The Student Operated Press, FL Rebuttal re: Scientology 4/28

I didn't see this posted yet. If it's a dupe, please let me know so I can delete/merge the thread.

"Today I will share a few thoughts about a rebuttal (Occult of Scientology ) to my essay, "Scientology, The Wealth Cult."

Let me begin by applauding my colleague for his intelligent, well written, and respectful article. The Internet is rife with ad hominem attacks, it's refreshing when persons with opposing views can debate intelligently and honestly. ..."

Moar below:

The Student Operated Press

Scientology: The Wealth Cult

The Student Operated Press

I meant to post this yesterday, this is the article referenced in today's rebuttal.

I give him points for effort, but I skimmed that, and that guy has no idea how to write. He comes across as a six grader. "Today I am going to rebut this guy's response..." is about as fomally correct as, "My report is on..."

Why does everyone in this paper mention in the first few paragraphs that they hate all religions? And by everyone I mean both these guys. Is that a standard thing you have to do, like stating where the report was filed?

Kinda knocks the wind out of their sails to the general public.

Originally Posted by Yoni Alter

Why does everyone in this paper mention in the first few paragraphs that they hate all religions? And by everyone I mean both these guys. Is that a standard thing you have to do, like stating where the report was filed?

Kinda knocks the wind out of their sails to the general public.

Its a student operated press, that likely rings true for the target market for the publication. First remove bias by stating that you hate everything, not just the subject.

Originally Posted by Optimus Prime

Its a student operated press, that likely rings true for the target market for the publication. First remove bias by stating that you hate everything, not just the subject.

Because as we all know, maturity and intellect are merely functions of your cynicism...

</sarcasm>

Originally Posted by ethereal_ubiquity

Because as we all know, maturity and intellect are merely functions of your cynicism...

</sarcasm>

Sometimes, in a editorial piece, you can resort to winning people to your side of the debate by eliminating any appearance of bias. Good speakers/writers know this. If you can't immediately polarize the group (in the first paragraph) then you need to do this to win opinion.

May not be logical, may be infractions of several logical reasoning laws, but humans are not Vulcans. We usually think with emotion.

Originally Posted by anonymusicz

Sometimes, in a editorial piece, you can resort to winning people to your side of the debate by eliminating any appearance of bias. We usually think with emotion.

the 50% of humans with ovaries most certainly do

It's always the hardcore athiests that are going to try to give their anti-religion stance a upstat by saying 'omg christianity and islam and judaism is a cult too lololol'

It's annoying as piss, and then you inform them that most religions have recognized their crimes in the past, and then their immediate responce is 'what about alterboy priest rape, zomgzogmzomg!' They dont understand the acts of individuals =/= acts of an entire church.

The truth is, they hate organized religion, but only if it's the major 3 religions.

Originally Posted by anonomoose2k

It's always the hardcore athiests that are going to try to give their anti-religion stance a upstat by saying 'omg christianity and islam and judaism is a cult too lololol'

It's annoying as piss, and then you inform them that most religions have recognized their crimes in the past, and then their immediate responce is 'what about alterboy priest rape, zomgzogmzomg!' They dont understand the acts of individuals =/= acts of an entire church.

The truth is, they hate organized religion, but only if it's the major 3 religions.

First of all, if you want to criticize atheists, learn to spell the word right.

And no, it's not that they only hate the three major religions, it's because many of them suffered just as much harm under organized religions. In the western word, it tends to be Christianity, because it's the biggest religion with the most influence. Many have, or are, experiencing a process much like ex-scienos do: the feeling that their world has shattered, depression, loneliness, fear, and anger that they had spent years on something that they now consider a fraud.

In other words, what's keeping them from joining us is ignorance, much like any other ordinary public. Except, instead of saying, "Why are you attacking the religion, they have every right to worship what they want, no matter how weird," like a normal, ignorant religious person would, they say, "Other religious beliefs are just as stupid, why don't you attack them?" In short, it's the same ignorant assumptions made from different sides of the fence.

Personally, I feel that certain church doctrines really are extremely harmful, especially the fundamentalist and Dominionist beliefs. Look up Christian Science and tell me how a sect that teaches medical treatment should not be used for any reason is any different from scientology teaching its followers that psychiatric drugs are evil.

If it weren't for other fellow "hardcore atheists" gushing over the activities of Anonymous over at another message board I frequent, I would never have found this site. I and many others are here because hardcore atheists support Anonymous.