Scientology a criminal organisation says Australian senator

An Australian lawmaker has launched a scathing attack on the Church of Scientology saying, "Scientology is not a religious organization but a criminal organization that hides behind its so called religious beliefs," reports Ecumenical News International.

In a speech to the Australian Senate on 17 November, Senator Nick Xenophon said the Church of Scientology had a "worldwide pattern of abuse and criminality".

The Church of Scientology responded in a statement saying that the senator had presented unsubstantiated allegations as if they were factual evidence and by speaking under parliamentary privilege he had abused the powers granted to him as lawmaker.

Report from the Christian Telegraph 

BRITAIN IS ONE OF THE LEAST RELIGIOUS NATIONS IN EUROPE

Britain is one of the least religious nations in Europe, according to a major survey by the European Union to be published next month, reports Jeremy Reynalds, correspondent for ASSIST News Service.

Writing for Britain’s Daily Telegraph, Lois Rogers said that according to the study, only 12 per cent of Britons feel they “belong” to a church, compared with 52 per cent in France.

It also found that the UK has one of the highest rates of “fuzzy faith,” or people who have an abstract belief in God and a poorly defined loyalty to Christian traditions.

The Telegraph reported that the study, conducted as part of the influential EU-funded European Social Survey, will be seen as an indicator of a shift in attitudes and values.

Professor David Voas, of Manchester University’s Institute for Social Change, who led the project, said the UK was involved in what he called a “long process of disestablishment,” with Christianity gradually being written out of laws and political institutions.

“Christian faith will soon have no role among our traditional establishments or lawmakers,” the Telegraph reported he said. “It remains to be seen for example, how much longer bishops will be allowed to sit in the House of Lords.”

The Telegraph said he added, “Fuzzy faith is a staging post on the road to non-religion. Adults still have childhood memories of being taken to church, and they maintain a nostalgic affection for Christianity but that is dying out. They still go along with the some kind of religious identity but they’re not passing it on to the next generation, and people who aren’t raised in a religion don’t generally start one as adults.”

However, Professor Linda Woodhead, of Lancaster University, who is leading a long-term £8.5 million government research program on the role of religion in society, disputed Voas’ conclusions.

“Just because you’re not religious, it doesn’t mean you’re not spiritual or moral,” the Telegraph reported she said. “A lot of people simply don’t want to take the whole package of religion on board.”

The Telegraph reported that the study, to be published in the European Sociological Review next month, not only charts the declining interest in religion of successive generations, it also concludes that there is no evidence to support the idea that interest in religion resurfaces as people age.

The Telegraph said that while “new wave” religions like Scientology, Kaballah or the Moonie faith, have received considerable media coverage because of their association with Tom Cruise, Madonna and other celebrities, the number of followers remains tiny.

The survey, which questioned more than 30,000 people in 22 countries, found only five nations – Slovenia, Sweden, Norway, Holland and Belgium – reported lower levels of church membership than Britain.

The Telegraph said some observers have argued that the Anglican church ought to do more to retain the “fuzzy faithful,” and draw the uncommitted back into the pews.

Report from the Christian Telegraph

THE CHASER’S WAR ON EVERYTHING – GULLIBILITY TEST: Scientology

In this clip the Chaser boys take on Scientology by conducting free gullibility tests outside a building used by the ‘Church of Scientology.’

The Hollywood Faithful

An interesting piece appeared in one of our newspapers over the weekend – it dealt with what it termed ‘Tinseltown’s famously faithful.’ It briefly made mention of various celebs and their religious viewpoints, including the likes of John Travolta and Tom Cruise (Scientology), Madonna and Britney Spears (Kabbalah), Mel Gibson (Roman Catholicism) and some others of the Buddhist clan (Richard Gere, etc). It also made mention of those who would call themselves Christians, such as Mandy Moore, Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson. Of course, Mel Gibson would claim to be Christian as well – being Roman Catholic.

The article has an interesting take on faithfulness, measuring faithfulness merely in the terms of being in some way associated with a religion. There are those in the list who are certainly passionate followers of their religious views, such as Mel Gibson who went out of his way to film ‘The Passion of the Christ,’ and Tom Cruise and John Travolta who seem to be on some form of scientology crusade. No-one can deny Richard Gere’s commitment to Buddhism, being a very outspoken advocate of both the Dalai Lama and Tibet. Cat Stevens is so taken with Islam that he now calls himself Yusuf Islam, having abandoned his music career in order to pursue the Islamic Faith.

But then of course there are those like Brittany Spears, Jessica Simpson and of late, Paris Hilton. These celebs claim to be true followers of God, yet their lives are anything but truly representative of the Bible’s take on faithfulness and Christianity. Of course, there are many who are in no way perfect (including myself), with their lives falling far short of the Bible’s call to holiness of life, etc. Thank God for salvation in Christ or none would be saved.

Though not the entire essence of true Christianity, faithfulness does include the desire and commitment to holiness of life, and a walking after the ways of God as outlined in the Bible. This sadly was not even part of the article’s take on faithfulness and sadly it would seem no part of the faithfulness adopted by many of those in the article that would claim to be Christians. Certainly it is early days in the ‘new life’ of Paris Hilton post jail and her prison-found faith. Wouldn’t it be great if her example proved to be different and proved to be the genuine thing – may it be so.

Though not all would agree with everything about our (Australia’s) own Guy Sebastian, there does appear to be something that is genuine about him and for that I am very thankful and glad. There does appear to be something real about him. Having said that though, he is involved with the Roman Catholic World Youth Day next year from what I understand ~ which is certainly a concern.

Our world has lost a true understanding of what real Christianity is and the very public devotees of Christianity, who fail to come close to what it is, only give the world more ammunition to poor scorn on Christians and the church of God. It remains for those that are truly united to Christ by faith to live lives worthy of their calling and to thereby show the world what true faithfulness is all about. Only then will those who continue to heap scorn upon Christianity have a reason to consider the claims of Christianity – not that they are without excuse, as the Bible clearly shows.