In 1993 the Clinton administration declared Scientology a religion and granted them tax exempt status.
Whack-job Cult Bump.
Select the choice that does not appear to fit:
a) Jerusalem
b) Kashmir
c) Rome
d) Clearwater, Fl.
Here is an interesting bit on this topic...
Cults and Cosmic Consciousness: Religious Vision in the American 1960s, http://www.bu.edu/arion/paglia_cults00.htm
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Hubbard is an unsuccessful 'B' list sci-fi writer who is of questionable mental soundness and by his own admission believed that the 'real money' was to be had in inventing and running a 'religion'. And apparently a few million people worldwide have agreed and ponied up the money to give their deepest secrets to this man whose organization controls every aspect of their lives. These FBI files are a hoot and point out just what a nut he is.
ZAHN: I don't know whether we're supposed to laugh at that or not. Is Tom Cruise's star close to burning out? Joining me now is film critic Tom O'Neill of "In Touch" weekly magazine and Goldderby.com. Always good to see you.
TOM O'NEILL, FILM CRITIC: Same here, Paula.
ZAHN: Is this guy blowing himself up or what?
O'NEILL: We are seeing a career suicide from Hollywood's No. 1 star. It fascinating to watch, isn't it?
ZAHN: Why would the industry's most bankable star allow for this to happen to him?
O'NEILL: Because he doesn't know. When he had Pat Kingsley as his publicist, the No. 1 in samurai, strong arm publicist in Hollywood, managing his career, she didn't let him out of the box. And he was able to retain some mystery and allure. And this kooky side of him we're seeing now was kept in check.
Well last year, as many people know, he appointed his sister, who had been a PR chief with the film studios, to manage his career. She's letting Tom do whatever he wants. And we're seeing how crazy these stars really are.
ZAHN: But what has sparked this? Here he has a very important movie coming out. He doesn't even talk about the movie during any of these interviews.
O'NEILL: There is good reason for that, Paula.
ZAHN: Which I'm sure Mr. Spielberg is pretty unhappy about it.
O'NEILL: There is one big problem that will explain all of this within the next 72 hours. And it is the fact that this movie is supposed to be terrible. Not just good, but, unworkable.
ZAHN: But how do we know that? The critics haven't even seen it yet.
O'NEILL: Right. They are not letting the critics in until Monday night, which automatically tells you there is a problem. They normally never do that unless it is really bad movie. They made the journalists who have gone to the premieres sign confidentially agreements. I have spoken to several people who were at the premiere in New York the other night and they said, it doesn't work.
Now, if it...
ZAHN: They violated they're agreements. They shouldn't have told you that.
O'NEILL: I know.
ZAHN: Why believe them? They're liars.
O'NEILL: They're not saying it's really, really bad. But they're saying it is a disappointment. If that is true, Paula, this would be -- if other reports are true, the single biggest bomb in Hollywood history.
ZAHN: Because you're talking over what, $120 million plus production...
O'NEILL: No, that's what they've confessed to. There are reports that came out today it could $230 million. That this is the most expensive movie ever made. Could be Spielberg's only bomb. And that that's what's fueled this desperate -- Tom is desperate. You can see it in his face. The relationship isn't believable. His behavior is ridiculous. This man has a problem. And what it is, his career could be crashing.
ZAHN: But, Spielberg hasn't produced any bombs. I mean, how bad can this be?
O'NEILL: But the expectation level is so high.
Here's another factor, the way films are structured financially now, is that they give gross points, instead of net points, to the star. There is one report that Spielberg and Tom are dividing up 35 percent of the gross points on this film. If that is true, how is Paramount and Dreamworks going to get their money back? So, suddenly, we heard just a month ago that Paramount had put Mission Impossible 3 on hold. It begins filming July 17, because they were so concerned about Tom.
You see, behind the scenes, there is this desperation going on in Hollywood. And we are seeing the Tom personally side of it.
ZAHN: We have 25 seconds left. So, let's separate the bomb the movie, if that's what it ends up being, from everything else that is going on with Tom Cruise. Is it just the talking about scientology and psychiatry, is that going to alienate fans?
O'NEILL: Absolutely. We saw a poll come out today. Already, 61 percent of the people think less of Tom. I think once this Matt Lauer things gets replayed a few more times there is going to be real rage building up against this man. He's in big trouble.
ZAHN: Were you outraged when you saw it?
O'NEILL: I was. And I want him to apologize to Matt. I think he was totally out of line. And Brooke Shields, while he's at it.
Scientology and it's "nutjob" followers aside. Does anyone here believe that medication is the easy way to becoming God's perfect person?
It seems to me that medication is taking the place of what use to hard work at achieving good mental health.
Tom Cruise maybe wasn't the best candidate to make the point he was making but it seems to me that his "point" was right on the money.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scientologists
I heard, years ago when Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman divorced, it was because Nicole (who was/had been Catholic) did not want to raise the children as scientologists. Usually when one leaves the religious cult there are some harsh retaliations. I believe Cruise was concerned for Nicole; and somehow she escaped the usual difficulties. This list shows her as a member, but I do not think she is now.
