I know that Belgium looking into Scientology as a criminal enterprise is not news, its been going on for over a decade. Personally it affects me not, I just wanted to use the headline of this story because it whips scientologists up into a frenzy when their science fiction cult gets less than favorable press. Hey, I love Star Wars but I don't call myself a Jedi Knight in the service of the Force.
But I'm not here to knock around Scientology. For that go here: http://www.xenu.net/
I read this story, Scientology faces criminal charges, with a mild amount of amusement because Europe loves to tell the US what to do and the US State Department basically tells Belgium to try living by the same standards they set for others. The article states:
Belgium, Germany and other European countries have been criticized by the State Department for labeling Scientology as a cult or sect and enacting laws to restrict its operations. The German government considers Scientology a commercial enterprise that takes advantage of vulnerable people.
In Washington, the State Department said that if Belgian authorities "have evidence that individuals violated Belgian law, they should take appropriate legal steps consistent with Belgium's international obligations to protect freedom of thought, conscience and religion."
"We would, however, oppose any effort to stigmatize an entire group based solely upon reglious beliefs and would be concerned over infringement of any individual's rights because of religious affiliation," the State Department spokesman's office said.
My original thought was to congratulate Belgium, Germany and the other European countries that recognized Scientology as a cult, sect, commercial enterprise, and in the case of Belgium, to also recognize it as a criminal enterprise. But after reading the story it occured to me that the US State Department was not only interferring with a sovereign nation's criminal investigation of a glorified science fiction club, but they were advocating Scientology as a legitimate religion.
When did it become the purview of the State Department to advocate any religion? Last I checked the "separation of church and state" would preclude the State Department from advocating a religion, especially one based on a (bad) science fiction novel. Normally the Commerce Department would be called upon to defend US corporations but since the cult of Scientology is tax exempt there is no financial reason them to do so. As a matter of fact, there is no need for the goverment to take any actions to assist Scientology defend themselves.
Let their Hollywood elite pony up for the lawyers, keep my tax dollars out of it.
