Slate analyzes and rates Scientology's new advertising campaign. I watched the ad they embedded into the story, and it struck me as fairly potent. I think Scientology is a weird pseudo-religion, so it doesn't bother me that it gets a slick marketing treatment. But I'm uncomfortable with the marketing strategies of real churches and real religions. I'm not sure why I should be, given that there's nothing intrinsically wrong with a church wanting to reach out to people. I guess it's that the idea that religious faith is packaged as just another product to sell that rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps that's unfair. Your thoughts?
By the way, here's a pretty funny parody asking the question, "What if Starbucks Marketed Like a Church?" -- the "church" in question plainly being Evangelical megachurches:
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The video is an example of poor quality marketing practices. That's pretty common among the vast majority of "wanna be" evangelical churches. Would it be any better if the marketing were really well done?
See this link and decide for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb9DF16Fx8k
I agree with your post, but the point of the video--and the website plugged at the end--seems to be not that the church shouldn't market but that it should market more effectively. It doesn't really seem to go with what you wrote.
"and your whole ra-ra is just a plain insult against Scientologists."
I'd take Louanne's statement with a grain of salt, she is an Office of
Special Affairs agent, Scientology's Intelligence division, who patrols
the Internet at the behest of Scientology to attack critics.
"I'm curious about the distinction between religion and pseudo-religion"
Well, we don't have Jesus or Mohammed saying they started a religion
"to make a million dollars", like L Ron Hubbard did. L Ron Hubbard also
said that "Scientology is not a religion". Scientology only claimed it was
a religion when the IRS started pursuing it for back taxes, top level management who have since left Scientology have testified about this, google
"religious cloaking". Scientology also teaches it's adherents to lie, when it's
beneficial to Scientology, I'm not aware that any religion teaches this. I'm
a ex-Catholic atheist but I believed lying was categorically wrong when
I was still Catholic, my presest atheism has'nt changed that one bit.
I think this article is a matter of opinion. If it wasn't for me trying to control my reactive mind as a preclear of Scientology, I'd tell you what I really think.
To know if a cult is or isn't a religion you must go to what they claim or require you to sign.
The fact is that full and complete disclosure is always lacking in any Scientology contract.
Here is just .oo1 percent of the stuff you are not told.
LRH used God's Natural laws to make slaves of mankind!
"So long as a physiological phenomenon remains the knowledge of a few and is denied to the many it can be utilized to control the many." LRH (from Journal of Scientology Issue 4-G from Oct. 1952)
"This universe has long been looking for new ways to make slaves. Well, we've got some new ways to make slaves here." LRH (from PDC tape lecture #20 "Formative State of Scientology, Definition of Logic", given on 6 Dec 52)
"All men shall be my slaves! LRH
All women shall submit to my charms! LRH
All mankind shall grovel at my feet and not know why!" [L. Ron Hubbard, "Affirmations", late 1940s] Affirmations, exhibits 500-4D, E, F & G. See Church of Scientology v Armstrong, transcript volume 11, p.1886.
"Somebody some day will say 'this is illegal'.
By then be sure the orgs say what is legal or not."
L. Ron Hubbard, HCOPL 4 January 1966
"THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN CONTROL PEOPLE IS TO LIE TO THEM". You can write that down in your book in great big letters. The only way you can control anybody is to lie to them." - L. Ron Hubbard, "Off the Time Track," lecture of June 1952, excerpted in JOURNAL OF SCIENTOLOGY issue 18-G, reprinted in TECHNICAL VOLUMES OF DIANETICS & SCIENTOLOGY, vol. 1, p. 418
"Scientology...is not a religion." - L. Ron Hubbard, CREATION OF HUMAN ABILITY, 1954, p. 251
L. Ron Hubbard's religion before he discovered physiological reactions was "Satanism".
He wanted to invent a new religion masked as being good, but in fact was totally evil so that he could take his place on the "Throne of the Beast," which he firmly believed himself to be the rightful heir. Being an evil Satanist he wanted to destroy all other religions and have Scientology as the only religion left on Earth. He wanted to be the RULER of the NEW WORLD ORDER and sit on the Throne of the Beast.
THE RONBOT HUNTER
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