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OVER THE YEARS, Scientology has dipped in and out of the American news cycle, depending on the behaviour of its celebrity members and the ferociousness of its powerful bands of lawyers.
But last week’s hard-hitting documentary, Going Clear, has given more outlets the courage to speak more frankly about the Church.
The Alex Gibey film made scathing allegations against the David Miscavige-led organisation, including accusations of torture, enforced hard labour and blackmailing.
A decision by US television station HBO to broadcast the documentary last week, and the subsequent reaction to it, inspired Saturday Night Live to take up the story this weekend.
Gibey’s film featured a very 1990s music video produced by the Church of Scientology (you can watch it here) which was exactly the fodder SNL’s writers needed.
The cast can be seen singing about brain machines, the immortality of its leader and signing billion-year contracts. It also features text added to the characters to explain their ‘future stories’ – some of which are plain hilarious, but in brutal SNL satire fashion, others carry the real allegations made in Going Clear.
Watch in full here:
The sketch was praised by Going Clear’s director Alex Gibey who said on Twitter:
“Let me just say what I should have said earlier, the SNL Scientology video is genius.”
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This is a perfect example of why beliefs should be challenged.Scientology is a dangerous cult and should be exposed and ridiculed.
Just look at how Muslims feel they’ve a special right to be aggrieved if anyone challenges their beliefs.Often it will result in bloodshed.
Society owes itself a higher standard and should seek out what is true using logic sense and reason.Not persist in delusion and backwards mythology.
But SNL wouldn’t dare challenge Islam. Reminds me of how ‘edgy’ Sarah Silverman made a living telling jokes about Jews and Christians but has openly admitted she would never criticise Islam because “I don’t want to get blown up with explosives”. And recently Marilyn Manson, the self-proclaimed ‘Antichrist Superstar’ said recently of Charlie Hebdo: “When you’re dealing with people who are very blinded by their beliefs, the line of freedom of speech needs to really have some common sense to it.”
Scientology is nuts (I’ve watched the HBO documentary and it’s even more proof of the fact), but let’s not pretend that Scientology is anything other than a tiny minority religion that is a punching bag for anyone who wants to feel they’re being brave and criticising religion.
If they made jokes about Islam, most Muslims wouldn’t be too bothered. Just a cohort of loonies.
However, they probably don’t do jokes about Islam cos they don’t know any and even if they did the audience probably wouldn’t get them. Dara o brian does a interview about “why I don’t so Islam jokes” . It’s on YouTube, well worth a look
Emmet, Sarah Silverman did criticize Islam by making that comment. Duh.
Doesn’t stop the southpark lads,
Check out their episode on it,
It’s absolutely hilarious.
How does every Islamic joke start?
By looking over your shoulder.
I tried the free personality test, but I failed :(
I feel for those born into it but not the people who walk into it. The Panorama documentary is also worth a watch.
I don’t think anyone who subscribes to religion, to matter which one can legitimately call bull$h!t on Scientology.
Scientology is no more ridiculous than any of the organised religions.
Catholicism etc just have been around longer so are considered more acceptable in countries they are practiced.
I have no religion, but I think the difference is most organised religions (be it Christian/Muslim or whatever) can explain their beliefs/basic tenets of their faith upfront. In Scientology, they want you to be a decade and a hundred grand deep before they let you know about Xenu and the alien spirits.
I believe that children are our future
treat them well and let them lead the way
@Mike, the Lord never asked anyone to abstain from meat on good Friday. It is a made up Catholic tradition with no scriptural basis. Actually the original tradition was to fast but somehow people decided that they could stuff themselves with fish and chips and still call that “fasting for the lord”!!
The vatican owned and controlled the fishing industry.
Slagging others belief’s (regardless of how crazy they seem) has been the cause of genocide and war.
Look at us….. The Lord asked us to abstain from meat on good Friday and the Irish close the pubs !!!!.
They should aim their fire next at the Irish cult SF.
There’s a fair few cults in ffg/lab as well :)
Give it a rest Paul and stop hijacking the thread ..there are enough articles about Sinn Fein which you can comment on ..
I think NOT challenging crazy beliefs and ideologies has been the cause of genocide and war, not the other way around!
All ideas and beliefs should be open to scrutiny, regardless of how strong people believe in it.
The only difference between a cult and a religion is numbers.
You have few members then you are a cult. You have millions then no matter how crazy, it is considered a religion.
It could be an article about anything at all and the same people will come on talking about Sinn Fein, obsessed much?!?
many parallels between scientology and SF…. just saying
My reaction says it all, because it really nails how cult-like Scientology is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRu8F9D7tBU
have your say