#Cult of Scientology victim

[msclaritea]

Harassing someone on social media to the point where they block you is not something to brag about.

All you're doing is making a nuisance of yourself. You're just seen as this annoying nutjob and that's it. Because that's what you are. You're not helping anyone with your behavior. Least of all you. All this anger and bitterness will only make your life even more miserable. When is the last time any of your friends and family offered to spend time with you? I bet they're ignoring you now so they won't have to endure your rants.

I wish I was as Magical, having sent her all of ONE tweet. Alas it seems that Leah has been arbitrarily blocking a shitload of people, for various, self possessed reasons. Meantime:

1. I should have known that Yashar Ali was suspect, with his connection to Huffpost.

2. You sound awfully familiar. Have you sent other messages, to harass people, because they support Benedict Cumberbatch?

[calkale]

i hate when people complain about tom being a scientologist/cultist and their argument is for him to “just leave” like bro its a cult you just said that 😭

[tlaquetzqui]

“This thing you said usually indicates that self-proclaimed Christians are really a cult, also applies to the Latter-Day Saints!”

Well the Latter-Day Saints were founded by a man with multiple fraud convictions and a habit of marrying barely-pubescent girls (and no, that was not a common practice in 19th century America—particularly not the “I just had a revelation from God, polygamy is allowed now” part), who was killed after he declared martial law over his community.

So…no, clearly, nothing cultish going on here at all.

[littlecornerinbrooklyn]

america using the most prominent member in a harmful cult to promote the LA Olympics is actually so on brand for us

America loves cults!!!! our history is CHOCK FULL of weird cults! don't ask a woman her age, a man his salary, or anyone who lived in upstate new york how they had sex in the 1800s!

[blackthornwren]

About "Twin Flames"

If you scroll through the witchcraft, tarot, or divination tags with any sort of regularity, you are bound to come across the mention of Twin Flames - and you may be thinking, “oh, this is just another flaky term for soulmates”. You’re partially right, but it’s also a cult. The Harmonious Twin Flames Universe is a cult that was created by Jeff Divine (formerly known at one point as Ender Ayanethos) and his wife, Shaleia.

Much like Scientology, HTFU aims to take your money by exploiting your weaknesses - specifically, a desire to love and be loved by a soulmate. HTFU relies on similar cult models as L. Ron Hubbard’s Scientology and Keith Raniere’s NXIVM; combining new age concepts with religious belief, as well as multi-level marketing and wellness. Twin Flames recruiters often use YouTube or other social media platforms, offering divination readings using numerology, tarot, angel numbers, etc., to essentially cold read a new recruit and get them interested in the HTFU.

One of the main features in the HTFU is the use of the “mirror exercise” which aims to take any event that left the participant feeling sad or unhappy and re-frame it in a way that places the blame directly on them. It is specifically designed to adjust someone’s thoughts and keep them within the cult, and rapidly becoming more dependent upon it.

How:

By offering courses for “ascension” and instruction on how to “clear blockages”. Participants pay for these classes and begin a cycle of instruction which frames every bad thing in their life as being their fault; and that they must continue to pay for further teachings to remove these spiritual blockages which prevent them from ascending to their more divine self - which will make them deserving of their own perfect Twin Flame.

Additionally, because the HTFU demographic is a majority of women, former members of the cult have stated that the leaders and the readers will attempt to even out this imbalance by informing cishet women that they are actually the embodiment of the divine masculine in their Twin Flame relationship. The gaslighting is real, y’all.

Former members have cited abusive behavior amongst the leaders and inner circle members; this information can be found in books, podcasts, news articles, and documentaries that have been created about the HTFU over the last few years. The point of the cult is to create a vicious cycle of emotional abuse that keeps its victims dependent on expensive classes that give nonsense answers and shift blame back onto the victim, which then keeps them coming back for more.

