It must be time to promote MI3...- Page 2

[kyguy78]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 3:10pm

Tom has just polarized America and that's probably the best thing he could ever do for his box office. There are people who still think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread and will pay to go see his movie. There are people who cannot stand him and want to see him get his ass kicked in a movie, so they too will pay to go see his movie.

[erikaamato]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 3:11pm

Nevermind, redux.
Updated On: 4/13/06 at 03:11 PM

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 3:16pm

Cruel, I am sure your 18 years on this earth has given you the wisdom to make the statments you do.

But, for the record, I will repeat that you do not know of what you speak, and to refer to medication which has helped many people live fulfilling lives as "mind taffy" just demonstrates that fact.

I am glad that your apparent use of OCD-like symptoms to control whatever is going on in your brain works for you. I am sure others reading your response might just think that you "doth protest too much."

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 3:20pm

Okay. The jig is up. I don't actually feel this way.

[erikaamato]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 3:31pm

Just felt like sharing:

What are the upper levels of Scientology?

The upper levels are known as the "OT Levels" - they claim to make participants into "Operating Thetans" with superhuman abilities. Eight levels (OT I - VIII) have been released. Additional levels have been promised for years. Much of the material of the OT Levels deals with space aliens - eradicating mental implants we supposedly received from them, and ridding our bodies of the spirits of alien beings that are stuck to us.

What else does Scientology teach?

A big part of Scientology, especially upper-level Scientology, involves postulates - basically, making things happen by believing in them hard enough.

Other important teachings of Scientology include:
* Psychiatry is extremely evil and has caused severe problems for us for millions of years
* 2.5 percent of the population is suppressive (routinely committing evil acts to impede the survival of others), and associating with these people can make you sick - Scientologists who associate with "suppressive persons" (SPs) are not allowed to do Scientology services.

Side note: a friend of mine who was a Scientologist for a couple of years (and got out, thankfully), was told by the Church that his/her entire family were SP's and he/she should break off all contact with them. They are the loveliest, kindest people you could ever meet, they just expressed concerns with their child being involved in Scientology.

Kinda sounds like a cult, doesn't it?



Scientology-Lies.com - scientology teachings page Updated On: 4/13/06 at 03:31 PM

[erikaamato]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 3:39pm

From the "Scientology Lies" website:

What is Scientology?

Scientology is many things to many people:

* Scientology is an applied (possibly religious) philosophy.
* Scientology is a religion.
* Scientology is a self-help system.
* Scientology is a form of therapy.
* Scientology is a subject for study.
* Scientology is an international organization.
* Scientology is a business.
* Scientology is a product.

Scientology and Religion

Is Scientology a religion?

That's a very difficult question to answer accurately. To many individual Scientologists, Scientology definitely holds the place of a religion in their lives; however, most of them would probably tell you that it has nothing to do with faith or belief, relying instead on things they believe they've seen demonstrated or proven.

Other Scientologists, especially those who joined more than 20 or 30 years ago, would tell you they never considered it a religion, but rather a technology.

There is considerable evidence that founder L. Ron Hubbard pursued "the religion angle" to avoid paying taxes and avoid scrutiny of Scientology's practices.
Scientology as a Business

Is Scientology a business?

Scientology conducts itself in ways that are more typical of businesses than churches. Due to Scientology's doctrine of exchange, services are not given away but must be paid for. In the Scientology policy entitled "Governing Policy," L. Ron Hubbard wrote, "MAKE MONEY. MAKE MONEY. MAKE MORE MONEY. MAKE OTHER PEOPLE PRODUCE SO AS TO MAKE MONEY." [capitalization for emphasis is his]

Scientology has filed court cases to protect their trademarks and even trade secrets. Official Scientology publications typically state that "Scientologist is a collective membership mark designating members of the affiliated churches and missions of Scientology." A collective membership mark is a type of trademark - and hence is related to commerce - and this suggests that Scientology organizations wish to control whether an individual may call himself or herself a Scientologist. Scientologists practicing outside the official church are unlikely to recognize this arrogated authority.

Scientology missions were originally called "franchises." When Scientology management drastically increased licensing fees owed by missions/franchises, at least one mission refused to pay but continued offering Scientology services. Scientology sued the mission for trademark infringement and obtained an injunction.
Scientology, Deception, Coercion, and the Cult Question

Is Scientology a cult?

