Tom Cruise On Scientology

[matthewf]

Run time: 00:28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYZWDv_0Akc   Posted on YouTube: January 18, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: January 18, 2008 By DU Member: matthewf Views on DU: 1251

 
Hey DU,
Hope you enjoy today's cartoon.

[ihavenobias]

1. It's safe to mock Scientologists but is any other religious fundamentalist any more reasonable?

Yes, that's a (very) serious question. I don't say it to anger anyone, and while I think Tom sounds crazy, I can't say he sounds any *more* crazy than any other fundamentalist.

Talk of orgs and SP's (or whatever) is nutty, but so is talk of 72 virgins in heaven or a seven headed dragon (in the New Testament) or any other number of examples from ALL religions IMO.

PS---Here's a breakdown of the actual video of Cruise being nutty
courtesy of TYT: http://www.theyoungturks.com/story/2008/1/17/15280/4150/tytvideoclips/We-Have-Lost-Tom-Cruise

[TexasBushwhacker]

3. I agree, no more or less scary than many fundamentalist ...

religions. To me though, they do take general creepiness to a whole new level. They seem to have a supreme self-confidence that crosses over to the realm of arrogance.

I've read that they go to disaster sites (Ground Zero 9/11, New Orleans post-Katrina, the tsunami areas) and offer "relief" by giving shoulder rubs and <b>selling</b> Scientology books.

"For one example, at present there are a dozen or more fake "ministers" from the Scientology corporation rushing to the Hurricane Katrina disaster site to sell the victims books and to collect donations ostensibly for disaster relief. When the Scientology business sent nearly two dozen salespeople to the World Trade Center in 2001, and a dozen salespeople to Sri Lanka in2004 <0> (under the pretense of being "ministers"), official relief workers forcefully ejected them from the disaster areas. In an internal Scientology email leaked to human rights activists, one Scientology salesperson even crowed with pride at the Scientology corporations efforts to PREVENT relief workers from helping victims of the disaster."

http://www.scientomogy.com/katrina.html

[ladywnch]

4. is it just me or is he barely speaking in complete (let alone) coherent

sentences?

[matthewf]

9. it's not you

[AlbertCat]

6. Why pick on just fundies?

I mean....take any moderate religionists....anyone who thinks there's a spirit who looks over them, or that when you die, you really don't die...

It's all a bunch of stone age guesses. Sensible people who don't believe in magic but STILL cling to these ancient superstitions....talk about crazy! What Dawkins calls "belief in belief".

If you don't believe in a burning bush, why believe in the equally loony heaven, hell... or reincarnation for that matter. It's all debunked nuttiness.

[matthewf]

7. Yeah, you're totally correct, ihavenobias.

All religions are crazy.

[ryanmuegge]

14. This is exactly why it is reasonable to question Romney about his beliefs in the election

The beliefs of Mormons and Scientologists are not that different on the craziness meter. Would you want a Scientologists running your country?

[happygoluckytoyou]

2. MY FAVORITE PART OF THE BIBLE

IS WHERE THE LITTLE GUY FIGHTS AGAINST THE GIANT GUY... AND WE THINK THE BIG GUY IS GONNA WIN... BUT THEN THE LITTLE GUY TRADES THE COW FOR SOME BEANS AND CLIMBS THE STALK AND KILLS THE BIG GUY AND GETS THE GOOSE WITH THE GOLDEN EGGS, WHICH HE PAINTS MANY COLORS AND HIDES NEAR A BURNING BUSH

---SPEAKING OF BURNING BUSH... HEY MASSA PRESIDENT... THANKS FOR TH $800... I WILL TITHE $80 TO THE DEMOCRAT NATIONAL COMMITTEE

[matthewf]

8. that's funny.

[ryanmuegge]

5. Yeah, Scientologists are nutty idiots, but their criticisms of psychiatry are legitimate and valid

Not to say that the alternatives they propose aren't worse.

[ihavenobias]

11. I'm not sure what you mean by that...n/t

[ryanmuegge]

12. Well, when they criticize electroshock therapy and question the effectiveness of psychoactive drugs

That seems reasonable.

When they say that electroshock is inhumane (of course individual cases vary), the psychoactive drugs are overprescribed and often have horrific side-effects, and that the diagnoses from psychiatrist are highly subjective, these are legitimate criticisms. People who believe in Scientology as a religion seem crazy (they do believe some crazy shit), but I'm not sure why people think what they say about psychiatry is so crazy.

[progressoid]

10. I know it's supposed to be satire but it ain't all that different from the real thing.

[windoe]

13. Cults are committing crimes

by extorting taxfree money, brainwashing people and sanctioning violence. There seems to be a resemblance of their ideologies with fascist priniciples, which may explain why they are tolerated here these days. Moonies are another dangerous and rich cult.
Cults have nothing to do with following a spiritual path!! They involve manipulation of the ego only and use very dark means to control people. We should follow Germany and France by making these organizations illegal.

[ihavenobias]

15. Yes but

there's a *very* fine line between what most consider to be a cult and what most consider to be a religion.

This line seems much thicker to theists but to the secular/agnostics/atheists out there, sometimes the line is damn near invisible:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvhn43BmdWM