Why it’s Important:

Current spiritual and witchcraft communities can use similar language - a repetition of jargon and buzzwords that shut down critical thinking. No, witchcraft as it currently stands, does not have a specific cult that I can tell you to watch out for; but it is important to familiarize yourself with the language so that you know what to look for. Influencers can be dangerous; people who put themselves in a position of authority, promising things such as:

-Online attunements, alignments, or initiations. You know how reiki has attunements and you have to pay for them in order to level up your reiki skills? Yeah. That’s because reiki is a holdover from a cult too. The internet has made it so much easier to work these kinds of grifts as well - because everything can be done online, over zoom or a voice call; and well, sometimes it “doesn’t take” and you have to get the ritual done again…for a fee, of course. But hey, maybe you’ll get a discount if the first one didn’t work!

-Things that build dependence such as the promise of exclusive mentoring, healing sessions, guidance and ritual. In and of themselves these are not necessarily a red flag, but it’s how the person behaves, how they attempt to steer a customer’s mind that makes the difference. Do they try to keep you coming back for more? Do they tell you that you are under some kind of attack? Do they make you feel special or chosen?

-Perpetuating an Us versus Them mentality that is both hostile and isolating. A charismatic leader will also portray themselves as a victim of unfair persecution; and with this they look to get you on their side, make you isolate yourself going to extreme lengths to defend and protect them - after all, you may be “the only one they can trust”.

There can also be specific focuses on things like the law of attraction, spiritual hygiene, and paid-for purification rituals to clear your miasma or put you in tune with your higher self/guardian angel/guiding spirits/etc. These practices can be extremely exploitative; not just taking a customer’s money, but also creating a mentality of blame - if things are still going wrong, they feel as though they haven’t been purified enough or they’re not “clean enough” to reach their guardian angel/attunement/higher self/whatever. Additionally, the fear of things like spiritual or psychic attacks, psychic vampirism, or spiritual parasites cultivates this feeling of dependence upon a person who appears to be wise and powerful that can “save” or "protect" the victim.

The capitalism and the consumerism of the current witchcraft community is literally setting us up for a cult. The substantial increase in influencers working to monetize their craft by selling expensive services and classes is already a very good entry point for someone who wants to take things further and create a very dependent, very parasocial, very exploitative relationship with a group of loyal followers.

[ladybracknellssherry]

Neil Gaiman is an abuser and disgusting and no one should still be trying to defend this man. I hope his victims heal and can move forward and I hope they get to see some form of justice. I hope he never gets to abuse anyone again. I hope no one wants to work with him ever again. I hope his son is safe and someone gets him out of that environment.

I already said a lot about this last summer when the tortoise podcast first came out. But since everyone on tumblr has to have an opinion, I have a few to add.

"He wrote Calliope! Why are you surprised?" "He's a Zionist! Why are you surprised?" "He was raised in the Scientology cult! Why are you surprised?" "He-"

No.

The majority of fiction about sensitive / problematic / harmful topics is neither an endorsement nor a confession.

Being terrible in one way doesn't always/necessarily mean you're going be terrible in other ways. This mindset gives "you should have seen the signs" which is kind of a lot reductive and is within spitting distance of the victim blaming county line.

After an SA, someone in my social circle said to my face as ... a joke?... "what did you expect? dude listened to dave matthews band."

???

The signs are always there. Clear as day in the rearview mirror. And those signs can vary greatly. Anything can be a sign if you want it to be, I guess.

Remember when that guy Ted Bundy worked at a Suicide Hotline? The scariest thing to me is that a common sign of violent abusers seems to be an involvement in the causes to HELP victims.

I think we go looking for flashing neon signs like this because, simply, a wolf in sheep's clothing is far more terrifying than a regular ole straightforward wolf.

And this JKR vs. NG discourse? Who is making this a "which terrible person is the more terrible person?" contest? And what the fuck is wrong with you? Hate the artist, love the media. You do you. If you want to denounce great things created by terrible people, put down the phone, tablet, or computer you're reading this on because the guy who invented the transistor was a eugenicist and a racist.

NG acted this progressive, feminist ally type persona in all kinds of ways. And meanwhile was doing terrible shit, abusing and grooming and controlling and manipulating, and ultimately causing a lot of first direct harm, and now that the truth has come out, a huge blast radius of (indirect?) harm.

JKR continues to espouse and encourage vile discourse that fans the flames of transmisia/transphobia, putting trans lives in danger. Joanne spends so much time trying to police and influence the definition of "woman" that she attacks cis women - thus further endangering BOTH trans people and cis women in her crusade to...protect...women.

