Scientologist takes umbrage at remark

Rex Fowler, Denver

Sunday, July 6, 2008

I was surprised that out of all of the remarks that comedian Kathy Griffin made during the fourth season debut of her TV show, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, the Rocky Mountain News chose to include a discriminatory remark about my religion ("Griffin always 'on,' "" Spotlight, June 11). If the remark had been about Judaism or Islam, would the Rocky have included it in the article?

I am very proud to be a Scientologist. I have been active in my church, here in Colorado, since 1974. When the people of Windsor needed help, my friends and I were among those helping. We gave out water and sports drinks to the workers and the residents. We co-hosted a free outdoor dinner for residents and relief workers and served 350 people.

As a minister of our church, I listened to stories by residents who needed someone to talk to.

Our volunteer ministers are helpful and good-hearted and show up anywhere in the world, often under stressful conditions. The Rocky should know who it's trying to put down when it passes on false and inflammatory comments. People should be assisting, not attacking, the hard-working Scientology volunteer ministers in the yellow shirts.

• July 6, 2008

  9:45 p.m.

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  SheikYurBooty writes:

  Scientology is a base cult. Period. Cult traits - paranoia, control, us-them mentality, etc. Scientology is second only to Islam as a dangerous cult.

• July 6, 2008

  10:05 p.m.

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  Shadow writes:

  Consider the source of the remark. There is a reason Kathy Griffin is on a show titled the D-list. She is terrible. The only surprise is that she even has a show, that someone would waste time, effort and money on this hack.

• July 7, 2008

  12:01 a.m.

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  nonayerbsns writes:

  First off, it's not a 'church' and secondly, it is based on a silly a$$ book written by a guy who, if he were alive today, would be laughing his tookus off at you for actually believing the crappola written in those pages.

  Your kindness in doing deeds for others in dire straits is nothing more than humanity at its finest. Would you NOT do these things to help people if you weren't a member of this book club?

• July 7, 2008

  12:02 a.m.

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  nonayerbsns writes:

  PS, I am a non believer and have travelled to many parts of the world to help others.

• July 7, 2008

  1:21 a.m.

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  clyde writes:

  The "D-List"? Now THERE's something to aspire to. Right up there with "The Crawling Eye" and "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes". Are we now worshipping the lowest common denominator?

• July 7, 2008

  2:13 a.m.

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  DiogenesTheCynic writes:

  I'm going to save you several years and at least $100,000 here:

  The cult Rex here is defending believes that 75 million years ago, an evil alien warlord named Xenu rounded up billions of citizens of his galactic confederacy and shipped them to Earth in space cruisers that looked like DC-8s, only with rocket engines attached. Once on earth, the cruisers dumped Xenu's imprisoned subjects in volcanos around the Pacific Rim and detonated hydrogen bombs inside them. As the ghosts of the dead aliens escaped, they were again rounded up and forced into detention centers where they were brainwashed into believing all the major world religions. They wandered the planet in a daze until the dawn of early man, at which point they attached themselves to the humans' bodies and became the cause of all our misery, suffering and misunderstanding.

  That story is from a Scientology level called OT3. You'd normally have to be in the church for a good time and spend a LOT of money to be allowed to learn it.

  I suppose if I was part of a cult that believed goofy crap like that, I'd be defensive about people laughing, too.

• July 7, 2008

  2:16 a.m.

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  DiogenesTheCynic writes:

  And, for the record, those "volunteer ministers" are cult recruiters who prey on victims of natural disaster and violent crime when they're at their weakest and most suggestible, as well as keeping victims away from psychiatric assistance, because of their own looney opposition to psychiatry.

• July 7, 2008

  6:22 a.m.

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  LetsThink writes:

  The minister tells us all the good things his church does to the community. And that is commendable.

  But what would be more interesting to hear is what the Scientology church teaches about how a person can get into Heaven.

• July 7, 2008

  6:25 a.m.

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  Mike_In_Hartsel writes:

  Scientology reularly takes people to federal court who don't agree with them or who say things about them they don't like. Former members are told to keep their mouths shut. Caring and giving? I don't think so.

• July 7, 2008

  6:52 a.m.

