TresSugar

Front Page: Scientology Secrets Revealed

TresSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:00:56 -0700

A long investigative report on Scientology, which includes interviews with the top defectors, has shed light on some of the church's most secretive and controversial practices. - St. Petersburg Times
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has weighed in on France's burqa debate, saying that the garment is "not welcome" in France. -BBC
Rhianna could testify today at a preliminary hearing in the case against Chris Brown. - AP
After a weekend of intense violence, Iranian authorities have admitted voting discrepancies in 50 cities. - New York Times
Matthew McConaughey and his girlfriend Camila Alves are expecting again. - lilsugar
Philip Markoff, the "Craigslist Killer," is set to be arraigned today. - CNN

French Judge Puts Scientology on Trial For Organized Fraud

LibertySugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:45:00 -0700

The Church of Scientology and seven of its leaders will soon face trial in France for fraud and illegally practicing as pharmacists. French law classifies the Church of Scientology as a strictly commercial organization, and the government conducts surveillance of its operations.

The alleged victim in the case is a woman who signed up for a free Scientology personality test in 1998. She went on to pay 140,000 francs ($30,292) for "purification packages" that included books, an electrometer said to measure her mental state, and church-prescribed drugs. The Church argues that she has since been reimbursed.

The case reignites the debate about whether freedom of religion should extend to Scientology. The outcome of the trial may mean that France bans Scientology altogether. While the French government should protect its citizens from illegal and coercive methods used to attract and retain members of a religion, I think there may be some ready to accuse other religions of "organized fraud."

Source

Kathy Griffin Takes on Tom Cruise

GiggleSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:00:00 -0700

Kathy Griffin appeared on Larry King Live last Friday to promote the return of her Emmy-winning reality show, My Life on the D-List. Given that Kathy has something nasty to say about everyone - minus Anderson Cooper - Larry knew exactly what he was doing when he dragged Tom Cruise into the discussion. He was stepping into a minefield of accusations and slander and . . . invisible alien antennae? Good times!

Another Day, Another Tom Cruise Spoof

GiggleSugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:00:00 -0700

People won't quit with the Tom Cruise impersonations. A couple months back, a vid was released of Tommy boy having an on-camera discussion with heck-knows-who (the mirror?) about Scientology, being "in" or "out," and poof-spik-shoo! The dude below is a dead ringer for Tom and he's done his homework. That part about eating planets is not a joke; it's the only true way to happiness and - poof! - peace on earth. . .

Does Freedom of Religion Exclude Scientology?

LibertySugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:03:05 -0700

Recently, Munich, Germany shut down a Kindergarten because the "well-being of the children in the establishment was under threat because the education process was based on the principles of Scientology." This event highlights the fact that in parts of Europe, freedom of religion does not extend to Scientology, which is not recognized as a religion - some countries even call it a "sect."

The choice of famous Scientologist Tom Cruise to play a well-known Nazi resistance leader, upset many Germans, who compared his infamous Scientology video to Nazi propaganda. Last month, a German court ruled that the government may continue spying on Scientology because the group "seeks to establish a social order that runs counter to the constitution." To get a handle on the sect designation, read more.

In Germany, as in France and other countries, the Church of Scientology has been accused of abusing civil liberties, misleading the public, and fraud. Scientology is considered a "sect" because it allegedly exploits its members financially.

Is it possible to differentiate between a religion and a sect? The question illuminates the difficulty in allowing behavior in the name of religious freedom. When people can justify any activity by claiming religious motivations, societal attempts to regulate behavior are perpetually undermined. Yet dominant religions, like Christianity, may be arbitrarily favored. How do we draw the line between religious persecution and legitimate government goals?

Source

Jerry O'Connell Parodies Tom Cruise: The Outtakes

GiggleSugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:00:00 -0800

We've seen countless impersonators crawl out of the woodwork to make light of Cruise's Scientology babble sesh, but Jerry O'Connell has been the best thus far. He had the crazy laugh, the out-of-this-world sound effects, and the mumbo-jumbo mumble down pat. Of course, this took some practice and a lot of outtakes. Wanna see what fell to the cutting room floor? Trust me, you do.

LOL Tom Cruise

GiggleSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:35:00 -0800

Tom Cruise's creepy-ass Scientology video has finally been made comprehensible. By cats, naturally! I can has ~~captions~~ cat-tions? Yes, you can!

Oh Boy! Another Tom Cruise Parody

GiggleSugar — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0800

The video of Tom Cruise rambling about Scientology was the talk of the Internet last week and the parodies keep rolling in. Jerry O'Connell wanted in on the fun, so he donned his creepiest black turtleneck and sat down for an intimate chat about everything from the writers' strike to KFC to convenient-store bathrooms. He added some mumbling, obnoxious laughing, and sound effects to give this the true Tom touch. Yes - I said sound effects.

New Tom Cruise Video

GiggleSugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 13:00:00 -0800

Charming Craig Ferguson did some sleuthing and found a much shorter and more condensed Tom Cruise/Scientology video. If you don't want to watch the long drawn out one, consider this the Cliffs Notes version. Enjoy!

Thanks, Gawker!

Scientology: A Cram Sesh With Tom Cruise

GiggleSugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 07:00:00 -0800

Curious about Scientology? The following are take-home points from a long-ass discussion with Tom Cruise on the subject. He had a whole lot ~~of nothing~~ to say, so these are the highlights. Grab a pen, take note, and may the force of Xenu be with you! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Bwahahahaha! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!