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Debating The Scientology DDoS Attacks
Religion's critics debate whether tactic accomplishes anything...
Last week a group of hackers named Anonymous announced they were waging war on Scientology for the religion's consistent attacks on critics, among other offenses. The primary thrust of the offensive appears to be DDoS attacks aimed at taking primary Scientology sites offline. Scientology ultimately hosted their web server with Prolexic Technologies, who specialize in protecting companies from such attacks. ABC News says the attacks were fairly run of the mill:
quote:
Over the past few days, the site was hit with several DDOS attacks, which flooded it with as much as 220Mbps of traffic. . . "220Mbps is probably about in the middle of attack sizes," Nazario said. "It's not just one or two guys hanging out in the
Click for full size
university dorms doing this." On average, the attacks lasted about 30 minutes and used up 168M bps of bandwidth. In the past year, Arbor has seen attacks on other sites hit 40Gbps, or 200 times the strength of the Anonymous event.
Meanwhile longstanding critics of Scientology are coming out against the attacks, publicly stating they doubt they accomplish much of anything. Mark Bunker of anti-Scientology site xenutv posted a video saying the attacks may actually hurt other efforts to deal with the religious groups tactics. Anonymous issued another video today announcing protests on February 10.
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Camelot One
MVM
join:2001-11-21
Bloomington, IN

Camelot One

MVM

Leave Tom Alooooooooooone!

I couldn't resist.
But I fail to see the logic in going after them. If you just ignore them, they'd go do their thing in peace. We wouldn't have to care if they are crazy or not. But why make them front page news week after week?

Anon Name
@optonline.net

1 recommendation

Anon Name

Anon

Re: Leave Tom Alooooooooooone!

Because they actively repress and mistreat their own followers. Look at the link citing their other offenses. Oppression, forced abortions, unwilling imprisonment, negligent death (if not murder), extortion, black mail. And this is often to the people that would be involved with them even if the critics left them alone.

It needs to stop.

Camelot One
MVM
join:2001-11-21
Bloomington, IN

Camelot One

MVM

Re: Leave Tom Alooooooooooone!

Their own followers? Well.....I'm ok with that.

MrMoody
Free range slave
Premium Member
join:2002-09-03
Smithfield, NC

MrMoody

Premium Member

Re: Leave Tom Alooooooooooone!

Darwinian justice, eh?

Anonymous1023
@sbcglobal.net

Anonymous1023

Anon

Re: Leave Tom Alooooooooooone!

They don't only oppress their followers, they have a policy called "Fair Game" in which the "Religious Technology Center" (The head of the 'church') claims that any enemies of the church are "fair game, and they may be harassed, injured, badmouthed, attacked, or destroyed" without any reprisal from the church. The CoS claims that it is above the law.

Operation Snow White was the biggest infiltration of the US government in its history, and was Scientology placing bugs and moles in the IRS and other government headquarters to destroy evidence of wrongdoing by scientology and get dirt on critics of Scientology, among many WORSE things. The founder's wife, Mary Sue Hubbard was convicted and sent to prison, and L Ron Hubbard, the founder, went into hiding after stealing 200 million dollars from the church.

We are not attacking a religion. They may practice their religious ceremonies however they choose, and may believe whatever they choose. We are attacking a greedy and evil corporation that is using a religion as a defense from prosecution.

sporkme
drop the crantini and move it, sister
MVM
join:2000-07-01
Morristown, NJ

1 recommendation

sporkme

MVM

Re: Leave Tom Alooooooooooone!

said by Anonymous1023 :

We are attacking a greedy and evil corporation that is using a religion as a defense from prosecution.
Whoa! Who's talking about the catholic church?

james16
join:2001-02-26

james16 to Anonymous1023

Member

to Anonymous1023
said by Anonymous1023 :

Operation Snow White was the biggest infiltration of the US government in its history
Yeah, the biggest until all those Israeli spies worked their way into highly sensitive positions with access to nuclear secrets. Or those Commie spies during the Cold War. I think it would be more fair to say scientology was a very large infiltration, it's just so hard to know for sure which is biggest.

