Anonymous Attacks!
For more photos of the New York protest, click here
Hundreds of Internet users stood outside for hours in the cold on Sunday morning, and they weren't waiting for a shipment of Nintendo Wiis. They were Anonymous, a group of online activists standing outside the New York City Church of Scientology to protest the organization's policies. The protest was one of many conducted across the world at major Scientology centers on that day.
The New York City protest saw between 200 and 300 Anonymous gather outside of the Church of Scientology New York. Other prominent "raids" included 150-200 Anonymous meeting in Sydney and 500 Anonymous meeting in London to protest the Church. The protests were a part of "Operation Chanology," Anonymous' efforts to discredit the Church of Scientology.
The raids were generally peaceful, with few disturbances reported. In New York, Anonymous cooperated with the NYPD to ensure the safety of its members and a minimum of disruption. NYPD officers escorted Anonymous from their meeting place in Bryant Park up to the Church of Scientology New York building, where they stood behind cordons to allow traffic to continue down 46th Street.
Like its name implies, Anonymous is less an organization than a loose confederation of Internet message board readers and IRC chat network users. Sites like 4chan.org (warning: content may not be work-safe) brought together thousands of Internet users with a variety of interests and vocations. Anonymous seldom meet physically in large numbers outside of their message boards and chat channels. The February 10 "raids" presented one of the first examples of major Anonymous movement outside of the Internet. The February 10th date was chosen because it was the birthday of Lisa McPherson, a Scientologist Anonymous alleges was killed due to the Church of Scientology's actions.
While "Anonymous" was initially a joke directed at certain news organizations, the group began to come together in January as a response to the Church of Scientology's request for Youtube to remove a Scientology video involving Tom Cruise. Since then, Anonymous groups have protested the Church of Scientology, distributed anti-Scientology materials, and allegedly performed "Denial of Service" attacks on the Church's telecommunications systems.
The Church of Scientology issued a statement on February 10 in response to the Anonymous attacks. According to the statement, released by Rev. John Carmichael, President of the Church of Scientology New York, Anonymous has been committing hate crimes against the Church. The release described Anonymous as "cyber-terrorists," and alleged that Anonymous members threatened the Church and mailed "white powder" to dozens of its branches. The Church went on to denounce Anonymous as individuals who hide behind masks and Internet anonymity.
According to Anonymous, its members wear masks and hide their identity to protect themselves against the Church of Scientology's "Fair Game" policy. Anonymous claims that "Fair Game" is a Church policy that states that any "Suppressive Persons" may be prevented from speaking out against the Church by any means necessary. According to the Church of Scientology's web site, the "Fair Game" policy was canceled in 1968, and the Church does not condone illegal or unethical activities committed in its name.
Honestly, why do they feel the need to single out and protest this one religion?
How would they feel if other religions came and protested their respective
churches? I just don't get it.
Instead of wasting your time protesting some church, try making a real
difference in the world and donate your time to some worthwhile charity.
'I'm going to invent a religion that's going to make me a fortune. I'm tired of writing for a penny a word.' L Ron Hubbard.
Scientology isn't just some wacky, silly religion. It's a dangerous cult who was behind the largest scale government infiltration in history, has been associated with numerous deaths, and they have their OWN PRIVATE NAVY.
Their idiot beliefs, while super dumb, aren't why people are upset. It's their extortive practices of silencing anyone who tries to reveal them for what they are: a business, not a religion. A business who will do anything to protect its interests, at the cost of tens of thousands of lives. Google: operation snow white, operation freakout, sea org, and head to xenu.net if you need to learn why Scientology is no joke.
educate yourself.
http://theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com/
Anonymous is not subject to law.
Freedom of religion is great, but healthy skepticism is needed as well. Like the others have already said, the big issue with the "church" is their legitimacy as an actual religion.
Slippery slope there (as to what is and isn't a religion).
Spend a few hours and do some actual research on Scientology - especially their litigious nature - and then come back and we can all have a nice chat.
There is too much faith and not enough common sense.
As a result, there is no respect among people.
As long as people can attack each other on the basis of religion, faith and spirituality, there will never be a tomorrow.
1967: Fair Game: SP policy: SP Order. Fair game. May be deprived of property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed.
1968: Fair Game: The practice of declaring people FAIR GAME will cease. FAIR GAME may not appear on any Ethics Order. It causes bad public relations. This P/L does not cancel any policy on the treatment or handling of an SP.
PLEASE NOTE: They DID NOT stop the USE of "Fair Game," they merely stopped REFERRING TO IT as "Fair Game." They still trick, lie to, sue, and destroy their critics! Don't believe their lies!
- A Worthwhile Cause
- by Well-intentioned February 11, 2008 8:36 PM PST
- Anyone is free to believe as they wish, but not to behave as they wish. Society has rules, and no religion may violate them with impunity. Immoral behavior is particularly toxic when practiced by organizational directive, as is the case with Scientology.
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(10 Comments)We, on the other hand, are donating our time to a worthwhile cause -- the betterment of Scientology.
If the Church of Scientology is saying that its behavior can't be bettered... that's too bad, but it's no one's fault but L. Ron Hubbard's. He wrote it inflexibly. Adaptation is required for longevity, and the Church of Scientology itself says the notion of an adaptable Scientologist is oxymoronic.