Dead in 2009

[BigEd76]

Senator Claiborne Pell (creator of Pell Grants for college)

Donald Westlake (author)

Helen Suzman (anti-apartheid pioneer)

[BigEd76]

John Travolta's 16-yr old son Jett

[rjs246]

Follow up question.

Is autism sad or hilarious?

[MDS]

stupid scientologists

[rjs246]

Barely related:

I don't understand the animosity towards scientologists. Their absurd religion is no more or less plausible than any other religion. Aliens and reincarnation-jibber-jabber, it could be argued, are far more digestible than one omnipotent being that controls everything...

[General_Failure]

Barely related:

I don't understand the animosity towards scientologists. Their absurd religion is no more or less plausible than any other religion. Aliens and reincarnation-jibber-jabber, it could be argued, are far more digestible than one omnipotent being that controls everything...

The short version.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Wrong or not, when I find out that someone is one of those L. Ron Hubbard cult members, I lose a little bit of interest in their work. I heard Will Smith was on, and it was on my mind when I watched Seven Pounds.

[shorebird]

In other words...............who give a farg?

[rjs246]

Wrong or not, when I find out that someone is one of those L. Ron Hubbard cult members, I lose a little bit of interest in their work.

Oh I'm not passing judgment on those who scoff at the scientologists. They all certainly seem to be whackjobs. But no more whackjobby than your run of the mill bible thumper.

[Diomedes]

I'd sup with a catholic a muslim or even a baptist before I would with a scientologist.   It's one thing to be a street cop, quite another to be a narc.  Scientologists are cultists whereas catholics are just suckers.  They're like the uber mumbo jumboists.  I just can't stand them.

[MadMarchHare]

Scientology is like the Spaghetti Monster, only the Scientologists actually believe what they're saying.

[Diomedes]

I don't think anyone could make an argument that the Flying Spaghetti Monster faith has done any damage to its adherents.

[General_Failure]

I think they only argue that the decline in pirates has come along with an increase in global warming.

[Phanatic]

I don't think anyone could make an argument that the Flying Spaghetti Monster faith has done any damage to its adherents.

I don't know, major excepted organized religions throughout history have been abused and misused to control sheeple. These days it's send all your money to the rev and he'll prey for you to be healed or feed the children in Africa while he lines his pockets. There was that crazy rev who moved his flock to south America and killed them all in the 70's. If the flying spaghetti monster has a flock to be taken advantage of at some point in its history some megalomaniac will plug himself in and take advantage for money or just because he likes girls bathed in spaghetti. Scientology can have the same problems as any other religion.

[Diomedes]

Right.  Except FSM is a gadfly joke, not an organized religion.  I'm not worried about them hurting anyone.