(KSW = Scientologist jargon for "Keeping Scientology Working")
Ay yi yi. If you thought yesterday's Tom Cruise Scientology freaknik video was wild, check out the Scientology pope's introduction of Cruise at a church award ceremony. That, and much much more.
Methinks all this could be Tom Cruise's Michael Jackson moment, in that his weird personal life makes it impossible to take him seriously as an artist.
Here's the thing, though: what if Cruise were a Christian? What if in that video he were advocating not Scientology, but, oh, Episcopalianism with such monomaniacal fervor? I think it must be admitted -- OK, I must admit it -- that I wouldn't be quite as alarmed. Then again, mainstream Christianity isn't remotely as cultish as Scientology. Still, if he advocated for mainstream Christian belief with the same vapid intensity, I would find out which church he belonged to, and make a note to myself not to attend.
Incidentally, we're starting to talk Scientologically in my home and workplace. It's amazing how useful the phrase, "I'm going to cancel you out of my area" is, to say nothing of "That's sooo KSW!" Which, of course, makes me a big fat J&D.
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Scientology has a long history of criminal activity, intimidation of critics and tries to ruin the lives of people who leave the church (they are dubbed SPs, or suppressive persons, and according to LRH, have no rights as human beings).
They've even killed people. Check out the wikipedia entry on Lisa McPherson.
The thing with Scientology that always gets me is that its the first religion I've encountered where deeper "secrets" of the religion are available to those who can fork over more money. In other words, you could be the most devoted Scientologist there was, but if you don't have that $$, no more knowledge for you.
It's a breathtakingly pragmatic/straightforward approach to keeping the money coming in, though :-)
Rod:
Much as I hate to wish evil on a particular person ... for the evil Tom Cruise STANDS FOR, I truly cannot tell you how much it warms my heart that you have been so ridiculing him (or, more accurately, letting him ridicule himself) in recent days.
Kirk Cameron immediately came to mind as well.
Re my earlier spoof above of the Bill Brasky sketches:
I recalled Brasky's mythic exploits in reading the biographical note appended to a column at WorldNetDaily by the right-wing explorer Dr. Jack Wheeler:
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59402
"He predicted the collapse of the former Soviet Union, 10 years before it came about – and explained exactly how it would take place."
"Wheeler once defeated Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in arm wrestling - and Putin's KGB bodyguard."
"He served in six conflicts against communist guerrillas, sky-dived at the North Pole, discovered three unknown tribes and holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Southern California, where he lectured on Aristotelian ethics."
"The Washington Post called Wheeler a 'right-wing Indiana Jones.'"
"He is widely credited with inspiring the 'Reagan Doctrine,' which called for U.S. support of freedom fighters."
"TO JACK WHEELER!!!"
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