Does Converting to Scientology Prove You're Stupid?

[Ravenseye]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8185031/

Forgive the MSM link. Katie Holmes converting to Scientology.

Honestly. How dumb do you have to be to convert to Scientology. The founder of the religion said (paraphrasing) "The best way to become rich is to start your own religion"

Also just fyi.

Tom Cruise divorced Mimi Rodgers when she was 34 years old
Tom Cruise divorced Nicole Kidman when she was 34 years old

If he marries Katie Holmes I'm betting he divorces her in 8 years...when she's 34 years old.

[Warpy]

1. No, you have to be restless and looking for something

and that's what gets people to join other cults. Trust me, those cults are experts at finding people like that, too.

[iconoclastNYC]

6. Yeah that's why they are doing "Free Stress Test" in Time Square

The other day I walked by and this cute woman said, so perky-like, "would you like a free stress test", and I replied....to her shocked astonishment, in a very stern manner, "NO. I DON'T LIKE CULTS"

She was so stunned. Poor girl.

[Ravenseye]

11. I said that to a priest once

I was young and thought I was punk. He said hello to me in a grocery store with a smile on his face and I said something ala "back off i'm not into cults"

Just for that i'm probably going to hell.

[trotsky]

2. No.

You have to be rich, too. Otherwise they don't bother targeting you.

[bryant69]

3. I don't know

I mean I don't understand the lure of Scientology myself, but lots of hollywood people seem to be into it. It'd be interesting to find out that you have to be a scientologist to get certain parts or to work with certain people - but nobodies proved that, or if they have I missed it.

Tom Cruise is an ok actor, but kind of nutty anyway. I'm pretty sure he'd be nutty as a Scientologist or as anything else.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Raster]

4. it won't last that long. he's on a two movie cycle.

besides, all beards need to be restyled every couple of years or so.

My fervent hope and prayer: please, tom, marry katie and then the two of you go off somewhere and contemplate the aliens in the volcano and play with your e-meters quietly. Do a Madonna, tom. Go write a children's book. Go do something. But please, shut up and go away.

Memo to Oprah: Honey, let it go.

[KittyWampus]

8. You Should Write The DU Advice Column.

:)

[Ravenseye]

13. lol

Seriously. Oprah...What can you say.

[SlipperySlope]

5. Maybe they just turned smart at 34?

I thought Nicole left Tom, not the other way around.

[amazona]

20. rogers left him but kidman, not unless she had the dumbest lawyer ever

Kidman got her walking papers at the last possible minute that Cruise could have divorced her without having to give her SUBSTANTIALLY more of his fortune if they had divorced after they were married the full ten years. California marital law and division of property really gets interesting after you've been married a full decade. If the timing of the divorce was under Nicole's control, she would have waited the remaining necessary weeks, surely.

At the time of the split between Rogers and Cruise, she said on the record that he was getting into a "celibacy" thing that made it impossible for her to stay married to him since she wasn't interested in going down that path. She is (or was) a scientologist but there is nothing in scientology that insists on celibacy, I guess Cruise is just "special." Or just making excuses. You be the judge.

I don't think any of these people are Albert Einstein but who knows what we could come to believe if we had success beyond our wildest fantasies? If Cruise believes that scientology gave him the power to become so successful, then you can't fairly expect him not to want to share this news with everyone. We can stand outside and say it's as silly as giving credit to a lucky rabbit key chain but when it's actually happening to you it is probably more difficult to separate cause and effect. If your life seemed magical, likely you would believe in magic.

[SlipperySlope]

24. Interesting...

I just read their petitions. He says the marriage lasted 9 yrs and 11 mos, she said it lasted 10 yrs and 1 month.

Did they settle?

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. No

It proves you are in love with Tom Cruise.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

9. Anybody who doesn't have a strong inner core can be brainwashed

The Moonies did most of their recruiting on college campuses and one of their lures was "philosophical discussion groups" sponsored by the front-organization CARP.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

10. The Price List

http://www.xenu.net/archive/prices.html

Winter 94/95

The current (conservative) total cost for the whole bridge to OT9 readiness is estimated at $365,000 - $380,000.

Auditing hours are calculated on the basis of an average case. It could cost a lot more. Read on for the full price breakdown.

These prices are taken directly from the latest Flag price list and, in the case of OT8, the Freewinds donation rate list.

[NoPasaran]

12. It's not proof

But I think it does put a checkmark in that column.

[Drifter]

14. Operation Clam Bake

http://www.xenu.net/

This sight puts all of this nonsense into perspective.

Cheers
Drifter

[medeak]

15. son was held hostage and escaped through back door

responded to ad for summer part time help. Turned out to be Scientology center.

They started him on "personality test" which went on for three hours.. he wisely got scared and ran out back door when alone.

[Ravenseye]

17. Wow good for him

THat's pretty scary. Did they tell him it was a scientology center or did they keep pretending it was for summer part time help?

[medeak]

26. they said it was for a job application n/t

[LibDemAlways]

22. I used to work with a woman whose husband

was a character actor. They were approached by Scientologists, but the husband wasn't interested. The wife was curious and was taken to a yacht in an LA Harbor and held in a small cabin against her will. She escaped in the middle of the night by jumping into the water.

[medeak]

27. holy crap!

I'll tell son that!

[The2ndWheel]

16. Ain't that the truth

"The best way to become rich is to start your own religion"

The powers that were even knew that thousands of years ago. Oh yeah, and instill fear into a young child's mind. You're sure to be a billionaire if you can pull that off.

[SidDithers]

18. www.freekatie.net

http://www.freekatie.net/

McLaughlin Cameron Designs invites you to join the movement to liberate Katie, a young, gifted, actress held captive by forces we may never understand. Even one summer of captivity is too long for one so bright!

Heard about this site on Howard Stern this morning :)

Sid

[thereismore]

19. YES by all means nt

[UdoKier]

21. No more than any other religion.

And like it or not, all religions are cults, some are bigger or older, but they are all cults.

I'm not a big fan of Cruise or Scientology, but it's nonsense to say that Scientology is any more full of BS than any other religion, mainstream or not.

These comments would not be tolerated on DU if they were about any other religion.

Either religion bashing is okay (I'm all for that - people should have to defend their baseless superstitions) or it's not ( I suppose "civility" is also a good thing)

So which is it?

[longship]

23. The truth about Cruise divorces.

Tom Cruise divorced Mimi Rodgers when she was 34 years old
Tom Cruise divorced Nicole Kidman when she was 34 years old

Nah!!! That was a coincidence. The truth is that both marriages were working out fine. Cruise was getting along fine with both wifes, but their Body Thetans were fighting like mad dogs.

[Squeech]

25. Hmmm...

Stupid isn't the right word, and I don't know if there is a right word-- something halfway between "gullible" and "spiritually vacant."

But John Travolta isn't stupid, nor is Chick Corea, neither were (my favorite scientologists) the members of the Incredible String Band. They were, however, in need of some focus in their lives, and they believed they'd found it in Scientology. I think they grew to believe that what successes they'd experienced were due to the "clarity" that Dianetics was supposed to inculcate, but if I had to hypothesize, I would say that it was really just because they'd acquired a belief system that let them give up skepticism and self-doubt.

And then they returned the favor-- Travolta made that Battlefield Earth movie (based on L. Ron Hubbard's "bestselling" novel), Chick Corea listed Hubbard in the "special thanks" column in his liner notes for years... one of the things Scientology is really good at is getting its higher-profile adherents to shill for the cause.