Since some of the materials which describe the $cientology cult could be
considered to be copywritten materials, I have censored myself and The
Skeptic Tank by deleting any and all possible text files which describes
the cult's hidden mythologies. I have elected to quote just a bit of the
questionable text according to the "Fair Use" legal findings afforded to
those who report. - Fredric L. Rice, The Skeptic Tank, 09/Sep/95
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
From news.interserv.net!news.sprintlink.net!dish.news.pipex.net!pipex!news.maz.net!unlisys!berlin!tilman Mon Jul 17 09:49:04 1995
Path: news.interserv.net!news.sprintlink.net!dish.news.pipex.net!pipex!news.maz.net!unlisys!berlin!tilman
From: tilman@berlin.snafu.de (Tilman Hausherr)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: FAQ: Celebrities in scientology
Date: 13 Jul 1995 20:59:37 GMT
Organization: Xenu's ranch
Lines: 748
Message-ID: <3u41fp$io0@unlisys.unlisys.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: berlin.snafu.de
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2]
Archive-name: scientology/celebrities
Hi there. My name is Tilman Hausherr, and I am the self-appointed
maintainer of the "scientology celebrities FAQ", posted from time
to time in "alt.religion.scientology". My e-mail address is
tilman@berlin.snafu.de, more stuff about scientology can be found
at http://www.snafu.de/~tilman/
0. Change history
1. Disclaimers
2. How names get in this FAQ
3. Names
4. Testimony of Diana Canova
5. Why do celebrities get into scientology ?
6. Identification of non US sources
0. Change history
25.6.1995: added Anne Archer's job
14.6.1995: added Katselas, California Magazine, Michael D. Roberts
11.6.1995: added some structure, and answer to "why" question,
added movies to Lehman
27.5.1995: more exact newspaper references
21.5.1995: Added a source for Peggy Lipton
Candice Bergen
Demi Moore
Emilio Estevez
16.5.1995: Cohen music in "NBK"
12.5.1995: Sonny Bono thanks Elron
8.5.1995: slightly corrected Damian Pope's part
6.5.1995: Added Alley's start in the cult
29.04.1995: Peggy Lipton, also added some names from NPoorman,
deleted Helmut Berger.
Bernard Paul (Circus Roncalli)
Corea "liner notes"
17.04.1995: William Burroughs (correction again)
16.04.1995: Leonard Cohen
Kate Cebrano
William Burroughs (correction)
added info from Damian Pope
"libeled" Sonny Bono some more
1. Disclaimers
Legal disclaimer:
Being in the FAQ means that "I have read somewhere that someone is
a scientologist".
If you feel that someone is wrongly placed on this FAQ, please tell
me, and I'll see what I can do. If you want a name added, please try
to give a reference. If you don't have one, then YOU are the reference,
which means that if you can't prove this, the celebrity could sue you.
Social disclaimer:
I do NOT advise you to get into scientology ! Do not buy their books,
except from a used book shop. Do not read their books, unless you also
read books critical about scientology. Just because a celebrity does
something silly doesn't mean YOU should. Doing weird things is a
tradition of stage actors, and there is no need that the rest of the
world population takes this as an advice.
Carrying a celebrity in this FAQ shouldn't be considered as a
"public statement" of me. It doesn't mean that any action should be
taken by the reader. In most cases, the status of those celebrities
is not known (only taken courses, OT, ...).
If you're a scientologist, you'll be happy to be in good company.
If you're not, maybe you'll think twice before writing fan mail.
2. How names get in this FAQ
I will keep only e-mail names where I don't have any book or newspaper
reference. Those e-mail references are only about the celebrity name,
not necessarely about the description text. "name withheld" means that
I know who the person is. I will do this only with persons that I
already know.
I will also name persons who are no longer scientologists, i.e. who
have been declared, or who "simply" left. More entries on
ex-scientologists are welcome !
The part "greatest achievements" will depend highly on my opinion,
and won't be "politically correct".
