How do you cope with realising one of your all time Hero’s is..comprimised?..

I’ve been a huge fan of Beck’s since Loser. Huge fan.

I was listening to one of his most underated albums this morning, and during track ‘The Information’ the lyrics started to unfold and I suddenly realised that it is quite probable they refer to his Scientology roots.

How do I forgive him and move on?

aren’t all heroes supposed to be flawed?

I found out the guy who plays Earl in ‘My Name is Earl’ is a scientologist the other day.

I was gutted. He is also an awesome semi professional skater.

I don’t find Milton Jones or Tim Vine as funny anymore now I know they’re born again tambourine slappers.

Not their fault, just my irrational prejudice, but it does put me off.

Yeah, but – Scientology?

TO be fair I read a short interview with him once where he was pressed on his involvement and he came across genuine when he explained that despite its (ridiculed) rep, his involvment basically stops at providing money for kids in poverty stricken ghettos etc. He goes on to state that the lizardy bit is all essentially blown out of all proportion.

I was happy that he seems to be in it for good causes. But still..

Milton Jones – tambourine slapper

Cheers, im off to see him in show next month!

TO be fair I read a short interview with him once where he was pressed on his involvement and he came across genuine when he explained that despite its (ridiculed) rep, his involvment basically stops at providing money for kids in poverty stricken ghettos etc. He goes on to state that the lizardy bit is all essentially blown out of all proportion.

If he wanted to do this then surely there are less dubious “charities” to do it through?

Agreed.

But then ive never been to a lizard lover convention so I cant really comment.

Yeah, but – Scientology?

Believing in weird aliens and mass murder in volcanoes isn’t any more far fetched than believing in an imaginary man in the sky and his son who was killed then rose from the dead a few days later

Well, at least he doesn’t bang on about it all the time, but still.

As to Scientology, I’m afraid I really couldn’t bring myself to ad
mire, enjoy or buy anything from anyone who genuinely beleives in such complete and utter bollocks.

I’m afraid I really couldn’t bring myself to admire, enjoy or buy anything from anyone who genuinely beleives in such complete and utter bollocks

not on about 650b/29er’s again are you?

Off to listen to some old Beck now. Saw him a few times, Reading festival (maybe 2003 as it was still daylight) and the Brixton Academy I think come to mind and he was bloody brilliant. Best thing I saw at Reading that year.

Believing in weird aliens and mass murder in volcanoes isn’t any more far fetched than believing in an imaginary man in the sky and his son who was killed then rose from the dead a few days later

Hmm.. you have a fair point. God has yet to convince me otherwise.

I saw him at Southampton Guidhall several years back, was very low key but I loved every minute.

I do think he’s been stroked with the Genius stick.

Jason Lee (my name is earl) was one of the BEST skaters of the early Nineties.

Check out video days

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyAT-Lw0eZI

directed by Spike Jonze, no less.

Still a Lizard, though.

Meh. His music is great. Just enjoy it.

Meh. His music is great. Just enjoy it.

+1

Don’t really agree with the fact Scientology is hated and other religions tolerated, respected even. Must be because it’s so young I suppose? I’m sure it will be pretty mainstream a few hundred years down the line!

They seem to be very focused in terms of charity work (education, rehabilitation of addicts/offenders, etc). Can anyone come up with some concrete evidence of why they are worse than e.g. C of E , Catholics, Mormons, Islam, etc?

Also Beck is cool. Or at least was. Haven’t listened to any new stuff for a long time!

I have all of Beck’s records (cds). I think he’s one of the few artists who gets better with every release.
Modern Guilt is awesome.
The Scientology thing isn’t such a big deal to me* so long as he doesn’t ram it down my throat.
* same for any other religion.

Seems to release one track at a a time these days.
One of his latest:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDSjOM42HZU[/video]

The fact that’s it’s taken since Loser for you to find something you have a poblem with should be a hint about how much of a problem it is.

You are aware that Scientology is regarded as a cult in some European countries?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_in_Germany

The key may be that Scientology is not recognised as a religion, despite their lobbying and best efforts. However, it _is_ recognised as a cult by a lot more people than are scientologists, which may go a long way to explaining the lack of tolerance to it.

