CULTS OR "RELIGIOUS" ZEALOTS?????

Geesh, where do I start in describing this....cult? I am averse to using the word religion, although it figures prominently in their title, Church of Scientology. Everyone I know is familiar with Tom Cruise's rant many years ago, jumping up and down on Oprah's sofa and his arrogance in discussing Brooke Shields post-partum depression with Matt Lauer. That moment was when I realized, Tom Cruise is a fucking idiot. No more did his movies appeal to me, or for that matter, anything that came out of his mouth.

He had the audacity to declare to Matt Lauer, that he (Lauer) did NOT understand the field of psychiatry, but Cruise himself DID! With all my research to date, I have still failed to find any connection of Cruise with any courses taken in psychiatry. Therefore, all his "intelligence" has apparently been gleaned from the COS. Now there's an accolade one needs in their resume'.

There are many groups of Scientologists, around the world - supposedly all independent of one another, but this I find hard to believe.

I am amazed that one science fiction writer, L. Ron Hubbard (top picture on left), managed to create a cult, based on extra-terrestrials. Talk about the weak minded! Cults, to me, attract those who are in flux with their life and possible beliefs - and therefore, become prime targets for the likes of Scientologists. Remember in the 60's and 70's, all those who left home for the Hare Krishna's? They were recruiting in airports, bus stations and public sidewalks.

I digress. L. Ron Hubbard founded Scientology in the early 50's, and the cult believes that Xenu, brought people to this earth 75 million years ago in jets, and set them up around the bases of volcanoes to thrive. Humans are considered to be "thetans" trapped on Earth. Thetans have had multiple past lives and preceding being earth bound, lived in other extra-terrestrial cultures. All righty then....

Hubbard started his first church in Camden, NJ in 1953. Hubbard's "Aims of Scientology" were to be:

"a civilization without insanity, without criminals, and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights, are the aims of Scientology."

This so-called "church", to me, benefits those the most who GIVE the most financially. It is structured in such a way, that climbing the hierarchy (gaining more insight into one's spirit), you have to have BIG BUCKS. They have various "machines" which assist members in finding "answers" and self-discovery, that mimic "lie detector" machines. I would assume, there is no truth or honor in such machines and they have been created to mislead and "hook" these morons into their false beliefs.

The news this past week, reflected the guilty verdicts in France against the COS in that country, and they now have to fork over $1,000,000+, on the charges of "organized fraud", for duping many out of their hard earned dollars.

Also, there was a clip at Huffington Post, of Martin Basir and his interview with Tommy Davis, the head of the COS Celebrity Centre in Los Angeles, CA. Davis ended up ripping his microphone off and storming off the set. This was all because he refused to answer the question about the connection to XENU!

Now here's some trivia for you. Tommy Davis is pictured here (at bottom) - his mother is Anne Archer (center), you may remember from various TV shows and especially Fatal Attraction. Marjorie Lord (top picture w/ Danny Thomas), is the grandmother and played Danny Thomas' wife in Make Room for Daddy! (All you old folks will remember that show.) Anne Archer and her son have been avid members of this cult since the 70's. The interview with Basir for ABC's Nightline, was pretty much full of NOTHING. Davis has mastered the art of talking and saying little. He avoided direct questions well and showed his true colors when he walked out of the interview.

Also this week, it was revealed that Paul Haggis, director/screenwriter/Oscar winner ("Crash"), left the "church" in August, after 35 years of membership. This move centered around lies he was told regarding the Scientologists stance on Prop 8. Haggis stated:

"The church's refusal to denounce the actions of these bigots, hypocrites and homophobes is cowardly!"

It has been well known for years, yet unconfirmed, that when becoming a member of this cult, one must sever all ties with family members and/or friends, who may question this "church."

Now to the criminal aspects of this enterprise. Wikipedia can't even avoid the fray...this past May they "blocked editing on their site from all I.P. addresses owned or operated by the COS and its associates, broadly interpreted." Apparently changes were being made to put the COS in a favorable light and deleting the facts of past criminal acts.

In 1979, Operation Snow White was undertaken by the Guardian Office (now know as Office of Special Affairs), "where church members organized and committed the largest penetration of U.S. federal agencies by an organization NOT affiliated with a foreign government, i.e. KGB."

The prosecution gave the following description of their actions:

"The crimes committed by these defendants is of a breadth and scope previously unheard of. No building, office, desk or file was safe from their snooping and prying. No individual or organization was free from their despicable conspiratorial minds. The tools of their trade were miniature transmitters, lock picks, secret codes, forged credentials and any other device they found necessary to carry out their conspiratorial schemes."

The COS also "set up" former member Paulette Cooper, for the expose' she wrote in 1970. Using blank paper she had handled, they forged bomb threats and mailed these items. She was arrested because of the fingerprint connection and prosecution proceedings had begun - when it was discovered through Operation Snow White, of this scheme. Luckily, all charges were dismissed against Ms. Cooper.

I have to question whether this group is a CHURCH, CULT or COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE. They rake in over a half billion dollars a year worldwide, with their marketing of the Dianetics and Scientology materials. Because they have tax exempt status as a religion in the United States (and other countries), the majority feel that is enough to qualify as a bona fide religion. Me....I think the IRS Tax Code needs revamped in regards to these tax exempt organizations.

Revisiting Tom Cruise and his psychiatric statements...when one joins this group, they sign a contract, which states in part:

"Believe all mental problems are spiritual in nature and there is no such thing as a mentally incompetent person - only those suffering from spiritual upset of one kind or another."

With all these events mentioned, hitting the news this week...could the end be in sight for this group? Probably not, because money talks and bullshit walks!

The upside to all this.....I will NEVER be a member of this group because 1) I have a brain and 2) I have NO money!!!

Thankfully, I have that off my chest. Scientologists, much like these other New Religious Movements, piss me off. If I choose to pray to a light bulb - these folks all get their knickers in a twist. Let the crazies attend their church in a tent with snakes, or roll in the aisles...but don't present yourself as a valid faith based organization. Me, St. Mattress for me....and my light bulb!!

Later......................................

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