Are you there, God? It's me, L. Ron Hubbard.

[mordoriannazgul]

So. Today I was working at Friends of the Library, as I often do (having too much to do for the first time in quite a while), and I was struck with a quandry. You see, I've recently taken over New Age, the home of all things psychic, clairvoyant, occult, and alien...-y. Among the usual garbage on my section of the sorting table was a copy of

Comments

[colubra]

Neither: it's a pyramid scheme.

[mordoriannazgul]

... this is true.

Even so, I don't think Economics would find it funny for it to appear in their section.

[poisontea]

It's not too 'weird' to be a religion, but I'm still not sure it would go in the Religion section. People do, after all, practice it as a religion! However, it was entirely made up by a science fiction author and, in practice, acts flat-out like a cult. It's a recognized religion, but then again, IFIAK Wicca is as much of a religion as a spiritual belief system and I have never seen it anywhere other than a New Age section.

So, I'm torn. But still, even if it didn't belong in your religion section, it wouldn't be because it's 'too weird'. ... And certainly not because it's a Muslim or Buddhist sect, what the Christ was he talking about.

[mordoriannazgul]

Yeah; about two years ago they tried to give all of those books to my Sci-Fi section. I had an epic conniption and they cut it out :D
Scientology is just one of those weird Grey Area religions. I'm not going to throw it out in a fit, I just don't feel like it belongs where it's being put. *shrugs* But it's filling out a sadly empty (for now) New Age section, so I can't complain.

He's... weird about religion. For serious. I didn't even mention that he went 'lawl, Methodists!' right after that 9_9;
And he has no room to talk, he tosses most of the non-Christian books anyway.

[poisontea]

Yeahhh, that makes him way more of a jerk than if he'd at least tried some well-reasoned argument. It'd belong in New Age WAY before Sci-Fi, at least, but it's definitely Grey Area enough that it's hard to tell whether it'd be in Religion or New Age. I kind of... have a lot of problems with it and can't personally think of it as a religion due to the crap it pulls with people's money, health, lives, etc, but. It's not really my call, either, and I don't want to say "NO IT WOULDN'T BELONG IN RELIGION." I know full well I'm somewhat biased, here! But it being 'weird' or 'silly' is... never a qualifier for how 'real' a religion is, jeez.

Also I feel the need to comment on your amazing icon. XD

[mordoriannazgul]

He's a friendly guy, but he can be a jerk sometimes. He's very... vocal about his opinions, which tend to leave me in the above situation: I am angry but can't say anything because whatever would come out of my mouth would be with zero tact.
I mostly think of it as a religion because, while they may be sending money to The Mothership, they have been established. Honestly, there are some religions and sects that are just as bad as they are when it comes to people's money/health/lives/etc, that have been established for a lot longer. And no, silliness is not a qualifier; alien souls trapped in human bodies is just as silly and just as valid as believing there's a man in the sky judging you.

:D Why thank you! Snakes on a Plane pwns so hard. It was totally robbed of Best Motion Picture.

This icon expresses my feelings over the issue.

[fly_robobird]

But a sci-fi writer came up with it, it can't POSSIBLY be a real religion! 8|

He's extremely picky about religions for no apparent reason; if it isn't monotheism, it doesn't count, or something. Heavens help us if he hears about The Flying Spagetti Monster.