Belgium accuses Scientology of being a criminal organization. Christianity and Islam decide to lawyer up.

A Belgian prosecutor on Tuesday recommended that the U.S.-based Church of Scientology stand trial for fraud and extortion, following a 10-year investigation that concluded the group should be labeled a criminal organization.

Scientology said it would fight the criminal charges recommended by investigating prosecutor Jean-Claude Van Espen, who said that up to 12 unidentified people should face charges.

Van Espen's probe also concluded that Scientology's Brussels-based Europe office and its Belgian missions conducted unlawful practices in medicine, violated privacy laws and used illegal business contracts, said Lieve Pellens, a spokeswoman at the Federal Prosecutors Office.

Of course my take on all organized religions is that they are selling a bill of goods that the purchaser cannot clearly see, and whose benefits the consumer will not enjoy until after their death, and for which they will be vilified for refusing to accept. If one was to look at this as a consumer rights situation it would open up all of the major religions to lawsuits for failure to deliver on their promises.

Whether it is praying to God instead of getting medical treatment, or voting according to the recommendations of a minister instead of your own common sense, or staying in a relationship because it is your God's will that you not end a union sanctified by the church even though you may be suffering terrible abuse, these are situations that true believers find themselves dealing with and which would seem to be legally actionable if the guilty were not protected by so called "religious freedom". Which is apparently the freedom to make any crazy claim that you want to as long as you can hide behind you religion.

I think that if a man tells you that you are cured of cancer and you die, your family can sue his ass! I think if a man tells a woman that she must allow her husband to abuse her, she can sue him! I think that if a man tells his congregation that by giving money to the church they will be rewarded a thousandfold financially, and they go bankrupt, they should get to sue him!

It just seems fair to me.