They've both done horrible things. DIFFERENT HORRIBLE THINGS.

There's nuance, of course. It would be great if we stopped giving these people money. My Good Omens fandom family - I know we're hurting. I really hope you plan on pirating any of the related media you would otherwise stream, going forward. Don't worry about David and Michael, the rest of the cast and crew. They'll be fine.

Fuck all of this "it's not about you." How in the hell? This man is a public figure. The reason we make a big deal about it when public figures abuse their power is BECAUSE THIS IS ABOUT ALL OF US. The world shifts when something like this comes out - AS IT SHOULD. Feeling discomfort or rage or sadness right now is normal. Channel those intense emotions. Figure out how to make constructive use of those emotions to try to help create a safer more nurturing world. And remember why you were forced to face these feelings this time - because Neil Gaiman abused women and those women went through absolute hell but were brave enough and strong enough to come out against such a beloved famous man because they wanted to make him be held accountable. Because they don't want him to get away with this. Because no one else should ever have to go through what they went through. Honor that. Honor what they went through. In NG's case, being such a public figure, the absolute scale of coverage with these allegations and accounts, we can only hope he never gets to victimize anyone else again.

That should be the focus. Not this noise of tangential discourse, not the autistic kid who has a special interest who wants to keep posting fan art on tumblr. That kid hates him too and has already said so.

I get it that when the news first broke in July a lot of folks didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to believe it. There was a lot of rationalizing about the media outlet. Look, denial is one of the stages of grief. Fans were shocked and grieving the death of a figure they respected and looked up to. You don't have to have an unhealthy parasocial relationship with someone to feel betrayed when they do terrible things. And, my god, the time we live in. Misinformation and disinformation is rampant. Wanting more information, wanting to take some time to investigate something you've heard is actually responsible, generally speaking. But a week after that news? Two weeks? A month? 3 months? If you're still defending him, denying these allegations, and wanting more "proof" at this point? Fuck right off, you need psychological help. That's not an insult, that is concern, from a fellow human being. You are unwell. I hope you get better.

Good Omens gave me my joy back after years in abusive relationships, multiple SA's, death after death of people I loved, fucking cancer, medical hell. I can't just turn off the love of this media or the love of this fandom I've connected with. I don't want to turn that off.

I'm not going to say "Neil is an abuser - BUT he helped create my special interest." Because that ain't it. "Neil is an abuser - AND he helped create my special interest." No justifying, no waffling, no moral superiority, no flagellation. These are just two facts.

Believe the victims. Tell everyone you'll ever meet that this guy is scum. Throwing away that book you bought 10 years ago won't fix anything. Believe victims. Donate to or volunteer with DV orgs and shelters. Set and respect boundaries in your lives and fucking check in about consent. Believe victims! Don't be silent when someone you know is being "kinda creepy." Believe victims. And take care of yourselves!

x

[msclaritea]

"Hollywood Ladies & Gentlemen

Adrenochrome 🚫

Cannibalism 🚫

Satanism 🚫

Salma Hayek is married to François-Henri Pinault. The CEO of Kering. The parent company to Balenciaga. The same man responsible for the BDSM children's toys. Who owns an auction site selling ch¡ld s*x mannequins with erect penises, vaginas, and anuses instead of mouths or noses. God knows what Luciferian activities he is involved in.

But keep in mind that Balenciaga's creative director (Demna) resided in Ukraine who became the ambassador of the United24 fundraising platform started by Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Demna also worked very closely with Rachel Chandler. Do you all see how everything is connected? All goes back to child trafficking.

Salma Hayek said she didn't sign a prenuptial agreed with her husband. Why? My guess is that this S. Hayek was his reward or his play toy. As none of those men at that level are dating Hollywood women because they love them truly, madly, and deeply and all the other corny stuff. Because it's a given for them.

Ask Bobby Valentino. He told a former security guard for P. Diddy that he is not even attracted to natural women anymore. Because he could get them so easily that it just became a redundant thing for him. So he now prefer trannies. That is why he was caught with one multiple times years ago.