Also, they aren't using religion as an excuse from prosecution, they're using it as a tax dodge.

Also, I noticed ur name is anonymous, r u teh haxorz dat maeks them DoS?

n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY

n2jtx to Anon Name

Member

to Anon Name
said by Anon Name :

Because they actively repress and mistreat their own followers.
Exactly, "their own followers". Just ignore them, it is called free will. I have never heard of them driving around in buses collecting people against their will.

Personally I have no use for them but I accept that there are people who freely join.

Anon123
@sjsu.edu

Anon123

Anon

Re: Leave Tom Alooooooooooone!

said by n2jtx:

Exactly, "their own followers". Just ignore them, it is called free will. I have never heard of them driving around in buses collecting people against their will.
What about Charles Manson? What about Jonestown? Should we have stopped them?

We didn't. And look what happened.

hpguru
Curb Your Dogma
Premium Member
join:2002-04-12

hpguru to n2jtx

Premium Member

to n2jtx
said by n2jtx:

Personally I have no use for them but I accept that there are people who freely join.
There are people who shoot heroin into their arms freely. That doesn't mean you don't pursue their oppressors. Whether "good" or "bad", religion truly is the opiate of the people and it is going to cause us endless problems until the day that thinking people intervene.

XBL2009
------
join:2001-01-03
Chicago, IL

XBL2009 to Camelot One

Member

to Camelot One
said by Camelot One:

I couldn't resist.
But I fail to see the logic in going after them. If you just ignore them, they'd go do their thing in peace. We wouldn't have to care if they are crazy or not. But why make them front page news week after week?
Scientology is a dangerous cult that uses mafia like tactics to extract money not only from followers but any place else they can. Read the time story back in 1991:»www.time.com/time/magazi ··· ,00.html

AnonProxy
Premium Member
join:2001-05-12

AnonProxy

Premium Member

Those Thetans are really getting crazy

Serenity now SERENITY NOW!

N3OGH
Yo Soy Col. "Bat" Guano
Premium Member
join:2003-11-11
Philly burbs

1 recommendation

N3OGH

Premium Member

Re: Those Thetans are really getting crazy

said by AnonProxy:

Serenity now SERENITY NOW!
Time for an airing of the grievances, George!

Let me tell ya man, my E-meter broke last week, and my Thetan level is just through the ROOF!. I mean, I think I can actually see what's his face in the volcano.

Quick, someone get me to the Gold base so Scientology can drain my bank account.

Oh wait, the gas station is all ready doing that.

Personally, I LOVE Scientology. I think they're full of shit, and they rip people off. But, it's just FANTASTIC fodder for humor.

While I feel for folks that have been sucked into a cult, but it's still a partially free sorta country.....

Swingerhead
Premium Member
join:2004-04-06
Richmond, VA

Swingerhead

Premium Member

Gotta love it.

Click for full size
Scientology that is. Makes ya crazy!

Dogfather
Premium Member
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA

2 edits

Dogfather

Premium Member

Don't deny it

After seeing The Gift, y'all would stand on a sofa to bang Katie Holmes too.

davoice
join:2000-08-12
Saxapahaw, NC

davoice

Member

Re: Don't deny it

said by Dogfather:

After seeing The Gift, y'all would stand on a sofa to bang Katie Holmes too.
Shhhhh! Don't tell my secret.

}Davoice

Yeehaa
@soton.ac.uk

Yeehaa

Anon

Has the church gone loopy?

Only last Saturday the church said in a statement that they hadn't been hacked, now suddenly they have?

Re: CNET - Sat 26th January '08:

»www.news.com/8301-10789_ ··· -57.html

Wasting the FBI's time will not be appreciated!
Zerny
join:2007-05-04
Fort Gratiot, MI

Zerny

Member

Well

Your either with Cruise or your with the terrorist.

nklb
Premium Member
join:2000-11-17
Ann Arbor, MI

1 edit

nklb

Premium Member

invalid link in article

The ABC News link seems to have an issue.