3. Names
Name: Tom Cruise
Profession: actor
Status: got in after marrying Mimi Rogers (Premiere)
Achievement: milk-face in many films: "Top Gun", "The firm", ...
Source: TIME May 6/91, Premiere 9/93, LA magazine 10/93
Name: Sonny Bono
Profession: singer, actor, republican, pizza delivery man in congress
Status: introduced by Mimi Rogers; took some courses, says
he's a roman catholic, not a scientologist (LA Times).
He says in Esquire:
"I openly studied scientology to the degree that they
did some courses on ethics, and then said thank you and
left. (...) The scientology - there was no cult thing there."
From drogers@huey.csun.edu (David D. Rogers):
According to Corydon's book, he was quoted as saying:
"My only sorrow is that L. Ron Hubbard left before I
could thank him for my new life," in a full-page ad
featured in several newspapers after Elron's death.
Achievement: Congressman, Palm Springs Mayor, Cher's ex-husband.
Cher: "A politician is usually a null, so the job fits him".
Source: TIME May 6/91, Premiere 9/93, LA magazine 10/93,
"Bigger Secrets", LA Times 5.12.91, Esquire 11/94,
California Magazine 6/91
Name: Nicole "nic" Kidman
Profession: actress
Status:
Achievement: wife of Tom Cruise, "far and away"
Source: Premiere 9/93, LA magazine 10/93
Name: Mimi Rogers
Profession: actress
Status: (2nd generation in Co$)
introduced Sonny Bono, Tom Cruise, John Brodie
Achievement: lingerie appearance on "Dream On" (wow !)
born-again fundamental christian in "The Rapture"
Source: CINEMANIA, TIME May 6/91, Premiere 9/93, LA magazine 10/93
Name: Priscilla Presley
Profession: actress
Status:
Achievement: "The naked gun", "Dallas", perfume, wife of Elvis
Source: Premiere 9/93
Name: John Travolta
Profession: actor
Status: entered 1975, lifetime member of IAS
Achievement: "Grease", "Pulp Fiction"
Source: himself in ads, himself on "Entertainment tonight"
Name: Chick Corea
Profession: jazz pianist
Status: entered 1968
according to "Ich klage an": OT8, Patron with honor,
Freedom Medal
Achievement: getting "canceled" from a concert in germany
Source: himself in ads, FOCUS Dec 12/94, TIME May 6/91,
California Magazine 6/91, "A piece of blue sky";
he also thanks LRH on inside his CD covers
Name: Kirstie Alley
Profession: actress
Status: international spokesperson for Narconon International.
claims Narconon Intemational's substance abuse center
in Los Angeles helped her kick her cocaine habit in 1979.
Achievement: "A bunny's tale", "Star Trek 2", "Look who's talking",
"Cheers", hanging on the wall of my office
Source: TIME May 6/91, Premiere 9/93, Daily Oklahoman 11.10.90
Name: Karen Black
Profession: actress
Status:
Achievement: "The Monkey" in "Portnoy's complaint", "Five easy pieces"
Source: Premiere 9/93, California Magazine 6/91
Name: Linda Blair
Profession: actress
Status:
Achievement: threw up lots of pea soup in "The Exorcist", having her skirt
ESPed in "zapped again", film-mother of "seven" on MWC.
Source: "Der Sektenkonzern", "Berliner Zeitung" 23.7.92
Name: Ron Ely
Profession: actor
Status:
Achievement: "Tarzan", "Doc Savage"
Source: Deeny3@aol.com: "I know this one only because I saw him
there once and later saw his pc folders"
But:
luvalle@primenet.com (John Luvalle) believes that a
different Ron Ely was a student at ASHO, and it was
his folders that Deirdre saw.
Name: Pablo Roehrig
Profession: painter
Status: "Patron"
Achievement:
Source: "Ich klage an", STERN 9/93
Name: Gottfried Helnwein
Profession: graphic artist
Status: "Patron"
Achievement: James Dean picture, Man with forks in his eyes
Source: himself in ads, "Der Sektenkonzern", STERN 9/93
Name: Ingo Swann
Profession: writer, psychic, now a painter
Status: SP
Achievement: Exteriorized to Jupiter (Randi's "Flim Flam!")
