Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Tom Cruise Cured Polio

Not only will Thomas Mapother reverse global warming, he will bring back to life all endangered species, solve the Mid-East Peace problem, get that cute guy in the corner to look your way, cut down on your commute, bring back Firefly and Arrested Development, get rid of this damn hangover and make your divorced parents love you again (even though the divorce was all your fault)
I mean his Thetan is really operating and Lafayette Hubbard would be proud

“"We're not playing some minor game in Scientology," Hubbard wrote in a policy paper titled "Keeping Scientology Working," which is required reading for every member. "The whole agonized future of this planet, every man, woman and child on it, and your own destiny for the next endless trillions of years depend on what you do here and now with and in Scientology. This is a deadly serious activity."


Anywhoo, Gawker has the “scientology indoctrination video” that has been talked about and taken down apparently over the past few days. I think it’s like from one of those interview/montages that most award shows have to honor “lifetime achievement” which I guess can be used for indoctrination, though it seems like it was more of an internal “for our eyes only” thing, especially with all of the initials and abbrevs. {What luck! A dictionary}
Anyway here’s what Gawker says about it
“This video's been passed around privately by reporters and writers investigating Cruise's ties with Scientology. Most reporters have been wary of taking on the Scientologists, because they have a history of both litigation, and the harassment of critics. The publication of Andrew Morton's biography of Tom Cruise, which claims he is the second most powerful person in the cult, has seems to have opened the floodgates. Several indoctrination videos were available on Google Video, on Sunday, and showcased on Gawker, before being removed by the person who had originally posted them. Yesterday, for a few hours, the clip of Tom Cruise discussing his beliefs as a Scientologist appeared on Youtube, and was republished by Radar and Defamer. That video is no longer available, most likely after the Church of Scientology sent in a copyright infringement notice. Gawker is now hosting a copy of the video; it's newsworthy; and we will not be removing it.”

Because really, who cares about a little thing like lawsuits when it gets your page views up
(and in case you were wondering the non-Wogs have claimed copyright infringement, I guess they’re Fair Game , but Gawker replies with a bit of a “F.U. LRH nd ur O.T.s; we’re SPs and proud” [Fuck You Lafayette Ron Hubbard and your Operating Thetans: we’re Suppresive Persons and proud])

Anyway here are some excerpts from the most self important person in the most self important cult ever founded by a C-List self important fat science fiction writer with a navy fetish
Tom Cruise:

...I think it’s a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist, and it’s something that you have to earn because a Scientologist does... has the ability to create new and better realities and improve conditions. Being a Scientologist, you look at someone and know absolutely that you can help them.
"Being a Scientologist, when you drive past an accident... you know you have to do something about it because you know you’re the only one that can really help.
"But that’s what drives me... I know that we have an opportunity to really help... effectively change people’s lives and I am dedicated to that. I am absolutely, uncompromisingly dedicated to that.
"We have a responsibility.
"We are the authorities on getting people off drugs, we are the authorities on the mind, we are the authorities on improving conditions... we can rehabilitate criminals.
"...We can bring peace and unite cultures...
"Traveling the world and meeting the people that I’ve met, talking with these leaders in various fields, they want help and they are depending on people who know and who can be effective and do it and that’s us. That is our responsibility to do that.
"It is the time now. Now is the time... Being a Scientologist, people are turning to you, so you better know it, you better know it and if you don’t, go and learn it, but don’t pretend you know it. It’s like we’re here to help.
"If you’re a Scientologist, you see life, you see things the way they are, in all its glory, all of its complexity and the more you know as a Scientologist, you don’t become overwhelmed by it.
"Look, I wish the world was a different place. I’d like to go on vacation and go and romp and play and just do that, you know what I mean. That’s what I want it to be. There’s times I’d like to do that, but I can’t because I know I have to do something about it.
"I have to do it because I can’t live with myself if I don’t, and that really is it.
"So it’s our responsibility to educate, create the new reality. We have that responsibility to say, 'Hey, this is the way it should be done because we do it this way and people are actually getting better.'
"And let’s get it done. Let’s really get it done and have enough love and compassion and toughness that you’re really going to do it and do it right.
"I have to tell you something – it is rough and tumble, and it’s wild and wooly, and it’s a blast, it’s a blast, it really is fun because, dammit, there is nothing better than the going out there and fighting the fight and suddenly you see things are better.
"I want to know that I’ve done everything I could everyday, and I think about those people out there who are depending on us. I think about that and it does make me feel that we’ve got more work. I need more help, get those spectators either in the playing field or out of the arena. Really, that’s how I feel about it.
"I do what I can, and I do it the way I do everything. [laughs] There’s nothing part-of-the way for me."


The thing is a lot of what he’s saying sounds just like fervent Christians or other zealots, about how only those chosen people can save the world and the whole “get in or fuck off” bit.

