An Anonymous Coward submitted the news that a Court ruled Church of Scientology Moscow branch should be 'dissolved':
A Russian court has ruled that the Moscow branch of the Church of Scientology should be dissolved.
The Moscow city court accepted the arguments of Russia's justice ministry that as the term "Scientology" is a registered US trademark, the Church cannot be considered a religious organisation.
The organisation plans to appeal, reports said.
The controversial church is based in Los Angeles, California and was found in 1954 by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.
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Russian Court has Ruled the Church of Scientology Should be Dissolved
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(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @01:46AM
Russia does well:
- chess
- pure math
- hot female tennis players
- men's hockey
- malware writers
- defeating European conquerors by scorched earth tactics and a brutal winter
- shutting down pseudo-religious scams
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @02:05AM
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Well said. I am amazed every day that organizations such as Roman Catholic Church or Russian Orthodox Church are not approached with the same level of scrutiny. There's almost nothing charitable about their business, which is mainly brainwashing, and throughout the history they were employed by various tyrannical governments to do just that. And yet somehow they manage to pay no taxes and openly discriminate against women through their hiring practices and their stance on birth control. ~Anonymous 0x9932FE2729B1D963
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(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @03:03AM
Feminists should be killed.
>In the United States, as late as the 1880s most States set the minimum age at 10-12, (in Delaware it was 7 in 1895).[8] Inspired by the "Maiden Tribute" female reformers in the US initiated their own campaign[9] which petitioned legislators to raise the legal minimum age to at least 16, with the ultimate goal to raise the age to 18. The campaign was successful, with almost all states raising the minimum age to 16-18 years by 1920.
Hans Reiser did the correct thing.
(Score: 2, Touché) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday November 26 2015, @04:50AM
Oh hey, it's Fizzbuzz again!
Hey, Fizzbuzz! I'm a feminist! Come kill me if you think you're hard enough! Love and kisses, Marissa 3
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @06:50AM
>Marissa 3
You'll never be as pretty or as sweet as a little girl.
That is behind you forever.
Ofcourse why you cunts banned men marrying them.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Thursday November 26 2015, @09:25AM
Some men are pretty damned amazing. They breed horses, dogs, and whatever else strikes their fancy. When they have good breeding stock, they keep the mares, bitches, or whatever away from the males while they are young. They allow the females to mature, and to gain strength before breeding them, so that gestation doesn't weaken, or even kill them.
But women? To hell with that - break them in before they ever reach puberty, right? Screw them to death before they reach age 20, right? And, when they get to be an old hag of 20-something, just turn them out to pasture, right?
People who think like you are swine, and you should be out in the pig pen with the old sow.
It's alright that little boys are turned on by bubble-gum chewing little girls with pony tails and dolls - but you'd think a man would appreciate a woman. What's the deal with that - are you AFRAID of women? I'm not a psychologist by any stretch of the imagination, but you have mental problems, dude.
(Score: 1) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday November 26 2015, @09:52PM
Hey Fizzbuzz...I'm not interested in being "pretty" or "sweet," you pathetic, underdeveloped, beardless little manchild. I am proud to be six looming steel-toed-booted feet of demi-femme dyke-a-saurus. I am more man than you will ever be, and more woman than you could ever handle if you had a thousand lifetimes.
You are seriously fucked in the head, child. Something has arrested your development at around age 12, and as a result you are terrified of full-grown women. Mentally speaking your balls haven't dropped yet, and they never will. I don't even wanna know what's in your porn folder but I'd bet good money it's full of CP and lolicon rape.
Or maybe you're just into guys and hate yourself for it, for whatever reason. In either case, we terrify you, and I am laughing my ass off that we do. Where's your braggadocio now, needledick? Come on, kill me, just like you said you would!
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 3, Touché) by DeathMonkey on Thursday November 26 2015, @03:35AM
According to this, Mormon, Latter Day Saints, etc. are all trademarked. [schwimmerlegal.com]
Are they up next?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Thursday November 26 2015, @04:59AM
Actually, hanging a religious pronouncement upon the presence or absence of a trademark registration seems a bit daft, even for the whimsy that passes for Russian Law. The court seems willing to overlook the terrorist stalker activities, but balks at the fact that they protected their name with a trademark?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @08:18AM
The other things require gathering evidence.