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  yeastyc writes:

  Believe what you believe, but being offended because people can't relate and think its a little weird that your worshipping a sci fi novel? People make fun of Mormons for their odd beliefs all the time, do they waste their time attacking? Doing good things for others is human, it doesn't make any of us better than anyone else, regardless of our impetus to do good.

• July 7, 2008

  7:14 a.m.

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  CP writes:

  Rex, you lack common sense on two counts:
  1) Kathy Griffin is a comedian!! Get over it.
  2) Any religion that believes in aliens from outer space has serious mental issues.

• July 7, 2008

  7:26 a.m.

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  Charles_B writes:

  I see no reason not to laugh at and disparage your religion like I would any other idiot religion..

• July 7, 2008

  7:28 a.m.

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  Charles_B writes:

  nonayerbsns said:

  "First off, it's not a 'church' and secondly, it is based on a silly a$$ book written by a guy who, if he were alive today, would be laughing his tookus off at you for actually believing the crappola written in those pages."

  Another way Scientology is like any other religion that worships words in a book.

• July 7, 2008

  8:16 a.m.

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  bxwatso writes:

  I'd much rather hang with a sincere Scientologist than a half baked hippie who claims that a 5 year degree from Boulder taught him that there is no god other than government and that Ward Churchill is the truth, light, and way.

  As a Christian, I know that some parts of the Bible are quite hard to swallow from an outside perspective. We should give religion, even ones that are proven to be made up, a wide berth. Once people like the Boulder hippies marginalize the goofier religions, they will take on the big ones with even more vigor.

• July 7, 2008

  8:37 a.m.

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  DiogenesTheCynic writes:

  Might want to re-examine your priorities, bxwatso. I've known a number of Christian hippies. Scientologists, on the other hand, believe that your faith is an elaborate lie concocted by aliens to keep us confused, and that Jesus was, as Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard put it, "a lover of young boys and men, ... given to uncontrollable bursts of temper and hatred that belied the general message of love."

• July 7, 2008

  9:28 a.m.

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  bobbyb writes:

  dude- you're free to belong to whatever cult you want. just don't get all offended when someone calls it what it is!

• July 7, 2008

  11:21 a.m.

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  Hedz writes:

  Actually they wouldn't belittle "Islam or Judaism" BUT they would do it to Christianity....... Poor persecuted Scientologist, it's such a hard knock life......

• July 7, 2008

  11:27 a.m.

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  ezekiel777 writes:

  david herzog is holding holy ghost spiritual deliverance meetings this week at Power Invasion church located on platte river rd, just south of alameda. demons, witchcraft, cults, familiar and unclean spirits are fleeing in fear from the power of the ONE TRUE GOD.

  show up, check it out. see the demons flee....be set free from the demonic controls in your life...

  be blessed in jesus name.

  see you there. tonight at 7:00 p.m.

• July 7, 2008

  11:46 a.m.

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  primafacie writes:

  Scientology is no different than any other cult. The Moonies, Brand Davidians, Global Warming....

• July 7, 2008

  11:49 a.m.

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  SheikYurBooty writes:

  primafacie - cute dig at GW. Shows how desperate you anti-GW's are becoming.

• July 7, 2008

  11:52 a.m.

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  temurlan writes:

  Rex and the other scientologists who are whining about this better get in line. Christians, Jews, Buddists, etc. have had to deal with a lot worst than Kathy Griffen.

  Wasn't the writer of the science fiction book that started this the guy who said "the quickest way to wealth is to create a religion?"

  Could be wrong but I don't think so.

• July 7, 2008

  12:11 p.m.

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  rg writes:

  A religion is cult plus time and maybe a football team. Lafayette Ron Hubbard said if you really want to make money create a religion so based on his science fiction writing which he sold for a penny word he created a pseudo religion and sold the same word for a $1000 per word and laughed all the way to the bank. It is in my book from articles on the Net: Pay Sci Die. Richard Grimes: Deicide.

  Deicide Corner: “I am now convinced that children should not be subjected to the frightfulness of the Christian religion…If the concept of a father who plots to have his own son put to death is presented to children as beautiful and as worthy of society’s admiration, what types of human behavior can be presented to them as reprehensible?” Ruth Hurmance Green “

• July 7, 2008

  12:41 p.m.

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  CheapEnergyNow writes:

  primafacie,

  You should be beheaded for doubting Global Warming. Believe or perish. You must bike to work 3 times and say 20 ”Algories” for atonement.

