Scientologists say that Katie Holmes’ indoctrination went against their religion


This story came out earlier in the week and I sat on it for a few reasons. It’s full of Scientology jargon and concepts that are hard to make sense of, and I’ve been reading about the cult for years. As a non-Scientologist, I sort-of understand what Scientology defector and former second-in-command Marty Rathbun is talking about, but I’m sure I don’t fully grasp it on the level of someone who practices. There is some real dirt in here about how Tom Cruise’s best buddy, cult head David Miscavige, personally oversaw Katie Holmes indoctrination in the form of her “auditing” sessions. There’s also some half-confirmation of the rumors we’ve heard that Miscavige inserted Scientology staff into the Holmes-Cruise home so that he could know everything that went on behind closed doors – at least it’s implied.

More than that, and something that may only be very relevant to Scientologists, is that fact that current leader Miscavige gave Katie Holmes some warped, personal version of the Scientology “tech.” That is to say, Miscavige wanted to re-work the Scientology practices as established by L. Ron Hubbard, and made Katie’s indoctrination follow his own view of how it should proceed, which was counter to long-established cult methodology. To us that shit doesn’t matter, I mean I don’t care about that, but to the people who practice Scientology that’s a huge deal and is something that violates their religion.

I think the real takeaway here is that Tom Cruise’s best friend Miscavige was so arrogant that his way was the right way, that he re-interpreted the way their “scripture” was delivered for one of their most high profile new parishioners. (If you’re going to treat it as a legitimate religion that is.) Here’s more, and keep in mind some of this may not make sense on first glance.

David Miscavige has no doubt by now convinced Tom Cruise that yours truly ought to be the target of his ire for Katie Holmes’ splendidly executed split and consequent historic media coverage. After all, he’s already got Cruise’s attorney, the august Bert Fields, alerting the media far and wide claiming to be victim of me.

And just as certainly, as per usual, the real target is David Miscavige himself.

I have learned from very credible sources that David Miscavige quite in addition to infiltrating the household of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise and interjecting his insanity directly into Katie’s life through his undue and unnatural influence over Tom, Miscavige also directly and intentionally saw to it that Katie received squirrel, reverse Scientology as explicitly covered in my book What Is Wrong With Scientology?

Katie’s introduction to Scientology was the Golden Age of Tech II (GAT II) pilot project run directly by Miscavige’s organization (Religious Technology Center – RTC) at the Celebrity Center in Los Angeles. Katie was put at the top of the project’s line up as one of its first unwitting guinea pigs. GAT II’s mission with respect to Tom Cruise’s wife? Put her through Miscavige’s latest brand of Quickie Grades (for a complete explanation of what that entails, see chapter 6 Grades of my book What Is Wrong With Scientology?)

Miscavige’s only two tech trained staff (Anne Joasem – once Rathbun – and Elsie Tucker) personally oversaw every session of it and answered and reported directly to Miscavige, every step of the way. Anne and Elsie cherry picked the processes to run from the huge body of tech for each grade, and Miscavige approved every individual one to be run on Katie.

So, there too is your Golden Age of Tech II news. Apparently, based on his spectacular results with Katie, Miscavige announced recently he was going to unleash his suppression on the planet at large.

In a way, Miscavige did Katie a big favor. Had she been delivered standard grades she might have been more able to withstand the entheta Miscavige brought into her marriage and household. She might also have attributed her wins to the Miscavige administration. The net result would have been that she hang around longer and be effectively spiritually fattened up for a gruesome kill.

This is the conundrum of corporate Scientology and the reason why the ‘church’ of Scientology is dead. You are damned if you and you are damned if you don’t in Scientology Inc.

The bottom line is four-fold:

a) David Miscavige is a squirrel (someone who alters Scientology to the detriment of the people to whom it is applied).

b) Religious Technology Center (RTC) is a squirrel group.

c) Religious Technology Center is a suppressive (sociopathic) group.

d) David Miscavige is a suppressive person.

[From Mark Rathbun’s blog]

That was obviously written for Scientologists, but you get the gist. Miscavige went against their teachings to do his own thing with Katie Holmes, and the traditionalist Scientologists believe it was to her detriment. As an outsider, I don’t see what they believe in or how Scientology goes about practicing their beliefs to be an issue. It doesn’t matter to me if one guy mixes it up. It may seem strange to us, but to each their own. To me the issue is the lack of transparency in Scientology, the human rights violations and the use of intimidation and litigation to suppress enemies and defectors. I don’t care about their religion – that’s their business, I care about how they violate the law and abuse practitioners and their families.

