Jan 19 2008
In Defense of Tom Cruise
There has been a lot of talk on the web and even the national news over the last couple of days about how Tom Cruise is nuts and how the Church of Scientology is whacked out. This all stems from a video that leaked out of an awards ceremony and has been posted on the net. Yes, maybe Tom is a little overboard on this and yes, maybe the Scientology isn’t for everyone. But how is what he is stating that much different that the evangelicals of many religions? Christians and Islamics both have radical wings that to the rest of us seem way over the top.
No, I am not defending Scientology - sorry, but I don’t agree with them - and no, I am not attacking Christians or Islamics or any other religion. What I am saying is that here is a guy who is fervent about what he believes in. For that I congratulate him. He may be wrong, but at least he believes in something enough to speak up for it and act upon it. As long as what he is doing and saying isn’t harming others, then let him alone. He feels that his religion compels him to act and help others. Sounds like a call that many religions have and that few people in those religions follow.
What I think most people are upset about is that he is excited and fervent about an idea that they don’t believe. If he had the same energy and push for a Christian religion you would call him a missionary. If he was attacked or even killed for this belief, you would call him a martyr. But, since his is a viewpoint that the majority don’t hold, we just seem his as a nut case with too much visibility.
Sounds like we need learn a bit more about acceptance. Or at the very least, tolerance.
You should probably watch this and see why a good amount of people are up-in-arms about scientologists
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCGP-0545EU
Do I think he’s a whack job? Why yes, yes I do. But he’s free to be a whack job though, really matters not to me.
I will go watch that. But, really as mikster says, he is free to be a whack job.
I really just wish the news would pay attention to real news, not Tom Cruise, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, etc…
Seen the video. It’s not the passion that disturbs people, it’s the incoherentness of his ramblings.
Sorry, again, sounds no different that what goes on in a lot of other sects and religions. If Tom Cruise is incoherent, what does that bother me or the rest of the people around me? Just as is the aforementioned Britney and Paris, they have a personal right to be incoherent, and I have a personal right to ignore them.
I sort of agree. However, other religions aren’t parading their whack jobs to the media.
I mean, you know Al Quaida are extremists and do not fairly represent the rest of the Muslims of the world.
Is Tom Cruise, the mouth piece for Scientology the norm for that religion?
Extremists in any form tend to scare me.
What bothers me about the video is this holier-than-thou thing. That whole, “If we [meaning Scientologists] drive by an accident, we’re the only ones that can help.”
Right. Because the paramedic who’s making 1/100,000 of Tom Cruise’s salary, who has dedicated their life and career to helping others isn’t.
That part that bothers me is the assumption there’s nothing to learn from anyone else or that they’re somehow special or more capable of performing their purpose as humans. But, that’s religion for ya.
I 100% agree. But, that is what bothers me about a lot of organized religions - the “we know better than anyone else” attitude. How many times do you hear “everyone who doesn’t believe exactly what I do is going to Hell. Only those who believe like me are saved.” How does that work when the beliefs keep changing over the years? Heaven must be a very, very lonely place…