Paris, France to Tom Cruise: You are a militant member of a dangerous cult

[Bluebear]

Paris, FRANCE - (AFP) The Paris municipal assembly has pledged never to make the actor Tom Cruise an honorary citizen because of his membership of the Church of Scientology. It called him a “self-declared militant for this organisation”. The French authorities regard Scientology as a dangerous cult.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1691594,00.html

[Flagg]

1. Tom Cruise was made an honorary citizen in Marseilles.

[Bluebear]

2. Oui, I think that is what prompted Paris

He IS acting nutty as a fruitcake!

Ça va, France?

[ClintonTyree]

3. Once again, the French get it right.............

they know a dangerous nut bag when they see one coming. They saw through bush, didn't they? :shrug:

[NuttyFluffers]

4. yup, that they did. makes me wanna live there.

that and the croissants... oh the croissants. heavenly O8)

[onager]

6. You remind me of a fun story about Toulouse...

I was there once on a fairly long business trip. (Toulouse is the center of the French aerospace industry.)

It was early in the morning and I was out walking with a co-worker...er, what I mean is, cow-irker.

The smells wafting out of the little bakeries and cafes were driving me crazy. Croissants and pain chocolat baking. Fresh, strong espresso brewing...

And the asshat I'm traveling with says: "I'm really hungry! Let's find a McDonald's."

I let HIM go to Mickey Dee's. There was only one in Toulouse at the time, and it didn't serve breakfast, as he discovered the hard way.

Off-topic: as a rationalist/atheist sort, I love Toulouse. It has a thousand-yeard-old university and the residents are STILL pissed about the Albigensian Crusade, when the Pope's army besieged Toulouse.

[NuttyFluffers]

7. Heh, when in Rome do as you do back home... craziness.

I admit I've had my yen for comfort food from home when I've traveled, but to not even try new stuff? Especially when you are in an area famous for that thing?

I admit, when in Japan I ate at McDonald's and Wendy's, but it was because I wanted to try their strange combinations that I can't find here. The curry burger was tasty, the teriyaki not so much, their "quarter pounder" variation was excellent. But I can tell you when walking through areas famous for a regional dish I didn't go running scared for the closest western fast food place.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

10. And there's the INCREDIBLE Cassoulet of Toulouse

There are several main bases for cooking in France. In the south they cook with olive oil. In the northeast the traditional cuisine often is cooked with pig lard. In the central part and the north, they cook with butter. But in the southwest, there's the incredible cuisine made with the fat of the duck or goose.

The Cassoulet is a dish made with a kind of white bean and cooked in goose fat. You also add special pork sausages. The taste is like nothing else on this earth, in my opinion. I had some when I visited a friend in the southwestern part of France several years ago. It's marvelous.

[patcox2]

11. Why would the touloouse attitude toward the albgensian crusade

appeal to you as an atheist?

That was a conflict between two competing versions of one religion. What makes the continuing memmory in Toulouse of their opposition to one side in that religious conflict somehow appealing to an atheist? All you are saying is that a silly doctrinal religious dispute stupidly lingers on in the attitude of the residents of Toulouse, and this is somehow good?

Sounds more like it appeals to, oh, anti-catholic prejudice, more than to atheism.

You should also be aware that the "thousand year old university" (800) exists because at the end of the Albigensian crusade, the catholic church required it, imposed the obligation to build it, as part of the negotiations for the end of the conflict.

"The university : history and location

The University of Toulouse was born from defeat: it was imposed on Earl Raymond VII in the Treaty of Paris in 1229 ending the crusade against the Albigenses. As he was suspected of sympathizing with them , Raymond VII had to finance the teaching of theology which was meant to show the heretics the straight and narrow path of orthodoxy. Other faculties were created. Initially, the University was located in the center of the city, together with the ancestors of student residences, the colleges. In 1969, Toulouse University split into three separate branches and numerous specialised institutions of higher education."

[onager]

14. W-A-A-H! Catholic bashing? LOL!

Give it a rest, O Mighty And Most Humorless Defender Of The Faith.

As an atheist, any "bashing" you perceive is directed at religion in general, though I've noticed that you manage to find Catholic bashing in just about any post. If I said I didn't like fish, I'm sure you'd consider that a bash as well.

Now try to comprehend this, however difficult it may be, as it will save you a lot of whiny, faux-offended posts in the future:

I don't find the Catholic superstition any more (or less) worthy of bashing than the Muslim superstition or the Protestant superstition. I try my best to bash them all equally. Like H.L. Mencken and Thomas Jefferson, I find all religious superstitions equally silly.

And I really wouldn't brag too much about your the Church forcing Raymond VII to finance a university. That just shows, once again, that religion always, always, ALWAYS resorts to force and oppression when the Great Invisible Sky Pixie doesn't come thru.

[patcox2]

17. I'm no catholic.

Your a bit off there.

And I am not whining, I am amused. I just thought its funny how irrrational your rationalist side is. "As an atheist, I admire the lingering religious albigensian sentiments of Toulouse, and I also admire it because it has a catholic university." Okay, that makes sense.

What would make sense, of course, would be "as an anti-catholic, I admire Toulouse for its lingering anti-catholic sentiment." See? the first statement is utterly illogical, while the second makes sense. Since you claim to be rational, I assume the truth of your feelins lies in the implied statement that makes sense.

I find it quite easy to understand you, perhaps easier than you find it to understand yourself. What people say when they are not thinking is usually the most revealing, when they put together a set speach (I ridicule all religions equally, I am an evolved human being with no flaws or irrational prejudices) of course its usually bullshit, though often sincerely believed bullshit.

[sadiesworld]

8. They also see through the neo-liberal lie.

[shayes51]

5. Not to mention that he's a complete idiot who may be responsible

for someone's death if they quit taking their medication due to his recent remarks.

[Bluebear]

9. Indeed. n/t

[Cats Against Frist]

12. I thought this was kind of funny

Alton Brown's "Rant" on Tom Cruise:

Dear Tom Cruise,

Your lack of belief in the existence of clinical depression tells me one thing: you didn’t spend $10. to see War Of The Worlds. If vitamins can possibly help me out of this spiraling funk, please let me know which ones. Dinos? Pebbles? Freds?

Please, I’m crying out for help.

Alton Brown



http://www.altonbrown.com/pages/rants.html

[Kraklen]

15. LOL!

OMG, that guy's a riot!

[Divameow77]

16. I saw that on his site

I have a little crush on Alton Brown :blush:

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. Good for them. Common sense prevails.

He's a mediocre actor (at best) and is noticed only because he's a millionaire.