Tom Cruise and Scientology

[Bliss784]

It surprised me to hear Tom Cruise talk like this...

(part of "People" article)
Tom Cruise has some harsh words for Brooke Shields about how she coped with depression.

The War of the Worlds star, who had a tiny role 24 years ago in Shields's movie romance Endless Love, condemns the actress's admission in her new book, Down Came the Rain, that she took medication to cope with postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter Rowan.

"I care about Brooke Shields because I think she is an incredibly talented women, (but) look at where has her career gone," he tells Access Hollywood in an interview.

Cruise, an ardent advocate of Scientology, which condemns mind-altering prescriptions of any kind, says: "When someone says (medication) has helped them, it is to cope, it didn't cure anything. There is no science. There is nothing that can cure them whatsoever."

Instead, Cruise, 41, suggests that women take "vitamins and exercise," and warns that what Shields is promoting is "irresponsible." Despite this, he adds, "I wish her well in life."

[Aslan's Girl]

:x What a creep to say such a thing publically! Poor Brooke. She's doing a wonderful service to millions of women and probably saving their lives!

[michelle02olympics]

dont know why women LOVE tom cruise. he's about 17 yrs older than katie. yuck.

ohh...also, i was randomly walking through the library. and i looked on the very top shelf (i rarely look up there) and i saw "war of the worlds" im surpised the libarian didnt pull it out for a shelf display

[Eeyora]

I personally have never cared for the guy myself. What a stupid thing to say?

[redvispa]

Cruise, who zealously preaches the Church of Scientology’s hatred of all mind-altering drugs, tells Bush: “Here is a woman, and I care about Brooke Shields because I think she is an incredibly talented woman. You look at, where has her career gone?”“When you talk about postpartum, you can take people today, women, and what you do is you use vitamins. There is a hormonal thing that is going on, scientifically, you can prove that. But when you talk about emotional, chemical imbalances in people, there is no science behind that. You can use vitamins to help a woman through those things.” […]

I think it’s a very stupid and chauvinistic thing to say. His insensitivity to post partum depression is disgusting.

I’ve never liked him – his beady eyes tell it all. And I totally can not understand why Katie Holmes chose to dump the beautiful Chris Klein for a bloke who is obviously suffering a mid-life crisis.

[SkateWorlds1]

I think Cruise is very handsome but a little short for my taste. He probably should have left Brooke alone. I've always felt his church was very dangerous and cult like. It has been banned in Germany. There have been members that have disappeared all together when they went for an extended cleansing, according to past articles I've read. Of course, I'm sure the church that the movie stars know is quite differant then the regular members know. I think it is a very powerful organization.

[Pati]

I am not a fan of either Tom Cruise or Scientology. I believe in medicines. I don't think God gave us brains just to fill in the space between our ears.
I really admire what Brooke has done publicly about such a private thing. She has helped so many woman seek help.

[trice77]

I swear that idiot is sucking Katie into that Scientology cult!

Did you guys see him on Oprah on Monday? He was totally manic!:rolleyes

[lavender]

Tom is weird, yuck and stupid for what he said about Brooke. I use to like him but there's something off there.

[Krista]

Tom is a perfect example of someone who could use some humbling. He's very arrogant. Although he does it in a "nice" way so that it isn't as obvious.

[Puce]

well, he looks like a rat. he might as well start talking like one too. i've never found him the least bit attractive, appealing, or interesting. :rolleyes

[Cole50]

For whatever reason, I lost all of my "like" for him when he split with Nicole. I like Nicole, and the way he went about doing it just made me, well, ick. I don't even know all of the details...I just think he is a prick.

And I do consider his "religion" to be a cult. Scary stuff.

[graciesfriend]

Too bad Andrea Yates didn't get the help Brooke Shields did (altho her problem may have been more than post parnum depression). Five innocent children might not have been murdered.

Tom Cruise ought to stick to acting.

[Skatekwan6]

That just lowered my already low opinion of Tom Cruise. He is overcompensating for something...but I won't get into all that.

