That's what I was thinking. There are plenty of Scientologists out there who aren't celebrities who participate in this wacky practice. Do I care what they do? No. It's odd, to be sure, but to each their own.

I dont see her being able to keep silent the whole time during birth! I also feel sorry for the kid, especially if there is something wrong with him/her that could be caught and possibly help him/her within the first seven days.

Jinnkai : The biggest reason why I am calling Scientology a cult now is because the person whom they believe to have founded religion has claimed that it is fake.

Having been thru four births...two at home with me as the midwife, I can tell you it is a painful process, and the vocalization during it seemed a natural way to relieve/express the pain. If this woman thinks she can remain silent during the birth....I sure as hell hope she has some good drugs in her system.

I cannot corroborate any quote of L. Ron Hubbard *ON* record as saying it was fake. Apparently you take it on faith because someone said it in this thread as being true so it must be.

"Scientology...is not a religion."
- L. Ron Hubbard, CREATION OF HUMAN ABILITY, 1954, p. 251

http://www.xenu.net/archive/infopack/5.htm

Cynthetiq : LoL, I'm somewhat intimidated by you. :(

Either, I look up to willravel that I take his words for truth, or I'm just somewhat shallow. :hmm:

no reason to be, I'm just a critical thinker and don't take something at face value. Neither does willravel.

But this quote stating that it is not a religion, doesn't mean the same thing that it's fake. Saying L. Ron Hubbard says it's fake and backing it up with this quote isn't the same meaning. He states that it's not a religion.

Cynthetiq - Do YOU think its fake?

Thats all that really matters I think here. When I put on my critical thinking cap Scientology falls very flat. Its one thing to respect someone elses beliefs but that doesn't mean you can't think they are dumbasses for it.

The Tom Cruise birthing seminar
I seriously wonder what the guy is smoking...

whatever it is he better share...

Wierd wierd little man.

Um, so what part of this is strange? They are trying to educate themselves and their family on the birthing process - sounds pretty darn normal and recommended by most local health authorities.

Getting his older children involved with helping out - what's wrong with that?

I'm not understanding what you don't like here.

Up front it doesn't seem bad at all. Then you remember what an odd guy he is, with his closeted homosexuality and his 'religion' and that creepy look he gave when he was talking about how all pychiatrists are liars or whatever it was, and it changes your perspective.

Well, not really, no.

"closeted homosexuality"?

Even if he were to be (after bagging Kidman and Holmes), that makes a person bad? Wow.

The world needed another Michael Jackson.

"I'm gonna eat the placenta. I thought that would be good. Very nutritious. I'm gonna eat the cord and the placenta right there." -The Tom, in a GQ interview.

Just when you thought he was weird enough he announces his plans to eat the placenta. Weird little man in deed.

http://www.itv.com/news/entertainment_1776713.html

Argh, that is ... sick ass weird wrong.

Would you be freaked out if you were Katie? O_o

Knowing a Holywood insider it is true, and when ever you closet who you are it leads to odd behavior.

BTW who you 'bag' means very little when you are in the closet. Close friend of my family, is a drop dead gorgeous women, three beautiful kids, married to a very wealthy psychiatrist. Turned out he had an apartment downtown with a boyfriend as well.

Wow.

(btw is saying 'wow' in disbelief a new thing on the net. I've seen it in a couple of chats online lately and it never seemed common before.)

Oh and he is a little freak, see the above posts.

Its called 'career move'.

Never again will anyone say 'Katie who?'

Please, please let him be joking. Sometimes, people joke. I pray this is one of those times.

Where is the barfing smiley?

Placenta eating is more common than you might think.

I understand that it's the only meat that (some) vegetarians can eat, because it can be "harvested" without resulting in the death of the host.

I remember and episode of the two fat ladies cooking show that I saw years ago where they took frozen placenta and prepared it to eat.

Having seen the one from when I had my daughter, I can honestly say I'd have to be starving with no hope of any other food ever again to eat it.

