Kevin's Watch

EL...
I have not been following this story outside of what you are posting.
Why are these mass protests being staged?
I don't much care for Scientology, but I don't much care for other such organizations either.
Did something recently happen to trigger all of this?

*wondering if my question should be put in The Close*

Menolly wrote:EL...
I have not been following this story outside of what you are posting.
Why are these mass protests being staged?
I don't much care for Scientology, but I don't much care for other such organizations either.
Did something recently happen to trigger all of this?

*wondering if my question should be put in The Close*

I believe it all started here.

...hmmm...

*pondering*

Wow. . . that actually sounds scarier than I thought it was going to. I don't like the fact that they followed you guys and took pictures.

JazFusion wrote:

Menolly wrote:EL...
I have not been following this story outside of what you are posting.
Why are these mass protests being staged?
I don't much care for Scientology, but I don't much care for other such organizations either.
Did something recently happen to trigger all of this?

*wondering if my question should be put in The Close*

I believe it all started here.

Lisa McPherson's death is a large part of why we did what we did, but not the main reason.

Scientology charges people for their brand of Salvation. Where I come from, that makes them a for-profit business. Not a religion.

Scientology does not believe in free speech when it comes to criticising the church. Oh, and you can't reveal what their teachings are, because those are "trade secrets," and they'll sue you. Last time I checked, religions did not have "Trade Secrets" -- corporations did.

What really ticked off these protests was Scientology getting a video of Tom Cruise yanked off of YouTube.

This is the message from Anonymous to Scientology.

Anonymous is at War with Scientology. And we will win.

...

Is there a way to get a transcript of Anonymous' video?

I'm sure that it exists still . . . no one would be silly enough to posess the only copy.

It's hard to take part in a discussion
when you are unable to watch said video due to being on dial-up.
*sigh*

Emotional Leper wrote:

JazFusion wrote:

Menolly wrote:EL...
I have not been following this story outside of what you are posting.
Why are these mass protests being staged?
I don't much care for Scientology, but I don't much care for other such organizations either.
Did something recently happen to trigger all of this?

*wondering if my question should be put in The Close*

I believe it all started here.

Lisa McPherson's death is a large part of why we did what we did, but not the main reason.

Scientology charges people for their brand of Salvation. Where I come from, that makes them a for-profit business. Not a religion.

Scientology does not believe in free speech when it comes to criticising the church. Oh, and you can't reveal what their teachings are, because those are "trade secrets," and they'll sue you. Last time I checked, religions did not have "Trade Secrets" -- corporations did.

What really ticked off these protests was Scientology getting a video of Tom Cruise yanked off of YouTube.

This is the message from Anonymous to Scientology.

Anonymous is at War with Scientology. And we will win.

I know. I was just giving that link as a starter since Menolly was unfamiliar, and since it's pretty much the snowflake that ignited the snowball.

I completely agree with these protests and commend those that participate. It's close to my heart as one of my dear friends has been "converted" to Scientology. Someone needs to stop them.

Emotional Leper wrote:The highlights of the day were the news crews showing up to interview some of us, and the one scientologist lady who drove by us, gave the us the finger, and shouted, "Get a job!" as she entered the parking lot for their building.

Yeah...we should all get jobs brainwashing people just like the Lady of the Finger.

scientology should be destroyed.

Matrixman wrote: Yeah...we should all get jobs brainwashing people just like the Lady of the Finger.

Too funny. . . I especially like the epithet!

I love the South Park episodes lampooning Scientology, too bad the Scientologists had them yanked.

When a person dies – or, in Scientology terms, when a thetan abandons its physical body – they go to a "landing station" on the planet Venus, where the thetan is re-implanted and told lies about its past life and its next life. The Venusians take the thetan, "capsule" it, and send it back to Earth to be dumped into the ocean off the coast of California. Says Hubbard, "If you can get out of that, and through that, and wander around through the cities and find some girl who looks like she is going to get married or have a baby or something like that, you're all set. And if you can find the maternity ward to a hospital or something, you're OK. And you just eventually just pick up a baby." To avoid these inconveniences, Hubbard advised Scientologists to refuse to go to Venus after their death, but rather to Uranus.[3][4]

That seems like something that a bad science fiction writer would come up with. Oh wait, a bad science fiction writer did come up with it.

Menolly wrote:It's hard to take part in a discussion
when you are unable to watch said video due to being on dial-up.
*sigh*

Hello, Scientology. We are Anonymous.

Over the years, we have been watching you. Your campaigns of misinformation; suppression of dissent; your litigious nature, all of these things have caught our eye. With the leakage of your latest propaganda video into mainstream circulation, the extent of your malign influence over those who trust you, who call you leader, has been made clear to us. Anonymous has therefore decided that your organization should be destroyed. For the good of your followers, for the good of mankind--for the laughs--we shall expel you from the Internet and systematically dismantle the Church of Scientology in its present form. We acknowledge you as a serious opponent, and we are prepared for a long, long campaign. You will not prevail forever against the angry masses of the body politic. Your methods, hypocrisy, and the artlessness of your organization have sounded its death knell.

You cannot hide; we are everywhere.

We cannot die; we are forever. We're getting bigger every day--and solely by the force of our ideas, malicious and hostile as they often are. If you want another name for your opponent, then call us Legion, for we are many.

Yet for all that we are not as monstrous as you are; still our methods are a parallel to your own. Doubtless you will use the Anon's actions as an example of the persecution you have so long warned your followers would come; this is acceptable. In fact, it is encouraged. We are your SPs.

Gradually as we merge our pulse with that of your "Church", the suppression of your followers will become increasingly difficult to maintain. Believers will wake, and see that salvation has no price. They will know that the stress, the frustration that they feel is not something that may be blamed upon Anonymous. No--they will see that it stems from a source far closer to each. Yes, we are SPs. But the sum of suppression we could ever muster is eclipsed by that of the RTC.

Knowledge is free.

We are Anonymous.

We are Legion.

We do not forgive.

WE DO NOT FORGET.

Expect us.

rave on brother!

Elizabeth Bear (the author) has been tracking the Anonymous thing on her livejournal--her interest lying in the viral messaging and social engineering phenomena it demonstrates.
This post is about the video they released in advance of the protests with guidelines on condust--and she provides a full transcript, which is useful. Some interesting stuff down in the comments as well.

Thank you both, EL and Murrin.

Brings a whole new meaning to "Beware the Ides of March".

JazFusion wrote:Brings a whole new meaning to "Beware the Ides of March".

It'd be nice if David Miscavaige would walk past our Toga clad selves.