[tongueincheek]

What an ignorant @#%$. Kudos to Brooke Shields for her courage and good common sense. I know which "role model" I look up to.

[scheherazade]

Tom Cruise ought to stick to acting.

No, he shouldn't even do that :x Ick, he's so horrible, I can't take it!

[Skatekwan6]

Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Cruise ought to stick to acting.
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No, he shouldn't even do that Ick, he's so horrible, I can't take it!

HAHA! I like to get petty and say, "NICOLE is the one with the OSCAR!" :D Well, that's not really petty...it's the truth :)

[MKGrace]

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>That just lowered my already low opinion of Tom Cruise. He is overcompensating for something...but I won't get into all that.<hr></blockquote> ITA on all counts. I thought he was great in Risky Business, but he got so big and so famous (and so overpaid) that he's lost all of the boy-next-door freshness. Now he's just another Hollywood dirty old man-wierdo. I also think Scientology is just a fancy name for some wierd cult - he's obsessed with it and he'll force Katie into adopting it if she sticks with him.

[MKGrace]

One more comment:

Good thread Bliss784! I saw this thread and let out a big hearty laugh - <img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/laugh.gif" />

[kwanette]

I don't think that anyone should ever "poo-poo" anyone's physical and/or psychological "ills"...No one knows your body like you do. I could care less what Tom Cruise's religion is..IMO, religious extemists are always a bit scary to me..But until he gives birth or has seen someone up close and personal suffering from post-partum depression, he needs to zip it..

graciesfriend, ITA re: Andrea Yates..A tragedy like that could have happened many years ago in my family had it not been for my mom's intervention with one of my sisters. This was back in the age when average folks didn't seek psychiatric help...but my mom recognized the problem and literally 'took" my sister's three young children to live with us...until my sister could "get better.."

[ScoobertDieu]

I did like Tom okay. Not great, just okay. But who the heck does he think he is, assuming he "knows" what's up with Brooke? He's not even a doctor, let alone a woman and doesn't have a clue what mixed up hormones can do to a woman! This makes me very angry because I've dealt with hormone issues too and it's just no joke! I'd like to tell Tom where he can go. Ya know? My opinion of him has gone ALL the way down.

[Bliss784]

MKGrace, i totally got a kick out of reading that first page! Ditto with- who does does he think he is? His publicist most be doing everything they can to downplay those comments. If this thread is any indication, the american public would think differently about him. Katie Holmes father was quoted saying that Tom was a good guy and a "humanitarian"....Private donations are great for charities, but i question whether some celebrities are the great humanitarians (or great people) that they are made out to be. Is it any coincidence that Angelia Jolie is a goodwill ambassador while her career is hot and she has movies coming out? What kind of work does she do other than be a pretty face for the UN? Maybe it helps publicity-wise for the UN, but there are so many people out there that help others for a living that hardly get credit or salary they deserve(teachers!). I know i'm totally off point now:b , but it's terrible how some actors are worshiped as heros when they aren't even close to being selfless. How does this tie in with Tommy?....ummmm, Just the fakeness of being famous-pretending to be someone he isn't or having the knowledge that he doesn't have.

[rubyred]

He'd better humbly appreciate that he has never encountered grave, truly life-threatening depressive episodes in his life to date. Once he face it, he will understand what it truly means then.

Simplification without substance is very dangerous indeed...

[SkateWorlds1]

In defense of Angelina Jole, she does alot of on site work for Unicef and the U.N. She also contributes alot of money. She has a house in Cambodia, which she bought to make her adopted son feel at home with his culture. She also plans on adopting more orphans. Billy Bob Thorton said all this was why they divorced. I won't get into the Brad stuff, it's none of my business.

