Figuring Out Tom Cruise Scientology Video

Making Rounds On Web; Expert Explains The Jargon, Meaning, And Aims

(CBS)  The Internet is buzzing with a video that shows a behind-the-scenes interview of Tom Cruise discussing The Church of Scientology.

But the inside look has left many people wondering about the religion.

The video can be found on Gawker and YouTube, and is the center of a legal battle between Scientology and Gawker.

The video is a "Tom-Cruise-in-his-own-words"-type presentation that was played at a Scientology awards dinner as a preamble to Cruise winning an award several years ago.

Mark Oppenheimer, who's researched and written about Scientology for The New York Times and other publications, analyzed the video on The Early Show Thursday.

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To see photos from Cruise's career, click here.

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Oppenheimer, author of "Knocking on Heaven's Door: American Religion in the Age of Counterculture," clarified what Cruise was saying, and what he meant by many of the terms he used. Oppenheimer also shed light on several aspects of Scientology.

Among the points Cruise made:

"Orgs are there to help but we as the public, we have a responsibility, it's not just orgs, it's not just David Miscavige, not just me -- it's you, it's everyone out there that's rereading KSW and looking at what needs to be done and saying, 'OK, am I gonna do it or am I not gonna do it?!' "

"I just go through that tech and it's just literally -- it's not how to run from an SP, it's PTSSP -- it's how to confront, shatter suppression, you apply it and it's like boom!

"You know we have more work, I need more help; you gotta get those spectators either in the playing field or out of the arena. Really, that's how I feel about it."

"We are the authorities on getting people off drugs, we are the authorities on the mind, the authority on improving conditions. Criminom -- we can rehabilitate criminals, we are the way to happiness, we bring peace and unite cultures."

To see Oppenheimer explaining the video, click here.

To read excerpts of "Knocking on Heaven's Door," click here.

[aheadofcrowd]

I don''t know about you but to call a journalist an expert on a subject when he may have biased sources is ridiculous.

If a journalist is doing a story on nuclear physics shouldn''t they do more than talk to people who do and don''t understand the subject in order to now be considered "expert" themselves?

Only if you''re a nuclear physicist are you an expert on the subject of nuclear physics.

I don''t understand why we have all these news stories with "experts" and "authorities" on subjects such as Scientology without actually bringing out a real expert who would be someone who knows it inside and out.

For instance an expert to me would be a representative from the church or a lifelong parishoner who studies it, uses it and has been part of it for quite some time.

An expert is someone with enough knowledge about it and it''s operations to earn the title of "expert".

Let''s not degrade the definition of expert the way the definition of authority has already been degraded.


HTTP://WWW.SSRISTORIES.COM/INDEX.PHP

[aheadofcrowd]

I don''t know about you but to call a journalist an expert on a subject when he may have biased sources is ridiculous.

If a journalist is doing a story on nuclear physics shouldn''t they do more than talk to people who do and don''t understand the subject in order to now be considered "expert" themselves?

Only if you''re a nuclear physicist are you an expert on the subject of nuclear physics.

I don''t understand why we have all these news stories with "experts" and "authorities" on subjects such as Scientology without actually bringing out a real expert who would be someone who knows it inside and out.

For instance an expert to me would be a representative from the church or a lifelong parishoner who studies it, uses it and has been part of it for quite some time.

An expert is someone with enough knowledge about it and it''s operations to earn the title of "expert".

Let''s not degrade the definition of expert the way the definition of authority has already been degraded.


HTTP://WWW.SSRISTORIES.COM/INDEX.PHP

[neoconslayer]

So...the only reliable expert is the person with the greatest reason to conceal unpleasant realities from the world at large.
Very poorly reasoned, behindtheeightball.

[mindhead3]

The problem with the above postings is that they seem to want CBS to enquire of Scientologists, what the Cruise video really meant. The Scientologists would likely say (my having been one) that any problems you have are from misunderstood words or lack of knowledge of the Scientology religion.

This just isn''t the case. The Cruise video reflects, at best, a bizarre world view. That it was used to stir up the all ready faithful Scientologists reflects, at best, that the Scientologists, at best, have a very bizarre world view. One has to wonder what was on the cutting room floor.

The public almost never gets a view of what really goes on inside the Scientology offices. We don''t see people holding onto tin cans telling the Body Thetans (ghosts) to get off them. We don''t see people walking from book to bottle and back and forth for dozens of hours. We don''t see people telling ashtrays to rise off the desk. We don''t see the adoration of L.Ron Hubbard in a way that would have made Chairman Mao blush. I could go on.