And here are some excerpts from the program that night


International Scientology News, issue 29: December 2004, pp. 40-43.
IAS Twentieth Anniversay Event
ADVANCING SCIENTOLOGY ON A FULLY EPIC SCALE
MR. TOM CRUISE AWARDED FREEEDOM MEDAL OF VALOR

Mr. David Miscavige introduced the final award of the 2004 IAS
Anniversary celebration with these words:

"What I am about to present truly stands as: 'The 20th Anniversary
Freedom Medal Winner.'
"On the one hand, it's because it's an individual who has relentlessly
worked across all sectors where LRH tech is employed and for which
Freedom Medals are earned -- religious freedom, overcoming governmental oppression, bringing an end to psychiatric abuses, injecting LRH tech into society, and disseminating Scientology itself.
Yes--the whole panoply.
"But that really doesn't say it all. For the real picture, I return to
what I referenced at the start of this evening: RESPONSIBILITY. In
'Keeping Scientology Working,' LRH laid down the standard: When
somebody enrolls, consider he's joined for the duration.
"That is the responsibility every Scientologist has. We all know it.
"And while it may sometimes be hard to confront, the fact remains it is our responsibility to be Scientologists no matter where we live or work, no matter our resources, or excuses.
"If you are a Scientologist, you are one of the relative few that hold the answers in your possession that all humankind depend upon.
Because, you don't sit on the only answer that's ever been there. You don't ever give a second thought to the personal stakes involved.

"But now let's take it one step further. How much responsibility can
one take? When his head hits the pillow each night, he'd better know he did all he could. Yes, all manner of reasons could exist to not do so, but let's face it, he might be able to fool others, but NOT himself.
"When you stepped on the path and had your first cognition, you also became a part of the urgent mission to carry it forth.
"But let's take it another step. How much does one have to do to take responsibility for 'doing all he can'? It has zero to do with what 'others' might say.
"No, it rests on one's own shoulders and it's the individual himself who must know he's doing his part and all he can do. After all, you have to live with yourself and when your head hits your pillow it is you who you must live with.

"Bearing that in mind-what happens when your zone of influence is the global stage?
"How much must one do to call themselves a Scientologist? How much so that, when their head hits the pillow, they can live with themselves knowing they did all they could do?

"That's our final story this evening. It's a story that affects every Scientologist, for all of us are the beneficiaries of what he presents.

"And that is why it is my honor to present our first Freedom Medal of Valor to the most dedicated Scientologist I know."



(ok this picture wasn't included in the program

TOM CRUISE
MISSION ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The story of Mr. Tom Cruise, IAS Freedom Medal of Valor winner, was like nothing ever before presented on the IAS stage. It spanned the full spectrum of Scientology activity-anywhere, anytime, all-out, and totally calculated to stamp the Aims of Scientology into reality.

From spearheading LRH Purification tech into the heart of human
disaster, to changing the face of education at national levels, from
eradicating the very thought of psychiatry, to full global
dissemination, it is factually a tale of towering scope, and a litany
of accomplishments which would take a magazine in itself to catalog.

But if there is one suitable measure of it all, it is in the startling
numbers that gauge his impact:

Through print, television, radio and personal contact-the tally of
those he's reached with study tech now tops 250 million people.

More than 50 million people educated on the native evil of psychiatry and why it must be outlawed.

Across 90 nations, 5,000 people hear his word of Scientology -- every
hour.

Every minute, of every hour-someone reaches for LRH technology, or steps onto The Bridge, simply because they know Tom Cruise is a
Scientologist.


Sidebar: Tom Cruise remarks at the IAS event:

"I am honored to be here with you.

[To COB] Thank you, Sir. Thank you for your trust and your confidence in me. I've personally been privileged to see what you do to protect and help and serve all of us. I have never met a more competent, intelligent, tolerant, compassionate being, outside of what I have experienced from LRH.

And I've met the leaders of leaders. I've met them all. So I say to
you, Sir, COB, we are lucky to have you. Thank you.

And to Mr. L. Ron Hubbard, I'll take this as a half-ack, Sir. And
continue on my way. These are the times, people. These are the times we will all remember.

Were you there? What did you do?

I think you know that I am there for you and I do care so very, very
much. So what do you say? Are we going to clean this place up?

Good! Because we're counting on you."

- Mr. Tom Cruise



As I said before I could see some similarities in "other" religious traditions and the zealotry so I was thinking about looking at it more analytically and comparatively but then I saw the other clips from the ceremony and, even though a lot of evangelicals feel it is their duty to change/fix and fight for the betterment of the world (I once “knew” a girl who’s church had a sign as you left the parking lot “you are now entering the battlefield”) but that fanaticism in his eyes, that intensity just seems startingly crazy, and the idea that he single-handedly changed public perceptions of psychology and psychiatric medicine for kids and the idea that those stories that were all about how crazy he is spread the word about his anti-psychiatry campaign, not to mention saluting Lafayette Ron Hubbard like he’s a military commander…just fucking weird. And I have no doubt if he was born in Saudi Arabia he’d be a member of Al-Qaeda with that level of psychotic religious fanaticism.

Oh that and the fact that the music during the September 11th montage was wildly inappropriate; I mean they couldn’t have used something sadder like Sarah Mclachlan’s Angel because whenever I hear Propellerhead’s Spybreak only one thing comes to mind


I’m sure I’ll be writing more about scientology because some other stuff I read is intense and bizarre and I would love to have a nice dinner with “LRH” just to seriously ask him “did you actually think people would, y’know, believe this shit?”
I mean seriously whenever I find out some celebrity is a Scientologist I lose a lot of respect for them

fucked.up.

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