Holy shit, have any of you read this? Here's a sample:

These materials, which the Church of Scientology has long struggled to keep secret, were published online by a former member in 1995 and have been widely circulated in the mainstream media, ranging from The New York Times to last year's South Park episode. They assert that 75 million years ago, an evil galactic warlord named Xenu controlled seventy-six planets in this corner of the galaxy, each of which was severely overpopulated. To solve this problem, Xenu rounded up 13.5 trillion beings and then flew them to Earth, where they were dumped into volcanoes around the globe and vaporized with bombs. This scattered their radioactive souls, or thetans, until they were caught in electronic traps set up around the atmosphere and "implanted" with a number of false ideas -- including the concepts of God, Christ and organized religion. Scientologists later learn that many of these entities attached themselves to human beings, where they remain to this day, creating not just the root of all of our emotional and physical problems but the root of all problems of the modern world.

the story is a LOT more crazy than that

*edit* : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenu

Leave it to Rolling Stone to get scooped by South Park.

We need a Xenu movie

Yeah. I read this article. It's pretty bizarre. I like the part that says Tom Cruise is at a Level VIII in the church. Most people take years, apparently, just to get to Level III.

Level VIII allows Tom to manipulate other people's thoughts, move objects with his mind, and move from one dimension to another as well as move through space and time.

No wonder Nicole left him. Who could put up with that shit day in and day out?

j.

What's weird is that i almost believe it. Look at how zombified Katie Holmes is now. I think he is using his scientology mind meld voodoo dark side powers on her.

my god, what a bunch of psychos...

As much as I want to make fun of Scientologists, I don't think they should be mocked for their beliefs. Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, et al. all have their "crazy" points. I say leave 'em alone.

Now now...you guys are just being glib.

Not as crazy as Scientology. I read that article and there was some stuff that was way out there. It seems like a big scam to make money and see how ignorant some people are. To Scientology sounds like something they'd make up for an article in The Onion.

Mormonism is pretty wacky.

Homeboy

I've gone into their offices in Toronto and talked to them. It is a pretty frightening experience. My favourite part was when the guy showed me their picture book of celebrity scientologists. They joined, why shouldn't I?

I recommend that anyone that has an hour to kill in Toronto before the PJ show go north about 1.5 miles on Yonge St. and check out their facility. You will be entertained and maybe a little creeped out to say the least.

Plus, it's free to do as long as you don't buy Dianetics.

anyone else find it odd that you have to pay literally THOUSANDS of dollars to learn about this religion?

I read most of this article a week or two back... but god damn was it long. I fell asleep a page or two before it ended.

I thought this, too. All religion has some pretty unbelievable doctine. But this is just so fat out there it's hard for me not to laugh. At least most religions have some basis in reality. Not to say that they are all historically true, but they are based here in reality.

Alien war-lords, volcanoes, hydrogen bombs? This is wacko crazy talk.

I want to see Tom Cruise move stuff with his mind, however. He's already got me convinced of the thought-control thing.

wasn't there a shit [ apparently one of the worst ever] movie called "Battlefield Earth" a few years back telling the story of scientology? was Xenu in there?

not that i really care though

I was thinking a Scientology video game might be fun. Once you get to level VIII you can start moving shit with your mind and controlling hot, young actresses to have your baby.

Do you think there is a psychological reason that makes celebrities more vulnerable to this type of thing? Like they crave acceptance or a feeling of belonging?

I'm sure there are plenty of real people who are into these wacky religions but I have not met very many of them.

PS we have an old Kmart store that got turned into a weeeiiird church. And there's another church around here called "Flame of Fire" and I was to scream at them for such a redundant name.