Originally posted by InfaRedMan
Reform... hmmm... is that like asking the wolf in sheeps clothing to try on a different outfit? At the end of the day you will still have the same
toxic entity operating under the facade. They operate the way they do due to the core belief system of Scientology itself... this cannot and will not
change!
More needs to be done!
Although I agree, it also has to be done the
RIGHT way. Even though it is Scientology, which undeniably has been a blight on society, it would
be absolutely immoral to ban them outright without first giving them an opportunity to reform. If this happened in the U.S., and they were banned in
the U.S., I'd hate to say it but I would be right there with the Scientologists fighting for their Rights, even though I strongly oppose them and
their core belief system.
However, when you give a group the opportunity to change then you are taking the Moral High Ground. It would be a lot easier for people to swallow a
Scientology ban if Scientology were given an opportunity to reform and they didn't take it. In such a case, no one in their right mind could find
fault with a government making such impositions upon a "religion".
However, for the fact that Scientologists hide behind the facade of religious beliefs, it puts the whole situation into a sticky Grey Area that could
end up being a slippery slope. Apparently the French Courts understand this, and don't want to set an unhealthy precedent that has the potential of
being abused in the future. What do you think would happen if the Courts could decide what merits valid Religious Belief? What if the Court decides to
force Santarians to reform and stop sacrificing chickens during their religious practices? What if the Court decides to force Christians to reform and
stop practicing cannibalism when taking the Eucharist during their Mass? What if the Court decides to force Seventh Day Adventists to reform and stop
using Faith Healing? The Court has no place imposing those kinds of rulings on beliefs.
So, the French Courts specifically addressed the manner in which they conduct "business", rather than on religious grounds, which was the smart
thing to do. Rather than make it a religious issue, and threaten a ban on religious grounds, they did so on monetary issues, and how they bilk their
followers out of money. Granted, in this respect Scientology is probably no worse than Evangelical Christian Preachers who God told them that they
need another vacation home in the Caymans or another fleet of BMWs...but it prevents the Court from getting involved in issues that it has no business
being involved in.
Although we all would like to see Scientology taken down for the count, the best way is to only ban them if they aren't willing to make acceptable
changes themselves. They deserve a chance to reform...and if they blow it, then they deserve to be banned from conducting business. Until then, even
if they are despicable, they deserve a fair chance, just like anyone else.
(Besides, when large sums of money is involved, do you think they are actually going to willingly kill that revenue stream? They'll blow it all on
their own, due to their greed. Have faith.)
