Friday 14 March 2008

A Scientology Response to Anonymous

Well it looks like I am keeping somewhat up to date with things now. Found this through the Anon SA website.



Now that you have wasted 5 mins of your life watching that I hope you at least saw some of the things that I did.

Firstly they basically open their video on a quote mine. They don't actually cite the video in question so I can't check the facts properly but I feel quite safe in saying that they have edited the video to make Anonymous look worse then they actually are.

Secondly is that all that CoS have managed to do is (at least US wise) fall into the same trap that you see from other religious groups. They cite the US 1st Amendment.

Now I am not American. I base the next bit on what I have learned from Americans about this.

Somehow, it is quite possible to hold the opinion that you can freely practice your religion but somehow that annuls the bit that says that you have a right to say whatever the hell you want.

Australia is a little different. We have in our Constitution that the Commonwealth cannot prevent any religion from being followed (which is why the overturned legislation banning CoS in Australia was passed in the State Governments).

We have no protection of speech, but if CoS was to be stupid enough to sue someone protesting them they would have a new entry in Operation Foot Bullet. In trying to suppress free speech they would see themselves looking like gits and also ensuring that everyone in Australia would have a right to free speech.

If they won and the case went to the High Court and they won again there would be such an outcry that the government(s) (Either Federal or State) would end up passing legislation overturning a HCA ruling. If they lost in the HCA they would have set a precedent granting free speech, although it would be narrowed to say only organisations, it would be better then nothing at all.

Finally all they have done is shown what the label of "Anonymous" can do. It makes people feel quite safe, especially since CoS can't really do anything but whine. In a way they are crying "foul" because someone is basically following "Do unto others", that well known phrase in the Bible. If they can go around making phone calls and putting up posters accusing people of being a paedophile basically under the guise of "The Church of Scientology" (or some front group) then why cry when someone does the same to you?

If I were a "truther" I would be calling them "disinfo agents".

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