"Star fire"
Source: informe@best.com (Mike MacLeod), DWTripp@aol.com
and Deeny3@aol.com about the status
Name: Harold Puthoff
Profession: mathematician, scientist, ESP researcher
Status:
Achievement: holds patent on tunable laser,
"analyzed" psychics Uri Geller and Ingo Swann,
and soiled the reputation of Stanford Research Institute.
Source: Randi's "Flim Flam!", Randi's "The truth about Uri Geller"
Name: Julia Migenes
Profession: opera singer (soprano)
Status: luvalle@primenet.com (John Luvalle):
LRH had her leave Sea Org to pursue her career.
Achievement:
Source: herself in ad, WP 10.12.94
Name: Nancy Cartwright
Profession: actress
Status: New OT IV, represents "The Way to Happiness"
Achievement: voice of Bart Simpson
Source: WP 10.12.94 & 25.12.94, TIME May 6/91, Premiere 9/93
California Magazine 6/91
idiot@primenet.com (Jonathon) about her status
Name: Billy Sheehan
Profession: rock bassist
Status:
Achievement: plays in band "Mr. Big"
Source: WP 10.12.94, Mike MacLeod: has been on late night infomercials
Name: Anne Archer
Profession: actress
Status: International spokesperson for "Applied Scholastics"
Achievement: wife in "fatal attraction"
Source: TIME May 6/91, Premiere 9/93, California Magazine 6/91
Name: Robert Lipton
Profession: actor
Status: out 1971
Achievement:
Source: Premiere 9/93
Name: Peggy Lipton
Profession: actress
Status:
Achievement: "Twin Peaks" (the nice restaurant owner)
Source: NPoorman@aol.com (Noel Poorman):
She DID take Scn. courses. I know, because she and KAREN
BLACK twinned as students on Foundation (nights and
weekends) in the early '70s at C.C./L.A. the same time I
was on course.
"Premiere" 9/93 says that they pressured her brother Robert
to get her in.
DWTripp@aol.com saw her when he was ethics officer
Name: Don Simpson
Profession: producer
Status: out
He said, "I've now almost gone clear, why ain't I
happier ?". Response: "Things will be okay when you
go through OT3." At that point he realized it was a con.
He was brought in by Floyd Mutrux
Achievement: "Top Gun"
Source: Premiere 9/93
Name: Lisa Marie Presley
Profession:
Status:
Achievement: Married to Michael Jackson
Source: Premiere 9/93
Name: Juliette Lewis
Profession: actress
Status:
Achievement: "Natural born killers"
Source: Premiere 9/93, St. Petersburg Times 25.2.94, FOCUS Dec 12/94
Name: Kelly Preston
Profession: actress
Status: lifetime member of IAS
Achievement: "Twins", married to Travolta
Source: herself in ad, TIME May 6/91, "Impact 49" in "Ich klage an"
Name: Cathy Lee Crosby
Profession: actress
Status: out ?
npoorman@aol.com (NPoorman): one AOLA reg told me,
"Oh, she's crazy!"
Achievement: "Wonder Woman" (before Lynda Carter)
Source: npoorman@aol.com (NPoorman), deeny3@aol.com (_Deirdre)
Name: Stanley Clarke
Profession: jazz
Status: Dropped out
Achievement: Friend of Chick Corea
Source: "name witheld" (for the complete info)
Name: John Brodie
Profession: football player
Status: introduced by Mimi Rogers when she was 15, she was his
auditor. Was in from 1970-1982, went up to OT7.
he says: "I was involved for specific purposes. When I
completed those, I moved out".
"name withheld":
"He dropped out dissatisfied after being a real spokesman
for Scn. Scn goes through these people like Kleenex and
no one remembers the used-to-be's. Like Brodie. In the 70s,
he was BIG, not only as a football name but for Scn!!
Then - poof - gone! He dropped out and so they dropped him,
of course. Brodie prefers to not talk about it."
