Someone back me up on this...
The Xenu story does NOT count as a straw man argument. The religious beliefs of Scientologists are just as valid and deserve just as much respect as anyone else's.Labels: religion
posted by Justin at 12.2.07
Monday, February 12, 2007
The Xenu story does NOT count as a straw man argument. The religious beliefs of Scientologists are just as valid and deserve just as much respect as anyone else's.
10 Comments:
Weasel words. Yes, the beliefs of Scientologists are as valid as anyone else's beliefs. However, the beliefs of Scientology are a lot sillier than any other beliefs I've come across (save, perhaps, the FSM).
Moreover, most major belief systems have by this point carefully adjusted their canon such that the worst one can say about them is that there is no proof that events actually occurred as written. (Note that Roman Catholic doctrine states that Genesis and major portions of the other first five books of the bible are to be taken metaphorically.) Certain aspects of the Xenu story, however, are provably false--see the Xenu link on Wikipedia, and scroll to the bit about radiation.
If you were raised in a Scientologist society, you might think these things are "silly" too. It's 100% a matter of perspective.
How literally people take their scripture varies widely on both camps; there are plenty of Free Zone Scientologists who are more interpretive than fundamentalist Christians.
Also:
HOW DARE YOU insult the Flying Spaghetti Monster!!! His noodly appendages will punish you in ways invisible!
But that's the thing: as silliness is entirely a matter of perspective, it doesn't really matter that I think Scientology is silly. They get to keep practicing their religion, and I get to keep making fun of them for it.
As for literalism, it is very difficult for me to take seriously any person who insists on believing anything unreproducible. The more serious their convictions that something out there is affecting the world in unscientific ways, the less seriously I generally take them. It is a simple inverse proportion.
Those quotes are secondhand, and were only transcribed decades after he allegedly said them. Don't make me dig out the nasty Jesus quotes! Sure, in the King James bible he's clean as a whistle, but you should hear about the stuff he did in Vegas when he traveled to America.
DAMMIT! Whenever I think I'm doing well in a V debate, he pulls out the ad hominem and I get CRUSHED!
*sigh* You win again, V.
In all seriousness, though, the statement "The bottom line of your entry is that you hate religions so you must make others hate religions." hurts. You've known me for years now, so if you think I'm motivated by hate, then I shouldn't just dismiss you.
I admit I used to be angry at my old religion, the people who taught it, and myself for falling for it. I'd like to think I've gotten over that anger and moved on.
What you're indicating (sorry for putting words in your mouth) is that I never did get over it. And if this post proved anything, it's that I still have enough resentment to treat you people like your situation is a joke. It's unkind and isn't helping anyone. There are plenty of people who had things a LOT worse than I did, and if they can get over it, I should too.
So yeah, you actually did win that argument.
DAMMIT V! I have to stop actually thinking about what you say before replying!
Uh... ignore that last post.
THE FBI FORGED THE LETTER!!!
Hey, you're the one making crazy claims here... the burden of proving the letter is real falls on you.
Like we're going to trust what THE GOVERNMENT has to say about the Prophet L. Ron, who liveth forever and ever, amen.
But I get it, Jokerr. You hate religions so you have to make other people hate religions. You're a very sad person, and I think your Thetan Levels are all fuckered up.
>>>2. Its good to see that you know its full of crap too.
Yep, it's a religion all right.
Post a Comment
<< Home