Rathbun addresses this in a new blog entry in which he says that the recent PR crisis for Scientology, and Miscavige’s attacking, lying response, is bringing down the entire religion, not just the organization. To people like him, who still see value in Scientology as a practice, it’s not fair because no one makes a differentiation between the religion and the criminal way it’s managed. Is there really a way to differentiate, though? It’s not like you can walk in and out of a Scientology “church,” or casually take a class on it. It’s never been set up that way. From what people have said who have had even minor brushes with Scientology, they will harass you for years. I doubt there’s any way to take whatever’s good and useful about their spiritual practices and separate it from the “bad.” L. Ron was a shyster and he’s the one who came up with their “Fair Game” concept and their war on psychiatry. Their cult-ness and mistrust of others is embedded in their origins. But maybe they’ll be able to separate from that at some point, thanks to people like Rathbun who are going public.

Here’s Katie outside spinning on 7-18 and with Suri on 7-15. Credit: Fame

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

97 Responses to “Scientologists say that Katie Holmes’ indoctrination went against their religion”

Comments are Closed

We close comments on older posts to fight comment spam.

  1. the original bellaluna says:

    WOW. They are really playing up this Poor Little Rich Cult woe-is-persecuted-me BS, aren’t they?

    Have they hire St. Linnocent The Persecuted’s PR team? (WO, a bottle of vodka, a few grams, and what’s-his-face.)

    • corny says:

      oh lordy lordy the horrid boots are back on her feet

      • flan says:

        @Corny.

        What does that have to do with Belladonna’s comment?

        Or is replying to her just a trick to get to be one of the first comments people see.

      • Kath says:

        “Traditionalist Scientologists”???!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes, SUCH a rich tradition of made-up sci fi nonsense going waaaayy back to the 1950s.

        This is the problem I have with Marty Rathbun. He criticises Miscavige’s leadership, but (a) doesn’t apologise for his own role and behaviour while in the cult; and (b) continues to defend the so-called “tech” – despite the fact that it is clearly and transparently utter bollocks.

        I have been fascinated with $cientology for years and have read much of the original “tech” and it is the BIGGEST PILE OF MANURE I have ever come across.

        For a so-called “writer”, LRH couldn’t string a sentence together to save himself, and most of it is riddled with grammatical errors and ludicrous misunderstandings of what words actually mean. In some cases you can see where he has attempted to appropriate an existing word, but often it is clear that what he THINKS a word means is completely off base. Makes me thinks that you would have to be an illiterate moron to believe this stuff. (Hi Tom!). Now I guess we know why $cientology likes to keep its next generation uneducated.

        Also, LRH’s lack of even a basic understanding of science shines through, despite the attempt to give $cientology the veneer of “ooohh, this is so ‘scientific'”. Bitch, please.

        I love how he styled himself as a physicist and war hero, despite the fact that he failed any attempt at studying a single science subject and was a joke in the Army Reserve.

        Marty Rathbun’s website is full of so-called “independents” who are still earnestly spewing this crap. That’s what worries me. They think that Miscavige is the only real problem and LRH was a visionary. Ugh.

      • Kath says:

        Whoops, sorry, meant to post my rant in answer to Az (July 19, 2012 at 12:11 pm) underneath. Sorry to be off topic.

      • Kath says:

        Whoops, sorry, I meant to post my rant in answer to Az (July 19, 2012 at 12:11 pm) underneath. Sorry to be off topic.

  2. Az says:

    So Marty Rathbun is the Martin Luther of Scientology now?

    • Celebitchy says:

      He has said it’s like the reformation for Scientology. Who knows. At least someone is consistently calling them out on it.

      • Anne de Vries says:

        I used to be really anti Indie/Freezone, because I consider much of what The Hubbs wrote to be toxic and/or bullshit designed to further his goal of getting really rich.

        But.. I have come around. Stopping the abusive practices is the primary goal, and the Indies are obviously hitting a nerve not just with the Co$ bigwigs, but especially with the public scientologists.

        If people like Rathburn are willing to look at not just leaving Miscavige behind but also at navigating Hubbses writing to take the parts that work for them but leave the toxic bits behind.. more power to ’em. You wanna hold on to a pair of cans while you make a confession? It’s no weirder to me than talking to a guy in the sky. Go right ahead if it makes you feel better.

        The ‘Selectively adopting LRHs ideas’ thing is a long way off though. There is NO leeway on interpretation in Co$ – The Source aka LRH is holy. And most of the people in the Indie movement haven’t been out long – it will take at least 10 years for the collective strangehold of the cultish thinking to ease off. Hopefully it will, and they will eventually come to see LRHs writing as not something that should be taken absolutely literally, but as something that holds abstract concepts that help them.

      • CC says:

        @Anne de Vries

        Amen to that.

        Not that I particularly care, it’s like uhhh…. if Adam was the first man and Eve was the first woman, and Cain murdered Abel, where did the rest of the world come from? You’re in trouble if you take it literally. I actually now of someone that let Jehovah’s witnesses into their home just to ask them this. Apparently they didn’t say a word and left quietly after a few minutes.

