I haven’t really gone after Scientologists here yet, so I better get started. Luckily, they recently supplied us all with some ammunition.
Start at 2:40
OK, since I spent tens of seconds at a Scientology Halloween party on mushrooms before being asked to leave, I feel I’m qualified to offer completely unsupported speculation on this issue.
First of all, this guy’s obviously a douche. You don’t get to pick and choose which questions a journalist asks you. And if it’s so ‘offensive’ to be asked about Xenu, why not just set the record straight? It’s either offensive to him to be asked about Xenu because he doesn’t believe in it, or it’s offensive to him because he does. But all this secrecy and stonewalling and claiming that any even marginally critical question is offensive and goes against his freedom of religion is 1. ridiculous, and 2. only fanning the flames for more attention paid to this issue by inquisitive journalists. Which is probably their goal in the first place. Anyway, if you really don’t want to talk publicly about your religion, don’t become a church’s spokesman in the first place! Asshole.
But on the other hand, you’ll never see someone like Mitt Romney or Glenn Beck on Nightline being asked similar questions about their beliefs. Scientology is still on this cusp of being popular enough to be exempt from any scrutiny, but Mormonism has somehow crossed over into safe territory. It’s probably partially to do with Scientology having originated within living memory and partially to do with Mormonism’s tenuous connection with Christianity.
And of course it goes without saying that mainstream Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists won’t be asked questions like, “Do you really believe that Jesus was born without a biological father?” “Do you really believe that Mohammed flew up into the sky?” “Do you really believe in all those gods?” or “Do you really believe in reincarnation?” And that’s just normal journalisty questions, without even going into point-and-laugh territory, which is the proper realm of discourse for dealing with these matters.
Tags: Scientology
October 31, 2009 at 05:10 |
o look how enlightened i am. when faced with a question that’s not in the press release, i’m going to act offended, take my mic off and storm out of the room like a child that was told ‘no’.
aww did your PRguy and lawyers and high-priests tell you not to answer any question involving a volcano? aww you poor clear, ethical, operating thetan you.