At least for me my browser sees a superfluous "<br>" at the end that makes clicking on the link go to an error page.

Edit: looks like the mods fixed it

mesmerMAN
join:2006-01-18
Miami, FL

mesmerMAN

Member

what are your crimes broadband reports?

What are your crimes!?

Fletcher Turdley
@rogers.com

Fletcher Turdley

Anon

The Battle Rages

For more info:

»www.partyvan.info/index. ··· hanology
»partyvan.info.nyud.net/i ··· hanology

Learn to hack like a pro:
»www.metasploit.com/confs ··· aper.pdf

BackTrack3: Super Hardcore pentest distro!:
»www.remote-exploit.org/b ··· oad.html

Transmaster
Don't Blame Me I Voted For Bill and Opus
join:2001-06-20
Cheyenne, WY

1 edit

Transmaster

Member

When people ask me about the mythos of Scientology.....

I direct them to the story of Gwar on the Gwar website. It is just about the same only Gwar's is much more interesting.

Glaice
Brutal Video Vault
Premium Member
join:2002-10-01
North Babylon, NY

Glaice

Premium Member

Eh

Good for them, Scientology should be outlawed anyway.
SilverSurfer1
join:2007-08-19

1 recommendation

SilverSurfer1

Member

Re: Eh

said by Glaice:

Good for them, Scientology should be outlawed anyway.
Right after organized religion AKA Christianity is.
s133
join:2007-12-06
USA

s133

Member

Re: Eh

He makes a good point - why consider banning one fairytale-based religion and not the other? What's good for the goose is good for the gander, as they say.
Expand your moderator at work

elios
join:2005-11-15
Springfield, MO

elios to SilverSurfer1

Member

to SilverSurfer1

Re: Eh

becouse Christianity doesnt ask you for hundreds of thousands for dollars to "improve your life"

or brain wash there follows to leave there friends and family

Christianity is harmless it hasnt killed people like Scientology has
muiredised
ESSE QUAM VIDERI
join:2007-06-11
Tacoma, WA

muiredised

Member

Re: Eh

Can we say "The Crusades"? Organized religion is one of the major causes of death throughout history.

Scientology is less a religion and more a philosophy of life. They use the words "church" and "religion" because there are financial advantages to them (taxes). Read Dianetics just for kicks, the first half or so of the book is fairly interesting as it introduces "Dianetic Theory", but it gets a bit far fetched (IMHO) when talking about "Dianetic Therapy" and the varying states of "clear".

the truthdude
@charter.com

the truthdude

Anon

Re: Eh

said by muiredised:

Scientology is less a religion and more a philosophy of life. They use the words "church" and "religion" because there are financial advantages to them (taxes). Read Dianetics just for kicks, the first half or so of the book is fairly interesting as it introduces "Dianetic Theory", but it gets a bit far fetched (IMHO) when talking about "Dianetic Therapy" and the varying states of "clear".
»theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com/

sad but true

cmatties
Only the strong will survive. HAHA
join:2005-03-04
Green Springs, OH

cmatties

Member

Re: Eh

i remember hearing about some of those deaths. I heard that they don't believe medication for mental unstable person.

i think that we should let Charles out of person just so he can kill all those f***s Just saying really don't mean that.

no deserves to die. no matter how f***ed up in the head they are.

and for tow curse hes one of the crazy ones. you don't see john acting all crazy. tom is the only actor i know that says that stupid s*** and acts like that.
muiredised
ESSE QUAM VIDERI
join:2007-06-11
Tacoma, WA

muiredised to the truthdude

Member

to the truthdude
said by the truthdude :

»theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com/

sad but true
Not sure what your reply has to do with my statement "the truthdude". Perhaps I should have made it clear that I do not subscribe to the beliefs/policies of Scientology. Read my post closely and find the words "far fetched". I can, however, see the allure of an alternative to traditional "religions", and as stated, Dianetic Theory is interesting yet unproven.