In this case, all it takes is a TRADE mark. By definition, this is used in TRADE, i.e. business, not religion.
It's much easier when the accused bring their own legally binding evidence.
And just because we have worse crimes, doesn't mean we should shut down the courts until we are done gathering evidence for those, when they can spend the time on the easy cases that require no work by the prosecution.
(Score: 5, Funny) by moondoctor on Thursday November 26 2015, @02:19AM
You forgot the almighty Russian dashcam and it's scenes of pure madness...
(Score: 2) by gidds on Thursday November 26 2015, @02:44PM
- Straying into Turkish airspace [citation needed]
[sig redacted]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @06:11PM
-Organic chemistry syntheses, despite having very few equipment.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday November 26 2015, @01:57AM
It had to be said: in Soviet Russia, SP suppresses YOU!
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 3, Interesting) by stormwyrm on Thursday November 26 2015, @02:04AM
Numquam ponenda est pluralitas sine necessitate.
(Score: 2) by wisnoskij on Thursday November 26 2015, @02:13AM
Well the Catholic Church existed for thousands of years where church law was secular law. And an excommunication carried with it a death penalty. They were able to build a powerbase with this. I do not think it is unfair to allow Scientology to protect their name like any other business. The Catholic church would certainly file for a trademark if it was just starting out.
(Score: 3, Touché) by SpockLogic on Thursday November 26 2015, @02:53AM
Good for the Ruskies. They've done something right at last.
Personally I lean towards Pastafarianism, the more pasta the less lean I get.
Overreacting is one thing, sticking your head up your ass hoping the problem goes away is another - edIII
(Score: 3, Insightful) by DeathMonkey on Thursday November 26 2015, @06:29AM
As a Pastafarian I am torn:
On the one hand we have a fictional universal leader of non-human origin; who populates the earth with people; and eventually sets into motion a global catastrophic event (with explosions!).
On the other hand, we've got a guy named Xenu.
(Score: 2) by Thexalon on Thursday November 26 2015, @12:29PM
Alternately, if they used auditing process R2-45 on somebody who actually deserves it like, say, Vladimir Putin or Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, then it will be the Scientologists who finally did something right for a change.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @08:23AM
Nobody said they weren't allowed to. The court said that if you protect your name like any other business, you get to follow the same rules as any other business, instead of the (much more lenient) rules of religion.
Those rules may include having a valid business license, false advertising (like claiming that you are a religion), etc.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @03:11AM
The mormons hold a trademark on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [trademarkia.com]
The adventists hold a trademark on Adventist [trademarkia.com] and General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists [trademarkia.com]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @05:01AM
Mormonism is 19th Century Scientology. They were a bit late introducing the whole "Planet Kolob" thing, but that is why they are "Later" day saints. God knows what they are like at night. Conversely and apropos, Scientology is 20th Century Mormonism, but since fads have gone away from Seer Stones and Egyptian Papyri, we have to go with Xenu, thetans, and e-meters, or Dianetics (tm). PT Barnum was the greatest religious leader of America. He said: "There's a sucker born every minute." L.Ron agreed, as did J.Smith.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @05:30AM
> Mormonism is 19th Century Scientology.
> "There's a sucker born every minute." L.Ron agreed, as did J.Smith.
What evidence do you have that the LDS is charging adherents to progress in the path of salvation?
(Score: 3, Informative) by aristarchus on Thursday November 26 2015, @06:05AM
Evidence? Church Doctrine! Tithing is a real thing with Mormons, more "ideal" with Catholics! So yes, they are charging. Of course, not quite on the "pay to know" schedule of the Scientologists, but if you do not go to Temple, well, need I say more? No "Special Underwear" for you, no celestial wives and children, no planet of your own where you get to the the next Yahweh . . . Special kind of crazy is common to both Scientology and Mormonism. May Xenu find your home address, you spoil-sport probably a Baptist?