Hubbard wasn't the first - other science fiction/fantasy writers have created (or aped) "religions". Usually just as a writing tool when they're developing their civilization. So why is Scientology different? Is it the money making potential exclusively that turned it into a "religion" with practitioners? As an interesting side note... I recently read Orson Scott Card's Homecoming series - it basically rewrites the book of Mormon. No joke. Mojodragon and I had fun comparing the two and poking fun at it. I wonder if I could get away with writing a book based on the Koran or something. *grin*

Two of my three births were drug-free. Could I have remained quiet? No way! Did I curse or blame my husband? No (in fact, during the worst where the infant was in a transverse position I used him as my focus when I was sure I was about to die). Was any psychological damage done to my infants? :hmm:

We will all go Katie "Spouse-of-the-psycho-husband" Cruise ? :lol:

followed by....

Yea shes staring in (insert vapid movie remake of holywood classic), I hear shes getting (insert insane amount of money), I'm so glad she left Tom Cruise, he was wrong for her.

Yes, he was joking. This is just another example of the popular press taking some little tidbit in a larger article entirely out of context. Now, I'm not saying Tom Cruise isn't crazy--I think, especially in regards to his opinions on medications, he is nuts. But as for eating the placenta--several articles have popped up on Google News this morning with a fuller quote from the original GQ article that does show that Cruise was joking around.

Just to spite this belief, when I have a wife some day and if/when she gets pregnant, I'm going to encourage her to scream to her heart's content.

If anyone wants to see a placenta, check it out: http://static.flickr.com/40/131725971_ff95d35746_o.jpg

I don't think I could ever eat that knowing what it is, but it does look like something that would be edible if need be.

In regard to the keeping silent, there's been a lot said between now and the beginning, but I'll throw this in anyway since I don't know if it's been said. In the psychology course I'm taking they've made it very clear that a baby's brain hasn't formed enough to remember anything from birth like pain or the screaming. People who talk about that kind of thing are pretty influenced by Freud, who isn't the best source on psychological information.

"knowing a Hollywood insider" - OK, then. That settles that.

I don't think he's any weirder than you, Ustwo - oh, wait ...

:lol:

That, it seems, is key. Knowing what it is, I mean. Think about it. Trim that thing up, slice it, fry it with a little onion...is it really all that much different from liver?
Of course, I can't stand liver, either. However, there are many many who do. So...what about it liver eaters? Would you? Could You? On a Boat? Would you? Could You? with a goat?

I may be wierder than Cruise but I also get more pussy so it evens out ;)

Heard second-hand that they had the baby yesterday (on my birthday!), but haven't heard how it went. Has anyone else heard anything definitive? I'm curious to see if they think they had a "successful scientology birth". :-)

Weird side-note: I think this forum is affecting my brain. I actually DREAMED about this last night. I was sitting on a grassy hill with Tom Cruise and a dark-haired chick I assume is his wife, Katie. They had the baby (it was a girl) with them, and I was trying to explain to them why keeping her in the plastic bag was a REALLY bad idea. Go figure. Too much to do today to be worrying about celebrities and their oddities any more, though - I'm off to school! Ta-ta! :icare:

Ustwo!! Wake up!! You're posting in your sleep again. You were having a dream that you get more pussy than Tom Cruise. :D

Hahaha, he gets more variety perhaps. Not all girls would dig a placenta-eating-silent-birth-demanding man. Some may find it sexy, but I wouldn't know.

I always thought it looked more like a sting ray, so I guess you'd fry that sucker up like you'd cook sting ray.

I had a buddy who used to work in a cheap fish house. When they'd run out of scallops, they'd catch a ray and cut it up with a round cookie cutter, and serve it as scallops.

And I stand by that statement. Note I didn't say I got more sex :thumbsup:

He may not be getting paid but that's exactly what he's doing. He's a walking poster with more coverage than any commercial could ever hope to achieve.

I actually didn't have a desire to see a placentia, but I clicked on the link anyway.
then i stared at it for about a full minute
then i read your post
thought, wtf, about your comment of it looking edible
then i clicked on the photo again to see if it did
it doesn't

DAMN YOU!!!

Why did I do just like you did????

exactly like you did, line for line.