[kwanette]

I don't think that there is ever a "quick fix" for psychological/emotional issues. What works for one person may not work for another. I have a "total" fear of flying..I have been told that it is mind over matter...If that were the case, everyone could or would quit smoking overnight, every obese person would find him'herself a size 2 petite person in months...etc...There is nothing "logical" about phobias, depression, etc...I know that the stats for my flying are with me..better than when I drive a mile to the super-market...That doesn't change the fact that the thought of getting onto a plane terrorizes me...Hopefully, one day with a combination of therapy, meds, prayer and a kind flying companion, I will be jetting off to see MK skate on the other side of the country/world...

[mr pru]

kwanette-I too, was petrified of flying. I still hate it. I think of all of the mechanical things that are involved in a plane which could go wrong. The worst case scenario ALWAYS pops into my brain.
The first time I flew, when we went to Nats in Dallas, I'll admit I had several alcoholic beverages before and during the flight.
I couldn't bear to even shoot a glance toward the window.
Now I can look out the window and down at the ground. It really looks amazing down there.
The few times we've hit a little turbulence makes me feel uneasy. But there is no greater feeling than when those wheels hit that runway upon landing!!

It's like-WHEW!!-It's over!! Thank GOD!!

I would be honored to fly with you and comfort you during your first excursion.
Let me know if I can be of assistance!!

[Jayjen36]

Tom is a perfect example of someone who could use some humbling. He's very arrogant. Although he does it in a "nice" way so that it isn't as obvious.

It's funny, but a lot of the star types involved with Scientology seem to have a bit of that same sort of arrogance. Even John Travola has a bit of that attitude. I noticed it first when he was being interviewed and said, in a condescending tone, "well, Scientology isn't for everyone". I remember, and I'm reaching pretty far back, that one notion held by Scientology is that all of it's adherents are almost guaranteed success because only those who are bound to be wildly successful have the intelligence and ambition to be Scientologists :rolleyes .

As for these comments by Cruise, given the horrendous tragedy's that have taken place in the last few years because women left their post parnum depression go on untreated, he should be ashamed of this criticism of someone who was intelligent and responsible enough to do something about hers. So much for the "only the intelligent can be Scientologists crap:b . Maybe he snuck in while no one was looking!

There was a lot of speculation about why he and Nicole split up. This incident makes me think that it had a lot to do with his religion. IIRC Nicole is a devout Catholic. I really hope Katie Holmes re-thinks this Tom Cruise thing, maybe it's only a phase she going through!

[kwanette]

mr pru, thank you!

[Sparks]

Apparently, he also said that he and Nicole never tried marriage counseling because Scientology doesn't believe in it. He criticized the entire Psychological community! >: He said something about how marriage counseling condones infidelity (?)...implying that Nicole was unfaithful and that a counselor would just tell them that sex outside of the marriage was fine. What the heck?????

[gatzbee]

Sparks, i REMEMBER that! i was like wut the...?! was it the psychological or psychiatric that he specifically targeted? i think he said psychiatry but i can't be sure. i was SHOCKED about the marriage counseling bid. i think a lot of problems in relationships can be bettered by counseling, of course with both partners wanting to do the work. i was just surprised by his comments. where does he get off criticizinv an entire profession that have helped countless ppl? im sure he doesn't like it when ppl criticize scientology... :rolleyes

that comment about brooke shields was just disgusting IMO. post-partum depression is very real. vitamins and exercise can help someone with post-partum pscyhosis who is undergoing severe delusions or hallucinations. ive learned about a lot of interesting things in abnormal psych and things just aren't THAT simple to fix. i can't possibly imagine what he would say to someone suffering from schizophrenia?!

i thought a part of being a great humanitarian to all of mankind is to also be open-minded... :rolleyes

[probativev]

well, he looks like a rat. he might as well start talking like one too. i've never found him the least bit attractive, appealing, or interesting.

PucePrincess! I feel exactly the same way!!!!!!! To gross out even more, there was a full-size, close-up photo of him with Katie Holmes in a recent magazine (either People or US) where he was kissing her cheek but his nose was smashed against her face so that one nostril was wide open to the camera in a weird smushed way...it was the worst and grossest photo! And it was one of those things that is so disgusting that it distracts your eyes from everything else in the picture. It was all you can notice.