It is nice that the public can now see a teeny tiny, itsy bitzy, little bit of what really goes on in there. The guys that share my office were laughing their butts off.

I am proudly suppressive.

[anex-cultist]

Ok "aheadofcrowd", call me an expert. I had 20 some odd years of my life robbed from me by the so called "Church" of Scientology. I can promise you this, they are a soul-sucking, sadistic, satanic, mind-controlling, destructive evil and abusive CULT. Church my butt. They are so ANTI-Christian it''s pathetic. Google OT VIII - I dare ya. Read it and weep. I can tell by what you posted that you are a Scientologist yourself. It''s ok, you cannot help it - you are brainwashed and don''t even know it. Hell, you probably don''t dare google OT VIII because you are in fact afraid that it will KILL you. Isn''t that what you have been told? Honestly, do you really think that worshipping L. Ron Hubbard and pouring your life savings into his organization will buy you eternal salvation and super-human powers? David Miscavige can kiss my rear.

[anex-cultist]

Ok "aheadofcrowd", call me an expert. I had 20 some odd years of my life robbed from me by the so called "Church" of Scientology. I can promise you this, they are a soul-sucking, sadistic, satanic, mind-controlling, destructive evil and abusive CULT. Church my butt. They are so ANTI-Christian it''s pathetic. Google OT VIII - I dare ya. Read it and weep. I can tell by what you posted that you are a Scientologist yourself. It''s ok, you cannot help it - you are brainwashed and don''t even know it. Hell, you probably don''t dare google OT VIII because you are in fact afraid that it will KILL you. Isn''t that what you have been told? Honestly, do you really think that worshipping L. Ron Hubbard and pouring your life savings into his organization will buy you eternal salvation and super-human powers? David Miscavige can kiss my rear.

[anex-cultist]

Ok "aheadofcrowd", call me an expert. I had 20 some odd years of my life robbed from me by the so called "Church" of Scientology. I can promise you this, they are a soul-sucking, sadistic, satanic, mind-controlling, destructive evil and abusive CULT. Church my butt. They are so ANTI-Christian it''s pathetic. Google OT VIII - I dare ya. Read it and weep. I can tell by what you posted that you are a Scientologist yourself. It''s ok, you cannot help it - you are brainwashed and don''t even know it. Hell, you probably don''t dare google OT VIII because you are in fact afraid that it will KILL you. Isn''t that what you have been told? Honestly, do you really think that worshipping L. Ron Hubbard and pouring your life savings into his organization will buy you eternal salvation and super-human powers? David Miscavige can kiss my rear.

[anex-cultist]

Ok "aheadofcrowd", call me an expert. I had 20 some odd years of my life robbed from me by the so called "Church" of Scientology. I can promise you this, they are a soul-sucking, sadistic, satanic, mind-controlling, destructive evil and abusive CULT. Church my butt. They are so ANTI-Christian it''s pathetic. Google OT VIII - I dare ya. Read it and weep. I can tell by what you posted that you are a Scientologist yourself. It''s ok, you cannot help it - you are brainwashed and don''t even know it. Hell, you probably don''t dare google OT VIII because you are in fact afraid that it will KILL you. Isn''t that what you have been told? Honestly, do you really think that worshipping L. Ron Hubbard and pouring your life savings into his organization will buy you eternal salvation and super-human powers? David Miscavige can kiss my rear.

[anex-cultist]

Ok "aheadofcrowd", call me an expert. I had 20 some odd years of my life robbed from me by the so called "Church" of Scientology. I can promise you this, they are a soul-sucking, sadistic, satanic, mind-controlling, destructive evil and abusive CULT. Church my butt. They are so ANTI-Christian it''s pathetic. Google OT VIII - I dare ya. Read it and weep. I can tell by what you posted that you are a Scientologist yourself. It''s ok, you cannot help it - you are brainwashed and don''t even know it. Hell, you probably don''t dare google OT VIII because you are in fact afraid that it will KILL you. Isn''t that what you have been told? Honestly, do you really think that worshipping L. Ron Hubbard and pouring your life savings into his organization will buy you eternal salvation and super-human powers? David Miscavige can kiss my rear.