The webpage you link to describes some terrible tragedies. You will get no argument from me on any of the "facts" presented. Although I do not have in my possession firm statistics, I think that it is likely that these types of tragedies can be found in ALL religions and/or social groups. If your intention truthdude is to demonstrate that Scientology is bad, you must first demonstrate how statistics show that more of these tragedies happen in the community of Scientologists versus the community of Christians, or the community of Islam, etc. While I reiterate my view that Scientology seems less than a religion (not deity based), the fact is that ALL religions have zealots and extremists who will commit atrocious acts in the name of their personal (skewed) view. Those views do not necessarily coincide with the views of the community. Catholicism has documented cases of church members practicing "exorcism" to rid an individual of "demons" which very well may be a manifestation of psychological disorder. Some of these practices have also resulted in tragedy. Yet we generally choose not to condemn the entire Catholic community based upon these (perhaps misguided) incidents.

Scientology at some point was based upon the book Dianetics. In that book there is no mention of denying food or nutrition to a person in order to audit or clear them. No mention is made in that book that traditional scientific medicine cannot utilized. In fact, Dianetics the book contains no "commandments" whatsoever, it simply describes a theory about how the human mind works and how problems originating in the mind can manifest in other ways. It also describes a method of "therapy" whereby you can eliminate the "aberrations" of the mind that cause problems in life. This concept of "Dianetic Therapy" is what I find hard to swallow. I have only read the book Dianetics and I am not a Scientologist, therefore, I cannot speak firmly regarding what additional beliefs the "church" members impose on one another, but in my view it is dangerous to generalize about any community of people.

•••

KCrimson
Premium Member
join:2001-02-25
Brooklyn, NY

KCrimson to elios

Premium Member

to elios
said by elios:

becouse Christianity doesnt ask you for hundreds of thousands for dollars to "improve your life"

or brain wash there follows to leave there friends and family

Christianity is harmless it hasnt killed people like Scientology has
I'm no lover or Scientology, but your opinion of Christianity ignores 2 millenia of attrocities commited in the name of Christ, much of it at the behest of church leaders. Look up the Inquisition. Look up Blood Libel, Look up the Crusades. Look up the persecution and near annihilation of European Jews through the middle ages. Should I continue that list?

•••••••

DiscardedVet
Premium Member
join:2005-04-06
Sturgis, SD

DiscardedVet to elios

Premium Member

to elios
said by elios:

or brain wash there follows to leave there friends and family
Uh, YES it does!! I know - I refused to go to Christian church any longer when I was 14 years old (fourteen), the church told my parents that I either attend church, or put me out of the home. I was homeless at 14. If that isn't brainwashed parents, then "brainwashing" never existed.
said by elios:

Christianity is harmless it hasnt killed people like Scientology has
Holy crap, did you drop out of school in 3rd grade? You rrrrreally need to update your knowledge of world history.

Shamayim
Premium Member
join:2002-09-23

Shamayim

Premium Member

Re: Eh

You'll never sort these historical things out until you learn to distinguish Roman Catholicism from Biblical Christianity.

Cuchulainn
The Roar of the Masses Could be Farts
join:2000-11-09
Chevy Chase, MD

Cuchulainn

Member

Re: Eh

said by Shamayim:

You'll never sort these historical things out until you learn to distinguish Roman Catholicism from Biblical Christianity.
And the distinction is?