To me he is butt ugly nowadays. He was a pretty boy for a while back in Top Gun days but since then his looks have gone downhill to the point of no return. Him telling women to exercise? He looks so flabby next to Katie Holmes in recent photos...he should be the one to hit the gym.

[kjesse]

What kind of work does she do other than be a pretty face for the UN?

I can't believe I'm writing this because that women really bugs me but she has been on several trips to 3rd world countries and donated several millions to UNICEF (?). Yeah she has huge faults (like someone posted upthread I won't discuss her personal life cuz what we know if mostly what the media tells us) but her love of helping children isn't one of them.

Tom, Tom, TOM...what a fool. Can I say I hope there was much more to the interview and they edited it to look as bad as it seems? People deeply into their faith (whatever it may be) can be pretty narrow minded if it strays off the path of what they believe. It seems like his doesn't cut any slack for anything. He should have kept his mouth shut and minded his own business. If the quote upthread was in the same part of his interview I have to ask WTH does her career have to do with emotional, chemical imbalances anyway?

The stuff about vitamins, exercise, eating right, etc. is all true and it does make a huge difference but chemical imbalance is a whole different story when it comes to post-partum depression and even menopause. Typical narrow minded idiot talking before thinking.

My goodnees, what must he think of Kristie Alley, who also happens to be a member of his church? And I have to wonder, did Oprah read this interview prior to him coming on her show? I can't imagine her letting him get away with remarks like that.

I don't watch much TV (prime time) nor have I been on-line or read the news, etc. This is the first I've heard of this. Is there outrage in the media about it? Has anyone asked for him to explain himself, and I wonder if he will?

[Krista]

its just one big cult. he's been brainwashed. who the heck made L Ron Hubbard such an expert that everyone should follow him. *shakes head*

[gatzbee]

there was a complete Access Hollywood dedicated to an interview with Tom Cruise last nite. after some of his previous comments i was kinda ready to gag to see that AH spent all their air time to show an interview with him. however, i was like well lets see what more he has to say and if any stuff wasn't taken out of context previously... this is the conclusion i've come to: he's become too big-headed and self-righteous and in some cases hypocritical.....

his comments towards Brooke Shields were just regrettable IMO. he commented: "Look at where her career has gone." and he said her promotion of using drugs for post-partum depression as "irresponsible"--thats being just irresponsible himself. until he pops a baby out of himself and experiences the hormonal and psychoemotional changes that a woman could undergo, he should just keep his mouth shut. take vitamins and exercise? with his help the world could go backwards on some of the psychophysiological findings we've found to this day, not only on women but on traumatized children...

psychiatry is a "pseudo-science"? i can understand his frustrations when he claimed that doctors tried to medicate him when he was younger because he was seen as too hyper, and they probably also didn't figure out immediately that he had dyslexia. and he tries to defend his stance against ritalin by saying its an amphetamine. well duh. most ppl in the scientific community know that, and when non-ADHD ppl take it it stimulates them. but science has found that it can help ppl who truly have ADHD. over-medicating kids with ADHD and misdiagnosing them is another story, and from personal stories shared with good psychologists ive encountered, some of the problem is with ppl who are not even mental health professionals misdiagnosing children as such...

its great i think that he wants to help ppl--tho he actually struck me as scary at points when he was describing it--but going out and preaching in his self-righteous tone is rather irresponsible in and of itself. i have strong doubts that he truly understands some of the important strides that psychology and psychiatry have made over the years. nothing has ever been perfect. even other fields of medicine that once prescribed certain treatments have changed some of their viewpoints.

has tom cruise ever come out and spoken in this manner before? i was sort of neutral to him before but i think my view of him has totally changed now...

