# NEW Stupid Republican Idea of the Day (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 22, 2020, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140 "2020-06-22T07:01:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 305
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6103 "2021-07-07T17:44:27Z")
It’s just another grift. Raise money to fund the lawsuit, then pocket the money… ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6104 "2021-07-07T17:51:25Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > Some scripture, a whole bunch of names (some in blue), a few headshots, and a bunch of arrows pointing to Trump. I didn’t see Giuliani’s name, so he’s ghosted. Oh, Rudy’s on there, and his little son, too. Not surprising you missed it, there’s a hell of a lot of crap on that board (all of it pointing at Trump, which would make him King Anus, I suppose?). The bestest thing is the big “JESUS IS KING” written at the top, with an extra-strong arrow directly from “JESUS” to Trump’s face. My eyes are still rolling after I saw that. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6105 "2021-07-07T17:53:23Z")
She got her JD from Georgetown in 2020, and is currently a research assistant for [Shon Hopwood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shon_Hopwood) (who has led an interesting life. ) So…she’s never actually been a lawyer. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6106 "2021-07-07T18:18:48Z")
One of individual 1’s lawyers in his lawsuit is the husband of Fox host Greta Van Susteren (and both of them are Scientologists). Two of the lawyers have AOL email addresses. And one of the arguments is that social platforms are technically state actors, and therefore they have to obey the First Amendment. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6107 "2021-07-07T18:24:28Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > Two of the lawyers have AOL email addresses. What’s wrong with an aol address? Eta: and while Scientology is certainly a dubious belief it doesn’t prevent someone from being good at their job. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6108 "2021-07-07T18:28:29Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > while Scientology is certainly a dubious belief it doesn’t prevent someone from being good at their job. Scientologists must do what the Church leaders tell them to do. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6109 "2021-07-07T18:31:59Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Can Donnie still GET a lawyer? > > “Damn! Why didn’t I ~~send one of the kids to law school~~ buy one of the kids a law degree? Then I’d always have an attorney that I’d never have to pay!” Apparently even Trump, Sr. couldn’t imagine one of his Idiot Sons actually standing up in court and making a coherent argument. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6110 "2021-07-07T18:33:49Z")
All religions ask their followers to abide by rules. And how does that make them bad at their job? Tom Cruise is undeniably the most famous Scientologist. And while I’ve heard all kinds of rumors about how much of an ass he is. There can be no doubt that he’s very good at his job. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6111 "2021-07-07T18:49:44Z")
Maybe, maybe not. I’m currently reading a book called **Cultish** by _Amanda Montell_, which is about how cults and cultlike groups use and manipulate language. Here’s a quote from, coincidentally, the page I was on when I closed the book last night. “Because as I would eventually learn, Scientology law \> outsider law. According to multiple ex-Scientologists, there’s a whole course on how to lie to outsiders. It’s called TR-L, which stands for Training Routine Lie. Purportedly, in TR-L, Scientologists learn the skill of lying with unwavering confidence, even under extreme stress”.\* She then relates the story of a Scientologist that was tasked with falsely accusing a judge of sexual misconduct in order to get him removed from a case involving the church. So, if the cult doesn’t have an interest in the case, he might perform ethically. But if he’s a committed Scientologist he’s not going to feel obligated. Cults love Trump. \*This is not a verbatim quote. I replaced a racial slur that Scientologists use with the word “outsider”, which carries the same meaning in context, and I deleted a sentence that discussed the slur itself. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6112 "2021-07-07T18:52:35Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Scientologists learn the skill of lying with unwavering confidence, even under extreme stress”.\* Some would say that would make them an excellent lawyer. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6113 "2021-07-07T19:06:03Z")
It’s just that there’s been a lot of religion bashing in these threads, lately. And while it is easy to say that Scientology and fundamentalist sects are brainwashing their followers to do their bidding. To areligious persons such as myself, I don’t see any difference between those religions and the more mainstream ones. As far as I can tell, they are all trying to influence society in a direction that they prefer. And either we as a society accept that or we don’t. And last I checked, membership in any kind of religion doesn’t disqualify someone from the full stature of citizenship. And it doesn’t automatically make someone suspect at their job. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6114 "2021-07-07T19:08:26Z")
I see someone knows fuck all about $cientology. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6115 "2021-07-07T19:10:44Z")
I see someone knows fuck all about the history of Catholicism, Judaism, Islam and the rest… It’s always been about the money! ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6116 "2021-07-07T19:19:01Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > To areligious persons such as myself, I don’t see any difference between those religions and the more mainstream ones. Since you don’t know the Scientology cult, you shouldn’t comment on it. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6117 "2021-07-07T19:31:42Z")
I’m sure I know more about it than you. But that’s not the point. Who are you to decide that what a person believes is nonsense? Who are you to decide that what a person believes shouldn’t influence how they interact with the world? Why is it ok to be a Christian but not a fundamentalist one? Why is it ok to believe in angels but not in Thetans? I get that you feel that some of the things that “these people” would have enacted into law or policy would do more harm than good for society. And I agree with you. And I will stand by you in the effort to see that they don’t succeed. But, to simply dismiss someone with the phrase “they’re a Scientologist” is just plain lazy. But, I guess that’s what America has come to: a bunch of lazy haters standing around pointing and saying “unclean!” ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6118 "2021-07-07T19:41:05Z")
You seem to be assuming the posters in this thread worship at some sort of altar. They’re actually suggesting that fraudsters employ fraudsters, and the Scientologists imminently qualify. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6119 "2021-07-07T19:49:08Z")
> [@mikecurtis](#): > > What’s wrong with an aol address? Generally one expects a normal business of any kind to have registered a domain and to conduct official communications using email addresses from that domain. This is especially true for law firms where such addresses are expected to be the source or destination of sensitive or privileged information. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6120 "2021-07-07T20:09:59Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > They’re actually suggesting that fraudsters employ fraudsters Yeah, I get that. And I agree that it’s an important truism. And it’s also important to know that Scientology has it’s share (maybe more than it’s share) of fraudsters in it’s ranks. And I think it’s important to know, as **Ann\_Hedonia** points out that there is an actual policy of lying in certain circumstances. What I don’t think is helpful in any way, is to turn that around and tar every member with that dirty brush. It wouldn’t be tolerated if someone said “and he’s Christian, so you know what that means…” Or “and he’s Black…” Or any other group (we’ve even just had a long thread about Gypsies). But it still seems ok to say “and he’s Scientologist…” or “and he was raised IFB…” I don’t like it. And I don’t think it’s helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6121 "2021-07-07T20:18:58Z")
> [@Uncle\_Jocko](#): > > The bestest thing is the big “JESUS IS KING” written at the top, with an extra-strong arrow directly from “JESUS” to Trump’s face. My eyes are still rolling after I saw that. Naah, it makes sense. Every time I see Trump’s face I say “_Jesus!_” too. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2021, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140/6122 "2021-07-07T21:36:00Z")
Somehow, I don’t think Scientologists suffer from stereotyping. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140.md?page=304) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day-part-1/911140.md?page=306)