Tom Cruise babbles incoherently about Scientology.

[Killer Bees]

It's a shame he's such a nutjob.  He's quite a nice looking man and it seems like he genuinely loves his wife and kids.  But I don't think you should blame Scientology for his douche bagger ( )

Other Scientology actors/celebs don't bang on about it like he does.  I haven't heard any of the following say anything their Scientology beliefs:

Leah Remini
Beck
Jenna Elfman
Kirstie Alley
John Travolta
Kelly Preston
Kate Ceberano (Aussie/Kiwi singer)
James Packer (Aussie media mogul's son and gazillionaire)

And that's just those ones I can think of off the top of my head.  I think Cruise is just an overly emotional guy with an ego to boot and because of his bad childhood he just wants to be accepted and for people to love him.

Having said that, he's still a fruitcake and if his acting abilities or his choice of movies start sliding off the rails, I'm giving him the flick.

[nshumate]

It's a shame he's such a nutjob.  He's quite a nice looking man and it seems like he genuinely loves his wife and kids.  But I don't think you should blame Scientology for his douche bagger ( )

Other Scientology actors/celebs don't bang on about it like he does.  I haven't heard any of the following say anything their Scientology beliefs:

<snip>
John Travolta

Actions speak louder than words here; Travolta spent two decades working to get Battlefield: Earth made into a movie, based on the sprawling godawful novel by -- you guessed it -- L. Ron Hubbard.

[RCMerchant]

Hey...as long as Scientologists arn't starting any Holy wars, or butchering non-believers...I got no beef with them.

[Yaddo 42]

After the Cruise vs. Matt Lauer tempest in a teapot a few years ago, Kelly Preston appeared on a few TV news channels, ostensibly to defend Cruise and clarify Scientology's views on psychiatry. But in the appearances I saw she mostly attacked the psychiatric field   and railled against prescribing antidepressants and other meds for kids. She never called anyone "glib" but made reference to the same secret real history of psychiatry that Cruise did but in a more levelheaded manner.

People like Jenna Elfman and Kirstie Alley have appeared at rallies against using those same meds on children, and made statements that have been used in news and infotainment programs. The organizations they represented were not always identified as being under the Church of Scientology umbrella, but that could also be the fault of lazy reporters and producers, or media organizatons (often part of large media conglomerates where one unit is providing publicity for anthoer unit) not wanting to have the Church harassing them or burn bridges with members they may want to work with on future projects.

Beck has said little about it that I've seen anyway, usually when first asked about it in interviews. Leah Remini I saw interviewed by Howard Stern years ago, when asked about her faith, church membership, Xenu, etc. she mostly said she didn't know about certain things (I never heard her say the name "Xenu" during the interview) and that "it works for me" and she she didn't question it.

[Killer Bees]

After the Cruise vs. Matt Lauer tempest in a teapot a few years ago, Kelly Preston appeared on a few TV news channels, ostensibly to defend Cruise and clarify Scientology's views on psychiatry. But in the appearances I saw she mostly attacked the psychiatric field   and railled against prescribing antidepressants and other meds for kids. She never called anyone "glib" but made reference to the same secret real history of psychiatry that Cruise did but in a more levelheaded manner.

People like Jenna Elfman and Kirstie Alley have appeared at rallies against using those same meds on children, and made statements that have been used in news and infotainment programs. The organizations they represented were not always identified as being under the Church of Scientology umbrella, but that could also be the fault of lazy reporters and producers, or media organizatons (often part of large media conglomerates where one unit is providing publicity for anthoer unit) not wanting to have the Church harassing them or burn bridges with members they may want to work with on future projects.

Beck has said little about it that I've seen anyway, usually when first asked about it in interviews. Leah Remini I saw interviewed by Howard Stern years ago, when asked about her faith, church membership, Xenu, etc. she mostly said she didn't know about certain things (I never heard her say the name "Xenu" during the interview) and that "it works for me" and she she didn't question it.

You get your fanatics in every religion.  Tom Cruise is well known, so it's too easy to poke fun at him.  I got no beef with those guys and I guess believing that aliens seeded the earth is no weirder than believing that Jesus walked on water.  After all, either of those things might be proved true in the decades to come.

In the meantime, I'll just take the lazy route and laugh at Cruise and his buddies and then switch the channel.

[ulthar]

I guess believing that aliens seeded the earth is no weirder than believing that Jesus walked on water. 