People the goal of Hollywood is to get you to follow everything that is against God. Everything that is natural. Everything that makes you human. This is why celebrities go out of their way to get you to convert over into doing things that are the opposite of what the Bible teaches. Do you remember that article by 'Wired' published in Oct 2017?

What's Wrong With Eating People?

That was the title of the article. You do not even know you are being groomed to indulge in Satanism. They want you to go against everything God created. Everything that is natural. Everything that makes you devine. This is why you have comedians like Bob Saget joking about P•d•phili♤. This is why Stephen Colbert was promoting Eating insects.

This is why Kim Kardashian said she would do anything to retain her stardom and she would eat fecal matter to do it. This is why celebrities like Mila Kunis said she only bathes her children when she sees dirt on them. America Ferrera said she likes going for days without showering. People they are trying to normalize the detestable." Ariel, Twitter

Salma Hayek as Satanic Pandemonium in From Dusk Til Dawn.

[marisatomay]

oh thank god that other anon brought up scientology bc i need to tell you smth that i think you will empathize with. i do not understand why ppl treat scientologist celebrities (or other non-famous ppl who are in scientology) as evil. they are in a cult. they are brainwashed victims of a cult. they are VICTIMS. this isnt the fucking manson family they havent killed anyone. theyre the ones being hurt. i wish only for the ppl trapped in scientology, famous or not, to be safe and healthy and far away from that cult

This is such a controversial opinion for some reason but yes. I too wish this. And I think if more people knew how cults worked they would be more empathetic about the people in them and also better protect themselves from falling victim to one.

[keybladeciel]

Now for my two cents on the drama that ensued among the Linkin Park Community.

Content Warning: Discussions of sexual assault, Scientology, and suicide

Disclaimer: I do not condone nor encourage the harassment of the individuals or anyone with their own opinion. Additionally, this statement is intended to be read with an open mind and I may be wrong at such details. Any corrections with hard evidence is appreciated. Updates to the situation will be made via reblogs.

Like many LP fans, I was happy that there was a new Linkin Park album in the works and was amazed by Emily Armstrong's vocals in the latest track. However, this news came with some awful drama.

Let's discuss the basics. From Zero will be the first Linkin Park album with newly recorded material in seven years following No More Light, the last album to be recorded prior to Chester Bennington's suicide. To receive news about a truly new album and a new vocalist is enough to excite the LP fandom.

The new vocalist for Linkin Park is Emily Armstrong from Dead Sara. When The Emptiness Machine dropped as the newest single, the controversies of Armstrong's past reared its ugly head and caused a divide in the fandom. Namely, Armstrong was outed as a Scientologist and a supporter of Danny Masterson. Cue many fans being upset, especially detractors of the new direction of Linkin Park going forward.

Armstrong hasn't discussed her views since 2013 and she has recently posted a statement on her involvement with Danny Masterson during the court hearings he was going through. She has stated that she has no longer supported Masterson following him being found guilty of rape and made an Instagram Story of her clearing the air. The hearing she attended to was in 2020. The statement below can be interpreted has her apology for this.

As for her past as a Scientologist, she's a Second Generation Scientologist (meaning she had no say in her being part of the Church of Scientology whatsoever, let alone a religion of people who hate anything negative statements about them) and was called out by one of Masterson's victims. Again, Armstrong hasn't said anything about it since 2013. Scientologists can leave their faith, but it is difficult to do so and there are several restrictions placed by the Church. (Again, they HATE criticism and negative publicity of any kind)

Scientologists tend to ignore the topic of mental health. Many fans were pissed at such a damning revelation and believed that Chester would be upset over this.

Despite this, LP gave their support and Chester's wife, Talinda showed her support in Armstrong being the new vocalist.

As for the Masterson case, many of Masterson's former friends would logically want to see him as a good person, but have cut ties with him following his conviction (Armstrong herself stated that herself. I believe that she flubbed a spot check when her Insta reveals she stills follow Masterson, but dealing with the fallout of a friend being a monster comes with its own baggage). While some have said Armstrong was involved with a confrontation with a victim, there isn't any evidence to prove this.

