The cutesy way of describing celeb couple Tom Cruise and Katy Holmes was TomKat. But should Cruise be considered TomKult? The couple has split, apparently at Holmes instigation, catching Cruise by surprise. Another perfect looking celebrity couple bites the dust.
There is lots out there to suggest that the break-up is because of Holmes increasing concern about Cruise's enthusiastic endorsement of Scientology, a quasi-religious organization founded by the enigmatic L. Ron Hubbard. The celebrity gossip is that Holmes wants to protect their daughter Suri from the troubling teaching of this organization. Scientology is recognized as a religion in the US but not in some other countries. In France it is considered a cult.
What is a cult? In this time of aggressive atheism some would claim that all religions are cults promoting delusions teachings about deities. We have heard that in the States conservative Christians who despise Barack Obama are leery of Mitt Romney as well because he is a Mormon. There are plenty of fundamentalist Protestants who will tell you that Roman Catholics aren't Christians. Are Jehovah's witnesses a cult
On the one hand we uphold freedom of religion. But what if the group is secretive, controlling, shuns those who don't comply without question.
All I know is that Tom Cruise's ecstatic couch jump on Oprah is looking loopier all the time.
Have you got it figured out? Can you define a cult? Have you ever been part of one?
In the wake of the bombshell announcement (gasp!) I did a little reading on Scientology. The precepts about self-improvement all seem worthwhile, but the means to get there, and the weird Gestapo-style enforcement of the movement's core beliefs all seem over the top to me.
ReplyDeleteTom Cruze is very loopy. we all can see that.
ReplyDeleteCults on the otherhand are not so easy to identify.