# The Cult of Scientology: Always Attack, Never Defend **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 22, 2006, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579 "2006-07-22T05:22:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/1 "2006-07-22T05:22:11Z")
[News report](http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2006/7/18/169499.html?title=Clearwater%20man%20at%20odds%20with%20Church%20of%20Scientology): > [@](#): > > Shawn Lonsdale of Clearwater got into a fight with someone claiming to be a Scientologist while he was filming on a street corner across from the church on July 8. After looking at Lonsdale’s videotape, police arrested the Scientologist, Michael Fitzgerald, on battery charges. > > Now, posters with a mugshot of Lonsdale are popping up in store windows near the church warning people that he’s dangerous and has been arrested for sex crimes. (Clearwater, Florida is where the Cult of Scientology has its headquarters and a good deal of its die-hard members.) Anyone who thinks this was a coincidence, raise your hand. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? The Cult…er, make that ‘Cleveland Street Safety League’ certainly went to a lot of trouble to make those flyers look official. [Take a gander at the high-res shot.](http://www.bn9.com/images/news/2006/7/18/lgpost3.jpg) Could almost make a body think Lonsdale was a wanted man. This squares pretty well with what we’ve been able to find out about the inner workings of the Cult thus far. [The ‘Fair Game’ policy](http://www.xenu.net/fairgame-e.html) seems relevant: > [@](#): > > SP Order. Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed. Isn’t the Cult afraid of what might happen to them in court? [Apparently not.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Snow_White) You can research their [long history in litigation](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/a/2002/05/10/MN125578.DTL?FACTNet), but it really comes down to [one quote from the founder](http://www.xenu.net/archive/co_pls.html#suit): > [@L. Ron Hubbard](#): > > The purpose of [a lawsuit] is to harass and discourage rather than to win. The law can be used very easily to harass, and enough harassment on somebody who is simply on the thin edge anyway, well knowing that he is not authorized, will generally be sufficient to cause his professional decease. If possible, of course, ruin him utterly. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/2 "2006-07-22T07:46:11Z")
I wonder if he take a lesson from the $cienos and threaten to sue those stores that are carrying the poster. They’ve taken over Clearwater and turned it into a cult haven. I hate $cientology. Creepy brainless megolaniac-worshiping, sue-happy, Lisa McPherson-killing, space alien-believing fuckers. Xenu Rules! ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/3 "2006-07-22T07:51:59Z")
could. if he _could_ take… ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/4 "2006-07-22T07:55:03Z")
It’s _$cientology_, not Scientology. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/5 "2006-07-22T07:57:54Z")
The guy has a good libel/slander case, if in fact: he can prove that the $cinos did it; and the claims are false. But yes, their treatment of him is definitely part of _“Fair Play”_. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/6 "2006-07-22T08:22:31Z")
Tonight’s my night for missing words and bad spelling. Make that megalomaniac-worshiping… I wonder if the guy was a former member, or if he just lived in Clearwater as the story says. Please pass along updates as they occur. It’s hard to believe, in this day and age, that $cientology still sucks people in. If people don’t do the barest amount of research before they become involved in something like $cientology, they almost deserve what they get (a stripped wallet and brain). I really only feel sorry for those unfortunate souls who were born into the cult. They don’t stand a chance. At least now it can be ridiculed publically, and I’ll bet they have a harder time getting people than they used to. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/7 "2006-07-22T10:07:11Z")
Scientology is pretty nasty if you cross them in any way, say ike encourage discussion of them and their practices in a public forum. So can the anti-scientology nuts if they think that you may have been compromised by scientology and are not now sufficiently anti-scientology. I was googling a friend and found attacks by both scientologists and anti-scientologists. Scary stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/8 "2006-07-22T15:23:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Lonsdale admits he did get into trouble years ago, but says the charges were misdemeanors and that the Scientologists are just trying to scare him away from completing his documentary I hate incomplete reporting. Did he ‘get into trouble’ for a sex crime? ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/9 "2006-07-22T15:32:56Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > I hate incomplete reporting. > Did he ‘get into trouble’ for a sex crime? Not a big one if it was a misdemeanor. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/10 "2006-07-22T16:46:43Z")
At least Scientology’s documents admit that they consider it okay to lie and slander and smear and attempt to destroy non-Scientologists that threaten the religion. Other religions leave out the smear and lie parts, and just admit the destroy parts. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/11 "2006-07-22T18:37:53Z")
> [@Equipoise](#): > > At least now it can be ridiculed publically… Can be, and [is](http://www.ytmnd.com/list/?search=Scientology). ---
