Humanism, atheism and other freedoms

Alleged actor Tom Cruise, while busily promoting his latest movie, is claiming that he has been forced into hiding following death threats from opponents of Scientology. According to ‘sources’, Cruise has called in the FBI to provide him and his family with protection.

The Mail on Sunday reported that Cruise and his wife, Katie Holmes (also a Scientology cult member) now live separately and go everywhere in bomb-proof vehicles.

Quite what the FBI can do for them is a moot point. The grotesquely overpaid Cruise can afford much better protection than the cash-strapped Bureau could provide.

Of course, Cruise is in need of some publicity for his movie, Valkyrie, which has come in for some considerable criticism. And paranoia is not unknown among fabulously wealthy actors. As Hemingway put it, “Fear of death increases in exact proportion to increase in wealth.” As YouTube videos and appearances on Oprah have confirmed, Cruise isn’t always in full control of his emotions.

The people who allegedly have Cruise wetting his pants are the members of Anonymous – the net-based loose association of anti-Scientologists notorious for extreme acts of … well, wearing masks. Maybe a bit of hacking. But, of course, if you want to crush opposition in these paranoid times, one effective method is to brand your opponents as terrorists. This is, undoubtedly, what the Scientologists are up to.

The Church of Scientology is not known for its honesty, ethics or morality when it comes to those who oppose it. As the Religion News Blog points out, if the stories of ex-members are to be believed, the cult itself isn’t above savage, vindictive and illegal acts.

So, it would probably be safe to treat Cruise’s claims as: a) publicity; b) paranoia; c) an attempt to silence the opposition with lies; d) pure fantasy; or e) all of the above. Unless, of course, Cruise can produce any evidence. But then, evidence doesn’t play a strong part in the lives of religious cult members.