[Flying Cookie]

This is what the founder of scientology thinks of atheists. Btw, he was a well-educated engineer at the University of Washington.

No culture in the history of the world, save the thoroughly depraved and expiring ones, has failed to affirm the existence of a Supreme Being. It is an empirical observation that men without a strong and lasting faith in a Supreme Being are less capable, less ethical and less valuable to themselves and society....A man without an abiding faith is, by observation alone, more of a thing than a man.

Empirical observation?! Less valuable to society?

I was really surprised by these remarks.

Do you think atheists are less ethical, less valuable, more of a thing than man? Do you have any idea what empirical observations suggest this?

Source: http://www.scientology.org/faq/scien...ientology.html

[a daedalus]

Lol why would you even start this discussion?

[Aphotic Cosmos]

Of course he belittled atheists, because atheists often provide some of the most strident criticism of the long con that is Scientology. I don't think we're somehow less capable, less ethical or less valuable because we choose not to believe in deities.

[Srxjer]

Check out another one of his infamous quotes: "You don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion."

Not to mention the collection of nonsense and tripe he compiled into a book; 'Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health', where he deliberately masks rubbish with 'scientific lingo' to appear scientifically sound to the general public. A technique used by todays many creationists, homeopaths and other pseudo-scientific morons.

[123450]

(Original post by Flying Cookie)
Btw, he was a well-educated engineer at the University of Washington.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority

[Psyk]

Do Scientologists even believe in a supreme being? I know there's all the nonsense about thetans and Xenu, but I didn't think there was anything that could really be considered a god in it.

[Flying Cookie]

(Original post by 123450)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority

Well actually I mentioned his education to emphasise that some well educated people come up with ridiculous things Especially saying that his claims are "empirically proven" which is unbelievably laughable.

[SsEe]

(Original post by Flying Cookie)
Well actually I mentioned his education to emphasise that some well educated people come up with ridiculous things Especially saying that his claims are "empirically proven" which is unbelievably laughable.

Do you think LRH believed his own rubbish? If not then that quote was probably part of the act. In which case, the contrast between his education and the stupidity of the comment is irrelevant.

I actually thought this thread was going to be an accusation that all atheists were scientologists because they worshipped science, or some other rubbish. Someone did something similar a while back. What a plonker...

[Annora]

Oh, the irony! The extreme irony!