Jason Beghe, a Scientologist for fourteen years, speaks his mind about his disdain for Scientology. Like raising the number of missions in Catch-22, Jason contends that Scientology moves the bar on one of its most elusive goals: being “clear.” To be fair, if Judeo-Christianity first popped up in the 1950s it would be hard-pressed to declare spiritual hegemony, here in the United States or anywhere else. Literal interpretations of mythological constructs don’t perform well in front of cameras or microphones, except as theater, and even then you have to buy your own popcorn…
When it comes to Scientology I admit that I am biased against it. I find it to be an example of bad fiction made into a “chase your tail” siphon of its adherents money, as if a comatose Kilgore Trout were crossed with mayonnaise and a dying nine volt battery. Toss in an ever elusive brass ring (the golden carrot of being “clear”) that is dangled in front of a believer’s nose and you have a cash cow that squirts a steady stream of manna-droplets into its coffers. Pay to play, pay to be enlightened…and round the neck of the bottle was a paper label, with the words `DRINK ME’ beautifully printed on it in large letters.
Instead of giving away money to achieve transcendent tantalusism, I suggest listening to Silard Somerjay instead. All clear! ++++
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Buyer Beware
People are still selling Flowbees too.
LOL
The really good news is, Pastafarianism doesn't suck up $$$$
…of course, if you do it right, neither does real Christianity.
The keys to the kingdom are in Matthew, in the Beatitudes. If you take that advice to heart, whether you’re Jewish, Christian, Taoist, Confucian, animist, pagan, or simply non-religious … pretty tough to go wrong, there, sailor.
The beatitudes are found at Matthew 5: 3-12
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall possess the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
It works for the Buddhist, the believer in karma, the believer in faith, the believer in works, the believer in being decent for its own sake, the Catholic, the Protestant, the evangelical and the moderate; Flying Spaghetti Monster knows it works for the rest of us, too.
I’d say it works for Clinton fans and Obamaphiles as well, but that might be pushing things, this election season.
Possess the earth?
No one possesses anything beyond their brief time here.
Suffer persecution for justice sake? Whose justice?
Peacemakers called sons of god? Where are the daughters, cousins, siblings of god? Who cares what we’re called: just don’t call us late for dinner.
Pure of heart? By whose standards? Pure hooey. There is no light without dark, for if there is only light or dark we would not see. There is a hint of fascism in this one.
Merciful are blessed? Not in this country—we torture people.
Poor in spirit are blessed…the faceless spirit wins again. Lift that chin up, sissy, you’re going to some sort of eternal lounge in the sky.
Hunger and thirst for justice? The justice of balancing accounts, or of semitic tribalism?
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Some new beatitudes:
Blessed are those who do not cling, for they shall be supported.
Blessed are those who are not blessed, because they were not mentioned the first time around; sense of fair play, that sort of thing.
Blessed are those who don’t bother their deity all the time with calls for aid, etc. Oh, and blessed are those who don’t say ’god bless you’ all the live long day. If your god exists, he/she/it gets it. You don’t have to keeping buggin’ god all the time.
Blessed are those who control the media, for they shit wherever they like and call it good.
Blessed are the bloggers who hyperventilate, for they shall get a buzz.
Blessed are those who wander the aisles looking for bargains.
Blessed are they who are willfully ignorant, for if you mention this fact someone in the media is going to slap you. There are three who are blessed here: the willfully ignorant, the messenger and the media. Trifecta!
Blessed are those who aren’t stuck, and blessed are those who are stuck. If those who aren’t stuck could help those who are to not be so stuck…that would be blessed as well.
Blessed are those who laugh in church during the fire and brimstone chatter. Laugh like a motherfucker and ye shall be free.
++++