# Should Scientology be destroyed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 11, 2011, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263 "2011-10-11T04:59:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/1 "2011-10-11T04:59:09Z")
The more I read about Scientology, the more I am amazed that something like it exists. Should a concerted effort be made to dismantle the organization and interfere with its activities to the point where it ceases to exist as a unified “religion”? It seems to do so much bad and so little good; it preys upon weak minded people; it extorts and bullies them into staying members. If it can’t be banned legally, shouldn’t a more ferocious campaign be waged against it intellectually? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/2 "2011-10-11T05:15:12Z")
Knock yourself out. Something else will pop up to take its place. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/3 "2011-10-11T05:28:25Z")
Nah; don’t persecute 'em. It would just fuel their conspiracy fantasies. Instead, use existing legal methods to punish their worst offenses. Sue them when they rip people off, and prosecute them when (if) they commit crimes. In this, they are no different from any other church. When they say things that are harmful – such as their views against anti-depressant medications – then rebut them. Fight them in the court of public opinion. But don’t be tempted into the use of censorship. Not good. Trinopus ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/4 "2011-10-11T06:05:24Z")
I don’t think it’s particularly crazier than any other religion, so no. It shouldn’t be singled out. But I’m up for a plan to destroy ALL religions! ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/5 "2011-10-11T06:16:47Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I don’t think it’s particularly crazier than any other religion, so no. It shouldn’t be singled out. > > But I’m up for a plan to destroy ALL religions! I assume you mean via intellectual argument not by mass genocide. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/6 "2011-10-11T06:27:27Z")
In principle I’m not opposed to killing 90% of the people of the world, but as a practical matter there would be too much work for the remaining 10% of us. I don’t want to learn how to farm. I don’t even want to learn how to cook. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/7 "2011-10-11T06:59:59Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > In principle I’m not opposed to killing 90% of the people of the world, but as a practical matter there would be too much work for the remaining 10% of us. I don’t want to learn how to farm. I don’t even want to learn how to cook. And of course there’s the pesky problem of whoever does the killing, considering you to be part of the 90%. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/8 "2011-10-11T07:04:27Z")
OK, this is not what I started this thread for. Could we keep the discussion to scientology specifically? This is not merely a religion, it is an organization (with multiple sub-organizations) that regularly uses strong-arm tactics and legal chicanery to bully people. It is a gigantic pyramid scheme. It contributes absolutely _nothing_ to our society. Maybe it cannot be legally abolished, but it SHOULD be. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/9 "2011-10-11T07:46:28Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > This is not merely a religion, it is an organization (with multiple sub-organizations) that regularly uses strong-arm tactics and legal chicanery to bully people. It is a gigantic pyramid scheme. It contributes absolutely _nothing_ to our society. Maybe it cannot be legally abolished, but it SHOULD be. Okay, I’m not seeing the distinction with other ‘religions’. Leave it alone long enough and it will be accepted just like Mormonism. Right now it is a litmus test for idiots who can’t even spend the 5 seconds on the internet to find out how Hubbard made up the religion. ---
**Author:** ![Da\_Mikster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Da\_Mikster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Da_Mikster)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/10 "2011-10-11T08:09:03Z")
Just daylight it and watch while the roaches scatter… maybe a good idea for political fringes too. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/11 "2011-10-11T08:22:48Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I don’t think it’s particularly crazier than any other religion, so no. It shouldn’t be singled out. > > But I’m up for a plan to destroy ALL religions! Most religions don’t have their own gulags. > **[Rehabilitation Project Force](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rehabilitation_Project_Force)** > > The Rehabilitation Project Force, or RPF, is the Church of Scientology's program for members of its Sea Organization who have allegedly violated expectations or policies. This may include members who are deemed to have hidden evil intentions towards Scientology, members who are unproductive in their work or who produce poor-quality work. > The program includes manual labor tasks and the study of L. Ron Hubbard's works. The rehabilitation program may take more than a year to complete, and the Ch... ---
