By JACOB SAULWICK - THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
Added: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 UTC

Thanks to Sven for the link.
Original link

NICK XENOPHON'S appeal for a parliamentary inquiry into Scientology collapsed into acrimony yesterday, amid claims it represented an attack on organised religion.

Both the government and opposition voted against holding the inquiry, moved by the South Australian independent, which would have examined the value of giving religious institutions tax exemptions.

The Liberal senator Cory Bernardi turned his ire on the Greens, who supported the inquiry. Senator Bernardi said the Greens were interested in a witch-hunt on organised faith, comparing their hostility to the shadowy religious group the Exclusive Brethren with the Nazi practice of forcing Jews to wear the Star of David.

''This is the organisation, remember, that wanted the members of the Exclusive Brethren Christian organisation to mark their businesses so people would know who they were,'' Senator Bernardi said.

The Greens leader, Bob Brown, demanded he withdraw the remark.

''I will withdraw the inference that the Star of David was the symbol that the Greens wanted to put on every Exclusive Brethren business,'' Senator Bernardi said.
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TAGGED: CULTS, LAW, POLITICS