On 21 Apr 2001 16:54:45 -0700, A Concerned Critic <A_member@newsguy.com> wrote:

>Dear Fellow Critics,
>
>Many of you have enquired as to my recent whereabouts and activities but, as
>others of you know, I have not been shirking my duties but rather have been hard
>at work on our new Credo (see below). Of course, this was not my creation alone;
>many of you have contributed ideas which were important to the final version and
>to all of you who helped, I extend my heartfelt thanks.
>
>By way of further introduction let me add that the dire need for such a document
>has been almost universally recognized by the rank and file of critics in good
>stead. The reasons for this are many. When we consider the advances chalked up
>by the Co$ over the past 10 years, the countries added, the ever increasing
>acceptance of its social betterment programs, their mushrooming presence on the
>Web, their growing numbers of patrons, the massive increase in facilities in
>Clearwater and other cities, and yes, even the insidiously increasing number of
>O$A shills on this very newsgroup, we can clearly see some changes are needed --
>for, from all outward evidence, we ourselves have not only failed to stem the
>tide but have also, in our abject failure, come to be viewed collectively as the
>laughing stock of anit-religious coalitions. And no matter how unfair it may
>seem, no matter how loudly we protest it, the final and unavoidable proof
>ultimately looms from these comparative facts: that as the Co$ has continued to
>spread out across the globe, we have remained here like so many lab rats in this
>eternal hell hole of ranting, bickering and internecine warfare.
>
>I do not say a Credo such as this can magically save us from the quagmire in
>which we find ourselves. What I do say is this: it certainly can’t hurt.
>
>THE CRITICS’ CREDO
>
>The Critics of a.r.s. do hereby subscribe to the following guidelines and
>principles:
>
>1. To eschew hateful, obscene and vitriolic outbursts.
If you could manage to get your "church" to stop performing those acts in real life, I'd be all for it.

>2. To refrain from ridiculing the sincerely held beliefs of others.
That would include "fair game" and the "religious right" to lock people up against their will and kill them?

>3. To abstain from ad hominem attacks.
You're an idiot.

>4. To uphold the law (including laws against bomb threats, money laundering,
>drug and alcohol abuse, copyright infringement, etc.)
Would everyone also have to refrain from being framed for these crimes, too?

>5. To fully and truthfully disclose all income and other financial ties relating
>to the performance of a.r.s. duties and functions.
Oh, I see, the real reason for your list. You think we're being paid to be concerned about human rights.

Sometimes it's a thankless job, but the rewards, when they come, are far more valuable than monetary.

>6. To refrain from mindless rumor mongering, lying and false accusations.
Yeah, like when we find out that another scientologist® has been killed, we shouldn't search for the reasons, and attempt to stop it. Is this because the "church" has the "religious right" to abuse and kill their members?

Well, I guess things would be much quieter around here if nobody looked into the evidence of abuse until after there was proof of it in all cases, but how would you go about _getting_ that proof without looking at it first (oh, I see your point, the abuse would just "go away" if nobody looked at it -- is that what you call a "postulate"?) >7. To do our best to repair the tattered image of a.r.s. critics in general.
Maybe you should work on repairing the "tattered image" of your "church" first. A good start would be to stop abusing people and breaking the law.

>8. To set a good example for anti-religious groups everywhere.
So, you're claiming that this "group" you're trying to start is anti-religious. No wonder you aren't having any success in your recruiting efforts. You're looking in the wrong place.

Most of the people here are human rights advocates, opposed to illegal and abusive activities performed by a criminal organization that calls itself a "church".

If you were looking for an anti-religious group to join, you could ring up Mary and ask her if she has any openings in her fancifully named "Religious Tolerance" group.

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