pedophilia, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-religioustolerance-orgs-take-on-scientology-biased/334082/10 "2005-12-06T00:01:57Z")
The OP’s link contains what is quite possibly the most cluttered and noisy website I’ve ever seen. Adam ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-me-or-is-religioustolerance-orgs-take-on-scientology-biased/334082/11 "2005-12-06T02:18:44Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > google “flirty fishing”, “Moses David Berg”, “incest” and “pedophilia” I’ve read about those, but it appears that the “flirty fishing” has been abandoned, and most of the incest and pedophilia charges have been based on accusations from disgruntled ex-members without a whole lot of supporting evidence.