Katie Holmes was missing for 16 days before she publicly dated Tom Cruise

Originally posted by EastCoastKid
What I wanna know is are there any members of the Church of Scientology here at ATS? If so, it would nice to get their input.

There are a few people working in the so called "Freezone" who are ATS posters. I don't know about flat out scientologists tho.

Originally posted by WissNX01
Involved in US espionage? Cooperation with the US?

The story is that Hubbard, supposedly, used to be vehemently anti-communist and was constantly sending 'reports' to the FBI or some intelligence agency. Then after a while, apparently of beign ignored, the intelligence agency did take an interest in his group, since they had paramilitary militias and were starting to get invovled in weirdness, like converting the Algerian Postal Service into scientological commandos to overthrow the state. I think that the US government started pressing Hubbard for one reason or another, and that he ended up leaving the country for a while, running around the globe with the SeaOrg and the like.

What I heard went way deeper than that. It went into mind control and sort of, shall I say, Hubbard's own personal hit squad. I know this sounds retarded, but it's what I was told...

Originally posted by WissNX01
Catholicism is not a cult. Im not a Catholic, but I would say that thier leadership could use adjustment. They honestly help people that need it, and dont make a big deal out of 'donations' as the Scientologists do.

Help people? I guess taking abducting aboriginal kids from their parents so they can be educated 'properly'.. missionaries destroying entire cultures.. not to mention the Catholic church's entire history.. and 'recent' scandels.. there'd be a hundred other things I mention but I think you've got a fair idea. Donations.. well when I was forced to go to mass weekly as a kid [and other official masses]...i was conditioned that i MUST put money into collection plate or I'd be a horrible person.. so I guess you could say that donations were never made into a big deal.. it's just a 'sacred' requirement of going to a Catholic church.. are scientologists required to give donations? I don't know.
In regards to it not being a cult.. I was forced to go to confession once a week [by my school].. at which time I'd be ask if I had anything to confess.. every time I answered 'no' I would of course be shamed for lieing [when I wasn't] and would recieve 'penence'/punnishment [aversion therapy] for being honest.. [they must love the original sin bit- gets em every time] this emotional abuse is designed to break children wills. Regardless of how accepted, popular and old Catholism is.. it still has strong similarities to cults.. their reqruitment techniques have just been more successful than others.

im my oppinion Cruise is one messed up little duckling... and my first baes for that is hes a scientologist...

Originally posted by EastCoastKid
The Lord only asks for 10%!!

I know you were kidding around, but I'll jump in on this anyways ...
The bible shows the culture of the time (2,000+ years ago)
giving 10% ... I don't know if God ever actually said 'ya'll gotta' give
me 10% of what you have/make'. I don't think He did. The people
who run churches all say He did ... but did He really? hmmmm
Doubt it.

Okay - back to the TomKat discussion .....