Scientology Fireworks! Commenters of the Week, Independence Day Edition

Scientology watchers had another fine week here at the Voice, and our commenters were yet again out in force.

On Monday, we congratulated Scientology for taking home two coveted Bronze Telly awards, honoring fine work in two DVDs, including filming a live black panther. Rowr! On Tuesday, freelancer Antoine Oman gushed about L. Ron Hubbard’s genius method of silent birth. Also that day, we noted that our old friend Grant Cardone had taken to the Huffington Post to send us a mash note.

On Thursday, we passed on the news that little Ingleside on the Bay, Texas, had rallied to Marty Rathbun’s cause with an ordinance meant to squelch Scientology surveillance of his home. And finally, on Friday, we somehow managed to equate American Independence with Scientology’s flirtation with the Nation of Islam.

So which of our many commenters deserved recognition? Let’s get to the awards.

We have to say, Scientology’s supporters really stepped up their game this week after we chided them for not putting in much of an effort the week before. There were plenty of great examples of pro-LRH expression, but we were partial to “Mark Miglio,” who responded this way when challenged that Christianity and Scientology were incompatible:

Christians have various degrees of belief in their own materials. They are not all the same. I would tell them they don’t have to join Scientology — just use the part you feel good about.

Scientologists are not asking Christians to “put other gods before them”. Didn’t you see the part where LRH said we are not going to get into that ruling-God issue, in this time and place. We all know LRH is not our God; and you don’t have to have God to have a religion — but we have a unique spiritual technology that makes us extraordinary.

Well put, Mark. And keep it up!

As for the antis, there was so much impressive enturbulation this week, we could choose a dozen examples. But we’re awarding this bon mot by “PamEllis,” who reacted to the news that Scientologists advocate silent birth to keep babies from being scarred by what’s said around them as they come into the world:

I was a c-section. I don’t even want to think of what horrible body thetans and entheta I got stuck with because of this!

Still makes us chuckle. Thanks, Pam.

With the holiday, naturally our posting may lighten up over the next few days. But fear not. We have another interesting and enlightening post coming from Antoine Oman, and so many other remarkable stories in the hopper.

Happy 4th, everyone!

@VoiceTonyO

Click here to see all recent Scientology coverage at the Voice

Tony Ortega is the editor-in-chief of The Village Voice. Since 1995, he’s been writing about Scientology at several publications. Among his other stories about L. Ron Hubbard’s organization:

The Larry Wollersheim Saga — Scientology Finally Pays For Its Fraud
The Tory Bezazian (Christman) Story — How the Internet Saved A Scientologist From Herself
The Jason Beghe Defection — A Scientology Celebrity Goes Rogue
The Paul Haggis Ultimatum — The ‘Crash’ Director Tells Scientology to Shove It
The Marc Headley Escape — ‘Tom Cruise Told Me to Talk to a Bottle’
The Jefferson Hawkins Stipulation — Scientology’s former PR genius comes clean
The Daniel Montalvo Double-Cross — Scientology lures a young defector into a trap
A Church Myth Debunked — Scientology and Proposition 8
Daniel Montalvo Strikes Back — Scientology Hit with Stunning Child-Labor Lawsuits
When Scientologists Attack — The Marty Rathbun Intimidation
A Scientologist Excommunicated — The Michael Fairman SP Declaration
The Richard Leiby Operation — Investigating a reporter’s divorce to shut him up
The Hugh Urban Investigation — An academic takes a harsh look at Scientology’s past
Giovanni Ribisi as David Koresh — A precedent for a Scientology-Branch Davidian link
Janet Reitman’s Inside Scientology — A masterful telling of Scientology’s history
The Western Spy Network Revealed? — Marty Rathbun ups the ante on David Miscavige
Scientology’s Enemies List — Are You On It?
Inside Inside Scientology — An interview with author Janet Reitman
Scientology and the Nation of Islam — Holy Doctrinal Mashup, Batman!