There IS a difference in those two things - a rather big difference.  The people that recorded that Jesus walked on water were the ones that witnessed it (right or wrong, literal or metaphor, etc, etc...); no one actually saw aliens seed the earth.   Whether or not one chooses to believe that what was recorded actually happened as recorded is a personal decision.

I'm not trying to start a religious flame war here.  I just wanted to point this out because it is a key, fundamental difference, and I think a fair contrast.

Consider three of the world's current major religions:

One can prove Jesus, Mohamad and say King David existed.  What is open to faith is their relationship to God.  The foundational bases for Christianity, Islam and Judaism are all rooted in recorded history (independently of the Bible, Tanakh and Qu'ran).

On the other hand, one cannot currently prove aliens exist or existed.  Such proof may be offered at some point, but currently, the basic premise has to be taken on faith.  But key to my point is that such proof did not exist at the time the religion was founded.

That's not a slam, by the way...just a contrast.

[Killer Bees]

I guess believing that aliens seeded the earth is no weirder than believing that Jesus walked on water. 

There IS a difference in those two things - a rather big difference.  The people that recorded that Jesus walked on water were the ones that witnessed it (right or wrong, literal or metaphor, etc, etc...); no one actually saw aliens seed the earth.   Whether or not one chooses to believe that what was recorded actually happened as recorded is a personal decision.

I'm not trying to start a religious flame war here.  I just wanted to point this out because it is a key, fundamental difference, and I think a fair contrast.

Consider three of the world's current major religions:

One can prove Jesus, Mohamad and say King David existed.  What is open to faith is their relationship to God.  The foundational bases for Christianity, Islam and Judaism are all rooted in recorded history (independently of the Bible, Tanakh and Qu'ran).

On the other hand, one cannot currently prove aliens exist or existed.  Such proof may be offered at some point, but currently, the basic premise has to be taken on faith.  But key to my point is that such proof did not exist at the time the religion was founded.

That's not a slam, by the way...just a contrast.

You're absolutely right.  But I was thinking more in terms of what Jesus did as opposed to him being fictional.  I could have used a better analogy though.

[ulthar]

You're absolutely right.  But I was thinking more in terms of what Jesus did as opposed to him being fictional.  I could have used a better analogy though.

Right.  I get that.  What I meant was that his "act" (walking on water) was witnessed by the people that recorded it (or so they say, right?).  So the contrast is:

Some people claim to have seen something a man who really existed did and they wrote it down versus an idea taken on faith.

It does not really matter...I guess I was picking nits anyway.  Have a glass.   

[Killer Bees]

You're absolutely right.  But I was thinking more in terms of what Jesus did as opposed to him being fictional.  I could have used a better analogy though.

Right.  I get that.  What I meant was that his "act" (walking on water) was witnessed by the people that recorded it (or so they say, right?).  So the contrast is:

Some people claim to have seen something a man who really existed did and they wrote it down versus an idea taken on faith.

It does not really matter...I guess I was picking nits anyway.  Have a glass.   

Picking nits keeps you clean   

[Fishasaurus]

Can anyone babble coherently about Scientology?

You said it right there.  As soon as you start talking about their beliefs you sound like you're ready for the rubber room.  The real question is why Tom thinks this is a good idea.

[Killer Bees]

Can anyone babble coherently about Scientology?

You said it right there.  As soon as you start talking about their beliefs you sound like you're ready for the rubber room.  The real question is why Tom thinks this is a good idea.

If I may interject with my completely unscientific and uneducated opinion:

People who embrace cults/extreme religions/etc wholeheartedly are generally those who feel something missing in their lives.  From what I've read, Tom's dad was a real arsehole and he was greatly affected by that.  Plus you don't know what kind of abuse, if any, Tom suffered at the hands of his dad.

So he looks to Scientology to make himself feel like he's a worthy person and not some loser like he believed growing up.  He meets people who praise him and like him and accept him and he likes that feeling of community so much, he does whatever he can to keep the feeling going.

Of course, you could say that about anyone who joins a club of like minded people.  But some people are more needy than others and need more praise and recognition.  Tom sounds like he's one of those people.  That's why he attacks or casts out anyone who doesn't think like he does.

I guess over time, you can start believing anything if the people you love and trust tell you it's so.

He's pretty much just a sad little ignored boy inside who wants love and affection.

[BTM]

Found a HILARIOUS parody of that video with Jerry O'Connel!

Check it out, here http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/3f716ffebe

[Patient7]

I was watching best week ever and they showed a clip where Tom Cruise said that if an accident occurred, a scientologist is the best person nearby because they  will help.   I personally think that a person who thinks they are an orange would be a better choice.


I know a guy like that.