Sunday July 03, 2005

Tom Cruise flips out, man

Scientology is a religion that I first heard about some years ago, most likely from a gossip article about Tom Cruise or John Travolta. I didn't really know anything about what Scientologists believed or what they practiced. I figured at the time that it was just another passing fad that Hollywood tried on for the cool factor.

I hate to admit it, but I was wrong about that. Tom Cruise and the other celebrity followers are still extolling the virtues of this mysterious religion. And although most of them (John Travolta, Lisa Marie Presley, Kirstie Allie, et al) still seem like relatively sane people, the recent madness displayed by Tom Cruise is enough for me to get my lazy rear end running sprints in the opposite direction.

Of course, it's great that celebrities are looking for meaning in their lives just like the rest of us shmucks in the real world. But turning to an organization started by a science fiction author is not going to fill the void. And it doesn't look like it has done very much for Tom. Of course, I don't know him personally, and I can't definitively say he wouldn't be a crack addict had it not been for his conversion. But from where I stand, I don't see someone at peace with his own life. I only see someone who's struggling with a counterfeit faith.