SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

Belladonna · Nov 11, 2009

SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

For Times, an obsession trumps facts

By Pat Harney, Special to the Times
In Print: Thursday, November 12, 2009

The American Heritage Dictionary (4th ed., 2009) defines "obsession" as "(a) compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion." There could be no better example to illustrate this definition than the Times' ongoing coverage of the Church of Scientology.

Once again, the Times turns a deaf ear to any voices save those of a handful of disaffected former Scientologists — people who have admitted lying, suborning perjury and obstructing justice — because their falsehoods support the Times' compulsive and unreasonable views about Scientology. Indeed, the Times' recent coverage, which is the basis for Sunday's editorial, merely regurgitates stale and unfounded allegations from as long as 20 years ago.

(more)
For Times, an obsession trumps facts - St. Petersburg Times

Pat Harney is public affairs director of the Church of Scientology, Flag Service Organization.

Belladonna · Nov 11, 2009

Re: SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

Bump

mongrel · Nov 11, 2009

Re: SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

The American Heritage Dictionary (4th ed., 2009) defines "obsession" as "(a) compulsive, often unreasonable idea or emotion."

Didn't anyone ever teach this clam that starting an argument with a dictionary definition is a red flag that your persuasive skills suck and your position is weak? Surely Study Tech™ includes what any high school English class covers.

Oh wait.....

Study Tech™ works, and it helps people. I'm not sure what it helps but there has to be something. Suggestions?

Herro · Nov 11, 2009

Re: SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

I used to start my essays with a dictionary definition when i was in grade 9. woot study tech forever!

Herro · Nov 11, 2009

Re: SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

What "facts" are these? That Scientology is the world's "fastest growing religion"? That it "works and it helps people"?

Please, enlighten us, Pat.

RightOn · Nov 11, 2009

Re: SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

WAH WAH BAWWWWWW

Herro · Nov 11, 2009

Re: SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

But the core of their commitment to Scientology — the vow of service — is no different, no less solemn and no less meaningful than the vows of service undertaken by members of Roman Catholic and other religious orders.

Co$ is comparing themselves to Catholics again. Are there any catholicfags in the audience tonight that would like to poon their churches? It might rile them up enough to write more articles.

Members of some religious orders must undergo extensive, complex and rigorous "routing out" procedures to voluntarily renounce their vows, procedures that can take a year or more to complete and which must be followed to the letter upon peril of excommunication.

I thought "excommunication" was a catholic thing. Is she making another comparison? I'd also like to know which orders require taking a year to renounce your vows. The only one I've ever heard that requires this are the sea ogres.

Relevant catholic ling:

http://forums.whyweprotest.net/15-m...alled-sea-org-forced-abortions-members-56216/

Smurf · Nov 11, 2009

Re: SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

Belladonna;1062205 said:

(more)
For Times, an obsession trumps facts - St. Petersburg Times

Pat Harney is, and has always been, one of Flag's most prolific liars. She also trumps herself as a PR marvel but her PR moves always seem to come back to bite her hard in her bony ass.

The SP Times should interview Pat Harney about her marriage & why her husband got carted off to the RPF for cheating on this loathsome cunt. Of course, that is something Pat Harney and her accomplice, Mary Story, refuses to address.

Sponge · Nov 11, 2009

Re: SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

Is Pat's husband, Mike, still in the RPF? How long has it been now? 5-6 years? Apparently they sent him to Harlem and she never saw him for 2 years (where he shagged the director).

She doesn't seem to have any problem with disconnecting from him whilst she persues her own rise through the ranks.....oh wait.... isn't she still stuck at pre-clear? Not even one OT level to her name? Seems odd that they would pick someone to represent scientology who has absolutely no knowledge of the upper levels of scientology.

Ogsonofgroo · Nov 11, 2009

Re: SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

Oooooo, bawwwwwfest 2010! Yikes, what 'facts' do Pat want to know? Gots some, yes.

ouch. did that there blinder harness hoit yer head Ms. Harney? Too bad.

:/

amaX · Nov 11, 2009

Re: SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

Hey. Hey. HEY! Let's look on the bright side here--at least we didn't have to listen to her talk!