[MKGrace]

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>He'd better humbly appreciate that he has never encountered grave, truly life-threatening depressive episodes in his life to date. Once he face it, he will understand what it truly means then. <hr></blockquote> ITA. I've read that approximately 10% of all major depressives end up commiting suicide- if that's not a serious illness I don't know what is. Evidently he's lucky enough to never have experienced or had a loved one experience major depression. Most of us are not so lucky. His luck will run out eventually.

I can tell you one thing and that is I'm not going anywhere near a theatre to see his stupid War of the Worlds movie. <img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/sick.gif" />

[vanhs]

i never liked tom. he has this big nose and isn't even that good looking. i don't see what women see in him. he thinks he is above everyone else because of that scientology crap thing.

[ScoobertDieu]

I saw that Access Hollywood interview yesterday because I wanted to see for myself what he said versus what I've read. Although I feel he needs a lot of humbling, I do understand what he meant by saying Brooke Shields was irresponsible for pushing that medication. He didn't say she was irresponsible for talking about the illness, but talking about the medication. I totally get that, because I remember when I saw the Brooke Shields interview and she talked about how Paxil is the drug that helped her out, I was thinking man, she shouldn't talk about Paxil as if it's the drug that will help post partum depression victims, because Paxil does not work for everybody. I was on Paxil for 3 weeks, and the drug almost killed me. I ended up in the emergency room. That was the scariest drug, for me. I've heard several stories about how Paxil has hurt people. But at the same time it helps others. So that should be made clear when talking about that drug in particular. Brooke probably shouldn't have mentioned the actual name of the drug and rather should've said people should see their doctors about proper medication that will work for them. By mentioning the name Paxil, many people are going to believe that should be the drug of choice, but Paxil is a dangerous drug and I'm proof of that.

But Tom's interview still came off like he thinks he's the you know what. Katie doesn't know what she's gotten herself into. If she ever decides to have his baby, I sure hope that she doesn't experience post partum depression because Tom is so controlling he's going to drive her more crazy.

[THIZfiyaVIETgrl]

Gee, I'm glad everyone here isn't as judgemental towards Tom as he was to Shields...:rolleyes

[Jayjen36]

Gee, I'm glad everyone here isn't as judgemental towards Tom as he was to Shields...

Sorry, but this guy decided to publicly attack someone else's actions. Actions taken for the sake of her health and the well being of her family. In doing so he left himself open to comments about his actions. Someone who decides to publicly criticize cannot be offended when he is criticized in return.

[SkateWorlds1]

I'm more concerned with Tom and Johm Travolta pushing this cult like religion or belief. I think they may be more powerful and funded then anyone suspects. They may have powerful friends in Washington pushing their agendas. This is all theory of course but my hackles are up about the whole bunch.

[Jayjen36]

True. I googled Scientology the other day and there are a lot of horror stories out there about it. It seems that there are different experiences for the wealthy and famous than there are for the average person in Scientology.

[eventerbess]

Kwanette, my phobia is not flying, but I understand. If I can ever help you in the cause of getting to a Michelle event, I too would be honored to help. Think you are on the right track, a special mix of really want it with the right chemical assistance. When it is supposed to happen, it will.

[kwanette]

eventerbess, thanks! That's so kind of you!

[Skatekwan6]

Being a responsible adult who decides to take medication for depression is totally different than a situation where a parent puts their child on ADD medication just to "calm them down" when nothing is really wrong with the child.

[THIZfiyaVIETgrl]

Sorry, but this guy decided to publicly attack someone else's actions. Actions taken for the sake of her health and the well being of her family. In doing so he left himself open to comments about his actions. Someone who decides to publicly criticize cannot be offended when he is criticized in return.

I'm sorry, but I think its ridiculous when people type things that are just as bad or worse about Tom and then turn around and act as if you are all so superior to him.

[Skatekwan6]

I'm sorry, but I think its ridiculous when people type things that are just as bad or worse about Tom and then turn around and act as if you are all so superior to him.

so are you defending what he said? do you think it was right?