The instance of Scientology requires a more realistic thought. The Church of Scientology has no problems making the lives of vocal ex-members a living hell with legal battles and frequent harassment. While we can assume Emily Armstrong herself is an ex-member, she can't be vocal about it without a massive shitstorm ensuing, especially if she's part of a band that has several songs dealing with mental health, something that Scientologists actively ignore. Many ex-members have resorted to sneaking out of the Church or even Scientology as a whole in the trunk of a car. Even if Armstrong seems to be in a place to discuss her departure, she still won't be able to without the ire of her former faith. If you analyze the lyrics of The Emptiness Machine, they deal with leaving a toxic enviroment or a cult-like place. In Armstrong's case, it can be interpreted has her stating that she has left the Church without attracting a potential shitstorm, with the lyrics feeling appropriate for leaving such a place.

All in all, this is not how the new era of LP was supposed to go down, but the use of context and media literacy is how we can understand this situation going forward.

[downtherabbitholewithauntieblegh]

Linkin Park/Emily Armstrong Controversy

Y'all paying way too much attention to this Linkin Park business. Move on. Rock and metal are suffering from drama. We're forgetting the music and why we pack into venues and festivals. We're forgetting that band members have families they're away from for months at a time. We're forgetting that suicide, depression, mental illness and addiction are rampant in our business because of the stress. STFU about Linkin Park and let those people move forward. Go to a show, buy a t-shirt, hit the pit and tell all your friends about it.

#inuswetrust always. Peace.

~ AJ Channer (Lead Singer of Fire From the Gods)

So, let's talk about Linkin Park, Emily Armstrong and this controversy. Almost a week ago, Linkin Park premiered a new song along with their new co-singer, Emily Armstrong. Emily is the front woman of the band Dead Sara. The controversy was almost immediate with a huge amount of backlash.

The first round came from Cedric Bixler-Zavala (The Mars Volta) and his wife, Chrissie Carnell-Bixler. The husband-and-wife duo did not hold back with their disdain for Armstrong, her ties to Scientology and her alleged support of convicted rapist, actor Danny Masterson. According to one article, Carnell was a victim of Masterson. Bixler and Carnell are former Scientologists themselves and left years ago.

Armstrong has since come out and apologized for her actions in supporting Masterson, explaining that she went to one court appearance and supported him as an observer to later realize her mistake. Some people, including Bixler and Carnell, say that the apology isn't enough.

Bixler and Carnell released a statement after Armstrong's apology and did not accept it, stating, "If you're not going to speak out against the human and child trafficking cult in which you are a part of and in which you enable by remaining silent on crimes you know about then you have no right to fill the shoes of Chester Bennington, a true advocate."

Mike Shinoda, original founding member, as well as Joe Hahn, have both released statements. Both stated that they support Armstrong and know that having her a part of their band would be a "hard pill to swallow" for most people.

"To say it as clearly as possible, I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathize with the victims of these crimes," Shinoda said as a part of his statement.

That wasn't good enough for Chester's son, Jaime Bennington. Bennington released a scathing statement, denouncing Shinoda and the other original members that are still in the band. Bennington released his statement via Instagram on September 9th. Ever since Bennington made his feelings known, he has been getting death threats from Linkin Park fans.

Some folks are even questioning him and whether he truly understands what his dad would want if Chester were alive today. Bennington highlighted the hypocritical comments, saying if they really understood how his father died, they would realize that their comments are inappropriate and crass.

Bennington was very outspoken with his disdain and blasting Shinoda for betraying their fans by choosing Armstrong as their new singer, especially during International Suicide Awareness month. Bennington addressed Armstrong's alleged ties to Scientology and support for Masterson.

Bixler-Zavala resurfaced some messages, one that showed Armstrong did indeed attend the 2020 preliminary hearing of Masterson. That did hit fans hard, as Chester had openly discussed surviving sexual abuse in the past. Chester passed away back in 2017.

With the drama weighing heavily on everyone involved, Shinoda, Hahn and the others are sticking by Armstrong and their decision to have her as their singer. We cannot take away the noticeable missing original drummer, Rob Bourdon. Bourdon made the choice to not reunite with the band for this new venture.

It just came out that original lead guitarist, Brad Delson, will not be touring with the band moving forward. In a statement by Shinoda, Delson has made the choice to just record with them in the studio and not take part in live performances in the future. Colin Brittain has replaced Bourdon on the drums. Brittain is known for playing with Oh No Fiasco.