OTBT · Nov 11, 2009

Re: SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

Belladonna;1062205 said:

For Times, an obsession trumps facts - St. Petersburg Times

But the core of their commitment to Scientology — the vow of service — is no different, no less solemn and no less meaningful than the vows of service undertaken by members of Roman Catholic and other religious orders.

Pat, Pat, Pat, you are glib.

http://www.exposescientology.com/visadox/040816_AUG162004_02C1101.pdf

Regarding the beneficiary's age, [redacted] states that the beneficiary
"wanted to join staff from the time he was seven years old and signed
a contract on April 16, 1989 in order to do that." April 16, 1989, was
the day after the beneficiary's sixth birthday. Therefore, his motivation
for signing the billion-year [redacted] contract of Employment" (Contract)
cannot be that he "wanted to join staff from the time he was seven years old."

[Redacted] states that, despite having signed the Contract, the beneficiary
"was unable to join the Sea Org until he was ten due to legal restrictions."

...

[Redacted] states "the Sea Org functions . . . in all essential aspects the
same way as religious orders within the Roman Catholic Church or communities
of monks within Buddhism." [Redacted] cites "[m]embers' vows of service [and]
their abstemious lifestyle," and stresses the "highest levels of knowledge,
skill and religious commitment" encountered among members of the Sea Org.
[Redacted] never mentions the beneficiary specifically. The assertion that
membership in the Sea Org is inherently indicative of the "highest levels of
knowledge, skill and religious commitment" does not readily appear to be
compatible with the documented fact that the beneficiary signed the Contract
with the Sea Org at the age of six years, an age at which children are
generally not considered competent to enter into legal agreements, let alone
permanent vows.

...

The director stated "the petitioner has submitted no documentary evidence to
support" the claim that the beneficiary's Contract with the Sea Org is
comparable to the perpetual vows taken by members of other religious orders.
The director further asserted that an alien is not necessarily presumed to be
carrying on a religious vocation simply because that alien has taken vows. The
director observed that members of religious orders "must complete prescribed
courses of theological training," whereas the beneficiary joined the Sea Org as
a child.

...

There remains the point that the petitioner allowed a six-year-old child to
sign a billion year Contract with the Sea Org, which necessarily raises the
question of who the church would not permit to sign such a Contract.

...

Counsel maintains that the beneficiary's joining the Sea Org at such a young
age "is excellent evidence of the calling to religious life contemplated by 8
C.F.R. § 204.5(m)(2)." This argument would be persuasive only if six-year-old
children routinely made reliable predictions about their ultimate careers. There
is no evidence that very young children (who are especially impressionable,
particularly when a parent is a church official) sign the Sea Org Contract under
different circumstances than adults, who have given mature reflection to the
nature of a permanent commitment.

Because the petitioner has attempted to represent that signing the
billion-year Contract with the Sea Org is comparable to becoming a Roman
Catholic monk, it is illuminating to examine the process by which one
becomes a Catholic monk. We turn, therefore, to reference materials available
to the public via the World Wide Web. A document entitled "Monastic
Formation," available at http://www.theramp.net/stbede/formatio.htm
, states that an individual wishing to become a monk must be "[a]t least 21
years of age and/or have a college degree," and "[h]ave a degree of emotional
and spiritual maturity."

The document lists several intermediate steps which an aspiring monk must
complete prior to becoming a monk: candidacy, in which a candidate visits a
monastic community to discern whether he has a calling to the vocation;
postulancy, a three-month to two-year period during which the postulant
resides within the community and becomes familiar with the monastic life;
novitiate, in which the novice "studies monastic life in greater depth . . . for a
period of one year"; and juniorate, in which the junior monk takes temporary
vows that bind him for only three years. Following the three years, the junior
monk takes his final vows and only then is he permanently committed to the
monastic life within the order. At the end of each stage, the community
evaluates the individual's progress, and only with the community's consent
does the individual advance to the next step.

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SP Times: Pat Harney rebuttal: "For Times, an obsession trumps facts"

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