[redvispa]

I'm sorry, but I think its ridiculous when people type things that are just as bad or worse about Tom and then turn around and act as if you are all so superior to him.

pot, please meet kettle... :hat

Did anyone catch that one part of the interview where he mentioned that his kids had chosen to follow scientology? Aren't his kids really young? Like younger than 12 years?

[THIZfiyaVIETgrl]

so are you defending what he said? do you think it was right?

No, but some comments people have said here are more than just criticizing what he said. I don't mind it if you want to poke fun of him and and all, but don't act like you're any better than he was.

[Bliss784]

THIZfiyaVIETgrl, I'm not sure exactly what you're saying...

---------------------

I didn't look around a whole lot but TIME wrote an article in 1991...Scientology:The Cult of Greed
www.xenu.net/archive/medi...10605.html (http://www.xenu.net/archive/media/time910605.html)

This is just a tidbit about Tom promoting Scientology on the War of the Worlds set---
www.contactmusic.com/new/...ogy%20site (http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/cruise%20turned%20war%20of%20the%20worlds%20set%20 into%20scientology%20site)

He's starting to seem just a little creepy......

[Jayjen36]

I don't mind it if you want to poke fun of him and and all, but don't act like you're any better than he was.

I'm not sure that I see where I or anyone else states that they are better than Tom Cruise. Simply that most completely disagree with what he said, and question the validity of the reasoning that he used (and the source of the information he is using) to come to his conclusion.

[candygirl559]

Brooke Shields isn't doing anything wrong for advocating on what happened to her with post-partum depression. Paxil is obviously working for her and that's great. It doesn't mean it's for everybody and she never said it was.

I was on Paxil CR for 4 months to help me out with my concentration and it worked great for me except that I had trouble sleeping. I didn't have depression at the time but then I started getting it about a month after I went off of Paxil CR. A couple months later, I went on Lexapro and that didn't help much. I was on it for a year and then went completely w/o medication, which was bad for me b/c I started getting more depressed. I tried doing Buspar to see if that would control my anxiety in order to control my depression a couple months later. Then I tried Cymbalta and it worked for a couple weeks and then I started getting depressed. A couple months ago, I doubled my dosage of Cymbalta and went off of Buspar and I'm in the best mood I've been in the past 2 years.

My doctor also told me a couple years ago that if I ever have children (which I don't want to have), I'm at a very high risk for post-partum depression.

[aehodman]

ScoobertDieu said:
"I'd like to tell Tom where he can go. Ya know? My opinion of him has gone ALL the way down."

I agree 150%. Is Tom trying to alienate a good portion of the moviegoing public by making inane statements such as this one? It's very offensive, especially considering that such a condescending statement is coming from a very wealthy actor with a bevy of personal assistants, chefs, nannies, drivers, shoppers and the like at his beck and call, and has little to no understanding of the troubles the average person has to deal with these days.

I think I will be skipping "War of the Worlds" this summer!

[gatzbee]

see... the main irresponsible part of what he is saying is the fact that with depression, people in general don't even have the DESIRE to do anything, let alone exercise. at least to me, to say that the main things necessary are vitamins and exercise is just a little bit silly in my opinion. clinical depression isn't just getting a little droopy faced for a couple minutes or hours in a day. to tell ppl to just get up and exercise is a little condescending imo... also, i actually talked with a clinical psychologist a little while back and asked him if he's ever heard of ppl taking just 'vitamins' for things like depression. he actually told me he's heard of that and raised a point: what specifically ARE these 'vitamins' that ppl like tom cruise are talking about. in his experience, ppl who've claimed a 'vitamin' treatment were ingesting not your ordinary vitamins we think of.....

[ceap]

Tom ineeds to shut up and read some books on depression and chemical imbalances etc. I counsel people (children, adults and their families) all day and I truly believe medication is a necessity. If not, many of the people I counsel would commit suicide, severly hurt each other etc.

Many people have chemical imbalances and rely on medication to stabilize their moods. Chemical imbalances are a proven fact, schizophrenia is a proven fact...can be seen on EEG's.