"Cult" is a difficult word. For some people, it just means "a group of people who believe something I don't", reflecting bigotry. For others, it's an innocuous word, simply meaning "group of believers" - among the Merriam-Webster definitions of "cult", you'll find "a system of religious beliefs and ritual; also : its body of adherents" and "great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work".

I prefer to use the term "coercive group" - there's plenty of evidence that Scientology is a coercive group. Scientology uses deception and social pressure - and sometimes, threats, extortion, and physical restraint - to coerce compliance from participants. Individual Scientologists face different amounts of coercion and respond differently to that coercion, but the coercion has been a consistent, destructive presence in Scientology, around the world and across decades. Policies directing this coercion are widely discussed on the internet, and stories of those who have faced it are legion.

* Nanna Anderson stole documents from the Ontario Medical Association
* Lisa McPherson wrote four pages of false confessions to avoid being assigned to Scientology's Rehabilitation Projects Force or kicked out of Scientology for having romantic thoughts about another staff member
* Anne Marie and Rich Dunning were pressured to join staff, required to work extremely long hours, and forbidden to check on their kids
* Free-speech advocate Tory Bezazian worked to discourage public criticism - even jokes - about Scientology

Is Scientology a scam?

Yes - Scientology is fraudulent and deceptive through and through - and that's true even though many individual Scientologists believe what they tell others about it and believe that it has benefitted them personally. Scientology lies about every aspect of the organization, claiming it's expanding when it's shrinking, claiming it's scientific when it's been disproven, claiming extraordinary success rates that are contradicted by a simple examination of their results. Many intelligent Scientologists with the best of intentions continue to promote Scientology; their sincerity does not change the fact that they have been lied to.
Scientology-Lies.com

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 3:39pm

Everything I've seen about Scientology is so creepy, Erika. I just do not get the appeal of it.

[erikaamato]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 3:43pm

I know. I don't get it either. And the more I find out about it, the creepier I think it is.

I just wanted folks to know more about where Mr. Cruise's "enlightened" opinions come from.

(And yes, CS, I know you said you were just kidding. I still felt like posting this stuff for people who might be interested.)

[Millie42]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 3:55pm

Aliens, mental implants, levels to achieve.
If I didn't know any better I would say some really nerdy, science fiction loving geek made all this stuff up!

Wait a minute...

[erikaamato]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 3:59pm

Aliens, mental implants, levels to achieve.
If I didn't know any better I would say some really nerdy, science fiction loving geek made all this stuff up!

Wait a minute...

LOL, Millie!

[Rose_MacShane]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 4:21pm

Ewwww...Tom Cruise's sex life...
Hearing Tom Cruise blather on about his perfect sex life reminds me of "Family Guy" last week: "I'm Tom Cruise! I'm not gay! I love Katie Holmes! See my new movie! I'm not gay!" Did anyone catch it? Priceless.

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 4:26pm

For the record, I would like to never hear of Tom Cruise's sexual by-product again.

[robbiej]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 4:40pm

Meaningless sex sucks?

He needs to switch lube.

[DG]

Posted: 4/13/06 at 4:41pm

I think he needs something else that involves the word 'switch'.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 6:32pm

cruel,


this statement has finally confirmed what most here think, that you are truly uninformed....shut your mouth, child

90% of the time, "chemical imbalances" are psychological problems that have been manifested externally.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 6:35pm

I'm sorry to have offended you, SorryGrateful and Rose, but that's just based upon my own beliefs and my own personal observations.

wow, 18 years of basically being a child.......some experience



I'm not personally forcing you to get off the mind taffy, though. I'm just saying that I personally would not do that because there are other avenues of help available.

truly you are an idiot....who again knows nothing.....

[Elphaba]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 6:36pm

at 18, it's time to learn when to keep your mouth shut, cruel......

[ZONEACE]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 10:56pm

Am I the only one who will be waiting til MI3 is on HBO? cause i refuse to pay money to see a Tom Cruise movie any more.

[tagiunagi]

Posted: 4/15/06 at 11:03pm

The great commedianne Kathy Griffin couldn't have said it better...

Scientology is one of those deal breakers. Like, when you meet someone for the first time, and then you find out that they're a Scientologist, you're like, "I'm out!"