• July 7, 2008

  12:41 p.m.

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  wow writes:

  My favorite scifi writer was Douglas Adams. His books were so much better than the tripe L. Ron wrote. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy would make a nice religious text, so why not lets all join hands, bring our towels and start the Sacred Order of Zapphod so we can fight the evil Vogons. We'll be rich.

• July 7, 2008

  1:25 p.m.

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  ShepDog writes:

  Yoda told me that L Ron was wack.

• July 7, 2008

  2:17 p.m.

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  peterpi writes:

  Hedz at 11:21, people belittle Judaism all the time. Jewish comedians have made careers and fortunes making fun at Judaism's expense. Leaders of nations and churches have belitled Judaism with no harm to themselves
  But, I agree that some Scientologists do seem to be particularly thin-skinned (a handsome but dumb actor comes to mind), and Scientology officials go after critics with a vengeance.
  primafacie, minor correction: It's Branch Davidians.

• July 7, 2008

  3:21 p.m.

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  MrPeabody writes:

  I know of only one other "religion" that goes to the lengths to attack its most vocal critics that scientologists do. Guess which one? They're both cults.

• July 7, 2008

  3:27 p.m.

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  CheapEnergyNow writes:

  MrPeabody,

  Is it the religion of peace?

• July 7, 2008

  4:21 p.m.

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  pj writes:

  This is a pretty interesting discussion...what the heck, I'll add my $0.02.

  Religion is a magical thinking construct of man to control the masses, and yes, generate money. You worship something you can't see, touch, or hear, unless you're a schizophrenic, and take the Bible as the literal "word of God", when in fact it has gone through so many cultural illiterations, who knows what the original actually said. Probably, be nice to each other and don't kill anyone.

  Being "Spiritual" on the other hand could be described as feeling good, in balance, about yourself and others. Being sensitive to the needs of others, and feeling at one with the subtle energies around you.

  From many of the comments already posted, the severe control issues seen with the Church of Scientology should make anyone question the validity of this cult and steer clear.

• July 7, 2008

  4:38 p.m.

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  temurlan writes:

  PJ,

  Well put.

• July 7, 2008

  4:57 p.m.

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  CheapEnergyNow writes:

  pj,

  In your view is Global Warming a religion?

  It is a magical thinking construct of man to control the masses, and yes, generate money. You worship something you can't see, touch, or hear"

  The similarities are compelling. Can’t be seem, can’t be verified unless you believe in the infallibility of computer models. It doesn’t have a supreme being, but it does have a devil’s wrath that will smite us with droughts, floods, heat waves and ice ages if we don’t comply.

• July 7, 2008

  4:58 p.m.

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  Arioch writes:

  If I wanted to learn more about any variant of Christianity, I could go to almost any street in this town and speak to a representative of the Father and the Son.

  If I decided that the Jewish faith was for me, I could talk to a rabbi and learn what is required to become one of the Chosen People.

  Should I choose to convert to Islam, I know that I could find a mosque and have a chat with an imam about the process and the beliefs.

  As I recall, the Buddhists have a temple near Sakura Square, so I could chat with their priests, if I were so inclined, about how I would go about following the Eightfold Path.

  I even know places I could go to ask questions of Wiccans and other neo-pagans about whatever they believe this week.

  And in each of these cases, I could find out everything I wanted to know for FREE. With Scientology, I would have to be prepared to hand over thousands upon thousands of dollars, sign myself into slavery, or both. I would be cut off from everyone I knew and loved, I would be subjected to regular brain-washing sessions, and I might even be starved and/or dehydrated to the point of death.

  Scientology KILLS.

  http://www.xenu.net

• July 7, 2008

  7:36 p.m.

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  me2 writes:

  I want to go see the demons and unclean spirits flee before the Lord. I also want to watch the Evil Flea before the Lord. Poor flea.

  Wow, remember that Earthlings are mostly harmless. And the Babblefish destroyed God.

• July 7, 2008

  7:46 p.m.

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  Rocco3454 writes:

  It's wonderful you're a good neighbor and samaritan. But as to scientology - it's a bad joke and to call such a thing a religion borders on sickness.

• July 7, 2008

  8:23 p.m.

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  wow writes:

  I'm turning on my electric thumb now...gotta escape this craziness.