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Scientology

RainyOcean said:
And how exactly is she supposed to manage not making "expressions of pain"?
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I read today they -yes you guessed it - do not alllow any pain control drugs either.


-
 
Watch out! Watch out! There's an Operating Thetan about!

Cut the string! Cut the string!
 
I was at work the other day, and happened to pass the television, around which were several people engrossed in the latest tidbits to emerge from the Tom Cruise camp. Having registered my disgust, I was asked just what my problem was with the movie star and his peculiar beliefs. I responded, and was given a brief lecture about respecting other "religions".

Which is ridiculous. I come from a large Roman Catholic family, and have in my family 2 protestants, a buddhist, a hindu, a jew, and an honest-to-goodness adherent to the religion of zoroaster. I am extremely fond of most of these people (and the ones I'm not that thrilled to have in the family I dislike because they're assholes, not because of they're religious affiliation), and am quite certain that hopefully, we'll all meet again on some happy cloud in the afterlife.

I dislike and have little patience for scientology specifically because it was conceived as a money-making enterprise, and created by a racist, hack science-fiction writer. And if there are folks dumb enough to buy into the scam, and they're happy - more power to 'em. But when the public mouthpiece for the organization spouts off on subjects he knows nothing about - psychiatry, or encouraging people who need medications (to treat their illnesses) to stop taking them - then it's probably time for a reality check. Scientology isn't a religion.
It's a scam.
 
barfing_pumpkin said:
I am very proud to admit that I am the only person I know who managed to make a pair of scientologists look at me as though I was some sort of nutter....
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Years ago in Manchester, when they weren't so well known I did their personality test and they launched into the spiel. They really shouldn't have asked if I knew anything about L Ron Hubbard.

"He's a third rate science fiction writer (I was feeling generous) and at one stage in his career he was a follower of Aleister Crowley."

At that point they asked me to leave....

Your trick sounds even more fun barfing_pumpkin. :twisted:
 
This weekend on the History channel, there was series "History Alive" shows on the "history" of various illegal drugs, and a show called "Hooked : Illegal drugs and how they got that way".

Anyhow, I couldn't help but notice that on several of these shows that one of their "drug experts" was from Narconon, which, if you are unaware is a "drug rehabilitation program" founded by The Church of Scientology.

I was quite shocked that the History channel's producers were being so sloppy. Particularly since the whole subject of drugs is so fraught with erroneous information and propaganda here in the US.
 
Your trick sounds even more fun barfing_pumpkin.
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Though they still had the temerity to hand over a piece of paper informing me that I had 'certain problems' which could certainly be cured by writing to them for more info...

Which makes me wonder: do they actually have a form that says something to the effect of 'Well done. You're fine. Couldn't be better. And you don't need Dianetics(tm) to help you at all.'? Has anyone here ever taken their 'test' and received a positive result? Or know of anyone else who has?

I, personally, shall not hold my breath waiting for an affirmative response.
 
"Watch Tom Kill Oprah" is particularly amusing, incidentally.
 
http://tomcruiseisnuts.com/

And found this cool photo alongside speculation about Cruise's imminent spawn.

alienbaby.jpg
 
Is it wrong to find that little thing quite cute?

(not Tom)
 
Travolta dance stuns churchgoers

Hollywood star John Travolta wowed guests at a charity ball when he performed an impromptu Grease-style dance with his wife, Kelly Preston.
The usually private actor, famed for his dancing roles in movies such as Saturday Night Fever, leapt from his seat at the event in West Sussex.

Thousands of people packed the Church of Scientology in East Grinstead hoping to see the Pulp Fiction star.

Travolta, 51, took to the stage to dance to soul classic Stand By Me.
[...]

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/e ... 392428.stm
Published: 2005/10/31 11:32:10 GMT

© BBC MMV
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:?
 
FFS:

HAS CRUISE CONVERTED THE BECKHAMS?


Former SPICE GIRL VICTORIA BECKHAM has fuelled reports she and husband DAVID BECKHAM are converting to Scientology, after she was spotted reading a book from the controversial religion.

The Beckhams struck up an unusual friendship with superstar Scientologist TOM CRUISE last year (04), leading to newspaper reports at the time the MINORITY REPORT heart-throb was grooming them as converts.

During her trip to Los Angeles last week (ends21OCT05), Victoria was photographed leafing through ASSISTS FOR ILLNESSES AND INJURIES, based on the works of Scientology founder L RON HUBBARD.

