= new reply since forum marked as read
There is a large Buddhist temple down the street from me. They have a fair every year and invite the neighborhood. Sometimes I see monks in saffron robes doing laundry at a local laundromat. If Bass has Scientologists among her constituents, and they do something praiseworthy, praising them publicly is part of her job.
Some here want to get huffy and hypersensitive about a temple they'd never heard of until last night. Fine, but let's cut other religions the same slack. They have ardent followers too.
There's also the word religion (same spelling) but culte is used in a non-pejorative way to describe a particular denomination. It also means service, so "culte protestant" means Protestant service. But the point is that every religion has its cultish aspects; if it didn't it wouldn't be a religion anymore, but a mythology or ancient practice. So while Scientology gives me the willies and their beliefs are not exactly rational, that's a feature of religion, and we're supposed to be tolerant of peoples' religions.
the Washington "Moonie" Times at a gala event many moons ago.
Didn't create much of a stir at the time. Still a member of congress. 
Arie did a hit piece on Val Demings, and now I'm learning that Kamala Harris has been the focus of renewed attacks as well. 
What happened to all hands on deck? We're in an emergency right now, guys. Like a life or death emergency. Literally.