Tom was unsympathetic and irresponsible and just rude to make that statement. He needs to stop throwing his Scientology beliefs down America's throat and concentrate on his own life.

The crazy, shove down our throat's way Tom has been acting about his relationship with Katie Holmes, I would think he has no right to comment on Brooke Shields or anyone.

[ScoobertDieu]

I'm glad Brooke responded to Tom. In the Enquirer this week, she says Tom's comments are irresponsible and dangerous, and he should stick to saving the world from aliens, and let women experiencing postpartum depression decide what treatment options are best for them. I'm sure Tom's comments felt cruel to Brooke and they must've hurt her feelings.

As for Tom and Katie, I wish them happiness as I would wish anyone. But the way both of them are forcing their relationship on the public, they're going to end up like Ben and JLo. Remember how they too forced their relationship on the public in the beginning, and the media recorded their every move. Tom and Katie have invited a monster in.

[GinnySmith]

Well, I've added Mr. Cruise control to my list of the all time greatest jerks in the universe, along with John Nicks and Phil Hersh.....

The man needs to get a grip. How many women has he been in love with and he acts like a maniac on Oprah over his most recent love obessions and feels he has the right to criticize Brook Shields? Good grief, give me a break...:rolleyes

As far as Scientology goes, I had a dear friend who got into that years ago. My only comment is that many years and beaucoup $$$$$$$$$$$ later, he had the good sense to wake up and smell the coffee and get the heck out. It is a money grubbing cult that takes advantage of people having difficulty in their lifes. The average human winds up going into incredible debt paying to get (I forget their word, but it is something like "certified") to be a teacher of their beliefs.

Celebrities often have more money than they know what to do with so they throw it away on this junk.

If I have offended any followers of Scientology, then good. You'll get no apologies from me. These folks are really bad news.

[Krista]

My friend moved to New York a couple of years ago, and he started going to the church of scientology, but when they started harassing him, basically, for money, he realized that they weren't a good organization.

[skatingfan5]

I hear you, loud and most definitely not "clear" in the Scientology jargon. :p Here's what I posted about Scientology on another board:Consider yourself lucky not to have read Dianetics -- I think I still have a copy of the book buried somewhere in a box. Years ago when my sister was in grad school one of her friends got sucked into Scientology and tried to "recruit" her, too. So that's how she got a copy of the book -- both of us read it in disbelief -- amid some laughing. The "thetans" descended from aliens was bad enough, but reading about reaching "clear" through the use of "auditing" with the e-meters was . It mainly seemed like a big scam, since you had to pay for reaching higher and higher levels of "clear". Now, most mainstream churches do solicit $$ donations from their members, but having to pay to attend services or receive pastoral guidance was something I hadn't heard of before. As I said, it seemed like a big scam -- and the sad thing was that seemed to attract vulnerable people (depressed college students, those suffering/recovering from substance abuse, etc.) and get them hooked. Here's some a link with some more info, if you want to read about it. www.answers.com/topic/sci...-practices (http://www.answers.com/topic/scientology-beliefs-and-practices)IMO Scientology is a mind-control, money-grubbing, power-seeking cult. Tom Cruise's latest bizarre antics do it justice. :x

[attyfan]

I wonder what Tom would think if he stands in some heavenly "court" and discovers that his comments caused some woman with post partum depression to forgo medication -- and kill her kids. He has every right to say that he doesn't believe in the drugs, and would not take them, but no one ever has the right to criticize another person for paying attention to health!

[Jayjen36]

Skatingfan5, thanks for re-posting that link. I went rooting around and found a section called Scientology Controversy. Some very disturbing stuff their on how they deal with those that criticize their religion. Here's a link to that page:

www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Scientology controversy&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1 (http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Scientology)

Look under the Church of Scientology dealing with critics and perceived enemies, section under "Attack the Attacker" and "Fair Game" policy Extremely disturbing.