It is not that I want religious people to feel unwelcome here on SoylentNews, it is just that I want them to feel stupid. If they are incapable of feeling stupid, then trying to defend their stupidity would be a acceptable substitute. So here we go: Christianity is the 0 Century version of Scientology. Or something.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @06:31AM
Come on man. Mormons tithe the same amount as catholics - 10%. And in neither case is tithing about paying to progress spiritually.
> It is not that I want religious people to feel unwelcome here on SoylentNews, it is just that I want them to feel stupid.
I'm an athiest, but it doesn't take religion to to see that is exactly the same thing. You are welcome to be here as long as it makes you feel shitty!! Don't be that asshole.
(Score: 4, Informative) by aristarchus on Thursday November 26 2015, @07:19AM
Catholics are supposed to tithe. they do not, by and large. Mormons are much better at tithing, because of the consequences of not doing so. Of course, one result of this is that Mormon social support services, if you are a Mormon, are much better than what Catholics provide. But then again, Catholics, like most other Christian sects, do not only help their members but offer aid to all, as part of their mission. So you see, Mormons are tribalist assholes. Leave the church, and you will never get any assistance at all from them. You may even be designated as the Mormon equivalent of a "supressive person"? And then they may send in the "Death Angels" . The history is not good. Mountain Meadows. The Salamander papers, and car bombs in Salt Lake. And now, active banning of all homosexuals. I am not that asshole, religion is that asshole. And I must say, starting with the Elusian Mysteries, I have seen enough of them to know. If you truly are an atheist, you know you are proposing a false equivalency.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Runaway1956 on Thursday November 26 2015, @09:36AM
" I am not that asshole,"
Perspective, Grasshopper. Get some.
(Score: 2) by HiThere on Thursday November 26 2015, @06:24PM
When comparing objects rather than integers there are often several different things that can be compared. Many times two distinct objects will compare equal WRT some characteristics and different WRT others. This is especially true if they are instances of two different descendant classes.
Well, object-oriented programming doesn't map exactly onto reality, but I feel that there is an ancestral "class" of Religion that includes everything from tribal religions through Buddhism. Then there are descendant classes, often called things like "monotheistic", etc. Each major brand of religion is essentially a new descendant class. So when you compare instances of two distinct religious classes you will not find identity, but you may find them equal in certain characteristics shared by their common ancestor.
Actually purely objective languages, like Io, are a better map of how things change and evolve, but few people would understand the argument if I used that framework. And they are uncommon because the approach is inefficient. But that is common with evolved rather than designed systems. (Even purely objective languages that I'm aware of don't include featrue deletion, so the map could be improved...at the cost of even more inefficiency.)
Javascript is what you use to allow unknown third parties to run software you have no idea about on your computer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 27 2015, @07:02PM
> you know you are proposing a false equivalency.
The only one with a false equivalency here is you - equating Mormonism to all religions so you can feel justified in shitting on people for being religious. You and buzzard are birds of a feather both thinking that your personal arbitrary judgment of groups of people you've never met and know nothing about beyond a couple of simple facts gives you moral standing to be assholes.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Friday November 27 2015, @07:40PM
moral standing to be assholes
Thank you for your comment. I will have to ponder this concept for a while. Perhaps there is no such thing, which was kind of my point. Could I be guilty as well? Maybe. (I let the Buzzard speak for its self, since no one seems able to prevent that.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday November 26 2015, @09:33AM
"And in neither case is tithing about paying to progress spiritually."
Uhhhh - a lot of the "faithful" seem to believe that their tithes buy their way into heaven. Catholics, especially, often have the idea that they can do anything they like, so long as they go to mass, pay the tithe, and confess. That mindset isn't unique to Catholics, but it has always seemed especially obvious among them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @01:24PM
(Score: 2) by mendax on Thursday November 26 2015, @06:20AM
As I recall, Mark Twain called Mormonism a combination of Christian and Freemasonry, but I can't find the quotation. However, he did say this:
Both Mormonism and the alleged Christian Science are equally ridiculous IMHO, but people can believe whatever they want to believe so long as they don't try to push their religious delusions upon me.