[anex-cultist]

Sorry for the redundant posts - the publish button went wonky on me.

[rushman71]

To believe in Scientology and to follow their ways, you first have tell yourself, repeating over and over,"I''m cookoo for Cocopuffs!!! I''m cookoo for Cocopuffs!!! I''m cookoo for Cocopuffs!!!"

[pared1]

Scientology = cult
Tom = Nut
Any questions?
(Take me to your leader) But not George please!

[lawyertom1]

As the Germans have noted officially, it is not a religion, it is a cult.

[locke10]

If you''ve ever taken an anthropology course, you know that all religions are "cults" and all their stories and doctrines are "myths." If you take a step back from your own religions, objectively it would look just as ridiculous as Scientology. Leave Tom alone. Stop persecuting people.

[rushman71]

locke10: I see that you are one of those "Cookoo for Cocopuffs" kind of people!!! And you are absolutely, positively 100% wrong about religion!!! What does anthropology have any thing to do with this?

[locke10]

Well, anthropology is the study of humans and culture and religion is one aspect of human culture. Duh.

[locke10]

BTW I''m not crazy about Cocoa Puffs; they make the roof of my mouth hurt. I much prefer Cocoa Pebbles. But lately I have skipped cereal bc I can''t afford milk.

[questionnews]

Try the Wikipedia site & enter Xenu. Wear a diper because you will &%$# your pants from laughing so hard. (Spaceships that are identical to a Douglas DC-8 except with different engines) Yea right.

Hail Xenu!!

[rational_1]

"We are the authorities on getting people off drugs, we are the authorities on the mind, the authority on improving conditions. Criminom -- we can rehabilitate criminals, we are the way to happiness, we bring peace and unite cultures."

Ha ha ha ha ha... Nice one Tom (wiping tear away from eye). Once the film career is over, there''s always stand-up comedy. Ha ha ha ha ha....

[denn034]

Leave the Scientologists alone! If I have to choose between the pedophile loving psychologists, the American Psychiatric Association did discuss the possibility of normalizing pedophilia in May of 2003 after all, or the Scientologists, then, I choose the Scientologists every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Go Cruise!

[questionnews]

Part of the Scientology''s secret information:

Seventy-five million years ago, Xenu was the ruler of a Galactic Confederacy which consisted of 26 stars and 76 planets including Earth, which was then known as Teegeeack. The planets were overpopulated, each having an average population of 178 billion. The Galactic Confederacy''s civilization was comparable to our own, with aliens "walking around in clothes which looked very remarkably like the clothes they wear this very minute" and using cars, trains and boats looking exactly the same as those "circa 1950, 1960" on Earth.

[shanev137]

Xenu sounds like a real *** wad.

[questionnews]

The secret of Xenu Continued:

Xenu was about to be deposed from power, so he devised a plot to eliminate the excess population from his dominions. With the assistance of "renegades", he defeated the populace and the "Loyal Officers", a force for good that was opposed to Xenu. Then, with the assistance of psychiatrists, he summoned billions[1] of his citizens together to paralyze them with injections of alcohol and glycol, under the pretense that they were being called for "income tax inspections". The kidnapped populace was loaded into spacecraft for transport to the site of extermination, the planet of Teegeeack (Earth). The spacecraft were identical to the Douglas DC-8 with the exception of having different engines.

[aaabee-2009]

aliens "walking around in clothes which looked very remarkably like the clothes they wear this very minute" Posted by Questionnews at 04:41 PM : Jan 17, 2008

hey, were they flying anywhere around Texas this week?
Heard some military jets were trying to catch a spaceship and didn''t even come close. Might be the same outfit.

[aaabee-2009]

But lately I have skipped cereal bc I can''''t afford milk. Posted by locke10 at 03:31 PM : Jan 17, 2008

Record high profits for oil companies, though. Stay the course, dude. Bush loves you.

[questionnews]

But lately I have skipped cereal bc I can''''''''t afford milk. Posted by locke10 at 03:31 PM : Jan 17, 2008

Record high profits for oil companies, though. Stay the course, dude. Bush loves you.

Posted by AaaBee at 06:44 PM : Jan 17, 2008


We should come up with a car that runs on milk. It''s cheaper that gas right now and would have a nice butter scented exhaust.

[mrvolleyba11]

time for them all to gather in another spacecraft and go to another planet!

