Tom Cruise is an idiot.

[streetsoldier]

Funny you should mention the "rank = money" method within Scientology; it is also (and barely veiled) shown in the second season of The 4400, in which a prominent actress advances from "1st Key" to "3rd Key" within one week, while staying at a "4400 Center" run by one of the returnees, a man who's seemingly driven by control and power.

Hmm...

[Stephanie]

stephanie .... its sad how many people dont understand just how serious depression can be..... im glad to hear you are doing ok now tho....

mental illness is very much real, and not limited to dramatic types like schizophrenia. if only more people believed that.....then fewer people would stick it out and suffer longer than they have to, thinking it will all just go away someday.....

It most certainly is a very REAL illness. After years of finally making people feel "okay" about stating that they have a mental illness, Tom just pushed that trend back about 30 years.

I guess the saying "ignorance is bliss" applies in this situation. But for someone that has to jump up and down like an ape on national tv to "prove" that he is in love with Katie, there's something seriously wrong.

I want to give Brooke Shields a BIG HUG, and have all the sympathy in the world for Katie's parents. I think that ONE of Tom's problems is that he's in love with the idea of love. This is his third marriage and he's starting to remind me of Elizabeth Taylor.

[HurryKane]

Funny you should mention the "rank = money" method within Scientology; it is also (and barely veiled) shown in the second season of The 4400, in which a prominent actress advances from "1st Key" to "3rd Key" within one week, while staying at a "4400 Center" run by one of the returnees, a man who's seemingly driven by control and power.

Hmm...

Yes, I nearly wet my britches laughing when they started doing that on the 4400. Could it be a thinly veiled anti-$cieno PSA?

[abajan]

The problem with Cruise is that we've all been walking around with our eyes wide shut.

Anyway, it's Michael Jackson that really has me worried!

[Miss Mary]

LOL

Difference is I can stomach a look at Tom Cruise. His appearance doesn't bother me, it's his behavior that's very odd! I can't even look at MJ with one eye open. Can anyone? Maybe his mother...

Mary

[HurryKane]

Cruise's off-center teeth bug me. It's like he's got a third front tooth. Oooh! I bet the third tooth is some sort of mind-control microchip implant that has all of a sudden started short-circuiting.


This is a good (old) read about $cientology, with several instances of people ripped off by the church--including an elderly widow who ended up losing her home--and how the church tried to discredit the author: http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/%7Edst/Fishman/time-behar.html

[bevgo]

Stephanie--I too have a chemical imballance resulting in depression. Have been on meds for years they saved my life

[GalvestonDuck]

It is not a religion. A bizarre story made up for kicks by a sci-fi writer, about 75 million year old aliens taking over everybody and getting exorcised from today's humans via soup cans, is hardly a religion.

It is a cult that preys upon weak and downtrodden people...

Heck, a lot of non-believers try to claim that Christianity and God is science fiction also. And even within the Christian faith, there are those who argue that certain religions are cults (I've heard several try to say the Catholic church is a cult).

It does appear to be very cult-like and it probably is a cult.

See, I agree with you there.

This is a good (old) read about $cientology, with several instances of people ripped off by the church--including an elderly widow who ended up losing her home--and how the church tried to discredit the author: http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/%7Edst/Fishman/time-behar.html

"The church?" So, see...you have it defined in your mind as a religion also.

Like I said, Scientology wouldn't be for me. I dealt with a cult once here in Texas. I didn't like being told that my baptism wasn't valid and that I couldn't be saved if I didn't speak in tongues. But if that's what helps them in their lives and gives them peace, good. I'm not gonna knock their faith or their religion. It's not my place to do that. I'd just appreciate it more if they didn't disrespect mine.

[Miss Mary]

Shawn - "But if that's what helps them in their lives and gives them peace, good. I'm not gonna knock their faith or their religion. It's not my place to do that. I'd just appreciate it more if they didn't disrespect mine."

Ditto Shawn. Couldn't agree with you more. It's with any lifestyle choice - accept mine, if I'm not hurting anyone, and I'll accept yours, if you're not hurting anyone.

Anyone wanna take bets/guesses on how long it takes Katie to put the breaks on this marriage? Or break it off?

Mary

[Stephanie]

Stephanie--I too have a chemical imballance resulting in depression. Have been on meds for years they saved my life

(((HUGS)))

I just hope SOMEONE puts the brakes on this marriage.

I agree Miss Mary - I could always LOOK (gaze, etc. ) at Tom Cruise. Now, I may be finding myself looking away...

