A common argument among atheists and the irreligious is that the Ten Commandments doesn't belong in our courthouses. Some say that having the Ten Commandments posted there gives an implicit recommendation of one religion over all others.
Bad People. That's how a 61 year-old woman described her neighbors, the Los Angeles Scientologists. In an attempt to avoid being picketed, they got permits to close the sidewalks around their offices. This lady, without knowing it, demonstrates clearly how militant some Scientologists can be.
I'd like to even give Brown credit for being imaginative...but I can't. I read Holy Blood, Holy Grail in 1986 or so, and it would be kind to only say that Brown plagiarizes heavily from it. That book was interesting fiction too, despite its claims.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I recently spent some time discussing Landmark Education with one of their leaders. I'm meeting him for coffee in the morning, so their teachings are on my mind. I also fielded a phone call from one of their follow-up guys...
There is no truth, no meaning, no value. That's what I learned at last night's Landmark Education meeting. My friend invited me because she's excited about what Landmark has done to help her. I spent a couple of hours with her and a mutual friend and the gentleman who led the discussion.
Imagine you're a healthy young man. Now imagine that you've been in an auto accident, and that you're now a paraplegic. That would be sad and difficult, of course. Now, imagine the Roman Catholic church rubbing salt into your wounds.
In case some of you haven't heard, there's a "revival" going on in Lakeland, Florida. It's led by "man of God" Todd Bentley who does "miracle healings". Yes, I put those things in quotes because I have serious doubts about what's going on there.
Some are shocked at the utter depravity that can lurk in the minds and hearts of seemingly-normal people. I have to admit that I'm rarely surprised to see how much evil one can do. Today's shocking Yahoo News story is about a man in Austria who confessed to holding his adult daughter captive for 24 years.
As I mentioned earlier, Jason Beghe used to be Scientology's poster boy. Now he's speaking out against the sci-fi religion. Enjoy his interview...your comments are welcome.
I don't find it that odd that this sort of thing is happening. The pressure on Scientology is intensifying, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a whole bunch more defections before 2008 is over.
Most Americans know who Jason Beghe is. I wasn't sure until I looked at the movies and TV shows he's been in...then I knew I'd seen him dozens of times. Jason used to be a Scientologist. No, not your run-of-the-mill Scientologist...he was an OT VII.
Christopher and Peter Hitchens are brothers. One is an atheist, and the other is a Christian. Both are are insightful writers who are unafraid to express their points of view. These are the first two of 9,632 video clips of the debate. I'm joking, but only a little.
In the news: the church of Scientology has begun to make their move. Some of their most sensitive documents have been leaked by Wikileaks, a website devoted to transparency in the pursuit of justice.
The search phrase that caught my eye today was bacteria phages vs morality. Odd, yes. Most would have no idea why anyone would search for such a phrase. It's at the heart of a serious theological discussion. Fortunately for you, I've recorded a very funny version of this discussion here at GodWords.
I'm guessing that most of you don't know anything about this group. They're not a huge group by any stretch...they have just over 200 churches ("centers") worldwide. They don't formally track membership, but estimates range from 100,000 to 200,000.
OT stands for Operating Thetan. According to Scientologists, that's a level of spiritual being where one has "knowing and willing cause over life, thought, matter, energy, space and time." Confused? You should be.
According to the Roman Catholic church, there are two types of sins:
Venial sins, which are relatively minor, and Capital (or Mortal) sins, which put one in danger of eternal damnation. The traditionally-held Seven Deadly Sins are, in order of seriousness:
It's sometimes really difficult to encapsulate a belief system in a few words. Sometimes it's helpful to describe it with pictures, and it's often beneficial if those pictures also move. Here's a thumbnail sketch of what Scientologists believe:
For those who haven't been paying attention, the "church" of Scientology fits almost any definition of the word cult. More than a few people have left Scientology over their under-handed and domineering tactics, and support networks appear to be springing up all over.
For those who haven't been paying attention, the "church" of Scientology fits almost any definition of the word cult. More than a few people have left Scientology over their under-handed and domineering tactics, and support networks appear to be springing up all over.
The Roman Catholic church apparently considers this to be an unofficial list of "capital" or "mortal" sins...that is, one cannot commit this kind of sin without being in danger of hell.
No matter what anyone tells you, know this: Christianity isn't a ticket to the good life. If it were, Jesus' disciples would have ruled the world. Instead, most of them were martyred for their faith. If you're tempted to believe that guy on TV when he says that God wants every Christian to be rich, consider the words of Jesus Himself:
Most people assume that L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics and Scientology sprang fully-formed from his science-fiction-creating imagination. It could be that nothing is further from the truth.
Nope. Here are a few reasons why we know that Leonardo da Vinci's painting doesn't tell the same story we read in the Bible: In the painting, it's daytime. The Passover meal would have been eaten after sundown.
