Germany moves to ban Scientology
 

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe....ap/index.html


BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- Germany's top security officials said Friday they consider the goals of the Church of Scientology to be in conflict with the principles of the nation's constitution and will seek to ban the organization.


The German government considers Scientology a commercial enterprise.

The interior ministers of the nation's 16 states plan to give the nation's domestic intelligence agency the task of preparing the necessary information to ban the organization, which has been under observation for a decade on allegations that it "threatens the peaceful democratic order" of the country.

The ministers, as well as federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, "consider Scientology to be an organization that is not compatible with the constitution," said Berlin Interior Minister Ehrhart Koerting, who presided over the officials' two-day conference.

Sabine Weber, president of the Church of Scientology in Berlin, said she views the renewed attempt to ban the organization as a reaction to increasing acceptance of Scientologists in several European countries.

"It is very, very clear that the true picture of what Scientology is about is pushing its way through," Weber said. "The interior ministers are clearly reacting to that."

The Scientologists have long battled to end the surveillance, saying it is an abuse of their right to freedom of religion. They point to several lower court rulings in favor of their right to practice in Germany as a religious organization.

The U.S. State Department regularly criticizes Germany in its annual Human Rights Report for the monitoring practice.

The interior ministers gave no specific examples for their decision, but the most recent annual report on extremism compiled by their agencies criticized the organization for disregarding human rights

I remember when they tried this before. Godspeed, you crazy (sane) Krauts.

and they say the US is oppressive...

Ze Germans are obviously in cahoots with Lord Xenu.

GERMANS BEWARE - John Travolta is flying his plane your way right now to bomb your asses - Tom Cruise is his co-pilot

:1orglaugh

the greath Xenu will be angry
http://www.deuterio.net/photoplog/im...1_xenu-pam.jpg

Sure... throw em all into the ocean as shark food :winkwink: It has nothing to do with a "church" - just another warped sect formed by Ron Hubbard. Germany may be senstive to weirdo cults and with good cause.

The last para "The U.S. State Department regularly criticizes Germany in its annual Human Rights Report for the monitoring practice." is so damned funny :1orglaugh

We got a prime violator of human rights "criticzing" another country??? *lol*

of course!!!
thats the US policy on everything:
"you are not allowed to do that/ have that.. ONLY WE ARE ALLOWED!!!"

just like the nukes :upsidedow

So you're condoning a cult that ruins lives?

Props on germanys part for the brave move.

scientology is commercial huh... what about the retarded christian and muslim religions.... nah there's no money there. Im all for banning religions, but ban them ALL. The muslim and christian religions are the two most dangerious, violent and sick religions.

I support the freedom to choose. I personally despise every organized religion but I would never support anyone who wanted to outlaw a religion. It wasn't very long ago that some dude in Germany developed a serious dislike for Jews. Can you remember his name? I'll bet you can.

GODWIN IN TWELVE POSTS

Shit, I called seven. Who won?

That is a very childish and populistic comparisson.
:2 cents:

Too bad that you don't see the similarities. You aren't a German citizen I hope. :1orglaugh

dont think its a bad thing.

Interesting.

I don't believe there is any fee to become a muslim or a christian. You must pay a fee to join the Church of Scientology(TM).

Care to elaborate on that in a modern context?

What's a religon?? Scientology?? :winkwink:

You are talking about an organization formed by a total nutcase - a thief, liar and scammer - Ron Hubbard. You are talking about an fraudulent organization which extorts, detains people without their consent, has been responsible for several deaths (a few resulting directly from their kidnapping operations).

Neither freedom or religon has anything to do with "scientology" - it's simply yet another lunatic puported "religous" cult which clearly needs criminal prosecution.

Here's a quick intro....
Scientology: Inside the Cult

I know more about Scientology than I ever wanted to. My old roommate's entire family was into it. She and I had numerous heated discussions about Scientology and religion in general. I completely agree that it's a convoluted, cultish religion but as much as I disagree with it, I have to disagree with banning anyone's beliefs even more.

guess Tom Cruise is leaving...lol

I am not and you are proving my point.
You are making this a "german" issue.

In ww2 the dictator (as in non-democratic) Hitler went after the people from the Jewish religion cause of hate using violence.

In this case a democratic government is going after what is a threat to democracy using democratix means. Scientology thinks it is above any countries government.

Read the articles and try to form an independent opinion instead of trying to make a simple score?

Sure... appreciate the belief aspect, tho it's not even really about beliefs.

The majority of people within this cult are just victims and it's hard to "blame" them unless they start the usual criminal conduct. It's basically a criminal organization which gets involved in violent assaults, fraud, blackmail etc and causes considerable damage to others - it's like having "beliefs" in the Mafia :)

Clearwater (Fla) has had considerable problems for years with Hubbard's scam. Here's another example based around the Clearwater area - Scientology and the Clearwater Police and an example of police corruption/abuse.

Death squads can come in handy for removing human trash :winkwink::thumbsup

R. Hubbard said the fastest way to make a lot of money is to start a religion...

And the Catholic church isn't?

A true democratic government wouldn't try to ban a religion. Why is that so tough for you to understand?

Not really - you don't have to pay any money to get in. In fact you don't ever have to pay any money if you don't want to.

That's the whole point man - it has nothing to do with religion - it's a criminal organization.

Apart from well-known US activities, a fair number of prosecutors in EU countries have charges pending (tho may now have been heard) against members and police have had reason to conduct numerous raids, not only on scientology properties, but also on associated offices of "consultants" etc.

This crap is nothing new - my best friend is a law agent - she arrested a fair number of these idiots over the years - most were far less "offensive" and included the ludicrous, scamming Jim Bakker and his jewellry-dripping wife. Never confuse these people with religon - they are crooks and leech off a gullible element of the US public. It has nothing to do with "freedoms" or "beliefs".

The idea this is anything other than a fraudulent operation is hard to envisage. The "acceptance" of fraud and extortion disguised as a lunatic religon is unlikely to be tolerated much outside the US.

I don't care if you have to let the priest ass fuck you before you can join the Church of Scientology, people's religious beliefs are their business, so long as they're not harming others.

I don't think the German government, you, me, or anyone else should be deciding what religions are "legal"

That's a slippery fucking slope.

You don't think other religions feel they are "above any countries government"

If you gave a die-hard Christian the choice of obeying Jesus or obeying the law of the country he lives in, which do you think he would choose?

Just because most people think scientologists are goofy doesn't matter, you don't get to decide what religion someone else gets to practice.

Being goofy was never a crime SD and people can believe in magic or the fairy godmother if it suits them. When they start committing offenses and harming others in the name of "goofyness" - it's time to lock em up. Then it's irrelevant what their "religon" is - who cares? They can practice their "religon" in a jail cell and play the snake oil salesman with the other cons and maybe screw them out of their bank robbery proceeds :winkwink:

This message is hidden because GreyWolf is on your ignore list.

Obviously the ignore list don't work too well :1orglaugh

I agree - I don't think governments should be banning religions.

But your comparison of catholicism and scientology in terms of commercialism is way off.

The scriptures teach one to obey the laws of the land and Jesus said to render unto Ceasar what is Ceasars...so if one is a Christian they should follow the scriptures.

I dunno, when the catholic church asked members of my family to buy a life insurance policy and name the church as the beneficiary, that felt pretty "commercial" to me.

What's scientology all about? What part of it conflicts with the German Constitution?

Yeah... Tom Cruise.. All I have to say...

Yea yea - don't start Crocket or we'll be reading a serious analysis about Xenu on GFY next about how this is a religion and how naughty the German govt are to ban it :winkwink: