I have a friend who has other friends (who I don't know) who are apparently in Scientology. She was convinced by one of them to go to a "self help" event that ended up being an introduction / attempted recruitment of people into Scientology. I attempted to explain to her that the whole thing is a cult that does terrible things, and advised her to watch Going Clear. This was a few months ago.
Yesterday she told me that she went to their New Year's party and that "they're not as bad as everyone says, they do a lot of good for people. They showed a bunch of information at the party about all the good they do. It's like every religion, it has its bad moments, but I have friends in other religions like mormons and catholics and I don't judge them, I'm open minded and accepting of everything".
Apparently, they've got some very enticing methods that appeal to some people.
Actually a great deal of last weeks episode featured Mark Hedley who used to be the Production Manager who put together their events and made the movies that they played showing how fast the church was growing and how much they helped people and he said two key things
That L Ron Hubbard's favorite saying was whoever controls public relations controls the world
And if a person is willing to go out and fact check those propaganda movies they don't stand up to the claims about them helping all of these people, their story of reducing drug addictions for example and how they improved reading programs in school were complete fabrications.
If you want your friend to see the full story, tell her to look up Lisa McPherson, who was checked out of a mental health facility after having a breakdown. Was checked out by the church (Because when you join the church they have the right to check you out of those) took her to a hotel, ran their treatment on her and watched her die.
Tell your friend to look up the churches beliefs in psychology and homosexuality.
Then tell your friend that if she gets sucked in to check her bank account and then kiss it goodbye.
Also tell her that if she joins that she will be encouraged to disconnect from all of her suppression friends the minute that she tells anyone in the church that her friends have told her about negative aspects of that organization, oh and her family members too.
I'm sure on an individual basis there are Scientologists who try to help and are as charitable as they can be with what little money they have left.
But this is an organization that has actually killed people, driven others to suicide, conned 10's of thousands of people, and was founded on a bet between two authors on who could make the most money the quickest.
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If your looking for more on this, the podcast Oh No Ross and Carrie have a 4 or 5 part podcast on Scientology. They report on fringe science, claims of paranormal activity, and spirituality by taking part. They went through the process of joining the church. It went on for a lot longer than it should have as they never hide or lie about who thy are or what they do.
The way they get busted is hilarious and perfect. I strongly suggest you listen to it if it seems interesting to you and not look at the spoiler.
Spoiler!
One of the church members they had been dealing with was talking to a Mormon friend and the Mormen friend recognizes both their names from the time they did their episodes on the Mormon church.
What is their appeal to the Hollywood types like Cruise and Travolta?
Absolute power and adoration of the acolytes?
Not to mention I can imagine there would be some pretty ingenious tax-evasion strategies by running all of your Hollywood film earnings through holdings via a tax-exempt Church.
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What is their appeal to the Hollywood types like Cruise and Travolta?
I think they're two different cases.
For Tom Cruise
Cheap labor to aid him in his life. The members of his personal staff for the most part are sea org members making something like $5.00 per day. So if he needs a car fixed, bammo. He needs someone to clean his house or dust his oscars bammo. I late night snack made, Sea org to the rescue.
I'm sure that he's gotten some tax free advice, free legal advice.
He's adored by Scientologists.
For some of the other members like Travolta. I firmly believe that all of their so called auditing sessions are recorded. So if he confessed to something that's potentially damaging to his career in doing what scientology encourages you to do which is get audited and admit those dark secrets that are causing you to be negative, its on tape. Maybe they got him like others to confess to something that's career damaging. In the old days it might have been homosexuallity. Maybe its that sex trip to Thailand to have sex with whatever.
Most celebs have deep dark secrets that they want to hide. Infidelities, drug problems, unusual sexual practices like screwing fish. The church would have that on record.
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Cheap labor to aid him in his life. The members of his personal staff for the most part are sea org members making something like $5.00 per day. So if he needs a car fixed, bammo. He needs someone to clean his house or dust his oscars bammo. I late night snack made, Sea org to the rescue.
I'm sure that he's gotten some tax free advice, free legal advice.
He's adored by Scientologists.
For some of the other members like Travolta. I firmly believe that all of their so called auditing sessions are recorded. So if he confessed to something that's potentially damaging to his career in doing what scientology encourages you to do which is get audited and admit those dark secrets that are causing you to be negative, its on tape. Maybe they got him like others to confess to something that's career damaging. In the old days it might have been homosexuallity. Maybe its that sex trip to Thailand to have sex with whatever.