California Magazine:
"I will talk about the gains I've had, but I won't talk
about all the mishmash that some people seem concerned
about. I'm not part of the organization, so how can I
speak about it ? I can only speak about the integrity
of the services delivered, and I feel very good about
that"
Achievement: quarterback for the SFO 49ers
Source: "name withheld" (for the complete info)
California Magazine 6/91
Name: Shirley Maclaine
Profession: actress
Status:
Achievement: making a fool of herself on David Letterman's show
Source: "Der Sektenkonzern", "Berliner Zeitung" 23.7.92.
Name: Sharon Stone
Profession: actress
Status: "she is going to courses" (Berliner Zeitung)
Achievement: screaming in movies with Richard Chamberlain, spreading
her legs on the silver screen
Source: "Der Sektenkonzern", "Ich klage an",
"Berliner Zeitung" 23.7.92.
Name: Al Jarreau
Profession: singer
Status:
Achievement: "Moonlightning" theme song
Source: "Der Sektenkonzern", "Ich klage an".
Name: Isaac Hayes
Profession: Musician, actor
Status:
Achievement: Oscar for "Theme from Shaft"
Source: St. Petersburg Times 25.2.94 & 6.12.94, WP 10.12.1994
Name: Maxine Nightingale
Profession: singer
Status:
Achievement:
Source: St. Petersburg Times 25.2.94
Name: Brad Pitt
Profession: actor
Status: Premiere: "drifted thru", took his courses while dating
Juliette Lewis. Interest waned after it.
Achievement:
Source: Premiere 9/93, CLEO 6/95
Name: Ernest Lehman
Profession: screenwriter, producer, director
Status:
Achievement: "The Sound of Music", "Portnoy's complaint", "Family Plot"
Source: Premiere 9/93
Name: Raven de la Croix
Profession: actress
Status:
Achievement: "Up!"
Source: Director Russ Meyer in an interview for german book
"Russ Meyer", he called scientology "one of the nastiest cults"
Name: Floyd Mutrux
Profession: screenwriter, director, producer
Status:
Achievement: "Dick Tracy" according to Premiere, but this is confirmed
neither by CINEMANIA nor by the Internet Movie database.
Source: Premiere 9/93
Name: Frank Stallone (Sly's brother)
Profession: actor, singer, songwriter
Status:
Achievement: bartender in "Barfly"
Source: "Bigger Secrets"
Name: Amy Heckerling
Profession: director
Status:
Achievement: Look who's talking 1 & 2
[TH: I wonder if the baby was also a scientologist !]
Source: "Der Sektenkonzern"
Name: A.E. van Vogt
Profession: science-fiction writer
Status: No involvment in scientology itself:
Prominent advocate of Dianetics, recruited by his
fellow-SF writer Hubbard in 1950 and called him "the boss".
He ran the Los Angeles Dianetics Foundation in late 1950.
said in his book "Dianetics and the Professions", 1953:
"Financial disaster was inevitable". A.E. van Vogt
endorsed LRH's "Battlefield Earth" as a 'masterpiece'
on its cover, but confessed in an interview with RM that
he had been daunted by its size and had not actually
bothered to read it. <g>
Sort of a "pre-scientologist".
Achievement: "Slan", the "Null-A" books
Source: Russell Miller's book, thanks to:
informe@best.com (Mike MacLeod)
tony@sidaway.demon.co.uk (Tony Sidaway)
av282@freenet.victoria.bc.ca (Martin Hunt)
Name: William Burroughs
Profession: writer
Status: Clear# 1163 in the 60ies, but later satirized the movement
in several essays, which were later collected in the book
"Naked Scientology" [Expanded Media Editions 1985, Bonn,
Germany, 3-88030-011-9]
Achievement: "Naked Lunch"
Source: "A piece of blue sky"
Name: Leonard Cohen
Profession: songwriter, poet
Status: out
Achievement: "suzanne", really cool music at the prison riot scene
in "natural born killers"
Source: himself in interview with the "jewish book news"
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/cpage/Leonard_Cohen/interview.html
"I looked into a lot of things. Scientology was one of them.