Victoria also watched a fashion show with Cruise's pregnant fiancee KATIE HOLMES during her trip. The BATMAN BEGINS actress, who converted to Scientology after she began dating Cruise earlier this year (APR05), recommended the book after hearing of the Beckhams' second son ROMEO's recent health problems.

The England soccer ace and the former pop star also hit the headlines last year when they were spotted wearing the red string bracelets favoured by followers of Kabbalah, a mystical offshoot of Judaism favoured by MADONNA, DEMI MOORE and ASHTON KUTCHER.

However, rumours of their interest in Kabbalah were dismissed after it was revealed the Beckhams had worn the strings in a bid to be trendy.

--------------
24/10/2005 13:44
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www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mn ... 20beckhams
 
It was *beep*ing hilarous, but the Scientologists are going to sue Parker and Stone back to the iron age.

Good thing this episode has spread around the net already.

Downloaded the "Trapped in the closet" episode from the Gnutella network.
 
Author blasts Cruise's beliefs
Best-selling crime writer Patricia Cornwell has attacked Hollywood star Tom Cruise, claiming his Scientology beliefs are "dangerous" and could endanger the lives of impressionable young fans.

The author said she was horrified by Cruise's dismissal of psychiatry and his claim that mental disorders are imaginary and the medication to treat them is an attempt to suppress people.

Writing on her website, Cornwell, who has studied psychiatry while researching her books, said: "There are misconceptions about psychology, especially when people out there like Tom Cruise say there's no evidence of chemical imbalance and psychiatric disorders. There's going to be some girl or boy who worships this megastar, who decides, 'I'm not going to take my anti-depressants because Tom Cruise said I don't need drugs'."
One of the key principles of the wealthy cult is the condemnation of psychiatry.

The Scientology website explains it is the duty of all members to "expose and help abolish any and all physically damaging practices in the field of mental health".

Cruise has repeatedly added to the criticism. He has also railed against the use of drugs to control chemical imbalances in children.

This year he criticised Brooke Shields for her use of anti-depressants to treat post-natal depression.

Shields replied that Cruise "should stick to saving the world from aliens and let women [with] the condition decide what treatment options are best for them".

source: http://www.thisislondon.com/showbiz/art ... ndard&ct=5
ruff says: I still can't understand how they acquired a no tax status in the USA by claiming to be a religion !! from what I remember the IRS gave up because Scientology beat them at every turn in court because they have a zillion lawyers in the group ( or can aford endless court expenses ). Scientology has to be the weirdest most baffling organization, that seemingly intelligent successful people join !! WHY!!! :?:
 
It is one of the most evil organisations on earth, perhaps even ranking higher than the fictional(?) Illuminati.

I am pretty sure FBI got the organization infiltrated.
David Miscavige will probably end up in jail sooner or later.
 
Perhaps MI6 will send James Bond on the organization in the next movie? ;)
 
ruffready said:
Author blasts Cruise's beliefs
Best-selling crime writer Patricia Cornwell has attacked Hollywood star Tom Cruise, claiming his Scientology beliefs are "dangerous" and could endanger the lives of impressionable young fans.

The author said she was horrified by Cruise's dismissal of psychiatry and his claim that mental disorders are imaginary and the medication to treat them is an attempt to suppress people.
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This is all a bit rich coming from Patricia Cornwell, bearing in mind her obsessive beliefs about Jack the Ripper (see this post, for example).
 
And it's not like she's totally unbiased either, as a writer who has made her name and fortune writing about forensics and profiling.

Really, does anyone actually care what she thinks anymore? I mean, I'm no fan of Scientology or Tom Cruise, but I almost feel compelled to take his side.

Almost.
 
Writing on her website, Cornwell [said]:. There's going to be some girl or boy who worships this megastar, who decides, 'I'm not going to take my anti-depressants because Tom Cruise said I don't need drugs'."
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Are people really that dumb, though? And if they are, isn't the real problem the idolisation of celebrity?
 
[EDIT]In response to Graylien:

Yes they are.

Yes it is.

Although I think Ms Cornwall's world view is a little whacked.
 
Crikey!

Scientlogy is basic bulls**t with a bit of dodgy science thrown in. Like I've said in person to the obnoxious 'cleared' ones 'you can take that E-meter and shove it up your A**e, mate!'

Patty Cornwall's idea of psychological profiling is pityful. and her books are hard to read. but she does have a point.

And as for poor wee Tom and his delusional belief system...
:roll:
 
Its not the first run-in they've had - from a longer article:

Sympathy For The Devil

Tory Bezazian was a veteran Scientologist who loved going after church critics. Until she met the darkest detractor of all.

