LaDyBuG wrote:

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Can someone explain scientology......
In all my years of watching comedy, I have never seen a "comedian" draw the line for something that might directly offen him....if anything, he laughs it out and turns it into a positive....THAT'S the business that they are in no?

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Scientology is a religious movement based on a system of beliefs, teachings, practices, and rituals that originated as philosophy in 1952 by author L. Ron Hubbard, and characterized by the Church of Scientology in 1953 as an "applied religious philosophy". Hubbard defined Scientology as "knowing how to know" [1], although he is also known to have described it as "a study of knowledge" [citation needed].

The Church of Scientology has attracted much controversy and criticism. Critics — including government officials of certain countries — have characterized the Church as an unscrupulous commercial organization, and it is accused of harassing critics and exploiting members. Scientology's principles have been characterized as pseudoscientific by mainstream medical and psychotherapeutic practitioners, and, the Church has frequently been characterized as a cult.

The term Scientology is a trademark of the Religious Technology Center, which licenses its use and use of the copyrighted works of Hubbard to the Church of Scientology. The Church presents itself as a religious non-profit organization dedicated to the development of the human spirit and providing counseling and rehabilitation programs. Church spokespeople claim that Hubbard's teachings (called "technology" or "tech" in Scientology terminology) have freed them from addictions, arthritis, depression, learning disabilities, mental illness and other problems.

more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology

What's scientology about anyway?  I've learned about other religions, but never this one.  What exactly do they believe in?

Cult.

X4v13r wrote:

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I'm with u on this one Mark 100%, it was all good when they made fun of others (religions) but once they started talking about scinetology "they have crossed the line"......whatever. Anyways, is scientology a religion, or is it really a cult?

X@vier

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It's science fiction if u ask me.

this is partly why I like this show so much.

Posted on Fri, Mar. 17, 2006

'South Park'-Scientology battle rages on

ERIN CARLSON
Associated Press

NEW YORK - "South Park" has declared war on Scientology. Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of the animated satire, are digging in against the celebrity-endorsed religion after a controversial episode mocking outspoken Scientologist Tom Cruise was yanked abruptly from the schedule Wednesday - with Internet rumors it was covert warfare by Cruise that led to its departure.

"So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun!" the "South Park" creators said in a statement Friday in Daily Variety. "Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies... You have obsructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail!"

Internet bloggers accused Cruise of threatening to not promote "Mission Impossible 3," a surefire summer blockbuster, if the offending episode ran. Comedy Central is owned by Viacom, as is Paramount, which is putting out "MI:3."

But Cruise's representative, Arnold Robinson, told The Associated Press Friday that the mega-star made no such demands.

"Not true," Robinson said. "I can tell you that he never said that."

A call by The Associated Press to a Paramount representative was not returned Friday.

The episode in question, "Trapped in the Closet," which first aired last November, shows Scientology leaders hailing Stan, one of the show's four devilish fourth graders, as a savior. A cartoon Cruise locks himself in a closet and won't come out. An animated John Travolta, another famous Scientologist, enters the closet to try to get him out.

In another dig at the famously secretive religion, the credits at show's end are filled with names like "John Smith" and "Jane Smith."

The battle began in earnest earlier this week when Isaac Hayes, another celebrity Scientologist and longtime show member - voicing the ladies' man Chef - quit the show, saying he could no longer tolerate its religious "intolerance and bigotry."

Stone and Parker didn't buy that either.

On Monday, Stone told The Associated Press, "This is 100 percent having to do with his faith in Scientology...He has no problem - and he's cashed plenty of checks - with our show making fun of Christians."

A Comedy Central spokesman said Friday that the network pulled the controversial episode to make room for two shows featuring Hayes.

"In light of the events of earlier this week, we wanted to give Chef an appropriate tribute by airing two episodes he is most known for," the spokesman said.

Marky Mark wrote:

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Fak, i've been trying to reply to this thread for like 20 minutes but i don't think i understand exactly WHAT u r ranting about. i read and reread but maybe i'm just spaced today... are u mad at society? anti-southpark fans? religion? me? i would like clarification cause i'm not totally understanding what you're mad at? and don't apologize, u just negated your rant.

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mad? I am simply dissapointed that this hayes fella has come to understand NOW that he doesn't like sp's take on all things, including religion.

i didn't negate it. it's plain long.

my point was that humor goes both ways.

 

Marky Mark wrote:

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glam_girl wrote: Better Late Then Never . . . He Did Say He Felt That A Line Was crossed . . .     True. But that line was crossed 9 years ago on their first episode.... hello Jesus is a character??!?!

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I love south park and I guess one really needs to assume that comedy has rules, implications and consequences that we may not always agree about.

Laughing at ANYTHING, making fun of ANYONE -quite a habit here at TH... not that I resent it... but it's a fact- implies the willingness to both ignore how distressful all that may be to others AND to accept the possibility that others may make jokes we feel outraged about.

Hayes could take the harsh, unapologetic tone of south park when it was about christians, but not when it comes to his derailed -sorry if there's a scientologist out there- religion.

Has any1 seen the actual episode on scientology? It's hilarious and far from cruel on the group: it points the fingers to those who run that group, not its membership.

Yes, Jesus is a character in the show, indeed. He's represented as someone who happens to live in your own hood.

Of course it takes less effort to go all offended about THAT than to even give a thread of thought about what are we doing with the thousands of homeless people that live in our own, real world, environment.

I am not sure whether Jesus said anything about those who would show him in adult oriented, cartoon shows, but he sure spoke a WHOLE LOT about PRECISELY what we don't do with those who are sick, jailed, hungry or cold. Check Matthew 25.

I know, I know, modern life is just too difficult and crazy and fast, but I would want to believe that same rules apply to stuff that both praises AND questions your/my religious convictions.

 Sorry for the long rant.

 

Marky Mark wrote:

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Did Isaac Hayes EVER read the scripts? It took him 9 years to discover how bad the show is?????? Yeah its all about what Matt Stone said, the Scientology attack and not about all religions being offended. One word to u Mr. Shaft:

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Better Late Then Never . . .

He Did Say He Felt That A Line Was crossed . . .