Alex Feder has been announced as Delson's replacement for the upcoming tour to support their new album, From Zero.

With all this information provided, people are still divided on whether Linkin Park making a comeback, 2.0 as some people have called it, is a good thing. What people are failing to realize is how hurtful their comments are. Shinoda has stated that they will not be getting rid of Armstrong.

Some fans are saying they should change their name. Something a lot of people agree with. Some are saying they should just not continue on with Linkin Park without Chester. At this point, everyone just needs to take AJ Channer of Fire from the Gods advice. We are forgetting the music. We are forgetting that these musicians have families at home. We are forgetting that suicide, depression, mental illness and addiction run rampant in the music industry.

We are forgetting that they are people like we are. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. If you want to listen to Linkin Park, by all means, listen to Linkin Park. If you don't want to support them, don't. That's the end of that story. How do expect people to heal and move forward when people constantly bring up the past, negative or not?

Everyone's feelings in this situation are real and valid. Don't negate someone's feelings if they don't align with yours. We as a society, we must do better. In the end, it does really matter....

[strangesmallbard]

more thoughts on this later when i’m not at work with a meeting in 15 minutes (irony) but i’m thinking about how scientology is almost certainly an inspiration for lumon and that’s most evident in the child labor situation. in scientology, children are regarded as adults in smaller bodies and there’s a huge history of child labor in the cult. here are some quotes:

“Scientology hijacked our parents’ hearts, minds and time, and it hijacked our childhoods.’ Gordon was never taught how to be a kid. Instead, she was expected to be what Scientologists like to call an “adult in a small body,” taking care of herself, by herself, and repressing the fear, grief and loneliness that came with that.”

-CHILDREN OF SCIENTOLOGY: LIFE AFTER GROWING UP IN AN ALLEGED CULT

“She says she was a victim of ‘hard labour, mental brutality and separation’ on Scientology ships, which were used for the Church's elite band of followers in the 1960s to 1970s.”

“There is a belief in Scientology that normal schooling simply indoctrinates you with social norms and ideologies ... so they prefer to indoctrinate with their own ideologies, with the result that Scientology children, if they manage to leave, are usually unskilled and uneducated.

‘This forces them back into the world they know - in other words Scientology recreates its own labour force,’ she said.”

-Scientology insider's nightmare childhood

[thebreakfastgenie]

I don't know how well people remember this, but before the allegations created a much darker picture of fleeing New Zealand in a hurry, when people online were dunking on Neil Gaiman for violating COVID rules because his marriage was on the rocks, he logged (I think on goodreads) that he was reading a book about BPD and protecting yourself during a divorce.

In hindsight, this was a clear attempt to proactively discredit Amanda Palmer by portraying her as crazy and potentially dangerous. "Protecting yourself" also echoes the classic abuser tactic of painting himself as the victim. Even the pathetic divorced energy dunking may well have been desired, if you read some of his victims' descriptions of how he presented himself to them.

Now, obviously he wanted to discredit Palmer because he was afraid she would expose him. But there is a high chance that he was abusive to Palmer as well. Women are often abused by male spouses and partners and Gaiman is a serial abuser.

Palmer is complicit in helping Gaiman access victims and covering up his abuse for a long time. She should be held accountable for that, especially because she did all this while making feminism a huge part of her public persona. These truths are not mutually exclusive with the possibility that she was also one of his victims. It's especially worth noting that he seems to apply tactics from his youth in Scientology. Many cult members are both abused by leaders and abusive to other followers. It is common for someone in this kind of situation, especially a woman, to be complicit in abuse and a victim of the abuse at the same time.

The point of this post is not "you have to be niceys to Amanda Palmer," I just think it's worth looking at the whole picture here.

[curmemini]

I think a lot of LP fans are being a little bit demanding of Armstrong, to be quite honest. Like whether she is or isn't a part of it - we will likely never know nor are we entitled to that information, because it is incredibly dangerous for anyone to leave a cult, but especially one that has such a history like scientology and especially if one was born into it. It isn't as black and white as fuck cults, as in if you say that but you don't offer any support for victims of cult ideology, it's a pretty flimsy statement. Personally, I don't expect anyone to put their lives on the line so people have a clean consciousness about listening. It is what it is.