New Times Los Angeles/September 27, 2001
By Tony Ortega

Last year, Church of Scientology operatives received an alarming tip: During the upcoming 2000 MTV Movie Awards scheduled for June 8, a short South Park film parodying Battlefield Earth would feature the character Cartman wiping his ass with a copy of L. Ron Hubbard's sacred text, Dianetics. The tip was erroneous. Cartman would actually be wiping his ass with a Scientology personality test.

But agents of the church's shadowy Office of Special Affairs didn't know that. They only knew they had a public relations nightmare on their hands.

Battlefield Earth had already turned out to be a colossal embarrassment for the church. Its star, celebrity Scientologist John Travolta, had denied there was any connection between the movie, which was based on a 1980 science fiction novel by Hubbard, and the controversial religion, which was based on Dianetics, Hubbard's 1950 self-help book. Despite Travolta's denials, however, ordinary Scientologists had anxiously awaited the film, hoping it would improve the image of their founder and his faith. Instead, it was panned as the worst film of 2000 and one of the worst science-fiction films of all time. The New York Times suggested that although it was a bit early to be making such judgments, Battlefield Earth could turn out to be the worst movie of the new century.

The last thing the church needed was more piling on by the acerbic kids of South Park.

So it turned to Burbank resident Tory Bezazian.

Bezazian headed something called the Scientology Parishioners League, a new organization that Office of Special Affairs vice president Janet Weiland had asked volunteers like Bezazian to form for just such emergencies. In the few months the parishioners' league had been operating, Bezazian and her cohorts had followed up on OSA tips by pressuring television networks, radio stations and newspapers to drop negative content about the church.

Bezazian never knew how OSA agents got their information. She only knew that once she was given a tip, the church relied on her to harangue editors and TV producers until the offending material was removed. During Bezazian's short association with the parishioners' league, the organization managed to convince a few editors to pull material. But in general, the group had little effect. Scientology had suffered so much negative press for so many years that Bezazian and her small cadre could do little to stem the tide.

But she tried mightily. Bezazian called MTV's New York office incessantly. She told anyone who would listen that the South Park piece was a form of religious bigotry and if it was shown it would deeply offend her and her co-religionists and cause them great harm.

The show ran anyway. In it, Cartman drops a load in his shorts when Russell Crowe as his Gladiator character Maximus impales Kenny on his sword ("Russell Crowe killed Kenny!"). But before Crowe can do in the rest of the South Park regulars, John Travolta as planet Psychlo meanie Terl arrives in a Battlefield Earth spaceship to save the day (Cartman: "It's John Travolta and the Church of Scientology!"). Travolta's cartoon persona then asks the South Park boys to take personality tests, handing them the familiar sheets of paper which are many future members' first encounter with the church. Travolta then asks Maximus to join Scientology. The gladiator says he'd rather die first, so Travolta vaporizes him. Meanwhile, still burdened by the mess in his drawers, Cartman finds another use for his personality test.

It was another dim moment for Hubbard's beleaguered outfit. But Bezazian felt her lobbying campaign had been successful. She was under the impression that the original piece had called for Cartman to soil Hubbard's book, Scientology's most revered text. Bezazian believed her calls had convinced South Park's creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, to alter the show. (New Times' calls to Stone and Parker were not returned.)

In the parlance of Scientology, Bezazian believed she had a big win. And it motivated her to take on even bigger game. A 30-year veteran of the church, she would also be entrusted by the OSA after her supposed MTV victory to take on the church's most nagging foe: Internet critics.
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More:
www.rickross.com/reference/scientology/scien348.html
 
WotW and Scientology:

Mystery Scientology Theater


They came from within: How War of the Worlds anticipated the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard

by Jessica Winter
June 28th, 2005 12:21 PM


The ominous tagline in early trailers for the alien invasion blockbuster War of the Worlds was "They're Already Here"—but any learned Scientologist could have told you that long ago. As you may have heard, WOTW star Tom Cruise is a 20-year veteran of the Church of Scientology, which reportedly teaches that human beings contain clusters of "body thetans," or spirits, of aliens who died 75 million years ago in an intergalactic purge of overpopulated planets by the evil overlord Xenu. In Scientology-speak, these "BTs" adversely influence our thoughts and behavior, and must be "cleared" through "auditing," a form of confessional therapy. For Scientologists (whose Hollywood ranks now include John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, and Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson), battling creatures from space isn't just the stuff of allegorical multiplex spectacle—it's nothing less than the path to self-fulfillment.

