Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
Message to America: Mock all you like – Cruise is you
I've heard and seen much mockery focused on the Tom Cruise Scientology video over the past couple of days. (I apologize if that link no longer works, but the video has been on and off the net and that's the best link I can find at the time of this article.) The truth is, while I believe that atheists (especially agnostic atheists), in general, have a leg to stand on in this case, I don't think the rest of the godders, or innumerable other groups, do. Let's look at a few things that Cruise says.
Tom Cruise: ...I think it’s a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist, and it’s something that you have to earn because a Scientologist does... has the ability to create new and better realities and improve conditions. Being a Scientologist, you look at someone and know absolutely that you can help them.
"But that’s what drives me... I know that we have an opportunity to really help... effectively change people’s lives and I am dedicated to that. I am absolutely, uncompromisingly dedicated to that.
Replace the words “Scientologist” with the words Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Nazi, Feminist, Vegan, vegetarian, socialist, communist, capitalist, geek, Sikh, or even self help guru and you'll see what I mean. This statement, minus the maniacal laughter, could have come from any of the groups I listed and a whole lot more. Let's move on to the next set; shall we?
more below the fold
"We are the authorities on getting people off drugs, we are the authorities on the mind, we are the authorities on improving conditions... we can rehabilitate criminals.
"Traveling the world and meeting the people that I’ve met, talking with these leaders in various fields, they want help and they are depending on people who know and who can be effective and do it and that’s us. That is our responsibility to do that.
"It is the time now. Now is the time... Being a Scientologist, people are turning to you, so you better know it, you better know it and if you don’t, go and learn it, but don’t pretend you know it. It’s like we’re here to help.
"So it’s our responsibility to educate, create the new reality. We have that responsibility to say, 'Hey, this is the way it should be done because we do it this way and people are actually getting better."
Nothing new under the sun eh? You could expect these words out of the mouth of presidential candidate Huckabee! Eat it up! Let's do one for reference, “It's the time now. Now is the time...Being a Christian, people are turning to you, so you better know it, you better know it and if you don't, go and learn it, but don't pretend you know it. It's like we're here to help.” Unbelievable? Not a bit. Don't get disheartened, we only have a little more to go.
"I have to tell you something – it is rough and tumble, and it’s wild and woolly, and it’s a blast, it’s a blast, it really is fun because, dammit, there is nothing better than the going out there and fighting the fight and suddenly you see things are better.
"I want to know that I’ve done everything I could everyday, and I think about those people out there who are depending on us. I think about that and it does make me feel that we’ve got more work. I need more help, get those spectators either in the playing field or out of the arena. Really, that’s how I feel about it.
"I do what I can, and I do it the way I do everything. [laughs] There’s nothing part-of-the way for me."
Again, there's nothing here that I wouldn't have seen in a Christian promo tract when I was in that world and it's not outside of the scope for a motivational speech for many groups. If this had been addressed to a mainstream group this bit of video wouldn't have drawn an askew glance.
I'm absolutely certain that no one can offhandedly discount what I've written above if they're being honest with themselves. What I'd like you to take from Cruise's video though, is how certain and self righteous he is. He knows he is right. You're not a Scientologist right? But you too know that your view on things is correct don'tchya?! You want to share your certainty of belief with the ignorant and foolish don'tchya? In this, you are no different than Mr. Cruise. What right have you to mock?
***Thanks to heatworld for the transcript.
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But...
But the same could be said of the 'atheist movement', Rick; the one Brent was criticizing in that book review post. (Or was that, like Brent's, your point? That humans are irrational.)
Actually
I intentionally did not include a specific group of atheists in my list and there are several others that also would not fall under the heading either.
The best way to describe it is any group who doesn't claim to have a lock on "the truth" or "the way" would be safe from this criticism. Because agnostic atheists don't claim to actually know anything with regard to god belief they are not included.
To fairly answer your question however, you're right...There are atheists that this would apply to.
I don't know exactly which
I don't know exactly which cards Mr. Cruise is missing, but he is certainly not playing with a full deck.
It is clear that god (by whatever name) is a fictional character. I know there is no god and that does not put me in the same pigeon hole with Mr. Cruise, just as knowing there is no Santa Clause does not put me in the same pigeon hole with someone who knows there is.
Ugh!
I saw the video (some of it) a few days ago on a link that worked fine, and wished it wouldn't have worked afterwards. I couldn't get past the first 4 minutes or so, so I didn't get to any of your quotes. How in the world did you manage to put up with his slobbering, mindless worship of himself, his personal abilities, and his religion long enough to get any substantial quotes?
"One man's theology is another man's belly laugh." Robert A Heinlien
Scientology is a virulent pathogen
If we accept Dawkins-Dennett proposition that religious belief is viral, then what we have with Scientology is the equivalent of ebola. It's founder was a psychopathic misanthrope, who ingenuously created a religious belief system that could not only rapidly spread, due to its special treatment of celebrities, but also overwhelm defense strategies with its strong emphasis on fair game tactics against enemies. It may certainly not be much different than established religions like Christianity or Islam in how its adherents think, but its destructiveness is quite dangerous.
