Re: Scientology VS Christianity currently tied
 

[ QUOTE ]
Christianity is the religion that formed the basis for preservation and expansion of Western culture and civilization.



[/ QUOTE ] lies.

Re: Scientology VS Christianity currently tied
 

Damn-it! Caught again. We really owe everything to these guys:

http://www.picturehosting.org/images...eldearth01.jpg

Re: Scientology VS Christianity currently tied
 

Credibility, you choose:

1) The founder of a cult/hoax who was a science fiction writer who made a statement a decade before founding Scientology that the best way to get rich was to start your own religion, and who died on a yacht off coastal waters evading prosecution for income tax evasion, and whose cult requires you to pay to gradually receive all the information upto learning about Xenu the evil galactic ruler of 70 million years ago.

2) A man who preached salvation was freely available for all and was willing to die to make that available for all men.

Re: Scientology VS Christianity currently tied
 

[ QUOTE ]
Credibility, you choose:

1) The founder of a cult/hoax who was a science fiction writer who made a statement a decade before founding Scientology that the best way to get rich was to start your own religion, and who died on a yacht off coastal waters evading prosecution for income tax evasion, and whose cult requires you to pay to gradually receive all the information upto learning about Xenu the evil galactic ruler of 70 million years ago.

2) A man who preached salvation was freely available for all and was willing to die to make that available for all men.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree that you probably have a point philosophy-wise; which one contains the best guidance for life (although I don't know scientology well enough to be sure).

But I intended to examine the claims regarding God and Xeno, the real basis of the religion.

(If there was a church that went to the extent of saying God was only a metaphor for delivery of their life-philosophy then they would achieve your credibility measure without failing this one).

RJT asked what do we know about the authors?

Part of the reason I asked the question is that I don't know in depth, but broadly speaking (and for the key figures, rather than necessarily the writers) we are considering a cult terrorist and a criminal science-fiction writer.

Both were criminals, both wished to promote life-philosophies, and both described "facts" that cannot be substantiated. What next?

Re: Scientology VS Christianity currently tied
 

[ QUOTE ]
the best way to get rich was to start your own religion

[/ QUOTE ] Clearly, this was the thetens speaking.

Re: Scientology VS Christianity currently tied
 

[ QUOTE ]
Credibility, you choose:

1) The founder of a cult/hoax who was a science fiction writer who made a statement a decade before founding Scientology that the best way to get rich was to start your own religion, and who died on a yacht off coastal waters evading prosecution for income tax evasion, and whose cult requires you to pay to gradually receive all the information upto learning about Xenu the evil galactic ruler of 70 million years ago.

2) A man who preached salvation was freely available for all and was willing to die to make that available for all men.

[/ QUOTE ]

What does credibility has to do with "a man who preached salvation was freely available for all and was willing to die to make that available for all men."?

He sounds like a completely insane dude. At least #1 from above doesn't sound insane at all.

I would say that both are extremely weak in the "credibility" area. The minor differences don't change anything. Moreover, there are some extra points that the scientologists get over christianity, as I've mentioned in another post here.

Also, god likes scientology better. I can personally vouch for that, as he told me that a week or so ago.

Re: Scientology VS Christianity currently tied
 

Well, certainly noone in this thread has been able to post an argument that can distinguigh Christianity from Scientolgy in terms of credibility.

I know that this alone won't cause any Christians to abandon their beliefs, but I also know that you do realise how silly it is to believe in Scientology. You can see from this thread that to an objective person without bias, both appear equally silly and logically similar.

So think about your opinions on Scientologists, and whether your beliefs are really any different. And maybe if I can just inspire you to question your own beliefs for a moment, we will have achieved something...

For those who wonder why aethiests like me go to the trouble of preaching, imagine how you would feel if the richest, most powerful and dangerous country in the world was run and predominately populated by crack-pot Scientologists [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: Scientology VS Christianity currently tied
 

[ QUOTE ]
imagine how you would feel if the richest, most powerful and dangerous country in the world was run and predominately populated by crack-pot Scientologists

[/ QUOTE ]

China? in about 15 years. USA world domination is so yesterday :-)
Actually, there is hope that china, as it swings toward democracy, also swings to some version of humanistic secularism. Much less hope for the USA which could turn quite theocratic before our eyes.

It'd be a good test of this thread if we had an idea of the amount of effort to instill scientology in china and it's acceptance vs the amount of effort to instill xtrianity in china and it's acceptance. I suspect xtianity is the harder sell if you haven't been softened up by a general xtrian slant in your culture, but..??

Re: Scientology VS Christianity currently tied
 

lots of people have called jesus a cult leader and a hoax through time, although, most of them suffered quite cruel fates.

also, the motivations for starting a religon now are different to back then. Money wasn't necessarily the key concern. egotism, glory, power and control were much more desirable at the time.

lastly, the xenu story is much more believable then most bible stories and i would LOVE to hear why you think otherwise.

Re: Scientology VS Christianity currently tied
 

[ QUOTE ]
lastly, the xenu story is much more believable then most bible stories and i would LOVE to hear why you think otherwise.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would have said xenu may be less unbelievable, but still unbelievable. There is a new sucker born everyday, as they said.