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.

---

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

---

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.

[keithle1]

Tom Cruise is sooooooooo unbelievably, insufferably POMPOUS. Triumph of THE EGO. Bowing to the big photo of "LRH". (The man upstairs: L. Ron Hubbard.) Ugh. What a scam. Ranting about psychiatry like he knows what he''s talking about. Scientology is going to cure all mental illness. What a jerk. Take rich people & celebs/actors out of Scientology and who is left? Any poor or middle class people into Scientology?

Take your Scientology & shove it. I''d rather worship Satan than that stupid nonsense.

[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/v
ideoplay?
docid=1786568759674213741

[aheadofcrowd]

Here is a website I found on Scientology. I believe it''s always worth looking at the source if you want to know anything about a subject. You never know what''s behind the intentions of the so-called "experts" or "authorities" out there. I don''t understand why the media doesn''t balance this stuff out with having a representative from the church to give their side of the story. It makes stories like this obviously biased because you get all these charges and the public never gets to hear the rebuttal.


http://www.whatisscientology.org

[gwtwboofy]

All this Scientology BS is just that , BS. Its not a religion, its more like a self-help cult. Stop and look at some of the nuts who are in this: Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Lisa Marie Presley, just to name a few. They all act like brainwashed freaks and worse, they all have children they are exposing to this ***. Hell, I''m surprised Madonna and Britney aren''t members. I''m sure those 2 will be before long. Scientology and Kabbalah are just 2 more fads of the Hollywood celebrity circuit. I wish that Nicole Kidman would have kicked Tom''s *** when she had the chance. Given his irrational, mentally unbalanced behavior, which has been publicly documented too many times to count, she should seek sole custody of their adopted children.

[keithle1]

Tom plays himself in EVERY movie he does. One of our country''s worst actors. Maybe Scientology can make him a better actor. Praise be to L. Ron Hubbard!

[shanev137]

Who in the hell cares?

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

[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.

[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...

[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.

[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.

[azmka]

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

[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

[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....

[killtheliars]

HAHAHA, the idiot just ruined his career

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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}

[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?

[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...