War of the Worlds (opens June 29) is hardly Cruise's Battlefield Earth, but Steven Spielberg's film does make one Scientology-friendly tweak to H.G. Wells's 1898 novel of Martian attack (the aliens' war-making infrastructure has been implanted on earth for millions of years), and it's no wonder Cruise chose the movie as his first production to benefit from an on-site Scientology tent. "The volunteer Scientology ministers were there to help the sick and injured," Cruise told Der Spiegel, like a battle-weary soldier extolling the Red Cross; no word on whether the film's agon incited sympathetic revolts of BTs among cast and crew, though we can all cross our fingers that Katie Holmes's resident aliens, unbound by earthling non-disclosure agreements, will one day pen a tell-all book.

If the founding myth of Scientology sounds torn from the yellowed pages of a science fiction pulp, it's because late leader L. Ron Hubbard (1911-86) once plugged away as an SF hack, contributing to journals such as Unknown and Astounding Science Fiction. In 1940, Astounding serialized Hubbard's book Final Blackout, a topical dystopia of lawless post-war Europe; according to Russell Miller's 1987 Scientology exposé Bare-Faced Messiah, the novel "led to hopeful comparisons with Jules Verne and H.G. Wells." Like any aspiring SF scribe of his era, Hubbard had to shadowbox with the anxiety of Wells's influence, which penetrated not only Hubbard's stories and novels but his self-help methodology—laid out in the 1950 bestseller Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health—and the eventual Church of Scientology's extraterrestrial tenets. (The first published article on Dianetics ran in 1950 in, where else, Astounding Science Fiction.)

In his 1902 lecture "The Discovery of the Future," Wells endorsed the forward-thinker, who "thinks constantly and by preference of things to come," just like the "Clear" in advanced Scientology, who has rid himself of "engrams," or disabling imprints of past traumas. In Wells's
War of the Worlds, Martians labor incessantly, with no apparent need for sleep or sex, and communicate telepathically; the Scientologist has a Calvinist work ethic, keeps his motor clean, and having reached the rarefied "Operating Thetan" levels (Cruise is allegedly an "OT6"), can learn to read minds. According to Hubbard, ailments ranging from the common cold to leukemia could be classified as merely psychosomatic; in Wells, the Martians have eliminated illness entirely. Were Wells's aliens the proto-Scientologists?

One of the more ironic aspects of Hubbard's—and now Cruise's—crusade against psychiatry is that Dianetics simply repackaged the basic Freudian concept of psychic determinism, whereby conflicts within the unconscious spill out into the open through irrational behaviors and psycho-somatic symptoms. Dianetics differentiates between the unconscious or "reactive" mind—"a single source of all your problems, stress, unhappiness and self-doubt"— and the "clear" mind, scrubbed of neuroses, with an enhanced IQ and near perfect recall. (Perhaps Katie will be able to remember exactly where and how she met her fiancé once she's further along in her auditing sessions.) A Scientologist reading of Wells would identify a sadly asymmetrical battle between Reactives and Clears, as wailing herds of hysterical humans respond to alien predation with mass panic while their cerebral, workaholic visitors calmly go about irradiating them.

Wells's narrator observes of the Martians, "The immediate pressure of necessity has brightened their intellects, enlarged their powers and hardened their hearts"—three for three on the Hubbard scoreboard. The Nation's 1950 review of Dianetics worried over "its conception of the amoral, detached, 100 percent efficient mechanical man," because such unaffiliated self-sufficiency "does not exist except in a psychotic state" (cf. Cruise's character in Collateral). Such concerns were apt regarding Hubbard, who would later declare that perceived enemies of the notoriously litigious Scientology organization could be "tricked, sued or lied to or destroyed," and who once wrote that a solution to low scorers on the Dianetics "tone scale" would be "to dispose of them quietly and without sorrow"—a notion Wells, a sometime advocate of eugenics, may not have found altogether abhorrent in other contexts.

On Hubbard's battlefields, you are either with us or against us, but the most grievous attacks are usually launched from within; paranoia is endemic, a perpetual night of a thousand engrams. In conjuring the angry viral ghosts called body thetans and mutating sci-fi into Scientology, Hubbard might have taken inspiration from Wells's shell-shocked narrator at The War of the Worlds' end, wandering a scorched and ruined London: "About me my imagination found a thousand noise-less enemies moving."
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www.villagevoice.com/film/0526,fwinter,65368,20.html
 
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