Salon is doing a “four-part series chronicling the suddenly higher profile of the Church of Scientology”, and of course the first installment highlights none other than Mr. Crazy Cruise:
Missionary man (Get a day pass, it’s worth it.)
Regarding the romance — who can explain love? It’s a mystery, particularly in Hollywood, and we’re unlikely to ever get the particulars about Cruise and Holmes. But the buzz in some Scientology circles is that Cruise may have reached one of the highest echelons of the Church of Scientology. While not a lot is known about this level, known cryptically as OT-VII, Scientology observers say that attaining it could explain Cruise’s behavior in recent months.
I’m still boggled by the fact that Scientology is actually considered a genuine “religion”. I mean, read this and tell me if that’s the sort of thing sane people base their lives on:
According to experts and the church’s own literature, OT-VII (”OT” stands for Operating Thetan, “thetan” being the Scientology term for soul) is the penultimate tier in the church’s spiritual hierarchy — the exact details of which are fiercely guarded and forbidden to be discussed even among top members. It is where a Scientologist learns how to become free of the mortal confines of the body and is let into the last of the mysteries of the cosmology developed by the church’s longtime leader, science fiction novelist and “Dianetics” author L. Ron Hubbard. This cosmology also famously holds that humans bear the noxious traces of an annihilated alien civilization that was brought to Earth by an intergalactic warlord millions of years ago.
That’s Heaven’s Gate material, if you ask me. Not the foundation of a culturally powerful religion. At least Germany still agrees:
Germany refuses to recognise Scientology as a legitimate church, claiming it is a fake religion based on making money from its followers.
While you’re in the mood, check out CultNews.com for more (from an obviously biased source). If you really want to dig into Scientology, be sure not to miss Operation Clambake. Wow.
They just opened “The Los Feliz Mission” Church of Scientology about a block and a half from my house, Creepy. I think it’s time the Masons step up and we can see who’s tougher. There is only room for one unnerving secret group if you ask me.
P.S. For the record, my money is on the Masons.
I don’t know.
The thetans have the Masons seriously outranked in terms of balls-out crazy.
The Masons are good at the plotting and power-mongering, but pure, level insanity may be enough to give Cruise and Travolta the edge.
http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/religion/cult/l-ron-hubbard/
http://www.rotten.com/library/religion/scientology/
Not to mention that Masony wasn’t developed by a crappy pulp science fiction author who wrote at a 4th-grade level. TANSTAAFL!
My very first exposure with the thetans was when I first moved to Boston. I was walking on Newbury and a pretty girl asked if I’d like to take a “personality test”. I was new to the city and more than a little lonely, so I said sure.
It’s really impressive how adept they are at manipulating people. They totally keyed in on my “left all my friends behind, living in a new city” sadness.
The thing is, anytime people start exploiting my weeknesses, I can recognize that for what it is. I ended up getting reasonably pissed and excusing myself (probably a lot like Scarlet Johansson).
Then I had a similar experience on Comm Ave with a gorgeous young woman with extraordinary amber eyes. I took some zine-like literature from her, and it turned out she was with a bonafied “cult”…
Nuff said, I suppose.
cult chicks can be really hot… they can make you do crazy things. esp. if you are adam sandler.