[Miss Mary]

Oops, I spelled brakes incorrectly in my post....he he. Steph - you knew what I meant. Maybe I did mean break! As in breakup.

TC has never really done much for me, but I've never been turned off by him either. I can see how he was once or may still be considered a hunk to many (Kathy for one!). There was just something about him that didn't appeal to me - always thought his nose looked crooked or something. But I'd never pick the guy apart, it's just his behavior and opinions that have me alarmed. And more so b/c an innocent, trusting young girl is getting caught up in all this. I don't think he'd harm Katie Holmes in any way, it's just this happened so fast.

We still have Cruise's visit to the Letterman show from a week ago. I just love how Letterman gets right down to it, he wanted to know how long Cruise has known Katie. He tried saying he's known 'of her' for years....Letterman wasn't buying it. He wanted to know the real amount of time. When Cruise said 10 weeks, Letterman's reaction was priceless. The band also played Jump as Cruise walked out of stage.

Mary

[bfez1]

Did anyone else see his interview with Matt Lauer on Today? The guy is a certifiable nut job.

I agree with you, he is a walking, talking nut case

[Miss Mary]

Brooke's turn now......From the TV Guide Website:

http://www.tvguide.com/news/entertainment/

In The News: Brooke Shields, Bennifer and More!
Friday, July 1, 2005

SUDDENLY FUMING: Brooke Shields is firing back at Tom Cruise for blasting antidepressants on the Today show last week(Entertainment News 6/26). In an op-ed piece published in Friday's New York Times, Shields wrote, "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that Mr. Cruise has never suffered from postpartum depression... If any good can come of Mr. Cruise's ridiculous rant, let's hope that it gives much-needed attention to a serious disease." And if we're lucky, maybe it'll snap Katie Holmes out of her spell.

[Janice]

I lost two children and if it had not been for medication, I would probably not be here. But, my doctor was smart, he only let me have them for one month. Look at the mother who drowned her five boys. She just happened to be off her medication at the time. There is abuse in everything in life, medicine, smoking, drinking, religion, etc. People with severe depression need therapy and medication. Science has published papers galore on the impact of drugs and depression. Cruise says there is no proof it works. He is a nut and he is a member of a cult who are nuts. I read an article on the net stating that his church arranged all the divorce plans for his divorce from Nicole because she no longer wanted to be in his religion. Funny it is ok for people to get divorces when they want, but medication is another issue.

[feederband]

It is not a religion. A bizarre story made up for kicks by a sci-fi writer, about 75 million year old aliens taking over everybody and getting exorcised from today's humans via soup cans, is hardly a religion.

It is a cult that preys upon weak and downtrodden people...

Heck, a lot of non-believers try to claim that Christianity and God is science fiction also. And even within the Christian faith, there are those who argue that certain religions are cults (I've heard several try to say the Catholic church is a cult).

It does appear to be very cult-like and it probably is a cult.

See, I agree with you there.

This is a good (old) read about $cientology, with several instances of people ripped off by the church--including an elderly widow who ended up losing her home--and how the church tried to discredit the author: http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/%7Edst/Fishman/time-behar.html

"The church?" So, see...you have it defined in your mind as a religion also.

Like I said, Scientology wouldn't be for me. I dealt with a cult once here in Texas. I didn't like being told that my baptism wasn't valid and that I couldn't be saved if I didn't speak in tongues. But if that's what helps them in their lives and gives them peace, good. I'm not gonna knock their faith or their religion. It's not my place to do that. I'd just appreciate it more if they didn't disrespect mine.

To me any religion is a cult..Your just going by what other people are telling you. Thats whay I just believe in myself. In my world I'm my own God. I don't let anybody tell me how to feel, believe or anything for that matter. On that same note I practice what I preach so I will shut up now....

[CentralFlGal]

It is not a religion. A bizarre story made up for kicks by a sci-fi writer, about 75 million year old aliens taking over everybody and getting exorcised from today's humans via soup cans, is hardly a religion.

It is a cult that preys upon weak and downtrodden people, then sucks all the money it possibly can out of them. Any organization where it costs increasingly larger amounts of money to achieve a state of grace (they call it 'clear') should not be called anything but a cult.

The higher muckity-mucks in $cieno will go to any lengths to stop any bad publicity about them--they call it "Fair Game." This can include absolutely destroying the lives of reporters, journalists, average joes, and others who publicly disagree with $cienos and point out the rampant abuse of the lesser $cienos (i.e. the poor ones--celebs get a cheap and pretty ride) and their insidious attempts to infiltrate all areas of society. Fair Game can even include injurying the parties that $cieno finds objectionable. Fair Game was supposedly cancelled in 1968 but it is still in use today.