**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:** [July 22, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/12 "2006-07-22T18:40:14Z")
> [@Apos](#): > > At least Scientology’s documents admit that they consider it okay to lie and slander and smear and attempt to destroy non-Scientologists that threaten the religion. Other religions leave out the smear and lie parts, and just admit the destroy parts. Their documents do-BUT, most of those documents only became public after some major lawsuits against the cult. They STILL will keep on denying it, and will block that information from their members until they get to the extreme high up super secret special levels or whatever they call it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/13 "2006-07-22T19:23:48Z")
Why do you all hate Tom Cruise? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/14 "2006-07-22T19:48:40Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Why do you all hate Tom Cruise? Because he’s a damned couch-hopper. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/15 "2006-07-22T20:07:21Z")
This isn’t about Tom Cruise or any of the other coddled “Celebritologists”, the sub-sect of ientology that consists of famous people like Tom Cruise. This is one the methods employed by the Co: when criticised, make it personal. Although Mister Cruise is indeed a piece of work, but not any more so than many other under-educated, megalomaniacal, narcissistic actors with delusions of grandiosity. Narcissistic actors just looooooove $cientology, which is practically custom-made for these people. What a number of us have a problem with is the waste of energy known as the “Church” of $cientology, a brilliant con job/performance art piece executed by L Ron Hubbard, a mediocre author and brilliant confidence artist, narcissist and sociopath. At least, to the best of my knowledge, the Co$ doesn’t shuttle around their child molesters. :rolleyes: ---
**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:** [July 22, 2006, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/16 "2006-07-22T20:11:36Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Why do you all hate Tom Cruise? Why WOULDN’T anyone hate Tom Cruise? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/17 "2006-07-22T20:30:13Z")
> [@cerberus](#): > > This isn’t about Tom Cruise or any of the other coddled “Celebritologists”, the sub-sect of ientology that consists of famous people like Tom Cruise. This is one the methods employed by the Co: when criticised, make it personal. > > Although Mister Cruise is indeed a piece of work, but not any more so than many other under-educated, megalomaniacal, narcissistic actors with delusions of grandiosity. Narcissistic actors just looooooove $cientology, which is practically custom-made for these people. > > What a number of us have a problem with is the waste of energy known as the “Church” of $cientology, a brilliant con job/performance art piece executed by L Ron Hubbard, a mediocre author and brilliant confidence artist, narcissist and sociopath. > > At least, to the best of my knowledge, the Co$ doesn’t shuttle around their child molesters. :rolleyes: Why do you hate John Travolta? ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/18 "2006-07-22T20:58:43Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > Can be, and [is](http://www.ytmnd.com/list/?search=Scientology). THANK YOU for that url! For those who haven’t clicked on it, it’s a site with Flash movies about $cientology. Of the funny ones I’ve watched, I like **Stephen Hawking Takes On Scientology!** best. “Hawking” smacks down Hubbard’s stupid science in a rap song. **Xenu Fights Back** tells the whole Xenu story to the music of “Hello Mudder, Hello Fadder.” Funny stuff. However, while the funny stuff is fun, I also like the ones that show the truth. Everyone needs to see **The Un-Funny Truth About Scientology** , especially because it details [Lisa McPherson’s](http://www.lisamcpherson.org/) death. I’ve following that case since day one, when someone on alt.religion.scientology found a note on a law-enforecement (either the sherrif or city police, I can’t remember) website asking for information about her. I still shudder at what those sociopathic $cientologists put that poor woman through. Also freaky is [The Un-Funny SEQUEL About Scientology](http://theunfunnysequel.ytmnd.com/) about the legal fall-out that happened after the a student researched the first Flash video and included ion his web site in an article about the cult. **Scientology knows your name** is downright creepy. [Heber Jentzsch](http://www.lisamcpherson.org/cos/heber.htm) is on a radio talk show and a caller complains about paying $45,000 and then being kicked out of the “church.” Jentzsch uses her LAST NAME ON AIR (when she hadn’t given her last name) and then makes sure everyone knows her first name too. The implications are nasty. **It’s fun to make fun of $cientology, but people should never forget that they’re a dangerous cult.** I’ll be watching more. Thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/19 "2006-07-22T21:00:09Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Why do you hate John Travolta? Merciful Og, have you seen _Battlefield Earth_? Ed Woods, come back, all is forgiven! ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579/20 "2006-07-22T21:03:16Z")
Ooops, I meant to go and put in direct links to all of them, but I hit submit too soon. Ah well, just go to the page that Regallag\_The\_Axe linked to. [http://www.ytmnd.com/list/?search=Scientology](http://www.ytmnd.com/list/?search=Scientology) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-cult-of-scientology-always-attack-never-defend/365579.md?page=2)