Jesus performed numerous miracles (a.k.a. "magic"), resurrected Lazarus and was then resurrected himself. The Mormon's Joseph Smith wandered into the woods of New York State, talked to God and returned with the Book of Mormon. But Scientology is preposterous because it has a sci-fi author for a founder?

As for Cruise, his video, his hysterics on Oprah, etc., from observing him I'd say he's being judged unfairly. I don't care about Scientology one way or the other, but I'm confident his belief in what is widely regarded as a "cult" (no doubt encouraged and supported by organized, established religion), makes Cruise presumed guilty and has given people, most especially the media, incentive to see him as a freak, bizarre, pathologically controlling, etc.

And isn't it a curious coincidence that as Cruise's star power has diminished, reports of his freakishness have dramatically increased? You think there's any chance that now that he's less "bankable" and less influential, he's lost the protection he previously enjoyed from the Hollywood PR and legal machine and has become fair game for tabloid-style stories? For at one time, certainly in his "Top Gun" heyday, he was our numero uno ambassador/poster child for the all-American guy: sharp, fiercely independent, athletic, a doer.

So what does explain Cruise's off-putting behavior? I think it's clear he's a very passionate person who engages in routine, rigorous self-examination. And he takes this, his conclusions and himself deadly seriously, probably to his discredit, since he's failing to recognize that any public persona needs to walk the fine line between being him- or herself and not getting too personal with the people.

Nevertheless, this is the Cruise we saw on Oprah and in the video. He's obviously concerned with being more than just a celebrity, with being a stand-up guy, making a contribution and so on and so forth. Perhaps his constant emphasis of this is evidence of a deep insecurity that he'll be dismissed as just another pretty face (not hard to imagine where he'd get that idea), or maybe he feels it's a message he needs to repeat over and over because no one else in Hollywood is stressing personal responsibility. Hence, the repetition in the video isn't "mindless ramblings," though it's hardly admirably articulate, but rather Cruise's insistance that one has to really commit and live one's beliefs...not exactly an unfamiliar sentiment in the sphere of religion. He's saying that if Scientology resonates with you, act on it. Learn it completely and then live accordingly. And if you do, Cruise asserts, the world will be a better place. Cruise endlessly states he wants to help because he seemingly adamantly wants to be part of the solution, as he sees it.

He may be over the top. He may be too intense. He may be a bit gullible and little bit in over his head philosophically. But I can also see how his heart may be in the right place, and how a very strong profit motive underlies the tabloid's efforts to drag him down.

yeah, I think those first two examples--Jesus and Smith--serve to show that ALL religions are a bit wacky, rather than serve as a justification for scientology. Yah know, passion is great, but reasoned insight is even better.

Religions are a joke, but Scientology takes the cake. From its silly sci-fi 1950s roots to the absolute weirdness that is Clearwater Florida, Scientology is only impressive in its ability to take money from the stupid and the gullible.

However, Scientology is not without its inspiration. In fact, I've been inspired to make up my own religion to con big money out of the weaker and dumber members of society. Joel Osteen is pulling in peanuts compared to these guys. These Scientology folks really know how to get the dough.

Hail Xenu!

The post from ELB is well said. The media is derisive of most who express earnestness and strength of convictions. The media cover political and spiritual issues as if they were sporting events . . . who's winning the polls . . . and who's charming the gatekeepers. There are many similarities between the way the media treats Cruse and the way it treated Al Gore in his presidential race. It’s possible that ways of expression that are very successful in person are simply too much for the emotional and intellectual leveling of the small screen. The media process is itself more out of whack that Cruse appears to be. I can watch CNN and Fox on my phone . . . that's hardly a place for serious religious or political discussion. I'm not a Scientology fan, but it appears that it's a mixture of positive psychology, psychoanalysis and meditation, with a sci-fi gloss. The only thing that’s really "weird" about it is that it's a fee-for-service practice, which, combined with its well documented charitable activities, could actually be viewed as a more honest approach, certainly better than televangelists robbing the poor or fanatical suicide bombers.

You seem to be saying that arsenic isn't as toxic as cyanide so it's better to ingest that instead.

You're ignoring the third option which is *not* believing in magical sky wizards, a hippie that walks on water, or (in Scientologies case) rocket powered DC-8s containing the souls of Thetans to be destroyed by H-bombs dropped on volcanoes at the behest of Xenu and the Galactic Federation of Planets.

You don't have to hobble yourself with silly ideas. You can give money to the Red Cross and help people without prosletyzing.

Well, arsenic and cyanide are both toxic and will kill you. Ingesting nothing is just as deadly: you starve to death.

not ingesting the poison doesn't emasculate, its keeps one free of the catagion

People tend to see the foibles and weirdness of others much easier than they can their own. It is easy to judge what seems different or strange, and very difficult to hold up a mirror and look critically at yourself. But when people do, they tend to find that the things that bug them about other people are the very things that they don't like about themselves.

Religion is an extreme example of this. People are so familiar with their religion and so surrounded by a tacit acceptance and support for their particular brand of belief that they can't see how bizarre and psycho it looks from the outside. All religions look kooky to someone who wasn't raised to believe in them. The Bible is filled with things right out of fantasy and which some Christians go out of their way to denounce Harry Potter and Tolkien for... like giants, talking serpents, dragons, flaming chariots, and a whole hierarchy of non-human beings with sometimes violent and inscrutable agendas. The delineations of the various species of angels alone is enough to raise some eyebrows... seraphim, ophanim, cherubim, anakim, archangels etc. Most people don't seem to really realize what exactly they claim to believe in.

Ask most Christians if they actually believe in a race of giants that were the offspring of "the sons of god and the daughters of man" and who became the first kings (Genesis 6:2-4). That these giants (also called nephilim) survived the flood (without Noah's help) and lived in large numbers until modern times. When the Israelites came back from scouting the Holy Land they reported that the land was filled with giants, who had huge cities with towering walls, and that they felt like insects next to these people. If you believe every word of the Bible is true, than you are believing some fairly fantastic sci-fi stuff yourself, and are in no real position to laugh at Scientologists, Mormons, Moonies, or Hare Krishnas.... IMO

DecaturJeff wrote the following post at 01/18/2008 10:48 AM:

>Religions are a joke, but Scientology takes the cake.

Rumor is that Andrew Morton has paid about 100 college students to do marathon posts about Cruise and Scientology so his book gets more attention. DecaturJeff is probably one of these.