Scientology

Jozef · Mon 27/03/2006 17:18:07

Quote from: Radiant on Sun 26/03/2006 12:36:10Other countries generally consider it (1) a commercial organisation, or (2) a dangerous sect. Indeed it is forbidden in some countries.

The same can be said about Christianity and some countries.

Anyway, asking scientologists questions may not yield any results.Ã,Â As far as I know, they are bound by secrecy, and so they wouldn't be able to reveal anything.Ã,Â Methinks that Tom Cruise went too far in regards of secrecy when he revealed scientology's attitude towards psychologists and mental disorders.

In fact, I've got a small story to share about my conflict with scientology.Ã,Â In my free time I'm working on a project: a photography book that documents all churches in Atlanta.Ã,Â I simply take their pictures, and hope that soon I have photographed all of them to assemble them in a book.Ã,Â When I took pictures of the scientology temple I was confronted by one of their employees who demanded me to delete the pictures I've taken (didn't realize I was shooting on film).Ã,Â When I told him that I was standing on a public sidewalk, and that by law I was allowed to take pictures of anything visible from public property (didn't mention federal law exceptions, such as bridges, power plants and critical infrastructure) he freaked out and started threatening me, claiming that the design of the building was copyrighted (can be, but any permanent fixture visible from public property becomes public domain for photographers and painters), and that if I ever developed and published the pictures they'd go after me.Ã,Â This is how far their secrecy thing goes.Ã,Â Strangely enough, the much more secretive sect, the free masons, never had problems with me taking pictures of their temples.

Kinoko · Tue 28/03/2006 01:05:33

How insane is that. I mean, they go to such lengths to make scientology known and have so many famous people join them, and yet don't want people doing meaningless things like taking photos of their buildings.

Off-topic I guess, but... you're not allowed to take photos of bridges? Certain bridges? I can't off-hand think of anything we're not allowed to take photos of in Australia, besides little children at the beach and women in dressing rooms.

Also OT, but a couple of years ago, I went home to visit my family and the subject of free masons came up, and my dad told me he used to belong to a free mason club. I couldn't believe it, he was the most normal dad in the universe and yet he was apart of some secretive club! I asked him to divulge the secret handshake but he said he couldn't remember and it wasn't ever a big deal, just a bunch of men drinking together and stuff.

Yeah, they got to him good. "Can't remember"... pff.

Las Naranjas · Tue 28/03/2006 01:28:43

haha, Freemasonry is just like Rotary, except with handshakes and no median strips that they call parks. My friend's local voting booth is the nearest masonic hall, and most of my male ancestors in the past 3 generations were masons since up to the Wran government in NSW, you more or less had to join the Freemasons or the Catholics to get anywhere in the public service. Nothing sinister or conspiratorial about it, just the fact that patrons always favour those they know, and these two groups happened to be the two social groups. They may as well have been cricket or rugby clubs.

Hell, the nearest lodge advertises in the program of a tiny one screen cinema in the suburbs.

God help us if these people control global finance and the secret of the holy grail!

Kinoko · Tue 28/03/2006 01:35:36

I wonder what they do all day. Talk about sport and women?

Jozef · Tue 28/03/2006 02:10:22

Quote from: Kinoko on Tue 28/03/2006 01:05:33Off-topic I guess, but... you're not allowed to take photos of bridges? Certain bridges? I can't off-hand think of anything we're not allowed to take photos of in Australia, besides little children at the beach and women in dressing rooms.

It's part of the post-9/11 provisions (even though not directly part of the Patriot Act). When 9/11 happened, I used to live just across fron New York City, in New Jersey. Soon afterwards it became illegal to take photographs of critical infrastructure, such as bridges and tunnels into the city. And having done much more nature photography then than I do now, I also had to stop taking pictures of water reservoirs I came across on my hikes.

So much for the official laws. Photography in general is a very gray area, though. For example, after I moved to Atlanta the cops have given me hard time whenever I took pictures of buildings, or even simple July 4th fireworks. It's sad how little they know about how much is allowed in regards to photography.

Radiant · Tue 28/03/2006 08:44:52

Quote from: Kinoko on Tue 28/03/2006 01:35:36
I wonder what they do all day. Talk about sport and women?

Who keeps Atlantis off the maps,
Who keeps the Martians under wraps,
We do, We do!

Babar · Tue 28/03/2006 08:56:10

My grand-uncle was grandmaster of the Freemasons in Assam. He had a ring with some strange shape and some sort of apron. There are still some sort of "Freemason buildings" in Assam, but I don't thik they are used anymore. One or two of his grandsons (my uncles) are still Freemasons, but that's about it. From what I could gather, it seems business oriented.

Vince Twelve · Tue 28/03/2006 09:04:16

And here I always thought that they just went around building things and not charging for their services.

SSH · Tue 28/03/2006 11:27:07

Talking of secret societies...

Pumaman · Tue 28/03/2006 19:01:11

Quote from: Kinoko on Tue 28/03/2006 01:05:33
Off-topic I guess, but... you're not allowed to take photos of bridges? Certain bridges? I can't off-hand think of anything we're not allowed to take photos of in Australia, besides little children at the beach and women in dressing rooms.

Not just bridges, either...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4842868.stm

Las Naranjas · Tue 28/03/2006 22:12:23

Sinister masonic plots

Toefur · Wed 29/03/2006 09:27:07

I am a scientist!