Cruising into trouble

@Random

Around three minutes into the infamous Tom Cruise-Scientology video, what started to get to me was the cackle. Cruise joined the Church of Scientology a while back, giving an increasingly bemused world the opportunity to get used to his patented hard-eyed stare, and his couch-jumping moments on the Oprah show.

But as the Mission Impossible star spoke about his love for Scientology, his belief in Scientology, his need for Scientology, that maniacal laugh was freaking me out. "It is the time now. Now is the time. It is being a Scientologist, people are turning to you, and you better know it, and if you don't, you know, go and learn it. [Cackles] but don't pretend you know it, or whatever." Silence. Cackle. Creepy.

The Church of Scientology spent last week pulling the video and the transcripts off the web, but as fast as one went down, another popped up.

When CoS issued gossip website Gawker a legal notice for posting the video, Gawker posted the legal notice "" and kept the video up. And there were the parodies "" though some of the best was the old stuff, such as South Park's "Trapped in the Closet" episode on Scientology, which was yanked from TV but has gained immortality online.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UFBZ_uAbxS0

The Tom Cruise video "" or try Gawker...
http://gawker.com/5002319/church-of-scientology-claims-copyright-infringement Gawker flaunts its legal notice, and the video:
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Secrets/TomCruise/

Scary Scientology video not enough? Watch Cruise give David Miscavige a "galatic space patrol salute":
http://southpark.comedycentral.com/videos.jhtml?videoId=104274&episodeId=103804

The controversial South Park episode on Scientology still lives on the web.

The Church of Scientology is technically a religion, and offers Prophet (and sci-fi hack writer) L Ron Hubbard's vision of healing via Dianetics to millions worldwide. As the "Exact Scientology" website has it, "You know those days when you're feeling at your best?

When you're in control, winning, on top of life? Why not feel that way all the time? You can!" CoS is a highly successful religion, despite Hubbard's belief that past traumas in humans were deliberately inflicted by extraterrestrials, and has an impressive track record in the drug rehab field.
http://www.scientology.org

Church of Scientology website "" hacked extensively this week, may still be down.
http://www.exactscientology.net/

Where the nuts and bolts of the "auditing system" and "thetans" are explained:
http://opposing.scientology.org

CoS on its opponents: psychiatrists, drug companies and military intelligence.

If it's a benign religion, why do many critics call Scientology a cult? Operation Clambake offers the most persuasive explanations and examines cult brainwashing techniques, while elsewhere you can find help on how to beat the "free test" offered to newbies, and more information on how to spot a cult.

You're free to make up your own mind. All this correspondent wants, aside from an urge to stay far away from the Church of Tom, is a way to get that insane cackle out of her head.
http://www.xenu.net/

Operation Clambake "" free speech and cult awareness.
http://home1.gte.net/deleyd/religion/scientology/scientology.html

How to beat the Scientology "test": fun, illuminating and slightly scary
http://www.caic.org.au/

Cult Awareness and Information Network