[msclaritea]

LEAH REMINI ATTACKS DANNY MASTERSON'S VICTIMS!!

SHE'S A PLANT. I'M TELLING YOU. THE SHIFTIEST THING THAT BAD GUYS (ELITES) DO IS CREATE THEIR OWN ENEMY. NOW, HER COURT CASE HAS FALLEN APART, DUE TO 'CONFLICT'.

LEAH REMINI AND MIKE RINDER ARE DISGUSTING; THE WORST KIND OF GRIFTERS. THEY'VE BEEN PAID MILLIONS, BUT GIVEN THE PUBLIC'S ATTENTION SPAN AND DOUBTS, OVER THE YEARS, ABOUT THE VALIDITY OF THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST #COS LEAH MIGHT AS WELL HAVE GOTTEN ON TV AND READ A BEDTIME STORY.

[mymusingss]

Hey! Just a genuine question, I don't mean as insult, but how can you reconcile being a Tom Cruise fan and the fact he's a member of Scientology? I found myself really liking him and I'm struggling with that

Hi! Look, I have something on my drafts for a while now because I feel that nuance and perspective and all of that are fundamental in all parts of life.

Trigger Warning! This answer will tap lightly on topics of abuse, coercion, blackmailing, and coercive control and abuse.

The thing about this topic is that 1) As a psychologist that has spent considerable time studying cults and how they operate I understand on a theorical and empathetic level that Tom Cruise is a victim of Scientology and that most of people's perspective on it stems from misunderstanding, misinformation and assumptions that as far as my research goes prove to be false.

There are retailings of what Miscaviege would do to Tom Cruise and multiple accounts of the verbal and psychological abuse and coercive control and abuse he'd put him through. From verbal name calling, illegal surveillance and God knows what else.

I have spent more time than I am willing to admit doing research on Miscaviege, Tom and the cult and I have never, ever, came across someone to could claim Tom tried to recruit them, ever.

He hasn't talked about it in over a decade, he hasn't addressed and yet others keep bringing it up like the butt of a joke.

We have no idea what Miscaviege did to Tom, all I can find are hearsay accounts of others that claim he was incredibly abusive, that he'd mock Tom's interests and movies. And also.

Tom has tried to leave once. Wanna know what happened? Miscaviege found out about it and had Tom's former assistant installing surveillance equipment so that he could be watched. That's without taking into account how Scientology recruits it's victims.

And yes, Tom Cruise might be high profile but he is a victim. He just happens to be the most famous one. I think that if you spend more than ten minutes doing research on him, watching his interviews and the interviews of his costar, you'll find he's just a good person who unfortunately got stuck in a terrible position.

I don't know if he's currently with Scientology or not, but I know he can't just leave. Cults kill, they harm, and they are not exactly safe to leave.

All I know, is that he is a victim of a terrible situation and became the butt of the joke and of the good ol' "Why doesn't he leave" harmful af rhetoric and never once tried to fight against it because he know it'd be pointless and he knows who he is and isn't.

[comikel]

You said yourself, A CULT.

A cult he got dragged into by his first wife when he wasn't even old enough to legally drink. When he was a 19 years old that didn't have the hindsight of what Scientology would become.

When he was a vulnerable young person who had just barely made it in Hollywood and that that had no reason to think Scientology was anything other than a religion.

Do y'all think what? That there was a fucking neon sign that said: "Cult here, we are going to brain wash you and torture you and make your life hell and make sure you are isolated?" Bffr.

He tried to leave in the 90s. Wanna know what happened? Miscaviege put surveillance on him, he had his former assistant watching his every move.

Before you act all holier than thou, do so fucking research and understand that even though he is powerful NOW, he wasn't always and fuck off with your sanctimonious bs

Yeah he's the real victim here not all the other people he helped dupe out of their savings. And that's why he hasn't ever said anything bad about the church and continues to be their international poster-boy. And that's why he's one of the highest levels of the church because he's actually not complicit in anything he's ever done. Right?

Calling ME sanctimonious lmao get fucked.