Church of Scientology in Firhouse?

I've actually sometimes wondered if we should be more protective of Scientologists. Are they being persecuted for their religious beliefs? I realize this may seem like a strange question, but being a Catholic my train of thought is: many persecutors of the Church were absolutely convinced that it was corrupt and subversive from top to bottom. I have no doubt that Hubbard was a charlatan and that Scientology is run by crooks, but surely many ordinary members are completely sincere, if deluded.

Sounds like Mental gymnastics to me. You have stated the founder and leadership of this false religion are crooks and charlatans. A Catholic point of view is that Our Lord and God will not have any false Gods Before him and we need to convert the world.

As a proponent of CATHOLICISM as the state Religion. I say put every road block in there way for promoting sin and falsehood.

Well it worked very well in England. We had a discussion about why the Irish did not convert on another thread. If memory serves culture and language were a big part.

I am not saying they can not gather personally in home's. The idea that Catholics should promote a false right to religious freedom makes me resentful.So called religious freedom allows the break up of western nations by foreign agents and falsehood.

The Catholic Faith espouses ethical/moral positions which can be shown by reason to be good and sensible for man to live by. Other belief systems are made up of not simply different beliefs but other ethical/moral positions. It is wrong if one can do something about it to let people proselytize beliefs that are coupled with scandalous and immoral positions.

With regard to proselytising belief systems that don't flout the natural law, as a Catholic I would be happy for them to have freedom to practice their religion to its fullest excepting the freedom to proselytise. If Muslim countries would afford Catholics to live their Catholicism fully but also forbid Catholic proselytising I would consider that a logical and sensible position for them to hold and fair.

I think there's a grey area though. If Muslims and Jews agree not to proselytise, Jews don't anyhow, and want to get divorced or have more than one wife then even if it could be shown that this is contrary to the natural law, I think as its not that scandalous, they should be allowed this freedom.

That's what I'm thinking

I agree, Cato. Religious freedom without the freedom to seek converts is not freedom at all. I realize that saying this will unleash a flood of texts from bygone Popes on me. Well, rightly or wrongly, the Church today seems to be of the same mind as me. Whether this is a rupture in teaching is another matter. By the light of my own natural reason (which may indeed be faulty), religious freedom seems like a natural implication of human dignity.

Surely Catholics should be sufficiently confident in their own beliefs to accept a free marketplace of ideas?

To be fair, Pope Francis has emphasized evangelisation, although what evangelisation actually means to him is a bit of mystery. I think it means smiling a lot.

I fear that, like the Cheshire cat, the only thing left of the Catholic Church will soon be the regulation perma-grin.