[cmrobison]

Mark Oppenheimer is highly qualified to speak about religious organization, quasi-religious organizations and even cults. He has a Ph.D. from Yale in relgious studies with a focus on American religious traditions - he has shared his research both at Yale and Stanford and independently in books and numerous articles - the NY Times piece mentioned in the introduction is just one of many. Recall that he was reluctant to use the word "cult" not out of any particular fondness for Scientology, but because the word "cult" is not sufficiently nuanced and because from his research several significant connotations of the word "cult" are not present in Scientology. Of course, some connotations of cult may well be represented in Scientology - but as a researcher it is more helpful to discuss particular aspects of the community of believers than to apply such an unnuanced word as "cult". I''m sure if the interview went in that direction he could discuss some of the features that Scientology does share with groups labeled as cults. But it was also significant to hear some of the features of the community that appear to differ from typical "cult" communities.

[zootallures2]

That all seems very very strange...
I neva craved a toasta or a culla tee veeeee..

You have nothing to fear my son,
You are a latent appliance fedishist, it appears to me.

[p-syrus]

It''s utterly amazing the ridiculous posts that are made everytime someone mentions the word "scientology".

Especially remarkable as far as postings are all the self-styled "experts" that think that the "xenu drivel" is somehow a basic teaching of the subject. It isn''t. Anyone who states otherwise is quite simply ignorant on that which they speak.

Another common misconception is that the subject of scientology & the Church of Scientology are the same thing. They aren''t.

There are many thousands of people who are not associated with the Church of Scientology but who use the subject of scientology as the basis of their personal spirituality. Often they do so in association with their traditional religious practice.

These independent scientologists often participate in numerous on-line communities and generally refer to themselves as "freezone scientologists".

British TV did a very funny special progam on the subject of scientology a few years back. It''s available on Google Video, and is called "The Beginner''s Guide to L. Ron Hubbard".

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=1786568759674213741

[broadwaybend]

Wasn%u2019t it lucky for Tom that over the years, during his continued public quest to prove himself worthy, he found a %u201Creligion!%u201D What a hypocrite! His criticisms of others%u2019 uses of crutches, whether medical or psychological, etc. is such a farce. It doesn%u2019t take a rocket scientologist (pun intended) to see how hooked he is on his own drug of choice - adrenalin! He%u2019s about a hairline away from a Britney Breakdown. The only difference is that he found a useful crutch called Scientology AND controls his drug habit through %u201Cover the top%u201D behaviors anytime he needs a fix.

[maguszosoled]

If Aleister Crowley called Hubbard a "lout" and a "con" what''s the attraction? Some doomsday Nike, phenobarbital, and alcohol journey to another galaxy?

[maguszosoled]

If Aleister Crowley called Hubbard a "lout" and a "con" what''s the attraction? Some doomsday Nike, phenobarbital, and alcohol journey to another galaxy?

[maguszosoled]

If Aleister Crowley called Hubbard a "lout" and a "con" what''s the attraction? Some doomsday Nike, phenobarbital, and alcohol journey to another galaxy?

[lauramushkat]

I recall when Ron Hubbard used to be on the Phil Donahue show a lot and tried to make his points. At that time I think he wasn''t trying to have a religon started but to have a way of living your life program.

Did not understand or get it then and for me the new stuff-even the explanation, sounds like a lot of gobbly ***.

At least if they used clearer terms maybe people would look more kindly on the religon. People fear that which they do not understand and I sure do not get it.

Used to be the only time I would turn off Phil because I would get a headache.

[kevzgrl]

"This cult of death can cure mental challenges with e-Meters and vitamins and neck rubs ?"

In ''92, when my mother was dying of colon cancer, a NUT from this CULT tried to tell her that the cancer was all HER fault because of the negative way she thought and lived, and that it could be completely cured if Mom would just start taking the right vitamins and get into some serious counseling with the leader of our local Scientology group. I THREW THE INSANE WOMAN"S A-SS out of our house that day, and would do the same were Tom Cruise to try to sell me on this garbage - I don''t understand why people don''t turn and run from this idiot and his babblings, other than the fact that he is "Tom Cruise" and is rich and "powerful" - Katie got just what she deserved. I just think it''s a shame that those children are being indoctrinated in this stuff too...

[pretko]

I met Cruise 20 years ago. He was an inarticulate buffoon then, too. I believe it was the first of his three wives, Mimi Rogers, who introducted him to Scientology. Seems like it really rocketed her career, huh?

