Monday, March 30, 2015

The religion of Mumbo Jumbo.

Bosom friends!

Despite the fact that I was very tempted to write about the morons who are posting pictures of the inside of their fridges (what the bloody fuck?), I will refrain my self from tackling such a compelling topic and I will instead share my humble opinion over two very different yet connected issues:

the Indiana's religious freedom law and the latest HBO's documentary Going Clear about the church of Scientology.

I know, it's sounds like the plot of yet another American Horror Story.
But lets' get cracking.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence stirred up controversy this week when he signed a "religious freedom" bill into law.
The law has businesses and civil rights groups up in arms and threatening to boycott the state.
The reaction has gotten so hot, that on Saturday, Pence told The Indianapolis Star that he is working with legislators to amend the law and "clarify" that it does not promote discrimination.
The law asserts that the government can't "substantially burden a person's exercise of religion" and that individuals who feel like their religious beliefs have been or could be "substantially burdened" can lean on this law to fend off lawsuits.
Jesus Christ Superstar.
It's not so much that religious freedom has suddenly become controversial, but rather critics of the bill assert the law could be used by individuals and businesses to discriminate on the basis of religion -- particularly against the LGBT community of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.
We are here, we are queer, get used to it.
The unsettling thing is that these "religious freedom restoration" laws already been used as legal defenses.
Toto I don't think we are in Kansas anymore.
The Human Rights Campaign highlighted several cases in which individuals have used these laws in court -- and not just in cases involving LGBT people and weddings.
A police officer in Oklahoma claimed a religious objection when he refused to police a mosque. A police officer in Salt Lake City cited his "religious liberty" when he refused to police a gay pride parade.
A photographer in New Mexico used religious freedom as a defense for not serving a lesbian couple in 2013.

What happened to doing the job you are getting paid for and keeping your religious believes for yourself? 
How the hell (or the heaven) did we get into this mess???

Religious freedom???
Religious people have been free to do the hell they have wanted to for centuries, including Crusades and child molestation.
So now we have to give sanctuary (pun intended) to whomever decide to act against any civil right as long as they do it in the name of their religion?
I suppose the ISIS chaps can now sleep soundly knowing that they can claim religious freedom.
Go ahead and become a kamikaze bomber. Indiana says that as long as your exercise of religion has been substantially burdened you can go ahead and act like an ass.
What a wonderful world.

It seams like we are doing one step forward and tow steps back. We are all dancing this tedious political minuet and quite frankly I'd rather listen to a five years old yapping about Frozen the sequel instead of this ludicrous program for the Liberation of the Oppressed Religious Dignity. L.O.R.D.

Indeed, Lord.



On the other hand we have the ever so entertaining church of Scientology who is now very upset with HBO after the airing of the network latest documentary titled GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF, based on the book by Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright.

Director Alex Gibney profiles eight former members of the Church of Scientology, whose most prominent adherents include A-list Hollywood celebrities, shining a light on how the church cultivates true believers, detailing their experiences and what they are willing to do in the name of religion.

This powerful new film highlights the Church’s origins, from its roots in the mind of founder L. Ron Hubbard to its rise in popularity in Hollywood and beyond. The heart of the film is a series of shocking revelations by former insiders, including high-ranking and recognizable members as they describe the systematic history of abuse and betrayal by Church officials, including the current leadership of the Church.

A provocative tale of ego, exploitation and lust for power and I am sure with plenty of laughable details about this made up crock of shit knock off religion.

Scientology teaches that people are immortal beings who have forgotten their true nature. Its method of spiritual rehabilitation is a type of counselling known as auditing, in which practitioners aim to consciously re-experience painful or traumatic events in their past in order to free themselves of their limiting effects. Study materials and auditing sessions are made available to members on a fee-for-service basis, which the church describes as a "fixed donation". Scientology is legally recognized as a tax-exempt religion in the United States, South Africa, Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain; the Church of Scientology emphasizes this as proof that it is a bona fide religion. In contrast, the organization is considered a commercial enterprise in Switzerland, a cult (secte) in France and Chile, and a non-profit in Norway, and its legal classification is often a point of contention.
Further controversy has focused on Scientology's belief that souls ("thetans") reincarnate and have lived on other planets before living on Earth and that some of the related teachings are not revealed to practitioners until they have paid thousands of dollars to the Church of Scientology.
Delightful.
Now I haven't watched the documentary yet but I am dying to. However I am fairly sure I do not need an in depth exposé to know that Scientology is just a load of crap like any other pay-per-redemption kind of church.

Some of the adept to Scientology even ventured comments like the following:

I don't see the Sun Film Festival allowing a documentary against Judaism.

Judaism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions and was founded over 3500 years ago in the Middle East. Jews believe that God appointed the Jews to be his chosen people in order to set an example of holiness and ethical behaviour to the world.

Scientology believes in aliens.

Your call bosom friends.

I am glad that such demented believers have now one more instrument (religious freedom) to perpetrate and foster such mumbo jumbo.

From the bottom of my ass, thank you Indiana.

Ciao for now.

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