One is just as guilty as the other. Roman Catholicism was an instrument of State control for thousands of years. Biblical Christianity is an instrument of intolerance and judgmentalism in this country. It's what Mike Huckleberry uses to condemn "Homasexshuls", "Jooz", "Izlammerz" and anyone who ain't a good, God-fearin' redneck lahk' hisself
Cuchulainn

Cuchulainn to elios

Member

to elios
said by elios:

becouse [sic] Christianity doesnt ask you for hundreds of thousands for dollars to "improve your life"
Come again? Sorry, I must have had fuzz in my ear. Those Papist "life improvements" (Indulgences) were exactly what Martin Luther rebelled against.
said by elios:

or brain wash [sic] there [sic] follows [sic] to leave there [sic] friends and family
What EXACTLY do you call Holy Orders?
said by elios:

Christianity is harmless it hasnt killed people like Scientology has
Yeah, I guess bigotry is harmless And NO ONE was killed in the Crusades...

DrModem
Trust Your Doctor
Premium Member
join:2006-10-19
USA

DrModem to SilverSurfer1

Premium Member

to SilverSurfer1
Study some history. Christianity has (and in some countries currently is) been outlawed many times in history. Did that stop it? No. Is it stopping it now? No.

Outlawing Christianity has been proven many times over in history to be futile.

Because... you can't fight true religion.

hpguru
Curb Your Dogma
Premium Member
join:2002-04-12

hpguru

Premium Member

Re: Eh

said by DrModem:

Study some history. Christianity has (and in some countries currently is) been outlawed many times in history. Did that stop it? No. Is it stopping it now? No.

Outlawing Christianity has been proven many times over in history to be futile.
Your beloved President Death has already put everything in place to take you down, fools!
said by DrModem:

Because... you can't fight true religion.
Science has already discovered how to artificially create "religious" experiences in the brains of human subjects and the ability to correct this brain malfuncton is just around the corner. So cheer up! Soon there will be a permanent cure for this wasting disease.
elister
join:2006-07-17
Seattle, WA

elister

Member

Sure it doesnt help...

but it sure is fun!!

Proud SP
@ps.net

1 recommendation

Proud SP

Anon

Re: Re: Leave Tom Alooooooooooone!

Don't forget about them trying to censor the internet. The was their biggest mistake. They're used to bulling people around with their lawyers and hiding behind the constitution and the law that they always get away with it. But there is no way they could have foreseen the power that Anon has over the internet to start something of this magnitude. Everyone needs to educate themselves on this evil organization.
Read about Lisa McPherson And Tory Christman and numerous others. Watch the South Park episode no matter silly you think the show is. It paints a pretty accurate picture of this organization.
There are dozens of websites dedicated to this cause. Visit them. People have been trying to close down this organization for fifty years. All with no success. It looks like they are all pulling there resources together now to build a better their case. I think that if you learn more about this group you will want to do everything you can to put an end to this insanity. Up until recently I didn't take them very seriously because I thought it was just some harmless wacky Hollywood church that everybody liked to laugh at. But it is not. This is a very dangerous organization that everyone should be concerned about that needs to be stopped.

»xenutv.com/

»gawker.com/

»xenu.net/

»www.fairgamed.org/

»www.scientology-lies.com/

Shamayim
Premium Member
join:2002-09-23

1 recommendation

Shamayim

Premium Member

Scientology = cult

End of story.

••••••

Terryeo
@sbcglobal.net

Terryeo

Anon

Reactive Critics

Critics attack because can not fathom watching the wind blow. From their (better) point of view, they are doing parishioners (and all mankind) a service by informing them (and the public) of potential harm. Then, since that action has not been fruitful, FORCING the situation by spending their own, good, hard-earned money to FORCE the Church to comply with what they KNOW is good for everyone. Critics can't stop themselves. Oh, hum, tsk, tsk.
jtel
join:2005-06-28
Bristol, RI

jtel

Member

Don't Mess with Alien Technology

What happens when the Scientologists begin uncloaking ancient alien technology and fight back?

