Why Scientology?
It's a question that is often asked by members of the public to protesting Anonymous. Why was Scientology picked out? If you dislike UFO cults, why them and not say, the Raeliens? If it is about "Religions" abusing those in its care, why not the Catholic church?
The answer is surprisingly simple: Because of how it behaves.
Most people who have spent even ten minutes looking into Scientology will come across mention of "Fair Game" practices. Those critical of Scientology quickly become targets for smear campaigns, assault, general harassment or other tactics designed to intimidate.
The purpose is also simple: To silence them at all costs.
Even ignoring the (alleged and proven) abuse that goes on within the organisation - the human trafficking, beatings, disconnection, forced labour camps, labour law violations and child labour violations. It is this behaviour that sets it apart from most other mainstream religions, that has caused it to earn a reputation not unlike that of the Mafia.
This isn't a rant about Fair Game as it applies in real life, there are plenty of people far better qualified to deal with that. No, this is purely on the web.
Whenever you find an article on Scientology that isn't an obvious puff piece, you will find in the comments Scientologists on the attack. Rant Rave is full of examples of this, but to look outside this little bubble I'll point you to a fairly small but telling example I came across today, the one which actually inspired this post:
New Scientology Sign PostThe article itself isn't that interesting (it is also months old), it's something that you might take all of a minute to look at and then go on to do something else. It isn't some earth shattering revelation like the Times series, it is about a fairly ugly sign.
It is the comments on that article by "James Lightfield" (a known OSA* sock account operated by Charlie Earl, Linda Hamel & Wendy Beccacini amongst others) that pretty much sum up the issue as far as online goes.
No mention of the (non)issue, just straight forward attack. Unfortunately this isn't as I said an isolated incident, googling JamesLightfield, Terreo or louann in connection with Scientology will bring up thousands of examples.
Scientologists, when faced with bad things happening often resort to blame, even of themselves "what did I do or who do I know that caused me to pull this in?" In some instances this question is completely valid and will provide a clear answer (though it is up to that individual to decide how best to deal with it). Other times it isn't (their non germ theory of illness and disease, for instance).
But in this case, the question is valid, though I will leave it up to entertainer Steve Allen who in 1995 wrote to the then President of Scientology Heber Jentzsch to finish off:
"If I may make a suggestion to you folks, whatever your purely religious views are, you're entitled to them and they are more or less in the category of not anyone else's business.
But I also suggest that it is not because of those views that your group doesn't have a very good reputation. There are other churches that, in the opinion of non-members, have some truly bizarre beliefs but no one dislikes the individual members as a result of those beliefs…
But –again –the same cannot be said of Scientologists. And if I were you it would occur to me to wonder why. So, to save you a little wondering time, I'll tell you why right now. You have the reputation as just about the worst bullies this side of the National Rifle Association."