There's an old joke that asks how you can tell the difference between a cult and a religion. The answer is real estate. In Scientology's case, it has very successfully moved from cult to religion in a very short time, but its morbidity has not decreased. It's a very bad virus.
Reality Scares Humans
What bugs me the most is that when people are finally able to escape the irrationality of Christianity, they fall right back into the grips of another equally illogical superstition. Scientology is just a newer more trendy version of sky daddy worship as far as I'm concerned. As was discussed in the comments of Brent's Vox Day review humans are irrational beings, living in an irrational world, making irrational choices. Many people are just afraid of the big bad scary natural world and need something supernatural to protect them from reality regardless of whether it makes sense or not.
The sooner people realize they are alone, the better. It's up to us to fix everything. No one is going to come along and save us. God didn't invent the airplane. God doesn't build skyscrapers. God didn't invent the cure to polio. Men did. And if we as a species are going to last, we'd better stop praying Xenu or Jesus or Allah or other such kookyness and tackle the tough problems ourselves.
I'll pray for you. You have
I'll pray for you.
You have been misled.
WE are Gods. If WE ALL do not come together...the world will NEVER get better.
We work only for a pay check...with no cares for anyone...
UNless this changes and people actually DO their jobs, to the best of their ability...the world WILL come to an end.
When you hear the worlds God will return...that means, we as his sons and daughters, will, someday, come togther as one...in peace...
that my friend....is a L O N G way away---
Coming Together
Wouldn't it be funny if the people of the world actually WERE trying to come together and "do their jobs to the best of their ability," to see things clearly and to work toward objective knowledge and truth, etc., and that it might have been accomplished 20,000 years or so back, but that irrational religious fantasists who insist on praying and stuff instead of taking action when faced with real problems were a big part of what had always prevented it?
Gosh, that would be comical as hell.
20,000? Actually
I'd say religion really took off after the advent of agriculture which allowed the religious writers to sit on their butts and write fiction while other poor slobs labored in the fields to grow their food. I don't think the hunter gatherers had room for much dead weight. And if I remember correctly agriculture is about 10,000 - 12,000 years old or so.
Hmm
I'd find it hard to agree right away. I think religion, superstition, mysticism might have predated writing -- and agriculture -- by a loooong time. I'm sure hunter-gatherers had it. Certainly the Native Americans seem to have had religions and religious traditions long before settlements and farmers -- and writing -- came on the scene.
...
And come to think of it, I've read that hunter-gatherers actually had more leisure time than later farmers did.
Certainly
I think religion has probably been around as long as language has, but I don't think it became oppressive until the advent of agriculture, writing and other accouterments of civilization. It will be a happy day when humans build as many cathedrals to science as they do to superstition, and a happier day when they build more.
How is Scientology different from any other religion?
Can't see much difference between Scientology and the other religions. S is so young and dependent upon existence within a wealthy, liberal society that that it hasn't yet precipitated any wars, crusades, polygamy, murderous episodes (disingenuously denied); no jihads, genital mutilation, etc. Nor have they, with help from a powerful sister religion, taken over a land and systematically excluded residents of a third religion. The strategy of Scientology appears to be growing wealth by bestowing some sort of weird ubermortality upon credulous movie stars and trustfunders.
Elron and Co.
Scientology has caused deaths, and more than a few, from what I've read. It also has a history of harassing and wrecking the lives of critics.
Maybe that's par for the course for religions, but Scientology also costs money. A LOT. You can't BE a Scientologist without spending large amounts of money. I'd call it different from other religions on that issue alone.
A synthetic religion
I think one difference is that scientology is what I would call a "synthetic" religion. One that was deliberately constructed out of philosophical odds and ends from the imagination of a science fiction writer. Throw in the few odd bits of secret fraternal organizations, and some Amway, and viola! A fully-developed New Religion!
All the rest, at least, seem to have been developed somewhat naturally out of the cultures they were born into. Even mormonism and islam were not created out of whole cloth independently from the surrounding mythos.
Hah
I can't speak to the Old Testament but in the New much was hijacked from other religions. Very few of Jesus' "miracles" were original...Most were co-opted from other religions gods.
Proved my point....
My point was a comparison between scientology and other religions. I wrote that the rest developed from the surrounding stories and legends. I called them 'mythos'. In trying to disprove me, all you did was demonstrate my point.
Odd
What makes you think I was trying to disprove what you wrote?
No tone of voice...
This is a disadvantage of forum posts. I cannot 'hear' how you meant it.
I was reacting to your subject line, and it colored the rest. My bad for reading in a bias that may not be there.
No worries
It may have been poor choice for a subject line as well. I do not disagree with what you wrote; for the record...I was simply adding to it.
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