It did not last very long. But it is very interesting, as
I continue my studies in these matters, to see how really
good Scientology was from the point of view of their data,
their information, their actual knowledge, their wisdom
writings, so to speak. It wasn't bad at all. It is scorned,
and I don't know what the organization is like today, but
it seems to have all the political residue of any large
and growing organization. Yes, I did look into that and
other things."
Name: Kate Cebrano
Profession: jazz singer
Status: "Who weekly" from June 27th, 1994:
"As a third generation Scientologist, Cebrano periodically
sends herself off on 'self-imposed sabbaticals', often
to Florida"
but Kate says:
"The Church has helped me maintain my sense of purpose.
You work bloody hard studying and Scientology provides
you with the means and the tools to be the best you can be."
Achievement: had her own late night jazz music and talk show
(in Australia), and has had a successful recording career
as a musician for years.
Source: damianp@physics1.physics.monash.edu.au (Damian Pope)
Name: Bernhard Paul
Profession: clown, manager of "Circus Roncalli"
Status: out, according to himself
Achievement: not getting bankrupt with a circus
Source: "Der Sektenkonzern":
It is often alleged that the name "Roncalli" comes from
"I call Ron". He disputes this, and says that it comes
from a script "Sarah Roncalli - the daughter of the moon"
(other sources say it is the "widow of the moon"). It is
also inspired by pope John 23, who's last name was
Roncalli. Anyway - today he says that he has nothing to
do with scientology.
Name: Candice Bergen
Profession: actress
Status:
Achievement: Murphy Brown, Oliver's Story, Starting Over, Gandhi, Stick
Source: DWTripp@aol.com: "she was 'around' LA Org and AOLA in 1969"
and "I saw her at the original celebrity center",
but does not know if she did take courses / had auditing
Name: Demi Moore
Profession: actress
Status: out: was seen leaving the Celebrity Centre but gave up
when Bruce Willis made her clear that he didn't want
his children raised in scientology
Achievement: "Disclosure", "Ghost", cool "Vanity Fair" covers
Source: CLEO 6/95
Name: Emilio Estevez
Profession: actor
Status: out, and won't discuss it.
"I don't want my phones tapped" (refers to 1978 verdict)
Achievement: "Repo Man" (in that film they make fun about "diorethics")
"Young Guns", "Loaded Weapon"
Source: CLEO 6/95
Name: Diana Canova
Profession: actress
Status: out (see below)
Achievement: Corinne in "soap" (the long hair girl)
Source: Premiere 9/93
Also read her testimony in this FAQ
Name: Milton Katselas
Profession: acting teacher, director
Status:
Achievement: heads the Beverly Hills Playhouse, one of Hollywood's
most successful acting teachers
"Butterflies are free"
Source: Premiere 9/93, California Magazine 6/91
Name: Micheal D. Roberts
Profession: actor
Status:
Achievement: "Baretta", "Rain Man", "The Ice Pirates"
Source: California Magazine 6/91
Name: Charles Lakes
Profession: gymnast
Status:
Achievement: US olympic team
Source: LA Times june 1990 series
Here's some e-mails / posts from different persons that are not
classified yet. I have deleted names with "weak" references, or
names which are already in public sources. If anyone has more information,
e-mail is welcome.
From informe@best.com (Mike MacLeod)
Wings Hauser (actor)
"from SCN literature"
Nicky Hopkins (rock pianist)
"I sat next to him one day at Flag. Nicky died last year."
Moon Martin (obscure rock star; wrote "Bad Case of Lovin' You")
"SCN promo (finished such-and-such course)"
John Campbell (science fiction editor)
"Well-known public in '50's"
Neil Gaiman's (Sandman comix) father is/was a high Scn official.
"My auditor is a friend of the elder Gaiman."
Ron Newman (rnewman@mit.edu) assumes this is David Gaiman, who wrote
an official response to Paulette Cooper's book "The Scandal of Scientology".