I find it incredible that Tom Cruise, is promoting this religion and it's practices much less proselytizing for it!

[ScoobertDieu]

Katie's said that she's now studying Scientology too.

[lutzee]

Being a responsible adult who decides to take medication for depression is totally different than a situation where a parent puts their child on ADD medication just to "calm them down" when nothing is really wrong with the child.

I think ADD is probably one of the worse over-diagnosed diseases in children.

Having said that, ADD does exist and it is serious. It's not just about a kid that needs to "calm down". It can be disruptive to family, friends, school and certainly effects the child's self esteem, and ability to learn interaction with other children.

It's no less a disease than diabetes, and no one ever criticizes parents for giving a child insulin.

[lavender]

Well, I've added Mr. Cruise control to my list of the all time greatest jerks in the universe, along with John Nicks and Phil Hersh.....

:lol

I co-worker told me her rich uncle got into Scientology....well to make a long story short her uncle isn't rich anymore and now has no more use for him.

[Jayjen36]

Katie's said that she's now studying Scientology too.

I am very very sorry to hear that. I normally try not to judge other religions just because they hold no interest or appeal for me, but this one is very odd. A religion that talks about going after people and destroying them, lying to them...it hardly seems to be a healthy spirituality.

It's no less a disease than diabetes, and no one ever criticizes parents for giving a child insulin.

Unless they've spoken to a Scientologist. If I were Katie's family member I'd really be trying to convince her to do some research about this religion before committing to it, or to someone who is so in love with it.

[kwantasy]

I've got to agree with THIZfiyaVIETgrl that this thread has gone far beyond just criticizing what Cruise said. One has every right to criticize and pick apart his statements and beliefs. I myself vehemently disagree with him, and I agree with Brooke Shields that what he is promoting is dangerous. However, no one is advancing this argument by picking on Cruise's looks (i.e., "Tom's ideas are crazy...and he was never that good looking anyway"). Nor is anyone advancing this argument by making broad, even unfair statements. For example, saying that Cruise has no idea what the average person is dealing with - while he obviously is not at risk for post-partum depression, the man has had both physical and mental/psychological issues to deal with in the past. It's not as if he's never had medical problems and thus has no right to voice his opinion on medication (however much we disagree with that opinion).

Finally, while there's nothing wrong with questioning Scientology or any religion for that matter, it's important to do so with respect for the believers of those religions. One can express disapproval with a person's *beliefs* while still caring to respect and not to personally offend that *person.* But, given the content and tone of what's been said, I feel some don't even care if Scientology believers are offended. That isn't good, especially considering many of the people turning to this religion may be good, honest people who are just looking for something to hold on to. Several of you even described such people, your friends, that turned to Scientology! The way in which a lot of people have expressed their opinions on this issue is only going to alienate these people, not make them change their minds. I think we should show a little compassion for everyone...even for someone as misguided and not-so-nice as Cruise. Be the bigger person, if you prefer to look at it that way.

[lavender]

:(

[MKGrace]

<img border=0 src="http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/eyes.gif" />

[Bliss784]

I agree that we don't need to outright bash tom- *he's so ugly*, but as far as scientology goes, hey we're just talking about it *shrug* and there happens to be a lot of negative stuff associated with it. If anyone feels offended by that...well it happens and they can post too. Not trying to change anyone's mind. Sorry, i just don't really feel like being ultra-sensitive on a message board...I'm curious about how Scientology really works and want to know what other people think. If people want to share their stories, why not?...it's interesting.

anyways, Someone mentioned this at work(yeah, we were bored:b )--
Is there really a SaveKatie website out there?

[GinnySmith]

Is there really a SaveKatie website out there? Yes, there is:

www.freekatie.net (http://www.freekatie.net)

Edited to add:

You can even order t-shirts if you are so inclined by clicking on the "Free Katie™ Gear!" link at the above site. :lol

[Krista]

On a similar note, I heard there are "team Aniston" and "team Jolie" shirts out there :lol