comes across as a really ice, well balanced man and makes me wonder why people are still condemning Scientology.

Like all "religions", I have no time for it but why are followers condemned? Likewise the Moonies and other "cults"?

JK2006 wrote:
comes across as a really ice, well balanced man and makes me wonder why people are still condemning Scientology.

Like all "religions", I have no time for it but why are followers condemned? Likewise the Moonies and other "cults"?

Every religion is a cult in my opinion, dictating the way someone should live or if they don't they will 'suffer the consequences'.

Quite right, steveimp, there is a tendency to sneer at people who belong to newer, or minority religions.

The truth is, if someone chooses to believe in pink elephants, this is really no different from believing that Jesus or Mohammed had a hotline to God. Faith, in its religious sense, is nothing more than a total suspension of disbelief, and a willingness to believe in the improbable without any proof or even evidence.

There is nothing wrong with this if it enhances people's lives and encourages them to be better people. The troubles start when religions become too big and powerful, and are manipulated by individuals who use their powerful, unquestioned messages to their own dubious ends. Christianity and Islam, are you listening?

steveimp wrote:
JK2006 wrote:
comes across as a really ice, well balanced man and makes me wonder why people are still condemning Scientology.

Like all "religions", I have no time for it but why are followers condemned? Likewise the Moonies and other "cults"?

Every religion is a cult in my opinion, dictating the way someone should live or if they don't they will 'suffer the consequences'.

I get the point about religion, but it is not true of all forms of religion.

I practice Nichiren Buddhism, and there is no God, and no one tells me how to live my life- no rules or commandments or Gurus.

Also there is no discrimination on account of sexuality, race or political views.

Theistic religions are often different tho.

I once slpped into an engagment party (I knew the venue owner) in Sydney-for Nicole Kidman's sister. I spent an hour there and had 3 games of pool with Tom Cruise (letting him win each time-I'm rather good) and I had a good chat to him-before it finally dawned on someone that I wasn't a guest and was a member of the media and was escorted off the premises.

An extremely friendly and personable bloke..easy to talk to about virtually anything.

But then I also knew some of the crew on the film he was making there..Mission Impossible. They said on set he was a nightmare. The rules were extraordinary. No-one was allowed to approach him directly..they had to go through an assistant..no-one was allowed to stare into his face. Most odd.
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Years ago I was at a party in London hosted by the wonderful Lady Edith Foxwell of Embassy Club fame. She introduced me to a fat, odd loking character whose name I didn't catch but who looked familiar. In small talk I asked him where he lived..he had an American accent.."on the Thames" he replied. That was weird.

Just before I left it suddenly dawned on me that he was L.Ron Hubbard. I'd just read in Time magazine that the FBI wanted to question him and he had disappeared on the old cargo tanker on which he lived.

Edith said a few weeks later.."known him for years..lovely old con-man. Always brings crates of champagne to the party"

A cult usually separates someone from their family and friends ( even Catholic Priests qualify on that count or Nuns and Monks )

Religions and cults however show that we are all looking at some point for some of the bigger answers to life and its meaning.

I still think that the teachings of Jesus are easily the best blueprint for life ever written down. Certainly better than the Old Testament "eye for an eye" and the Islamic "Holy War" ideas because I dont believe if there is a creator God he would be happy with destruction of creation.

Until someone provides me with evidence that there is no God I am going to believe in a creator God whom I believe shows himself through creation and through everyday happenings and history. There does seem to be design and rules to life and science. Intelligent design for me needs intelligent creation.

Freedom to believe what you want is important. It is part of the human creation. The ability to be wrong as well as right. The ability to choose. That is a great gift. So when someone says they dont believe in God I am happy that they have the freedom to choose - but I do think they miss out on what I believe to be a more fullfilled life by seeing design in ourselves and seeing that God is inside of everyone of us if we only respond to Him.

The yearning for truth as Children of God - of creation - is within us. Like riding a bike it may seem impossible to understand or do at first but if you read the teachings of Jesus and "get them" then it all makes sense.

Organised religion has developed "cult like" practices as well I might add since Jesus' time. No wonder many people choose to ignore the heart of the message.

david wrote:

I practice Nichiren Buddhism, and there is no God, and no one tells me how to live my life- no rules or commandments or Gurus.

Also there is no discrimination on account of sexuality, race or political views.

Theistic religions are often different tho.[/quote]

But is that a religion per se (and I'm not knocking it) but a belief structure? I think the two are different, significantly.

I think faith is very strong (and thats a belief system) and that you do not a religion to have a faith in someone or something. People confuse the two as being one, but they are very, very independent of each other.

They said on set he was a nightmare. The rules were extraordinary. No-one was allowed to approach him directly..they had to go through an assistant..no-one was allowed to stare into his face. Most odd


This sounds like normal Hollywood ego/behaviour!

Don't be so patronising. To say people who don't believe in god just 'don't get it' is wrong.