i've been reading a lot about scientology lately. i think it is much weirder than the weirdest mainstream religion. even weirder than mormonism, which is not exactly mainstream itself. it is certainly a cult.
even though i think the likelihood of buddah or mohammed or moses doing whatever they supposedly did is higher than the likelihood of the alien/volcano/thetan business, that's not why this is crap. i find the treatment of the individual more interesting. here is a good analysis that i came across:
http://www.cultclinic.org/qa3.html
Quote:
CULT, CULTIC GROUP
Deceit in recruitment
Totalitarian
Destroys the family unit
Isolates its members
Keeps non-believers out
Exploits and manipulates its members with mind control techniques
Commitment is encouraged during recruitment process
Criticism is met with threats of legal action
Leader and follower consider leader to be above reproach
Questioning the leader, or basic tenets, is not allowed
RELIGION
Information offered up front
Allows freedom of thought and members have a say
Promotes the family unit
Works within society
Open to general community
While there are guidelines members are not systematically controlled
Thought before commitment is encouraged as part of conversion process
People are free to speak out against the tenets of a religion
Clergy are expected to be responsible for their words and actions
Critical thinking is allowed and (hopefully) encouraged
|
anyway, let's get back on cruise control...
(this guy must be 5'2" or so)
http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/celebrities_con.html
Quote:
Scientology's celebrities are compensated richly for endorsements with:
...
Free luxury accommodations and carte blanc use of the finest Scientology facilities and properties. Scientology's current leader David Miscavige learned that after Tom Cruise divorced Mimi Rogers, he was persuing Nicole Kidman. Miscavige also learns that Cruise has a fantasy of running through a field of tall wheat grass with Kidman. So, Miscavige orders a section of Scientology's desert compound in Giman Hot Springs to be plowed under and planted with wheat. At a cost of tens of thousands of dollars, and through the slave labor of cult members who work all day and all night for weeks, a field of tall wheat grass is grown in the desert so that Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman may run though it. During their visit, Cruise and Kidman are provided the additional luxuries of a specially prepared suite, maids, and two four-star chefs, all at scientology's expense as a quid pro quo exchange for Cruise's endorsements of Scientology.
|
maybe it's not so bad (for tom cruise) after all!