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Scientology's Disgrace: An Open Letter To Tom Cruise
A New York journalist has published a stinging open letter to Tom Cruise about his involvement with the Church of Scientology.
Tony Ortega, Editor of 'The Village Voice', wrote on the newspaper's website that:
Ortega also refers to reports this week that the Church forced children to work long hours for next to little pay, adding:
In the interests of fairness, I have to add the Church of Scientology has always denied any claims of ill-treatment of members.
However, as criticism of the organisation keeps growing in the media, does anyone think Cruise will want to continue his public association with the Church? What can he do now the press is linking him to these claims?
Kudos to Tony Ortrga as well because I've never seen a celebrity of that stature get called out in such a vehement fashion. I'm really surprised none of the British tabloids have picked up on this yet.
Oh, and hello, I'm new here and just thought I'd jump right in
Tony Ortega, Editor of 'The Village Voice', wrote on the newspaper's website that:
He goes on to detail a recent court case featuring a former Scientology executive, Debbie Cook, whom Cruise would have known. During the course of the court hearing, some quite serious allegations were made by her against Scientology leader, David Miscavige, a close friend of the actor and best man at his wedding to Katie Holmes.It's time for you (Cruise) to start talking publicly about Scientology again. Your religion is in serious trouble.
Ortega also refers to reports this week that the Church forced children to work long hours for next to little pay, adding:
Asking Cruise to give his side of the story, Ortega continues:Here's what you must begin to deal with, Tom: you are the public face for an organization that is becoming known for confining and torturing its own executives, that is employing children of public school age in ways that would make a nineteenth-century foreman blush. You are the symbol for an organization that beats confessions of homosexuality out of high-ranking members. That asks children to work around the clock without a chance to get real schooling. That does all this with claims that it is somehow helping the planet.
The letter can be read in full at http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2012/02/scientologys_di.phpI want to hear what you know about how Debbie Cook was treated, about how children are serving in the Sea Org, about how women in the Sea Org are coerced into abortions so they can keep working 100-hour weeks without the distraction of pregnancy and childbirth.
In the interests of fairness, I have to add the Church of Scientology has always denied any claims of ill-treatment of members.
However, as criticism of the organisation keeps growing in the media, does anyone think Cruise will want to continue his public association with the Church? What can he do now the press is linking him to these claims?
Kudos to Tony Ortrga as well because I've never seen a celebrity of that stature get called out in such a vehement fashion. I'm really surprised none of the British tabloids have picked up on this yet.
Oh, and hello, I'm new here and just thought I'd jump right in
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Comments
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2101953/Top-Scientologist-tells-beaten-tortured-locked-45-days-ant-infested-desert-compound-trailer.html
I was thinking the same.
What the hell does his/her number of posts have tto do wiith anything?:mad:
It's a really interesting post. I've read before about the reality of Scientology and how abusive & controlling it is. But I read that the upper echelons are treated like gods and that its unlikely someone like Cruise would be in contact with the day to day reality of what the religion does. But I love the open letter. There's not a chance Cruise will respond, but if it gets people talking it's achieved it's purpose.
I agree, I reckon Tom Cruise has seen nothing of the dark side of Scientology All he sees is a group of people treating him like a god. I love the open letter, like a lot of people I loathe Scientology with a passion, i see it as a very sinister cult, rather then a religion. It seems unless you are a famous millionaire paying them by the bucket load, you get treated like sh*t.
The thing is I reckon they have so much on Cruise, things he never wants to get out, so even if he wants to get out he feels like he is trapped. Bleh I can't believe I'm defending him,
edit: here we are
http://atheism.about.com/b/2005/08/12/cruise-almost-left-scientology.htm
He's already A-List celebrity status so it would be unlikely to imagine him being treated the same as some gullible and vulnerable person who joins at the lower ranks.
A few years ago Tom and other Scientologists would talk openly about it and I would say in the late 80s and the 90s being into Scientology was seen as a sign you had made it in a way. You weren't a celeb if you weren't part of a weird religion right? But now the situation is very different, I can't remember a time I last heard any celebs talk about Scientology and you get actors like Will Smith and Jada P-S who are apparently Scientologists but angrily refute the claims for fear of ridicule.
Goaty the resident Scientologist is here.:D
At least she was smart enough to never really sign up.
Cost her a hell of a lot of contact with her kids though.
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/08/a_scientology_i.php
I think he knows to be on the lookout
It's still there, the scene has just moved on - the sinister racket du jour that idiot celebs are falling over themselves to endorse while the idiot follower on the street has their bank balance aggressively sucked dry by being strongarmed into buying worthless trinkets, tapwater and fabulously expensive 'retreats' and 'courses', is Kaballah. Madonna, I'm looking at you.
The Kabbalah isn't new, it's been around in a formal style since the 11th century and it's "recent" growth in popularity could be said to have been kicked off by occultists from the late 19th century.
Yeah Kabllah was definitely the new Scientology back in the early 2000s but I think it's a bit old hat now isn't it?
If someone comes up to you in the street with a clip board and asks 'if you wouldn't mind answering a few questions', my advice would be to run, fast!!!
Seems to have served Demi Moore rather well, hasn't it?
Are they still on New Street trying to test you for Dianetics or something like that?
:eek: Do they do it to you too??!!!:eek:
I thought I was gonna be doing the Pepsi Max challenge, didn't think for one minute I'd be ambushed, wired up to some machine, interrogated on my private life and threatened if I didn't buy their literature.
Possibly one of the most surreal and scariest situations I've ever found myself in. My only regret is that I didn't report it to the police.
Yes, but the 'Kabbalah' outfit figureheaded by Madonna, Demi Moore and others only emerged over the last decade or so, powered by some very cynical (and a few recently convicted) leaders who practice a variant that the originators wouldn't recognise - though scientologists would. Somebody clearly envied their business model, and Tom Cruise marketing gimmick.
It's all about using the celebs, flattering their egos, to keep the image up, while aggressively milking the gullible who come knocking.
"Sweeney Investigates" did a pretty good documentary with hidden camera footage a few years ago, the hard sell tactics for allegedly miraculous water, trips to bizarro get togethers, and retreats, were shocking, even by scientology standards. It's easily found online.
Might not get you too far even if you did - they like to have 'friends' in the right places -
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23395958-why-did-top-policeman-agree-to-appear-in-a-film-for-the-scientologists.do