“The English drive on the wrong side of the road.”
You’ll need to qualify that one.
Do you drive on the right? No? Well, what’s the opposite of right? 
Revtim: That was some time ago. The CoS won their case and another unintended consequence was that the US government ended up fighting on the CoS’s side against the German government!
And the dyslexic woman who tried to commit suicide by throwing herself behind a bus…
Arrrgh! I didn’t know that. Maybe I blocked it out of my mind.
'Course, my mom belongs to DAM.
“Mothers Against Dyslexia.”
No, as near as we know right now, dyslexia can’t really be cured, as such. But it can be overcome, and I think that’s all he meant.
Skammer:
Granted. But I feel the same way about money given to any organization, and especially any church. AFAIC, the CoS is not much more likely to steal than any other religion.
I wouldn’t be so sure. I’ve read (no cite, it was in an old issue of Entertainment Weekly) that John Travolta thinks being a Scientologist has given him the ability to lay hands. Scientology and faith healing: two great scams that scam great together.
Hey, it turned me into a newt!
Couldn’t be happier.
The Scientologists are perfect. More organized than the Wiccans. Less offensive (barely) than the Satanists. No need to be politically correct like with Muslims. Lots of money to take it to court.
Perfect.
And apparently asking for money to help kids overcome learning disabilities and learn to read.
Perfect.
And Tom Cruise. Not that flake Travolta, but Tom Cruise. You know, from Top Gun - wasn’t that one of Papa Bush’s favorite movies? Relatively well respected, box office draw, very popular with the voters. And an Oscar.
Perfect.
Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
I don’t see a problem with this either. I have much more of a problem with Bush giving my money to fundie hate groups like the Southern Baptist Coalition than I do to Scientology. This “faith-based initiative” sacm was his idea, after all (“his” meaning Karl Rove’s, of course). This is the natural consequence of his own idiotic policy. I have no respect for Scientology but the enemy of my enemy is my friend in this case.
Tom Cruise has never won an Oscar. The Academy doesn’t like people who smirk all the time.
Oh, they’re plenty hateful - against anyone who speaks out against them or who otherwise is seen to oppose them, and especially former members. A bit more nebulous of a definition than most hate groups, but they exhibit it nonetheless. I’ll never call them a “friend”, even in circumstances where they may well be an “enemy of an enemy.” That just means I have two enemies clashing.
Isn’t there suppose to be a seperation of church and state?
Has the Catholic church, or Fire & Brimstone Evangelical Church or Schlomoe’s Synagogue ever asked for funding?
I agree that Scientology is evil, I just think that they could be useful in this case if they could force the Bushies to scrap faith-based initiatives, which I think they would rather do than have to give money to Earth religions and muslims and others that they are currently trying to shut out. faith-based was designed as a scam to funnel tax-payer money to the power base of the Christian right. the problem is that the government has no right to decide what is a legitimate faith and what isn’t so the Scientologists have the potential to derail the whole thing. The Bushistas would sooner eat a steaming bowl of turds than have to give money to Wiccans.
Just as a slight digression here, but the good oil (as in my auntie in North Sydney knows Nicole Kidman’s parents) is that the Scientology bullshit was the single irreconcilable reason for Ms Kidman walking on her way a few years back.
Being a relatively class act, Nicole never spoke about it publicly, but her parents (her father’s quite a respected retired doctor on Sydney’s north shore) are basically very middle of the road Christian believing (but not fervently practising) kind of folks and the Scientology shit was tearing Ms Kidman’s heart apart because of where it was steering her children.
Apparently, Ms Kidman never stopped loving the man, but the Scientology crap was simply hijacking everything in their lives and she reached the breaking point of no return.
Sauron, I agreed with you over in Eve’s thread on this, but I can’t on this one.
The false analogy in the last thread was the claim that the SBC represented all Southern Baptists. Here, SkipMagic is claiming that all Scientology represents all Scientologists.
Do you see the distinction?
Remember the immortal words of George Carlin: “All generalizations are wrong. Including this one.”
(Sorry my bad, I forgot he didn’t win for Born on the Fourth of July, Magnolia or Jerry McGuire. Just a three time nominee. Point remains the same. Respected and/or talented enough to get three nods. Not bad.)
I still don’t think this is the nightmare for Faith Based Initiatives that many of you seem to think. It’s not like the White House is slapping their foreheads, “Jeez! We forgot that nonChristian faiths might apply for this money!” (although some of you probably like to think that’s just what they thought).
I agree that Scientology is a twisted, evil organization. But even evil organizations can do good – look at the billions Bill Gates gives to charity. If they are granted government money and use every cent of it to help learning disabled kids read, more power to 'em. I don’t think Bush and his friends will have a caniption over it.
John: Also, you know what they call a famous Scientologist actor in Paris?
Tom: They don’t call it a famous Scientologist actor?
John: No, they got intellectuals there, they wouldn’t know what the fuck a famous Scientologist is.
Tom: What’d they call 'em?
John: Royale with Cheese.
Tom: (repeating) Royale with Cheese. What’d they call a foot massage?
This is reason enough to qualify Tom Cruise as an ass.
I think I have made my point here…