According to an article on Slashdot, the CO$ has been given the right to delete any auctions selling thier "e-meter", a device that is used in thier "auditing" sessions. "The E-meter is a skin galvanometer, similar to those used in giving lie detector tests."(this definition from the FAQs from alt.religion.scientology) Those who belong to the "church" are "encouraged" to shell out big bucks fo this device, since part of the training in the "church" is to learn how to audit others (ask a bunch of odd questions, dig up past lives, discover juicy little secrets), and to audit themselves.
Well, what happens if someone doesn't want to be a member anymore, doesn't believe in the "belief system". Now, they have this odd electronic device (not to mention books and cds they have been goaded into buying over the years) sitting around their house. "Well, I paid for it, don't want this stuff anymore...oh what to do with it? And I sure could use the money..."
"Oh, I'll put it up on Ebay! I paid for it, it is mine, after all..."
BZZZZZZZZT!!!!
Now that the "church" has been able to shut down any auction involving any of their goods sold at an org near you, you can't sell off that meter and stack of books so you can reclaim at least part of the money you poured into the organization. Another case of someone folding thier cards for the sake of what the CO$ has in thier hand...a highly litigious nature and the behaivor of a junk-yard dog.
That would be like me all of a sudden one day deciding, "Hey, I have this Bible and some Rosary beads lying around here I haven't touched in ages. Think I'll post them on Ebay. Well, actually, I would probably donate the Bible and the beads, but then, they didn't cost me thousands of dollars like the e-meter, but that's not the point right now. Point is, I wouldn't expect the Catholic Church pulling my auction off Ebay, telling me I can't sell my stuff I paid for. Because they wouldn't.
In fact, with the exception of perscription drugs, I can't think of anything that I can buy that I can't resell at a later date. Okay, used matresses. There's something else. Anyway, I sold a car not too long ago. I know for a fact that I didn't have to ask Chevolet permission, nor did some executive show up at my door telling me I had to cancel the transaction.
Look at this price list for items offered by the "church", can you see why someone would want to cash in thier chips after they realize for them, the "church" wasn't working out for them?
http://www.xenu-directory.net/practices/cost2.html
And here's a lovely Catch-22...if they are no longer a member of the church, they are concidered an apostate, an SP. A Supressive Person that members in the "church" cannot have any contact with. So a good member would not be able to have a transaction with someone selling off thier books and cds and meters. Anyway, the "church" would want members to buy everything from them at thier highly inflated cost, not save some money by buying from a 2nd party seller.
What a trap. That, and the fact that this is just one more instance of the "church" stomping thier feet, demanding something about them on the Internet gets "pulled"...a story, a video, an opinion, a joke, a personal right.
All in the name of "religion". Or so the "church" would have you believe.
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