Most celebs have deep dark secrets that they want to hide. Infidelities, drug problems, unusual sexual practices like screwing fish. The church would have that on record.
You think they're blackmailing Travolta? And Cruise is in it to save some $'s?
I truly don't know but that's not what I would have thought. But there does seem to be some appeal with Hollywood types. I have never heard of incriminating information being released by Scientology but I'm not that well informed on the topic.
I'd say it's a status thing. You need something to differentiate yourself from other a listers and if you can brag you midichlorian count is higher you are higher status
I don't know that Scientology appeals specifically to Hollywood types, so much as it appeals to materially affluent, non-religious people looking for something missing from their lives, and who are egotistical enough to find the idea of a secret club with levels and special rules appealing - the type of people that Hollywood is full of.
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You think they're blackmailing Travolta? And Cruise is in it to save some $'s?
I truly don't know but that's not what I would have thought. But there does seem to be some appeal with Hollywood types. I have never heard of incriminating information being released by Scientology but I'm not that well informed on the topic.
There's no one that they parade around like Tom Cruise, giving him fake medals, giving him sex slaves (ok that's exagerrated, but I'm sure that they think his sperm is some heavenly mixture of a re-incarnated L Ron Hubbard and the future chosen one selected to kill Xenu if he ever returns. They chose his wife and threw him a massive over the top wedding. He's also constantly hanging out with Miscavidge probably because they're both short people with power.
Travolta has seen his profile dropped massively, and they probably could have saved his career after he crushed it thanks to that horrid L Ron Hubbard mess.
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The queen of crazy for scientology is still Catherine Bell, even though it sounds like she got in a ton of trouble for leaving her husband for a woman (homosexuality is evil according to that church)
The queen of crazy for scientology is still Catherine Bell, even though it sounds like she got in a ton of trouble for leaving her husband for a woman (homosexuality is evil according to that church)
Massively successful celebrities lead pretty insular lives, more so than the average peer of the same material wealth. A cult or religion will be particularly insidious to these types because the industry they are in lauds them with adulation already, this is like adding it to your personal life as well as professional.
Do we think Tom Cruise ever hears a negative word about Scientology? He is being fed a constant, ever present stream of bull#### about it and is obviously the type of personality to eat that up.
The blackmail negative reinforcement is just the stick aspect. A smart animal figures out the carrot is easier than the stick very quickly.
Massively successful celebrities lead pretty insular lives, more so than the average peer of the same material wealth. A cult or religion will be particularly insidious to these types because the industry they are in lauds them with adulation already, this is like adding it to your personal life as well as professional.
Do we think Tom Cruise ever hears a negative word about Scientology? He is being fed a constant, ever present stream of bull#### about it and is obviously the type of personality to eat that up.
The blackmail negative reinforcement is just the stick aspect. A smart animal figures out the carrot is easier than the stick very quickly.
I think he does hear the negative aspects of the church, he's probably one of the more media saavy people in Hollywood and he constantly goes out and defends all of the batshyte crazy theories of the church.
look at his attacks on psychology and mental health treatments.
Look at his attacks on Leah Remeni .
He knows all the negatives that are being said about the church, either he's a true believer along the lines of a Christian crusader or he doesn't care because the church treats him like a king and beats him with a stick once in a while.
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I have always wondered if actors/actresses have some slight dread when being cast into a Tom Cruise movie. The attempt to convert you will come eventually. Get to be in a blockbuster movie but there is the dreaded Scientology pitch.
Would be like the Hollywood equivalent of one of those time share vacation offers. Super cheap hotel in Mexico! All you have to do is listen to an hour long presentation...
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I have always wondered if actors/actresses have some slight dread when being cast into a Tom Cruise movie. The attempt to convert you will come eventually. Get to be in a blockbuster movie but there is the dreaded Scientology pitch.
Would be like the Hollywood equivalent of one of those time share vacation offers. Super cheap hotel in Mexico! All you have to do is listen to an hour long presentation...
Slight dread? I imagine most would be pretty excited about the chances of spinning that role into more movie opportunities. Plenty of greasy people in Hollywood and in the big picture Cruise would probably be pretty harmless compared to what these actresses dealt with in their early career working up the ranks. He's a nut case but at the end of the day it's just business.