**Author:** ![code\_grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@code\_grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/code_grey)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/12 "2011-10-11T12:03:56Z")
quite the opposite. If the central organization is smashed, the local leadership will no longer be forced to keep prices high and heavily taxed to finance the center. So the cult will metastasize as a splintered religious movement, spreading the “tech” further than Scientology itself is able to. About which “tech” Hubbard’s son has been quoted as saying: > [@](#): > > What a lot of people don’t realize is that Scientology is black magic that is just spread out over a long time period. To perform black magic generally takes a few hours or, at most, a few weeks. But in Scientology it’s stretched out over a lifetime, and so you don’t see it. Black magic is the inner core of Scientology – and it is probably the only part of Scientology that really works. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/13 "2011-10-11T14:29:07Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > I assume you mean via intellectual argument not by mass genocide. Whatever works. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/14 "2011-10-11T14:36:49Z")
To at least partially answer the OP, the St. Petersburg Times newspaper has a sort of running feud with Scientology; the newspaper has published a series of investigative articles over the years and never lets a chance to go after Scientology go by. I noticed a short story in that newspaper a week or so ago where the city of Clearwater had finally succeeded in collecting close to a half million dollars from them. The city sued them several years ago and won; the Scientologists had been resisting paying up. I don’t remember the details, so I can’t tell you why the suit was originally filed. ETA: For those that don’t know, Clearwater Florida is the location of the Scientology headquarters. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/15 "2011-10-11T14:50:28Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > OK, this is not what I started this thread for. Could we keep the discussion to scientology specifically? This is not merely a religion, it is an organization (with multiple sub-organizations) that regularly uses strong-arm tactics and legal chicanery to bully people. It is a gigantic pyramid scheme. It contributes absolutely _nothing_ to our society. Maybe it cannot be legally abolished, but it SHOULD be. Change “scientology” to “Christianity” and IMO this reads the same. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/16 "2011-10-11T14:55:55Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > If it can’t be banned legally, shouldn’t a more ferocious campaign be waged against it intellectually? They’ve already been attacked by Anonymous and sent up repeatedly on South Park, the St. Petersburg Times has done some great investigative reporting on their internal workings and insanity, and some of their secret documents are out there on the web thanks to Operation Clambake. How much more do you want? If you spend a significant amount of time on the internet, you can easily get the impression that Scientology is a much bigger deal that it is. The group says it has a big base of members, but they’re lying. There are a few thousand Scientologists and that’s about it. The group has enough money to keep going because they target rich people and squeeze their clientele for every penny they can get. Don’t get me wrong: Scientology is pretty vile and I think there’s a pretty good case to be made that it doesn’t deserve tax-exempt status. But does it need to be forcibly destroyed for everybody’s safety? No. That’s not something I want the government involved in, and you know what they say about a fool and his money. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/17 "2011-10-11T14:59:04Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > I assume you mean via intellectual argument not by mass genocide. Of course not. Genocide should be performed individually by skilled craftsmen, not as a shoddy mass market product! ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/18 "2011-10-11T15:27:37Z")
_Scientologos delende est!_ Sorry, just came from the Rome threads over in GQ and thought this was needed. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/19 "2011-10-11T15:36:56Z")
IMHO, Scientology is a scam, not a religion. Using the word ‘should’ to mean that it would make the world a better place, yes destroy them. Considering the constitutionality of the matter and the effect on freedom, it shouldn’t be destroyed by humans. But if ancient aliens want to destroy it, I have no objections. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263/20 "2011-10-11T16:00:23Z")
Like most “religions” it should be ignored. Once you get old enough to think for yourself, think for yourself. They are businesses. They have no truths. They have no insights. That is why they want to get you when you are young. Religion should not be taught to children. it is unfair. Their brains are developing and they are easy prey. Before they can really make intelligent decisions, they are already convinced they know the great truths of the world. Scientology and Mormonism are horrible jokes. How anyone can believe the crazy crap they hand out is amazing. When I meet one, they are diminished in my eyes. It is difficult to get back any respect, because their thought processes are flawed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-scientology-be-destroyed/599263.md?page=2)