5.0 ---In [email protected], <turquoiseb@...> wrote :
When discussing anything about cults, it's always good to reference the one group that almost everyone agrees is a cult -- $cientology. In this article from Salon.com, their film critic Andrew O'Hehir interviews Lawrence Wright, author of the exposé book that the new HBO documentary is based upon. If you're at all interested in cults, it's worth a read. A few provocative quotes to tempt you to read further, and my commentary on them in brackets: Miscavige and his minions remain well insulated by their millions, but Wright believes the church is now down to a few thousand active members. In terms of pure numbers, there are far fewer Scientologists in America than there are Sikhs or Wiccans or Rastafarians. (Scientology may be on a numerical par with Zoroastrianism, an ancient faith that is likely to die out in another generation or two.) [Doesn't this remind you of TMO claims of "millions" of members, when we all know that there probably aren't more than 10,000 active, involved TM meditators worldwide.] Scientology officials declined all invitations to tell their side of the story. Instead, the church’s only response has been to issue blanket denials http://www.freedommag.org/hbo/videos/exterminating-gibneys-propaganda.html of virtually every allegation attested to by former members. ... All those things are lies, the church will tell us in its manicured ads and professionally crafted videos, lies spread by disgruntled ex-members out for petty vengeance. [Sound familiar, FFLers?] http://www.salon.com/2015/03/11/lawrence_wright_on_scientologys_broken_community_and_the_complicity_of_tom_cruise_and_john_travolta/ Lawrence Wright on Scientology’s “broken community,” and the complicity of Tom Cruise and John Travolta http://www.salon.com/2015/03/11/lawrence_wright_on_scientologys_broken_community_and_the_complicity_of_tom_cruise_and_john_travolta/ http://www.salon.com/2015/03/11/lawrence_wright_on_scientologys_broken_community_and_the_complicity_of_tom_cruise_and_john_travolta/ Lawrence Wright on Scientology’s “broken community,” a... http://www.salon.com/2015/03/11/lawrence_wright_on_scientologys_broken_community_and_the_complicity_of_tom_cruise_and_john_travolta/ The author of "Going Clear" on the explosive new documentary and the coming "cataclysm" within Scientology View on www.salon.com http://www.salon.com/2015/03/11/lawrence_wright_on_scientologys_broken_community_and_the_complicity_of_tom_cruise_and_john_travolta/ Preview by Yahoo