The $cienos are so against psychiatry that they are pushing a bill in Florida to keep children in public schools from using mental health services--and to have any mental health diagnosis the child receives become a permanent part of their school record. Currently this notation is only in school record if the school takes part in the treatment, or if special classes are required. You can read about their bill here: http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/09/State ... sh_m.shtml

They also run Narconon, which purports to help people get off drugs. Administrators of Narconon programs tell people in the program that psychiatry kills. Narconon costs a hell of a lot of money, too--it is said it takes $15,000 to get all the way through the program. The true Narcotics Anonymous, sometimes unofficially called NarcAnon, is free. It's rather obvious they chose the Narconon name to confuse and take advantage of people in desparate situations. They also hide behind other front organizations with names like "Citizens Commission on Human Rights" and "Applied Scholastics."

My point here is that they are not some harmless little 'religion' minding their own business. They are actively and, more importantely, subversively trying to stop millions of people from benefiting at all from psychiatry and psychotropic medications. And while they're doing that, they are getting hideously rich off emotionally weak people who can ill afford to give up everything they own and be segregated from their families and loved ones.

They make me sick. Betcha couldn't tell

Very good, informative post, Hurry. $cientology is *not* a religion at all, and the use of the word "church" denotes not a faith, but a common agreement to use the term (albeit, very loosely) to describe their organization.

I've attended 2 Citizens Commission on Human Rights dinners as an outsider at the Flag in Clearwater - to say it was disturbing is an understatement. They use the "drugging of children" as a hook to bring in new members. Before the new folks realize it, they're out a pretty chunk of change to a sci-fi cult who has an alien presiding over the top of this MLM/pyramid scheme.

I haven't been able to verify it, but I've heard that $cientologists run the Cult Awareness Network as well. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Another fun site to learn about the idiocy of this group: Operation Clambake http://www.xenu.net/ It covers everything from "dead agenting" to the significance of clams in human development...

snap snap snap

[CentralFlGal]

In the Beginning, according to Hubbard (in After-School Special format)

http://whyaretheydead.net/Sten/galactic ... et/Xenu.rm

Realplayer required to view clip.

[Radar]

I'm glad Brooke Shield's finally spoke up and defended herself. Post partum depression is real and it can happen to anyone and thank God Brooke had the good sense and resources to seek some help. Most of the time Post partum depression is mild, just alot of crying, feeling overwhelmed and feeling like you can not bond with your baby. And it usually goes away after a few months and things get better as the mother adjusts to the changes. It is an adjustment disorder. However, post partum depression can be fatal, causing the mother to harm herself or worse the baby. Needless to say it is important for a new mother to seek the help of a professional at the first sign of post partum depression because there are medications and therapy that can help. And usually the mother only needs the help temporarily. Tom Cruise is trying to the set the psychiatric field backward instead of forward!

[HurryKane]

This is a good (old) read about $cientology, with several instances of people ripped off by the church--including an elderly widow who ended up losing her home--and how the church tried to discredit the author: http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/%7Edst/Fishman/time-behar.html

"The church?" So, see...you have it defined in your mind as a religion also.

No, I have absolutely not. I am calling them what they call themselves, the Church of $cientology. I never have and never will define them as a religion; they are a money-making cult.

Like I said, Scientology wouldn't be for me. I dealt with a cult once here in Texas. I didn't like being told that my baptism wasn't valid and that I couldn't be saved if I didn't speak in tongues. But if that's what helps them in their lives and gives them peace, good. I'm not gonna knock their faith or their religion. It's not my place to do that. I'd just appreciate it more if they didn't disrespect mine.

But what I cannot accept and "let 'em live in peace" about $cientology is that they do not "help" anyone except people who fork over hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even that "help" is best defined as blackmail. The others, they simply rob them of what little money they have and destroy their lives without regard. They are more insidious than your average cult because they use disingenuous front organizations and tactics to hurt more and more people.

Please, read that Time article about what they do to people who get in their way. They are flat out evil.

[HurricaneBill]

As somebody who is on Paxil and has suffered from depression and anxiety disorder (due to Asperger's Syndrome), I'm very offended by what Tom Cruise said.

Depression is not something you can simply snap out of. It is much more than feeling down in the dumps.

I do not want to think about what would have happened to me had I not gone on Paxil. It helped me tremendously.