Now, if Mark Twain were alive today he would have a field day with Scientology. He was always trying to find a way to make a fortune. He's probably spinning in his grave regretting that he didn't think of doing what L. Ron Hubbard did and create his own religion to become rich.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Phoenix666 on Thursday November 26 2015, @01:36PM
There is actually some truth to that. When the olympics came to salt lake city there was something that caught my eye that looked masonic, so I investigated and found some interestingconnections between joseph smith and freemasonry. Joseph smith was a young teenager in the area in upstate new york where the captain morgan affair occurred. After that a wave of anti-masonic fervor swept the country. Membership in masonic lodges plummeted. By the time joseph smith had moved his followers to naboo, IL, the lodges there were on the brink of extinction. Joseph smith seemed to have retained a fascination with freemasonry from his early teenage years, so he took all the men in his congregation into masonry. It seemed the lodges were initially more than happy to take them. Then smith adopted masonic rituals and practices into the mormon church, right down to the garb they wear to church under their clothes. It seems some of the masons were enraged by this, becuase there is a very strict taboo against mixing religion and politics with masonry. Smith was lynched, and the perpetrators were acquitted by judges who were masons. Thus began the mormon exodus to utah. It's why to this day the mormon church holds extreme antipathy toward freemasonry. They did retain all those masonic rituals and practices, though.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Friday November 27 2015, @04:16AM
Mark Twain was always too honest to do anything like making a fraudulent religion to get rich. He would definitely have lampooned the Scientologists, and have had a field day dealing with their lawsuits. With his ready wit and eye for effective publicity, the Scientologists would have been best off leaving him alone.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday November 26 2015, @04:53AM
The Roman Catholic Church has no trademark to its name anywhere in the world.
Such confidence!!
You've searched all the records then?
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by wisnoskij on Thursday November 26 2015, @02:08AM
What does a trademark have to do with if it is a religion or not.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @02:13AM
Probably it was the easiest way to boot the nutcases.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by GungnirSniper on Thursday November 26 2015, @02:23AM
It might have to do with the argument that the organization behind it is a profit-seeking enterprise, and one that only reveals its 'truths' to paying customers.
Tips for better submissions to help our site grow. [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 27 2015, @07:08PM
If that's the case then the scieno's copyrights on their scripture that enable them to legally charge for access to that scripture would be 1000x better target than trademarks on the name of the church which functionally don't do anything more than let them control who gets to call themselves the church of scientology.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @03:14AM
> What does a trademark have to do with if it is a religion or not.
Agreed it is just a pretense. The reality is that Putin has co-opted the Russian Orthodox Church - that's what Pussy Riot was protesting that got them thrown in the gulag.
No room for any other organized criminal religion in Russia so the scienos gotta go.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @01:24PM
Trademarking the message you got from a $DEITY, thus preventing the rest of humankind to share it freely, unless they agree with your own interpretation of the ineffable divine dimension, all of this without owning a proper act of delegation? smells fishy to me. At the very least, resurrect and dismantle a guarded tomb overnight. At the very least.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Thursday November 26 2015, @04:30AM
In my understanding, the court case that held that scientology is a religion only holds force of law in just one state.
They were sued for practicing medicine without a license, as that lie detector gadget acts in a manner somewhat conceptually - CONCEPTUALLY NOW! - to clinical psychotherapy.
Scientology's defense was that the lie detector - clearing? - was a religious ritual.
If indeed it has not been appealed then every other state in the union, possibly the federal prosecutor could sue them.
But this hasn't been done. Why, do you suppose?
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @09:04AM
Dissolve islam next?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 26 2015, @11:53AM
Islam does not have a central authority that an be dissolved.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 27 2015, @08:12AM
Start with "Islamic State". Nuke time.
Next, remove any protection followers of islam have from legal systems.
Then, ban "halal" fees and practices.
Then start taxing islamic businesses like regular businesses
Close islamic schools
Close mosques
etc
Everyone should read the koran. Rape. Murder. Pedophilia. Theft. Their prophet marrying a 9 yo girl. Ripping off christianity. Very sick. Very sad.