Cooper indentifies Gaiman as "PR Director of scientology in England"
in January 1971. (G. also did a lot more, that would be too long)
From npoorman@aol.com (NPoorman)
Stephen Boyd (actor, "The Oscar" et al)
Joan Prather (actress: got a refund?)
Clive Clerk (actor, singer)
Mario Feninger (concert pianist...still living?)
Amanda Ambrose (singer)
Geoffrey Lewis (actor, C. Eastwood flicks sidekick, et al)
Jim McMullin (actor, "Downhill Racer" w/Redford)
John Savage (actor, "Onion Fields" et al)
MICHAEL WADLER and BARBARA BECKLEY, leading lights
of the Colony Theatre, a little theatre rep group, in L.A.
They've won many L.A. Drama Critics Awards for their
productions. It was Michael who, earlier, as director,
cast the unknown John Larroquette in a production of
"Enter Laughing" in the mid-'70's (the Cast Theatre, L.A.),
where an agent saw him and the rest, as they say, is
history. Larroquette met his future wife, a Scientologist,
Elizabeth ('Liz) Cookson, in that production. They're still
together.
ROBERT F. LYONS, actor and drama teacher, who was nominated
for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for an Elliot Gould
movie he appeared in. He stayed active for years and could be
seen around the A.O.L.A. frequently.
[nomination may be wrong: cannot be found in CINEMANIA)
From Damian Pope:
I also have a copy of a Scientology publication called
"The Church of Scientology - A vital force in your community" :)
It seems to be a Church of Scientology International publication as
it was copyrighted by Church of Scientology International in 1991.
It also lists singer Maxine Nightingale, John Travolta, musicians
Nicky Hopkins and Dave Gibbons, and Olympic gymnast Charles Lake
as being Scientologists. (does also list Kate Cebrano)
From gisle@oslonett.no (Gisle Hannemyr)
Nicky Hopkins rock musician
Leif Garrett ?
Carlos Palomino jock
Bruce Penhall actor
David Pomerantz ?
Gloria Rusch singer
: Didn't preserve sources, but most of these are from CoS promotional
: literature and informercial TV-spots where the celebrities were doing
: "testimonials".
:
: Also Irish musician Van Morrison dedicated his 1983 album "Inarticu-
: late speech of the heart" to L. Ron Hubbard. It has been claimed
: that at one point, he was involved with scientology to the point
: where he was serving as an "auditor". Van denies this, and has
: said that he did some courses, then dropped out.
[Atack: VM was associated with scientology for a short while]
:
: (( There is a lot of references to religious and mystic experiences in
: Van Morrison's music, and it ranges from tributes to Jehova's
: Witnesses ("Kingdom Hall") to Zen ("Enlightment"), so the LRH
: reference can be considered just be another of Van Morrison's
: skirmishes with religion. ))
From Premiere 9/93:
Lesser-known Scientologists in show biz: Lee Purcell (Big Wednesday),
Jeff Pomerantz (General Hospital), Geoffrey Lewis
(Juliette's dad, who was in Every Which Way but Loose, among
other movies), Judy Norton-Taylor (The Waltons), child TV actor
Vonni Ribisi (My Two Dads), Michael Wiseman (Predator 2), Kimberley
Kates (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure), Michael D. Roberts (Rain Man),
and Gary Imhoff (the forthcoming Thumbelina). Then there are the
composer Mark Isham (A River Runs Through It); actor and acting
teacher Manu Tupou (Hawaii); and director Dror Soref (The Seventh
Coin), who cut his teeth on Scientology films and now has a deal
at Paramount. Scientology even claims one of Hollywood's most
successful acting teachers, Milton Katselas, who heads the
Beverly Hills Playhouse. People who have drifted through
Scientology include Jerry Seinfeld, Patrick Swayze,
Harvey Haber (brother of CAA cofounder Bill Haber).