In other religion-related news this made me smile

… St Peter has very strict instructions on heaven’s admissions policy, which is similar to that of an elite private member’s club. God added: “It’s eternity, for My sake – do you really think I’d rather spend it with a flower-arranging spinster than Jack Nicholson?”

You are aware that Scientology is regarded as a cult in some European countries? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_in_Germany

Not convinced the Germans are the best judge of whether an organisation is legit or not 😕

so long as he doesn’t ram it down my throat.
* same for any other religion.

you’re refering to Chritianity, right?..

In response to earlier comment, its not taken me since Loser to feel down on his Lizard views, my heart sank when I first read about it..

I can cope – I just put one of his albums on and drift away. Just seems that during The Information im going to drift into a Volcano from now on.

Do some research. Child abuse, financial irregularities, detaining people against their will, high pressure sales of dubious treatment programmes, harassment of critics.
Scientology is nasty stuff.

Do some research. Child abuse, financial irregularities, detaining people against their will, high pressure sales of dubious treatment programmes, harassment of critics. World Wars.
Scientology religion is nasty stuff.

Do some research. Child abuse, financial irregularities, detaining people against their will, high pressure sales of dubious treatment programmes, harassment of critics.
Scientology The Catholic Church is nasty stuff.

Do some research. Child abuse, financial irregularities, detaining people against their will, high pressure sales of dubious treatment programmes, harassment of critics.
Scientology is nasty stuff.

Like I said, how is that any worse than an “established” religion?

we cant paint everyone with the same brush though. Can we?

Fundamentalists aside, there must a following that actually believe in ‘good’ ?

Of course. I’m sure lots of people do good in the name of religion. There may even be scientologists who do good and aren’t involved in the stuff listed above.

No religion can possibly believe in “good” because it’s a very vague concept that means different things to different people/cultures.

Beck is Good minus an O..

Oooh! Getting somewhere!

Believing in weird aliens and mass murder in volcanoes isn’t any more far fetched than believing in an imaginary man in the sky and his son who was killed then rose from the dead a few days later

Well, it is really.

One of them was made up by a science fiction writer purely to make money.
It’s relatively recent, and well documented.

It’s not ancient history “unprovable either way” like the other.

Don’t really agree with the fact Scientology is hated and other religions tolerated, respected even.

Yeah, either hate em all or none of them, picking on the new kid is pretty low. While different religious groups have pulled varying degrees of nasty stuff having a go at just one religion coz it a load of made up old bobbins is a missed opportunity.

I have nothing against 29ers!

650b, along with Scientology however……….

rehabilitation of addicts/offenders,

This bit is actually massively dangerous – they run purported substance abuse programmes through front programmes but disguise or deny the Scientology element in order to get government funding and suck vulnerable people into treatment. They don’t believe in psychiatry or therapy which puts them majorly at odds with every other legitimate method of treating substance abuse.

There’s a recent AMA on reddit about this: https://pay.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1kunsu/iama_graduate_of_the_scientology_rehab_narconon/

I’ll give you an example of why Scientology is bad, “Free stress tests” – when they won’t even admit what the shit is they’re peddling on the streets, you know you’re in murky waters.

More info here.

Another death from a Narconon facility here.

An historic [and well known] case here.

I’ll give you an example of why Scientology is bad, “Free stress tests” – when they won’t even admit what the shit is they’re peddling on the streets, you know you’re in murky waters.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTkSlJRprAc[/video]

Religious themes in music do leave me feeling a bit ambivalent, but seldom to the point where I’m tempted to tune out.

I did a wee facepalm when I heard about the whole Scientology thing, but it won’t make me forget that he’s possibly the best live act I’ve seen.

Another good example is the band Low, who happen to be Mormons. Did another wee faceplam when I found out that one of my favourite tracks (“Two Step”) is actually about the Mormon marriage ceremony…

Maybe comes down to a question of whether you can still appreciate or be moved by another person’s perspective, even when it’s one you’ll never share.

For what it’s worth, I don’t hold with the idea that the mythology of Scientology is any more outlandish than that of any other religion, however old. That’s not an endorsement of course…