I remember one day back in the 80's turning on the radio for my long commute, and getting real irritated at the talk jocks who were laughing hysterically about something that they couldn't stay straight-faced long enough to explain.
Finally, they explained what was going on. Apparently there was a lawsuit filed by a former Scientologist against this cult, and as part of the evidence, documents were filed with the court detailing the intimate beliefs of the inner circle. Some reporters filed a Freedom of Information act request to take a look at the documents. The Church of Scientology called all of its drones down to block the front door of the court when the reporters arrived. Finally, somehow they made their way in to get the documents - and then reported on them. And within minutes of this explanation by the talk jocks, I was giggling hysterically myself, as I drove.
According to these intimate documents, 'long about 70 million years ago, a guy named Imu ruled the world. He had some trouble with the population (didn't say if these were humans or other), and he punished some of these upstarts by chucking them alive into active volcanoes. Well, of course they died, but as their spirits wafted up, like Scratchy's in a Simpson's Itchy & Scratchy cartoon, they clumped together in clusters of four. They have wafted thru the atmoshphere ever since, and from time to time, get inhaled by humans, which injects 4 additional personalities into a particular unsuspecting schmoe.
One of the tasks of Scientology is to exorcise these vagrant clusters and return the spirit container to its original owner. This is achieved by long "courses" and exercises that only the Church of Scientology can deliver, of course.
When asked by one of the reporters about the veracity of these documents, he did not deny any of the details, but merely stated that it was not helpful for these inner truths to be released to the public without adequate "preparation". (Only a level 6 nutjob can absorb this information).
Since then, I've never heard anything more about this, not that I'd been searching, since I'd summarily filed Scientology permanently under the category of fun wacko things to talk about at parties.
Anybody else remember this?
June 26, 2005
BY CINDY PEARLMAN
NEW YORK -- Property values are plummeting in a Brazilian neighborhood in Newark, N.J. A series of rapid-fire lightning strikes have produced a gigantic hole in the middle of a quiet street in a tiny suburban neighborhood.
"I hear something moving. It's underground," frets a Jerseyite. "Maybe it's the subway."
"There is no subway line here," replies a nervous cop.
In a blink, the rumbling gets louder, the street begins to implode and a gigantic tripod filled with google-eyed alien creatures rises from the ground and shoots 100 stories up into the air.
In the middle of this mayhem, a familiar-looking guy in jeans and a T-shirt scoops up a little girl in his arms and smiles like he's a kid at the ultimate amusement park.
"We're making 'War of the Worlds,' baby!" screams Tom Cruise while hugging co-star Dakota Fanning.
At least he didn't jump on a couch.
Months later, the biggest movie star in the world sits in a room at the Essex House Hotel and says he saved that pogo stick-like commotion for another big event in his life. And we're not talking "Oprah."
He got a little overheated when he read the script for the new "War of the Worlds," opening Wednesday.
"I can be a quite excitable person," says Tom Cruise in a matter-of-fact tone.
Hmmmm, there's a news flash.
"When I got done reading the script, I was jumping on the couch," Cruise says, laughing. He's not the only guy with a sense of humor when it comes to the subject of an alien attack.
"I was on the phone," confirms director Steven Spielberg, who is by Cruise's side on this day. "I could hear something squeaking."
Wheels are turning, all right.
Let's ask the question on America's mind: Has the commotion over Tom Cruise's personal life -- you might have heard that he's engaged to actress Katie Holmes -- overshadowed his $135 million summer film? And does he care about the polls questioning the validity of their relationship?
Cruise, looking sinewy and muscular in jeans and an open-necked short-sleeved black shirt, says, "I don't pay attention to any of it, so it doesn't really bother me.
"Hey, I do my work. I live my life. My personal life has never affected anything before, but what does it matter? I can't control what people are going to say and do. It's never going to change how I live my life."
Speaking of his life, let's get that over with right now.
"Katie is the best part of my life," Cruise says. "I've never been happier. I'm in love and very happy."
He's actually happy about making love and war.
But back to the question at hand: Has Tom totally lost it? The signs are ominous: His recent engagement to Kate -- as he prefers to call her -- was cemented at the very epicenter of romance, the Eiffel Tower in Paris. But then he announced the news to the world with great fanfare at a press conference.
What's up with that? Throughout his career, Cruise has railed against the media for their attacks on "his privacy." But then he invites them to witness his biggest spectacle yet? As Frank Rich wrote in the New York Times: "Here is a lavishly produced freak show, designed to play out in real time, enthusiastically enacted by the biggest star in the business."
No wonder that Cruise was the subject of two "Questions of the Day" polls last week on CNN's "Showbiz Tonight," with the most recent being: "Is Tom Cruise out of control?"
The tally: yes, by 73 percent.
