Karen Bass: "I'm a Baptist".

[brooklynite]

Link to tweet

That she felt compelled to respond to the video says something...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Obviously she has been taking fire for it.

But if she has had no association with the Scientologists other than this ribbon-cutting ten years ago I don't think it's a big deal. I thought the dodgier aspects of that cult were fairly well-known even then, but maybe not.

[brooklynite]

3. In 2010? They were definitely known...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. What she knew about them at that time is a fair question,

as is why, if she had seen reports that they were a harmful cult, she attended the event anyhow. If she knew what they were and did it anyhow, that's a problem.

[bluedye33139]

9. I agree, if she had known she wouldn't have gone

She didn't do her due diligence here.

[ecstatic]

25. A lot of Americans did not and still don't know about it

I mentioned the thread about it to my mom and she asked what Scientology was. I just said a religion that's like a cult. I haven't watched any of the documentaries about it. Not interested.

[brooklynite]

26. An elected official is expected to have staff to keep them informed

[ecstatic]

27. True, but my point is that most people won't hold that incident against her. ntt

[brooklynite]

28. If the Trump campaign offered up this nugget,. a response would needed...

[LeftInTX]

16. Maybe there was a campaign donation involved

Maybe not by the Scientologists, but maybe the builder.


Just my hunch....

[50 Shades Of Blue]

2. Scientology was well known as an evil moneygrubbing abusive cult in 2010.

Her statement doesn't do it for me.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. It styles itself as a church just for the tax breaks.

And I'm wondering whether she'd have gone to a ribbon-cutting for a real church.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

15. That's a good question. Makes me question what business a public official has

going to any church's ribbon cutting. Or in the case of Scientology - "church's." L. Ron Hubbard didn't hide that he created Scientology to fleece people. How could her staff, if not she herself, not have easily discovered that?

[qazplm135]

4. the almost universal no

concerning her is evidence that she's done.

I haven't seen such unanimity in a long long time.

[BComplex]

6. Well, that is pretty unthinkable.

WTF was she thinking?

[bluedye33139]

8. My sense is that she looked at their materials and found the positive

She focused on that positive and apparently did not bother to talk to people about the organization. A few seconds of investigation would have revealed the dark side of Scientology.

I think it's a small error, but a very telling one.

[qazplm135]

14. she probably didn't bother to research

so treated them like any other "religious" organization requesting that she speak. She took a cursory look at their materials, found some common ground, and said, ok, cool.

[bluedye33139]

7. I think it's a small detail but it does seem like a glaring error in retrospect

Scientology is complex and problematic. The organization is dangerous and completely structured for money and power. On the other hand, in the early levels people come away feeling that they're getting something worthwhile. The auditing and the drills make some people feel better and more in control of their lives.

The paradox is that people feel that they're gaining more control over their life while they're simultaneously giving their entire life to the organization. It's a trap. Eventually, all of the good feeling belongs to the cult and people fear that if they leave they will lose control over their life and mind.

I spent some years studying Scientology beliefs and practices, and I incorporated some of the stuff into my meditative practice briefly. If you go to "freezone" websites, they have a lot of the early drills and processes, and one can run these without the organization. The free zone stuff is typically publicized by people who left the organization but want to maintain some of the practices and drills and processes that they found useful. Some of the techniques are useful. The organization itself is horrific, however. and this was known 10 years ago. This was known 50 years ago.

[brush]

10. She's emerged lately as being in the race and has the lowest national...

profile of Warren, Harris, Rice, Duckworth, Demings, Abrams, et al so this unfortunate ten-year-old incident makes it easy for the vetters to look elsewhere.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

11. She does have a lot of positive qualities, but she doesn't have

national name recognition to the extent many of the others do, so I'd be surprised if she were chosen regardless of this particular incident.

[brush]

12. Yes.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

17. It don't look good,

scientology of all things.

Losing is not an option.

Life isn't fair.

Keep religion out of government.

[stillcool]

18. I wouldn't value a persons worth..

based on their attendance at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, but her justification for being there exposes a lack of concern, or basic common sense. I can't think of any cult I would want to be affiliated with, even for one hour. Then again, what religion isn't a cult, in some aspect? Seems such a piddly misstep...guess it depends on how much hay it can make

[Funtatlaguy]

20. She didn't just attend. She spoke glowingly of them. Watch it.

[msongs]

19. beware of people who brag about their religion nt

[greyl]

21. Good advice. nt

[scardycat]

22. I like Karen Bass...

and she would make a fine Vice President. This is nit picking. Some times I think Democrats are their worst enemy.

[budkin]

23. Just pass on her

It’s not worth the headache.

[Withywindle]

24. Scientology being a fucked-up cult was ABSOLUTELY common public knowledge in 2010

And the fact that she quoted L. Ron Hubbard BY NAME means that she was definitely not ignorant of what it is. 2010 is not that long ago. It's certainly recent enough that even a cursory internet search would have produced a ton of damning info from reliable sources on the first page of results.