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Piltdown
Skeptic Friend
USA
312 Posts |
 Posted - 01/31/2002 : 18:04:57
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http://dailynews.yahoo.com/htx/nm/20020131/en/people-cruise_2.html
The German government does not recognize scientology as a religion on the grounds that "it masquerades as a religion to make money." Now actor Tom Cruise, one of many celebrity Scientologists, is in Germany lobbying for the group's religious status. He received a very warm reception from US Ambassador Dan Coats. Cruise and Coats met for more than an hour, then:
quote:
After meeting Coats at the U.S. embassy in central Berlin, Cruise, 39, spent nearly an hour signing autographs and talking to a star-struck embassy staff, who described him as unusually friendly and patient.
Coats later attended a special screening of (Cruise's new movie)``Vanilla Sky.''
The embassy spokesman declined to comment on Cruise's meeting with the ambassador.
Abducting UFOs and conspiring against conspiracy theorists since 1980.
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 01/31/2002 : 18:29:24 [Permalink]
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It is a pleasure to see yet again that idiocy is not confined to merely the poorly educated. The rich, the famous, and others who should know better, can be as silly as those who think the WWF is reality (I'm watching Smackdown as I write. World's greatest soap opera).
(chuckle)
f
"They will take away my Darwin Fish only when they pry it from my cold, dead bumper!" |
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Marc_a_b
Skeptic Friend
USA
142 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2002 : 18:31:08 [Permalink]
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Not just Germany. I think there is only one country in Europe that recognizes $cientology as a religion. In the UK it is not even considered a charitable organization.
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Lars_H
SFN Regular
Germany
630 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2002 : 15:21:00 [Permalink]
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quote:
The German government does not recognize scientology as a religion on the grounds that "it masquerades as a religion to make money." Now actor Tom Cruise, one of many celebrity Scientologists, is in Germany lobbying for the group's religious status.
Actually the situation of Scientology in Germany is far more serious then just not being recognized as a religion. Scientology is monitored by the "Verfassungsschutz" (Office for the protection of the costitution).
The Verfassungsschutz is concerned that Scientolgy is working to change or overthrow the constitutional democratic order in Germany.
A valid concern in my opinon, but then again In my opinon that would be a valid concern about several other so called religions aswell.
It is quetionable that the current monitoring of the Church of Scientology will lead to an outright ban like it has for several right- or leftextremist groups.
People are probably afraid that american celebreties will compare this to the nazi-empire and that alot of people will rather listen to propaganda from celebreties than to facts.
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