Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology From: dennis.l.erlich@support.com Subject: Another big win for t Message-ID: <9507071820.0PRPH02@support.com> References: <3tjfhi$2t8@giga.bga.com> Organization: L.A. Valley College Public BBS (818)985-7150 X-Mailer: TBBS/PIMP v3.35/PRIMP 1.56p Distribution: world Date: Fri, 07 Jul 95 18:20:37 -0700 Lines: 128 cyntheta@aol.com (Cyntheta) clears her throat, steps up to the mic, and attempts a civics lession: >I am a citizen of the United States. FWIW. >Our founding fathers had the great >wisdom and foresight to include in our Consitution the right to free >speech. Only in a barbaric and uncivilized world could a person's right to >voice his own opinion be censored. That's exactly going on on ars and all over the world against their critics at the instigation of the scienos. New in town? > However, I don't think even Thomas Jefferson would approve of cowardly >bigots who voice their opinion while hiding behind a screen. Bigot ... hmmm. Where have I heard that before? I've voiced my opinions in public, on TV, on Radio, to churches, to students, even to clerks in stores I frequent. I'm not hiding and neither are the rest of the critics of the cult. Those who post anonymously have too much to lose or family to protect from the vicious harassment of the cult. They have my full respect. > If you have an opinion and you feel strongly enough about that opinion >to voice it, then have the courage to show your face (or name) while >speaking it. Who the hell are you to tell others what to risk? > I don't care whether Scientology is a religion or not. I believe in >free will and that includes the freedom to believe what you believe. Freedom to lie to others, to sell them salvation in the form of exorcism only after they're so barainwashed they believe themselves to be possessed, to harass critics, to frame Federal Judges with prostitutes, to lock people in basements, to torture people in the name of rehabilitation? Are these the freedoms you believe in? Freedom to be criminal? > I do care about freedom of speech and I'm not sure it should be >confused with the right to privacy. It seems both the Church and its >critics are throwing these terms around quite a bit. It's called an open discussion in the marketplace of ideas. Freedom of expression. Perhaps you've heard of it? > My name is Cynthia Pinsonnault and I live in the United States. I am a >member of America Online. My name is Dennis Erlich and I drink low-fat milk. So what? >Like every human being on this planet, I have a >right to my opinion and I am always happy to share my opinion with others >even though I know that others won't always agree with me. Well spit it out then. What the heck *is* your opinion, anyway? That people on ars should be more like you? (wishy-washy) You're only going to comment on the way things are posted to the newsgroup and not the content? >I don't use my >words to hurt others intentionally and I try to listen and understand >other people's opinions as long as they are not used to intentionally >hurt. How sweet. If the cult didn't attempt to stifle free speech, if it didn't squash its critics with dirty tricks and lawsuits, if it didn't practice undue influence and fraud, if it didn't lock people in basements and torture them, if it didn't abuse children and destroy families ... in other words, if the cult behaved like anything other than a criminal bent on robbing others of life, liberty and the persuit of happiness, then perhaps we could tone down the criticism to a point where it would not offend your obviously delicate sensibilities. Til then, it's "Fix bayonets!" > I think all the people involved in this debate need to review why they >are so angry. Hmmm. Lessee now. Locked in a basement for 10 days. Accused of wife-beating and child molesting. Raided in my own home by my enemies. Hard disk copied. Research material and 360 disks carted off. Dragged into federal court for preaching something the cult objects to. Gee, I guess I might have a reason to be a bit peeved. I think the average Joe would have gotten a shot-gun and several boxes of shells and gone clam-hunting. I know I would have really enjoyed it. But, alas ... >Perhaps there is room for freedom of speech and the right to >privacy as long as one doesn't rule out the other. Deep. I suppose you're here to draw the line for us. > If you've read this far without getting bored and moving on, then >thanks for listening. Not bored. Confused about what you're trying to say, is all. Perhaps if you read the newsgroup for a day or two and *then* wrote your ideas down on paper and showed them to someone who could act as an editor to help you state your ideas in a clear fashion, your post would be more pertinent and might have some point. But (judging from this one) most likely not. +--------------------------------------+ Rev. Dennis L Erlich * * the inFormer * * dennis.l.erlich@support.com + inForm@primenet.com "tar baby"