We are all doomed! :=))

LuL
@stratoserver.net

-1 recommendation

LuL

Anon

Censored by Chanology

your pic should read "censored by chanology". haven't seen any censorhip by scientology but a lot of attacks on freedom of speech by these crims calling themselves "chans".
Ikarasu
join:2004-01-09
Port Coquitlam, BC

1 edit

Ikarasu

Member

Re: Censored by Chanology

You havent? What about the 20+ videos they've ordered Youtube to take down, or threatened to sue/have sued other sites if they don't comply? Videos which are not copyrighted, and just mention Scientology? Ones that they don't agree with, that make them look bad?

I call that censorship. Infact... I don't even call it censorship, I call it bullying. I for one, am glad they're getting what they deserve.

[Edited for a typo]
Claybraker
join:2002-04-13
none

Claybraker to LuL

Member

to LuL
said by LuL :

haven't seen any censorhip by scientology
Hmm, how 'bout the time Helena Kobrin threatened to sue the internet over a newsfroup?

She got a kook award for that one.

Shortly after that, the sporge attacks started. Nobody ever proved the attacks came from $cientology supporters, but the timing was very suspicious.

TuPaK
join:2002-07-21
Burke, VA

TuPaK

Member

How about we get Tom to beef up the DDOS protection

since he knows he's the only one who can help
:P

badtrip
Premium Member
join:2004-03-20

1 recommendation

badtrip

Premium Member

Why Scientology?

I'm sure that Scientology is a piece if shit religion. As a matter of fact, when I was in junior high, my mom's boss made everyone at his dentist office read Scientology books and made them go to meetings a other nonsense. My mom told me that Scientology was the biggest pile of donkey anuses and nonsense she'd ever seen.

I'm also sure that Scientology does all the things Anonymous claims they do...but I can think of corporations orders of magnitude greedier and scarier than Scientology, no doubt. How about Blackwater? That Prince guy and his goons are a hell of alot scarier than any scientologist I've ever seen. Further, what about Haliburton and their scumbag enablers Bush and Cheney? If anything defines greed it is that horrible cabal. AT&T and Verizon? They sold out their customers (and the rest of the world along with them) for who knows what kind of money and/or government allowances.

In short, when it comes to greed, violence and apathy, there are much bigger corporate fish to fry than Scientology.

burrowowl
Sonic.Net
join:2003-01-22
Santa Rosa, CA

2 recommendations

burrowowl

Member

Re: Why Scientology?

They chose Scientology as a target for a couple of key reasons:

  • It's there

  • They're relatively easy to make fun of

  • They're almost certain to react in a way that Anonymous will find entertaining


Most of the big evil corporations out there are unlikely to respond the way that Anonymous expects the Church of Scientology to, so they aren't interesting targets. Supposing that this is some kind of political or religious movement is to grossly overestimate the motives of Anonymous. They're doing it for the lulz, wrapping themselves in the thinnest veneer of moral superiority, mostly for the benefit of unwitting onlookers.

The best course of action the CoS could take would be to ignore Anonymous and wait for them to get bored. Anonymous may not forgive nor forget, but Anonymous is fickle and loses interest quickly when unprovoked. Ask Hal Turner.

--
John Fitzgerald
90115534 (banned)
Someone is sabotaging me.Finding out who
join:2001-06-03
Kenner, LA

90115534 (banned)

Member

Let people be who they want to

Everyone should be able to be the person they are and just don't worry about others. The more you worry about others the more you waste your own time on something that makes no difference. You can't change people.

Dread
On course
Premium Member
join:2005-02-28
Bronx, NY

1 recommendation

Dread

Premium Member

Re: Let people be who they want to

Leave xenu aloneeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Anon Name
@optonline.net

1 recommendation

Anon Name to 90115534

Anon

to 90115534
If my house is on fire and I don't realize it because I'm in the basement, I would home someone would come in and inform me before I burned to death. Even if they break my basement window and haul me out forcefully,once I'm out and can see the raging inferno behind me, I'd be very grateful. As such, I feel it is my responsiblity to do the same for others. Otherwise, how can I count on anyone else doing it for me.

CoS is a raging inferno and its followers are stuck in the basement unawares. The fire must be out out before it spreads any further.
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