Leave Tom Cruise Alone

Rob Long over at Arianna’s watercooler has an interesting post about Tom Cruise’s bizarre proselytizing[1]Which always annoys me, regardless of what religion it is. :

So why the snickers and derision and spooky-voice reaction to what is, let’s be honest, an eccentric but not totally nutty set of beliefs that somehow leads actors to avoid drugs and write thank-you notes? Sure it’s weird when you get really into it, but then, no one has ever clearly explained the idea of the Holy Ghost to me, either. And then there’s the Great Flood, and the Burning Bush, and don’t get me started on why Good Friday is supposed to be so “good.”

So maybe Tom Cruise – who used to have the office upstairs from mine on the Paramount lot, and who was, let me just say, incredibly polite and nice whenever I saw him – so maybe he’s a little intense or tightly wound or believes that we’re all descended from space aliens, and maybe the Katie Holmes thing makes some of us uncomfortable in some non-specific way. I don’t know, maybe Scientology is what Christianity was in pre-Christian Rome: a creepy, disturbing, all-encompassing cult that irritated and infuriated the establishment. If there’s one thing I know about Los Angeles in 2005, it’s that it’s not too different from ancient Rome.

If Tom Cruise were appearing on talk shows touting “the healing power of prayer”, he’d be treated like a national hero. If anyone tried to criticize his behavior, they’d be called out for hating Christianity. Yet here we are bashing the guy for saying things that are weird, but still on par sanity-wise with what you’d see on an episode of The 700 Club. Apparently religious tolerance only goes in one direction in this country. Sorry, Tom. Your religion[2]Yes, I’m very familiar with how crazy Scientology is. I’ve been to the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition more times than I can count and it never stops being funny. isn’t popular enough to deserve respect.

UPDATE : The last line in this comic made me laugh so hard I choked on my iced tea (via Oliver) :



1 : Which always annoys me, regardless of what religion it is.

2 : Yes, I’m very familiar with how crazy Scientology is. I’ve been to the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition more times than I can count and it never stops being funny.


posted by greg on June 30, 2005 @ 12:03 pm

12 comments

  1. Apparently religious tolerance only goes in one direction in this country.

    Yeah, it’s only for the Religion of Peace(TM).

    Comment by Frew — June 30, 2005 @ 1:53 pm

  2. Well, Christianity does have a slight advantage in the fact that it wasn’t recently created by a science fiction writer making a bet.

    Or does it?

    Comment by Woda — June 30, 2005 @ 2:27 pm

  3. as Lewis Black said on the Daily Show the other night

    “Scientology..It’s got ’science’ right in the name!”

    Comment by Dave — June 30, 2005 @ 2:46 pm

  4. ..and it must be at least a hundred since it has “ciento” in it it’s name as well. Seriously, I just wish the media would scrutinize the elder cults as rigorously as they are examining the Lil’ Church Hubbard Built™. The levels of Scientology are no less evil than the Prayer Levels on the 700 club (After all it costs 10k per year to be in the Chairman’s Circle where you get to join a monthly conference call with Dr. Robertson or another CBN executive). I guess two thousand years legitimizes the belief the mystical sky god raping a virgin so that his progeny can die for to erase the sins of those filthy almost pagan jews, but it does not legitimize those that that will use it to prey on the weak and suggestable like the Pentecostals, 700 Club, PTL, et al.

    Comment by Joshua — June 30, 2005 @ 5:52 pm

  5. Anyone who knows me at all will tell you that I’m not one to defend Christianity, but nonetheless…

    Christianity may be full of idiotic contradictions, lack even the most beasicv believability and all that.

    But Scientology uses known brain washing techniques, coercion, tight information control and has every single one of the hallmarks of a cult.

    The US flavor of fundie Christianity might have some minor cultish overtones, byt by and large, you can walk right out of it, should you feel that it doesn’t live up to its promises.

    Comparing Christianity to Scientology as in that article really only makes the Jesus Lovers look bad. Scientology is already considered a cult in many Western nations, hopefully Cruise’s explosion of nuttiness will help that cause along in the US.

    Comment by John E Thelin — June 30, 2005 @ 9:23 pm

  6. beasicv? basic. Sorry for the bad proofing, but I’m having dinner.

    Comment by John E Thelin — June 30, 2005 @ 9:25 pm

  7. Next: Namor v. Kelo

    Skip the prose and just look at the cartoon….

    Trackback by Soylent Content — June 30, 2005 @ 9:29 pm

  8. I want to start a collection to put statues of Thetans up in Austin near the ten commandments. Strictly as a historical thing, you understand. We all need to know the source of our problems as explained by L. Ron Hubbard and Tom Cruise.

    Since it is Scientology, it has to be scientific, right? That makes it history and an explanation of where we all came from.

    Comment by Rick B — June 30, 2005 @ 11:46 pm

  9. It’s not the scientology spiel that’s making Cruise seem so weird. It’s his body language and manner — the guy seems like he’s about to explode. If you haven’t seen his performance on the Today show, check it out. If some guy on a bus were behaving in the same way, you’d take a seat as far away from him as you could –something just ain’t right.

    Comment by Bella — July 1, 2005 @ 12:50 pm

  10. For all the L.Ron Hubbard Dirt you can stand, track down a used copy of “Bare Faced Messiah.” It’s really pretty interesting. among other things you learn about Hubbard’s attempts to use Scientology agents to scrub his military records and the creation of the church’s own CIA, who are no doubt reading this right now.

    Comment by p-ants — July 2, 2005 @ 1:44 pm

  11. Oh please–leave Tom Cruise alone? Give me a break. He is not simply espousing a “religion”–Scientology is bizarre and stupid, to say the least, but he is being critical of women who take anti-depressants after having post-partum depression. He sounds like a reactionary, sexist jerk to me, and one who degrades real illnesses like PPD. Would he ask a diabetic to forgo insulin and recommend exercise and vitamins? He would be renounced. I don’t think he should be left alone–he’s a self-absorbed ass and knows nothing about mental illness. I’m really offended that you are coming to his defense. About the Katie Holmes stuff–who cares? It’s all bread and circuses, as far as I can tell, but please don’t defend him on the grounds that he’s simply citing his religion. As to whether it is really a religion–again, who cares? But I do know a few ex-scientology people who barely made it out alive, much less with any money or brain cells left. I have a lot of respect for your comments–but I have to say I’m disturbed by this posting.

    Comment by Beth — July 3, 2005 @ 3:46 pm

  12. “On one side of the street is a church, on the other side is a liquour store, both of them keeping us poor.”

    All churches involve brainwashing and money taking. Haven’t you seen those communion plates and don’t you remember having to stand up, sit down, kneel, etc.? Scientology should be condemned because it is one of the worst cults - perhaps the problem is that we don’t condemn the others, not that we don’t let Tom slide.

    Comment by george — July 5, 2005 @ 9:37 am

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