[Krazcarl]

There was a time I thought Tom was pretty cool and lucky now I only see him as a arragant mouthpiece thinks he''s a little better than everyone else cause he has a little more money and he''s a hollywood legeng I don''t even bother with films if he''s in them, unless he did a decent sci-fi{yes I''n one of those}

[Krazcarl]

MORMANS and SCIENTOLIGIST one and the same a couple of guys come up with a outlandish story promice great things tell an unbelivable story and give you what you desire funny thing is it worked??? What it really is is how unhappy folks are with conventional religion so they run to these idiots to be religious to maintain thier superiororaty{sp?} to the rest of us.

[emma915]

This was a very interesting report. I think we need more people like Oppenheimer who can give factual information on belief systems (notice I didn''t say religion.) He certainly understands that Scientology is not a cult or a religion. I had the book "Dianetics," but never read it. It was my understanding that it was "just a book" written by Hubbard that people picked up on and used as a guideline to how they lived their lives. Certainly sounds complicated with all its levels and terminology. Tom Cruise, in his zeal, is probably the worst thing that ever happened to those who follow the teachings.

[rational_1]

This video shows what a batshit crazy fool Tiny Tom has become !
Posted by FlangeSqueal at 06:20 AM : Jan 18, 2008

Ab-e-dee ab-e-dee ab-e-dee, that''s all folks! Pretty succinct and completely accurate summary. Thanks FlangeSqueal.

[killtheliars]

HAHAHA, the idiot just ruined his career

[hardlynormal-2009]

AWWW COM''OM TOMAS WERE IS YOUR FAITH DUDE ?. IF YOU BELIVE IT THEN WHY GET PSSED WHEN SOMEONE REVELES IT?. BE A MAN AN STEP UP IN PUBLIC AND PREACH IT, NOT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS....

[p-syrus]

British TV did a very funny special progam on the subject of scientology a few years back. It''''s available on Google Video, and is called "The Beginner''''s Guide to L. Ron Hubbard".

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?
docid=1786568759674213741

[azmka]

Why would anyone be so zealous over a "religeon" written by a fiction writer?

[keithle1]

Scientology is our salvation? Now I have heard everything. Are there any highly intelligent people who believe in Scientology? Or is it mostly celebs?

So Tom Cruise thinks everyone who suffers from a mental illness should stop taking their prescribed drugs now. And then what? Take vitamins? Exercise? Get a hobby?

"Rehabilitate criminals"? This I gotta see.

Don''t talk about it, Super Fantastic All-Knowing, All Seeing, Totally Perfect Church of Scientology. DO IT.

[keithle1]

I''m surprised more of the beatiful people/actors/celebs aren''t Buddhist. You''d think that would appeal to them more. I kbow Richard Gere is & he seems pretty serious about Buddhism. Scientology is just too wacky & hard-to-believe. How can anyone sit there with a straight face while they''re telling you about it. "Personality tests." Just seems like a way to make a lot of money from gullible people. Scam. Another cult.

[Krazcarl]

I tell you was raised in fanatic religien mormons and scietoligigt are one and the same led by little men saw the weakness of present religion and capitalized on it golden tablets that no one has seen and visiters bfrom out of space there one and the same hog wash they have a few rules if you don''t your life may improve there a social circle where they don''t fit any where else. No one has brohgt up joe smith and his stupidity were not a nation of belief were a nation of cults people are basicaly stupid for following thse paths but we have to live with this *** I''d rather join *** angeles at least you have a believable thin to get in that just promice a god time and friends ...there both fakes for sure...

[rudy654-2009]

The jig is up on these cult frakazoids!Posted by FlangeSqueal at 06:35 PM

Yeah, well I also think Scientology is nutty, but then, I also happen to think that all the rest of the religions out there are just as nutty. Some evangelical gets on here and tells us that we just got to believe or were headed to you-know-where. So then I say, well prove it. The answer is always, "I don''t have to prove anything to an athiest, blah, blah, blah.." But basically I believe in letting people observe their consciences and decide for themselves. So yeah, that goes for "nutty" Tom as well as "nutty" Billy Graham. Usually the ones throwing out the "cult" label come from the "nutty" evangelicals who respect no one else''s right to believe how they see fit.

[shanev137]

Who in the hell cares?

All you people who are obsessed with Tom and Britney have -WAY-...-WAY- more problems than they do!!!!