From California Magazine, unclassified: Edgar Winter (musician)
4. Testimony of Diana Canova
Here are some excerpts of an article of "Premiere" 9/93 about her, showing
good reasons for not entering scientology:
"I remember having a choking anger against anyone who ever said
anything against Scientology," says actress Diana Canova (Soap),
a former member. "I would get crazy, I was just so angry. I would
have done anything for them."
During her seven years in Scientology, Canova experienced
the Celebrity Centre from both sides of fame. "When I started, I
wasn't in television yet. I was a nobody--I'd done some TV, but I
was not one of the elite, not by a long shot--until I did Soap.
Then it became . . . I mean, you really are treated like royalty."
"There was always pressure to get other celebrities in"
Canova found the Scientologists straightforward in their desire
for lucre. "The first time I walked in those doors, they said,
'Just give us all the money in your bank account. You'll get it
back tenfold.'" When she joined, auditing prices were about $25.
"It went up to about $175 in the early '80s," she recalls. "That
was shocking to me. I was beginning to wonder, Is it really worth
it? They're telling you, 'Don't spend $100 an hour on a shrink's
couch, it'll ruin your mind.' Auditing is so much better?"
"It took me years before I decided to quit," says Canova.
"I guess finally I was so fed up with being afraid. You've heard all
these horror stories . . . I believed them."
And we listen to Canova when she warns us: "They're capable of
doing a lot of things."
Canova says she spoke up because she thought it was important.
"I see some of my friends having to keep their mouths
shut for personal reasons, for business reasons," she says. "I
don't believe that's right. If it's going to be termed a
religion, or a church, then those kinds of fears have no business
being there. Nobody should be afraid. And you can quote me on that."
(I hope this part counts as "fair use". Anyway, could someone give
me the e-mail address of "Premiere" ?)
5. Why do celebrities get into scientology ?
Why do they join ? Because other celebrities already did, and because
some behind the scenes people are working to get them lured in.
It is also a stage tradition to maintain small superstitions, like
"lucky shoes", etc.
Besides that, people usually join a cult when beeing in a
"transition state", like starting in college, getting divorced,
getting fired, starting new job, etc. And actors are always in
transition: after having completed an assignment, they have fears:
- Will the film, musical or play be a success ?
- Will they get a new job ? This must be terrible, and totally new
for most of us, since we get paid every month and only search
a new job every few years.
The last one makes actors very vulnerable to someone selling
certainty or confidence.
I think celebrites won't get subjected to the dirty tactics
(hard sell, long silly studies) that average clients get. I assume
that they get a "light" version of scientology and will surely
not be audited by people who had only a few days training.
Do they profit from scientology ? The question is if anyone gets
a profit from scientology. A good quote from Chris Schafmeister
was "Do you attribute it to scientology when you had a 'success'
in the restroom ?". The answer is that some people do attribute
their successes to scientology. When someone has no success with
scientology, then it is policy to attribute the failure that person,
to a staff member, but never to scientology itself.
Are they dupes ? A celebrity in show-business is not a celebrity
because of smartness, but because of good look or good performance.
Celebrities also live in their own "party forever" world. This does
surely not include reading TIME magazine or the Washington Post.
This doesn't mean that all people who join are dumb, it was just
an answer to the question.
6. Identification of non US sources
"Berliner Zeitung": Berlin daily newspaper
"STERN": Weekly news magazine (It's the magazine who screwed
up on Hitler's diaries <g>)
"SPIEGEL": Weekly news magazine (wrote a story about the
NARCONON scam that was replublished in the US)
"FOCUS": Weekly news magazine
"Ich klage an": Book by an anti Co$ activist.
(See Don Lindsay's FAQ for a review)
"Der Sektenkonzern": Book about Co$ by two journalists.
(See Don Lindsay's FAQ for my review)
CLEO: Australian women's magazine
--
--- Tilman Hausherr [KoX, 1.9, DB]
biz: tilman@sietec.de http://www.sietec.de (company page)
home: tilman@berlin.snafu.de http://www.snafu.de/~tilman
Visit the Mozilla Museum: http://www.snafu.de/~tilman/mozilla
Praise Xenu! Praise Mozilla! Praise "Bob"!