As Julie of Missouri explained: "I like Tom Cruise for the most part, but he needs to get a grip. It's nice to be in love, but he has lost his mind."
Or to borrow one of Cruise's own lines from "Jerry Maguire" (1996): "Have you ever gotten the feeling that you aren't completely embarrassed yet, but you glimpse tomorrow's embarrassment?"
Let us count the ways:
The "Oprah" incident: In perhaps his most bizarre performance yet, Cruise professed his love last month on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," saying, "I can't be cool. I can't be laid-back. Something happened and I want to celebrate it." And then in a moment that has since been parodied mercilessly, Cruise got down on his knees and repeatedly jumped up on the couch, declaring that his love for Holmes was "beyond cool."
His attacks on Brooke Shields: In an interview with "Access Hollywood," Cruise went after his "Endless Love" co-star (he had a small part, while she was the star) for using antidepressants to alleviate postpartum depression. "You can use vitamins to help a woman through those things," he said. "When you talk about emotional, chemical imbalances in people, there is no science behind that."
The ensuing outrage was instantaneous, from Shields, of course, but also from mental health advocates and the media. Cruise, however, insists that he's gotten more than 154,000 letters of support for his views. "People go for help, but their lives don't get better because of those [psychiatric] drugs," he has said. "They get worse. They feel numb and they're told that's a good thing." He added, "It's how you degrade a society -- by drugging the piss out of it."
The squirt-gun incident: Last weekend in London at the "War of the Worlds" premiere, Mr. "Top Gun" was taken out by a water-pistol sniper. Visibly startled, Cruise began to laugh, but then asked the prankster: ''Why would you do that?''
As the man mumbled an excuse, Cruise said: ''Do you like thinking less of people, is that it?'' The prankster tried to walk away but Cruise reached across the metal barrier, held his arm and said: ''Don't run away. That's incredibly rude. I'm here giving you an interview and you do that ... it's incredibly rude. ... You're a jerk."
Public displays of over-affection: Recently Cruise has stunned fans with his nonstop canoodling. At the recent press junket in Los Angeles for "Batman Begins," he walked his lady love to her interviews and then started smooching with her in front of reporters. (A strict no-no for most A-listers.) Holmes in turn used about 3,000 "verys" to describe how "very" to-the-millionth-power happy she was over her relationship with Cruise.
The "auditioning" of girlfriends: Before he settled on Holmes, Cruise reportedly ran through a wish list of potential significant others, including Jennifer Garner, Kate Bosworth, Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Alba. And Scarlett Johansson supposedly "ran for her life" when Cruise tried to interrogate her at the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood.
As Rick Ross of CultNews.com told MSNBC's Jeannette Walls: "Is this Tom Cruise's version of a first date? It's becoming increasingly difficult to make distinctions between his personal, professional and religious life. Tom Cruise and Scientology seem intent on recruiting a hot young star. Apparently, Scarlett Johansson flunked her test, but Katie Holmes passed."
His proselytizing for Scientology: Cruise has been doing a lot of talking lately about his religion of choice. "I'm interested in life," he said at the Essex House event. "There are tools in Scientology that help me live my life. And I've had an extraordinary life. I'm honored by the life I have, and I'm enjoying myself."
According to press reports, he has started taking Scientology on to film sets, setting up tents and inviting co-stars, crew and executives to learn more about the controversial religion. He even invited church leaders to join him on the set of "War of the Worlds" to help him spread the word.
Cruise also offered to take the movie's producers on a tour of the religion's headquarters. "What I find is people are interested, they wanna know," he said. "When I say, 'Hey, the invitation's there,' they jump at it."
His "brainwashing" tactics: Though Cruise and Holmes have been together for just a short while, he's already wielding an enormous influence over her career. At his suggestion, Holmes dumped her manager and switched agents; she's now repped by CAA's Rick Nicita and Kevin Huvane, who also happen to represent Cruise.
Then Holmes rejected the role of Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick in the movie "Factory Girl," because the film depicts drug abuse, which offends Cruise's religious beliefs.
With all of this negative publicity swirling through his life, a recent Entertainment Weekly poll seems significant: 61 percent reported that they like Cruise less now, with only 3 percent voting that they like him more.
For his part, Cruise told the magazine that those who criticize him for his recent behavior are "like the bullies you grow up with in school. But you know what? If they don't like it, f--- them. If people don't like it, f--- off."
Despite such endless public calamities, Cruise remains hopeful about his future. At the New York press conference for "War of the Worlds," he was asked how he could possibly top his Eiffel Tower proposal at the actual wedding.
"Do I have to top it?" Cruise said, laughing. "Is that required? We don't know what we're doing with the wedding yet. We'll see."
"That's great," Spielberg replied.
Oh, he wasn't talking about the impending nuptials. Cracked the director: "Twenty minutes went by before [someone asked] a Katie question."
Spielberg then smiled and Cruise refrained from jumping up and down.
Distributed by Big Picture News