Posted on 06/25/2005 8:24:06 PM PDT by phoenix_004
THE actor Tom Cruise has added to a growing reputation for eccentricity after a heated row on American television over his support for the Church of Scientology. Cruise, 42 — whose new film, War of the Worlds, had its London premiere last week — rounded on Matt Lauer, genial host of NBC’s Today programme, when the subject of their interview turned to the controversial religion and the prospect of his fiancée Katie Holmes, 26, being converted.
“Scientology is something that you don’t understand,” declared Cruise. “It is a religion. Because it’s dealing with the spirit. You as a spiritual being.”
The interview became more combative when he was asked about a public reprimand that he gave recently to Brooke Shields, the actress, for taking antidepressants rather than vitamins when she was diagnosed with postnatal depression.
Founded by L Ron Hubbard, the science fiction writer, in the 1950s, Scientology — which claims more than 8m members worldwide — teaches that psychiatry is “Nazi science” and that its medicines are all about mind control.
When Lauer said that many people had been helped by such drugs, Cruise dropped his famous smile and declared: “You are glib. You don’t know the history of psychiatry. I do.”
Although such pronouncements have raised Cruise’s profile in the run-up to the release of the £100m film, there are signs that they may encourage some people to stay away.
According to a poll published last Friday by the MSNBC TV channel, 69% of viewers said Cruise was “just plain wrong” on the role of doctors and the use of drugs to alleviate mental distress.
Some 61% of Entertainment Weekly magazine’s readers, meanwhile, said they did not like the new ebullient Cruise as much as the quietly controlled superstar of yesteryear. And 41% said they would not go to see his new film — as against 34% who said they would.
Until recently Cruise — who has reached the status in Scientology comparable with that of a senior Church of England figure privy to its inner secrets — followed the advice of Pat Kingsley, his veteran public relations adviser, to stay “engagingly mysterious” about his beliefs. Then Cruise sacked Kingsley and decided to start promoting his faith loudly.
Last week it was widely reported that when he was preparing to shoot Mission Impossible 3, due to start filming later this year, he tried — unsuccessfully — to convert his potential co-star Scarlett Johansson to Scientology.
On the War of the Worlds set Cruise paid for a “cappuccino tent” where crews could ask for an “assist” or interview, with Scientologists dishing out the coffee.
Cruise said that he felt “liberated” talking about such issues and dismissed scepticism about his three-month romance. In another part of the NBC interview he told Lauer: “I have never worried about what other people think and what other people say. I am really happy. I can’t restrain myself.”
So you believe that there's no such thing as a chemical imbalance and psychotics and schizophrenics can be cured with vitamins and some freaky auditing sessions?
Man, the people you meet on FR these days...
ROFL! Yuh crackin' me up again.
LOL. You beat me to it! With this addition - drugs are easier to break away from, people are willing to help, and there are effective treatments. The grip of this cult and other cults is quite powerful, they work hard to invent ways to keep you and prevent you from leaving.
That would be some freaky expensive auditing.
This is another "religion" like kabbalah that treats the celebrity members different than the regular joe ones.
I like what Samuel Johnson said about actors:
"Players, Sir! I look on them as no better than creatures set upon tables and joint stools to make faces and produce laughter, like dancing dogs."
Google "Zoloft" "Violent" sometime ...
Scientology means never having to say you're freakin' nuts.
You ignored my question. How come?
That's your whole problem, Tom.
Umm, Most freepers fall into this category of not caring about what other people think, and conservatives from the 70's certainly fall into this group.
Some needs a "time out!"
That is about the only thing I will agree with those wing-nuts about.
The problem with that is he helped get Katie recruited. If he's changing his mind about $ci, why expose another innocent person to the cult. Other than that, it would seem like a possibility.
Wack-a-doo!
Scientology is no kind of religion for anybody. I hope to god John Travolta, Cruise and them other hollywierd types don't ever get seriously ill because they'll be dead before they see a doctor.
Anybody who believes that when they die, their souls slip out of the body and float around seeking another to inhabit is a flake. "Once that happens, they can serve the church over and over again in reincarnated states."
Here's other wierdo information:
Science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, who founded Scientology in 1950 and served in the Navy, modeled the group on his branch of the military.
The religion — which has 8 million followers worldwide — focuses on individuals as spiritual beings, stating that all people can cleanse their souls and exorcise their demons if they look into themselves and analyze their pasts for the source of their impurities. Part of the brain-bending belief system is that humans are infested with the souls of dead space aliens who were brought to Earth 75 million years ago.
The goal of Scientologists is to rid themselves of these negative souls and achieve a state of "clear." At the highest level, believers say you can control thought, energy and even time.
The whole thing started with the Beatles and their Maharishi trip.When he started to come down off the acid,John Lennon finally come to his senses and saw through him as a fraud.I still can't make sense of Yoko Ono.Must have been one too many bad trips.
What can I say.That has to be one of the most shocking videos I've ever seen.
Must be his "body thetans" talkings. Ol Tom needs to spend some more cash to get "clear".
http://www.xenu.net/
Hooray for Tom Cruise!
Scientology sounds like a combo positive thinking and some military organizational structure with a good dose of capitalism. Add to that getting some good "marks" (ie Crusie, Travolta) up front and you've got a dynamic enterprise!
Hubbard was just a more successful Kool-aid leader, Mohhamed or any other dude that woke up one day thinking," Ok, how can I make a lot of money and get chicks?"
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