MovieChat Forums > Tom Cruise Discussion > Must be an imbecile in real life:-(

Must be an imbecile in real life:-(

posted 6 years ago by Heisenberg (6730)
49 replies | jump to latest

Being not just a scientologyst (which already qualifies you as a dim person) but one of the top chiefs of the cult. That must take a very misguided and weak individual, and judging by the facts we know about his private life, that's the case here.

So you have a very popular actor, who's also very rich because of his popularity, that could go on living a great, decent and healthy life but instead prefers to be a crucial part of this abusive cult.

I am a fan of his professional work, he's a fine actor and he used to have the best instinct for picking roles. I don't want to bash him for being an idiot, it's not his fault afterall, but I confess I wish he was at least a normally intelligent person in real life.

[–] McQualude (4231) 6 years ago

And yet it's working for him. I suspect a lot of the bad press comes from various groups competing for power in Hollywood.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 6 years ago

??? I'm not following you. You mean he's being unjustly persecuted?

[–] McQualude (4231) 6 years ago

Scientologists get a lot of hate but they are not the only group vying for power in Hollywood, and then there are Protestants who demonize every religion or sect that isn't protestant as a cult. A lot of what passes for news these days is just propaganda. All religions are based on irrational beliefs and once you accept the irrational as rational, your mind is open to believe anything.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 6 years ago

Ok, nobody argues with that.
Only problem with some religions over other religions, is that they are manipulative or aggressive or violent against others or even members of its own groups.
Scientology is one of the latter.

[–] McQualude (4231) 6 years ago

The criteria you laid out is true for a number of religions including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, and some formal and informal social groups; so how am I to believe that Scientology is any worse? I don't believe they are worse, I believe they are the villains in a propaganda campaign by groups who want to weaken their power in Hollywood. There is a tv show that does nothing but bash scientology and I read a lot of expressed hatred on social media toward celebrities involved with scientology. What I'm getting at is I don't believe Tom Cruise is any worse than an actor who happens to Christian, Gay, or Jewish.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 6 years ago

I am judging from the facts.
Any modern major religion does not condone the level of manipulation or mind + means control used by scientology. Their influence is limited to the spiritual sphere, and the selling of indulgences has not been practiced for centuries. You cannot buy your place in a religion.
Not only that, but no major religion would ever place an action star as a high representative in their hierarchy. Not to discriminate, but at least these major religions try to mandate a bit of preparation and dedication for their preachers.
Tom Cruise would not qualify as a priest, let alone as a pope, nor as a rabbi etc.
According to the rumors, he would probably qualify as a gay though, which is not a religion btw.

[–] McQualude (4231) 6 years ago

Christianity has it's tv stars and for most or all Protestant sects no preparation is required to become clergy. Some do have colleges but they are not a requirement and anyone can join and become a preacher.

As for mind control, all religions and most organizations and social movements do that. Most movements convince their followers they are the victims of persecution and separate them from others.

[–] snepts (11123) 6 years ago

It always strikes me as so odd that a usually intelligent person falls into this sort of thinking. I have a friend who late in life adopted Jehovah's Witness, largely because his wife is a lifelong member. He used to have some mild LSD inspired notion of Universal Patterns which seemed to be his philosophy and it seemed reasonable to me. Now he's all into End Of Days garbage. Meanwhile, I recently heard of a woman who was a third generation JW and split from it. Third Generation ! So when is this End supposed to happen?

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 6 years ago

The end has no end!

[–] BillySlater (4285) 6 years ago

Intelligence and religion are not mutually exclusive. People are just too judgmental when it comes to religious beliefs. Example: "I don´t believe something that ridiculous, therefore he is an idiot." Tom has his reasons for being in Scientology. From an outsider´s perspective it looks bad because of the negative press it has received but Tom probably lives in a bubble where he is oblivious to all that. Leah Remini stated he is treated like a King by them so he personally has no reason to question them.

[–] snepts (11123) 6 years ago

I respect your reply, but I don't think it holds water. Is it normal and okay to be deluded and live in a bubble? My original comment is I'm dismayed when seemingly smart people believe in bizarre religious stuff. I know a perfectly bright woman who believes the leader of her religious group, when he died his body did not corrupt for some absurdly long time. Otherwise, she's a very grounded and capable person. It doesn't make sense to me. Fortunately, it's rather inconsequential, in this instance.

[–] BillySlater (4285) 6 years ago

I didn´t say anything about it being okay to live in a bubble. I´m just playing devil´s advocate as to why Cruise might still be involved with Scientology. He seems like a decent person to his fans etc, my guess is that he is so insulated by them that he is oblivious to the controversy. I just think far too many people fall back on the "you believe that, therefore you´re dumb" argument. There are plenty of intelligent people that have unorthodox beliefs. This is obviously more directed at the OP´s comment.

[–] McQualude (4231) 5 years ago

That intelligent people often fall for irrational ideas shows that what we think of as intelligence is complex. A guy I've known since childhood, he is highly intelligent but somewhere along the way fell into religion and right wing conspiracy stuff to the point where he's a flat out nutter and went off the grid. And the engineers I know tend to be way overconfident about things outside their specialty and never question their assumptions which makes them vulnerable to believing foolishness. In their field they are experts, outside it they can be more gullible than the average person.

[–] bigbadwolf666 (4707) 6 years ago

Completely.

[–] Heisenberg (6730) 6 years ago

I wish somebody that knew him in real life, one of his rafting buddies, would spill the beans.

[–] bigbadwolf666 (4707) 6 years ago

I think it’s obvious.
You can see it in his face.

[–] Galactus03 (4406) 5 years ago

I don't care about his religious beliefs. He can believe in and worship the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus for all I care. At the end of the day he makes great films and that is all I care about.