Those wacky scientologists

[TripletDaddy]

So what's considered cooler: Ozzy's over-the-top dedicatory song or the Beatles' subtle homage?

Immortality on the most iconic album cover of all time, which also happens to be one of the greatest albums of all time >>>>> Side 2 of Blizzard of Ozz, along with Revelation and Steal Away.

[old_gregg]

lol at mentioning ozzy before one james patrick page when discussing crowley

[Northwestcoug]

lol at mentioning ozzy before one james patrick page when discussing crowley

That's the point. Page was a serious devotee. Ozzy wrote a song about him because it was good for business.

[Katy Lied]

Scientology is rooted in the occult differently and maybe more so, than Mormonism is. Hubbard cribbed a lot of practices from Jack Parsons and Crowley.

I do agree that Hubbard dabbled in the OTO with Parsons- not Crowley who was mostly in England during that time, high on heroin and orgies. But I'm not willing to say that he imported these practices into Scientology. I just don't see any occult practices in Scientology- even the secret stuff.

I always wonder why Parsons never suffered from the stigma of the occult and black magic. He was tremendously into that stuff. (Hubbard was only briefly involved, and mostly as an onlooker). I mean, I dont know of a single aerospace engineer who refuses to work at JPL because of what Parsons did.

[SeattleUte]

I read Lawrence Wright's long article in the New Yorker about Scientology that he later expanded into a book. When I finished it I decided that there is no material distinction between Mormonism and Scientology.

It was amusing to read about how intelligent people had figured out in their forties and fifties that the whole thing defies reason. The Scientology leaders of course are very dodgy about their finances and history. The church makes financial demands on the members that are unusual compared to other religions. Leaders, especially the founders, are deified. Scientology is obsessive about sexual morality and hates homosexuality. It is very paternalistic. It was a strong supporter of Proposition 8. There is a tribal attitude toward apostates. And so on. When I finished the article I wondered why was he singling out Scientology for critique. Really what it amounted to was a modern view of a religion that is essentially a throwback to a pre-Enlightenment magic-world view while integrating the scientific revolution in a very dishonest, chauvinistic way. This is hardly unique. And in fact everything that he highlighted as wrong with Scientology is pretty much a hallmark of the monotheistic religions that have literally or practically been founded since the Romantic Age started.

I thought the most interesting thing to learn about Scientology is that -- not unlike Mormonism -- there are many adherents who, through membership in the religion, managed to overcome debilitating vices, and there actually are many laudable features of its message and culture. And there is a Scientology network that has been very beneficial to careers of its adherents. Indeed, becoming a world class actor is such a serendipitous fortuity that it's safe to say that Tom Cruise, John Travolta, etc. likely would not have become movie stars but for their Scientology connections (so they are loyal to their faith for much the same reason as Mitt Romney, the Marriots, etc). In LA there are play theaters that feed into Hollywood like the baseball minor leagues. And one of the iconic, highly influential directors and instructors in one of these theaters was in the sixties and seventies effectively a Scientology GA.

Katy is right. Mormonism and Scientology are first cousins.

[Omaha 680]

I read Lawrence Wright's long article in the New Yorker about Scientology that he later expanded into a book. When I finished it I decided that there is no material distinction between Mormonism and Scientology.

It was amusing to read about how intelligent people had figured out in their forties and fifties that the whole thing defies reason. The Scientology leaders of course are very dodgy about their finances and history. The church makes financial demands on the members that are unusual compared to other religions. Leaders, especially the founders, are deified. Scientology is obsessive about sexual morality and hates homosexuality. It is very paternalistic. It was a strong supporter of Proposition 8. There is a tribal attitude toward apostates. And so on. When I finished the article I wondered why was he singling out Scientology for critique. Really what it amounted to was a modern view of a religion that is essentially a throwback to a pre-Enlightenment magic-world view while integrating the scientific revolution in a very dishonest, chauvinistic way. This is hardly unique. And in fact everything that he highlighted as wrong with Scientology is pretty much a hallmark of the monotheistic religions that have literally or practically been founded since the Romantic Age started.

I thought the most interesting thing to learn about Scientology is that -- not unlike Mormonism -- there are many adherents who, through membership in the religion, managed to overcome debilitating vices, and there actually are many laudable features of its message and culture. And there is a Scientology network that has been very beneficial to careers of its adherents. Indeed, becoming a world class actor is such a serendipitous fortuity that it's safe to say that Tom Cruise, John Travolta, etc. likely would not have become movie stars but for their Scientology connections (so they are loyal to their faith for much the same reason as Mitt Romney, the Marriots, etc). In LA there are pay theaters that feed into Hollywood like the baseball minor leagues. And one of the iconic, highly influential directors and instructors in one of these theaters was in the sixties and seventies effectively a Scientology GA.

Katy is right. Mormonism and Scientology are first cousins.

Some of your best work. Especially the paragraph about how Scientology has some laudable features while Mormonism has none.

Edit: Reading fail. You actually said the opposite and Mormonism has laudable features as well. This isn't nearly as funny to me now

[SeattleUte]

Some of your best work. Especially the paragraph about how Scientology has some laudable features while Mormonism has none.

Your reading comprehension isn't very impressive. What do you think not unlike Mormonism means?

[Omaha 680]

Your reading comprehension isn't very impressive. What do you think not unlike Mormonism means?

Already owned it before you posted.

[SeattleUte]

Some of your best work. Especially the paragraph about how Scientology has some laudable features while Mormonism has none.

Edit: Reading fail. You actually said the opposite and Mormonism has laudable features as well. This isn't nearly as funny to me now

Actually, this is a momentous post from me. Search through all my posts and you will find this is the first time I have ever paid Mormonism a compliment. Thus does an amazingly disciplined streak come to an end.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Actually, this is a momentous post from me. Search through all my posts and you will find this is the first time I have ever paid Mormonism a compliment. Thus does an amazingly disciplined streak come to an end.

You have admitted your bias. Another streak has ended!

[Katy Lied]

Well, I feel like I was starting a complex presentation on the 2-deep for BYU football this Fall, including stats, comparisons, contrasts, trending performance and the design of the new unis. And SU dashes into the back of the lecture hall and bellows out "Cougars Suck!"

I guess this is where I mutter something about my first beer, and continue unimpeded.

[Katy Lied]

PS: SU is correct about some things and incorrect about other things, both regarding Scientology and Mormonism.

I am looking forward to your contribution when I discuss disconnection.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Actually, this is a momentous post from me. Search through all my posts and you will find this is the first time I have ever paid Mormonism a compliment. Thus does an amazingly disciplined streak come to an end.

I was thinking that a major difference between Scientology and Mormonism is that you said as many nice things about Scientology in one post as you have about Mormonism in the fifteen or so years that we've been cyberacquaintances.

[creekster]

Actually, this is a momentous post from me. Search through all my posts and you will find this is the first time I have ever paid Mormonism a compliment. Thus does an amazingly disciplined streak come to an end.

Kindness isn't your religion. You are your religion.

[SeattleUte]

PS: SU is correct about some things and incorrect about other things, both regarding Scientology and Mormonism.

I am looking forward to your contribution when I discuss disconnection.

In anticipation of Katy's broadside, here is a more in-depth discussion of the striking similarities between Scientology and Mormonism.

http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthr...l=1#post543743