      • anon33 says:

        @CC: OMG awesome!! I love that, lol

  3. paola says:

    everybody should be entitled to their own opinion without being stalked or blackmailed. This Co$ stuff is getting crazier and crazier, I can’t wait for the authorities to finally say it is illegal and it should be prosecuted. Everything that comes with brainwashing can’t be good.

    • Genevieve says:

      Here, here! At some point, the Feds have GOT to start investigating the tax issues, the human rights violations, the harassment and stalking of the so-called “Squirrels” (those who leave the current Miscavige regime to practice on their own). What on earth will it take? People have been “disappeared”, died under mysterious circumstances….under normal circumstances, all these crimes would be investigated by Federal authorities. Why is nobody blowing the lid off of CO$?!

      Maybe someone could beg counsel from Angelina Jolie. These types of human rights violations are what she positively LIVES to bring to light on foreign soil. C’mon, Ange…how about helping out in your own backyard? If her name and press machine were attached to exposing $cientology, THEN we might get some traction.

      Angelina, lend your altruism to exposing the illegalities of the cult of CO$ under David Miscavige’s reign of terror. Am I simply dotty, or is there anyone out there who thinks this would be a great way to shine a flashlight on CO$

      I just do NOT want interest in the illegal activities of this cult to disappear now that Katie and Suri have gotten their lives back. Hundreds of CO$ members and their families have not, and need closure also. Any thoughts, people?

      • amurph says:

        I wonder all the time why there haven’t been any investigations into the very questionable Co$ practices. Is it because they were given “church” status by the IRS and they seemingly can throw the “we have the right to practice our religion!” card into the mix whenever the authorities sniff around? Is it that they pay off the people who would investigate it or throw a smokescreen? I think it might be a combo of that since a number of their facilities are in the middle of east bum nowhere and they’ve managed to pay off the local law enforcement. I remember reading a number of accounts of people who’ve gotten away who had to climb over barbed-wire fences and run miles to get to town. One was a married couple who had been forced to divorce once the husband was deemed an SP. The wife tried to escape and was brought back by the local sheriff. Basically, you want to get out, you have to almost run away or get help from people who have already gotten out. It’s so secretive and crazy. Still, how are there no investigations going on?

      • TrustMeOnThis says:

        The FBI started an investigation (and apparently intended to raid one of the bases!) but it was spiked from the top. This is described over on the VV site.

        My hope is that between the hugely increased public awareness from Katie’s Great Escape and the timing of the investigation into the (criminally negligent, at LEAST) death of Alexander Jentszch by the LAPD that it will become increasingly obvious that it needs to repoen. “But it’s a religion” is NOT a defense against criminal charges!

  4. benny says:

    So the church will make Miscavige their scapegoat. Why even bother? The rest of us aren’t buying it (that it’s ONE rogue man who’s to blame, not the cult itself), and the people in the cult can’t see reality anyway or they wouldn’t be in the cult in the first place. So really, why bother?

    • gg says:

      The thing is, he’s like their CEO and to begin charges, you have to blame a person. DM himself has also been alleged to order beatings and a myriad of human rights violations, so yes, I would say blame him, for starters, and then go down the line; meanwhile, have a clean tax examination, and also a federal investigation on the org as a whole. I am not alone in the desire to see Misgavige thrown in jail forever for his crimes. I mean, the spying alone, he oversaw it and it’s illegal. That’s only the tip of the iceberg.

      I think Rathbun’s condemnation of DM is right. It illustrates Misgavige’s wonton disregard disregard for co$ employees and power hungry practices. he’s a scary little megalomaniac and needs to be stopped and deposed from the co$, first and foremost. Then go for the rest of the infractors.

    • Lady D says:

      Question: If Miscavige gets ousted, does Tom become the HBIC?

      • Chicagogurl17 says:

        .

      • Chicagogurl17 says:

        Oh that’s scary unless he will he run it into the ground like his recent career.

      • TrustMeOnThis says:

        If Miss Cabbage is ousted (or arrested) the Co$ will be in a HUGE disarray – he’s been micromanaging and driving people away for years and no one else has much of any authority. It’ll be like the proverbial headless chicken.

        Is it really schadenfreude if they deserve it?

  5. moo says:

    I, for one, am really glad Katie is taking control of her life and her child and not letting these people intimidate her. She seems so much happier, and that’s all that really should matter. I hope Tom and his cult bug off and stay away and do what’s right for Suri and not their twisted cult.

    • TrustMeOnThis says:

      +1!

      Also really appreciating the intelligent coverage here! I love that it takes a gossip site to do what the mainstream media is too scared to go near. This is a huge story and it is not going away.

      • womanfromthenorth says:

        +2

      • DottieDot says:

        Right on!

      • Lizzie K says:

        +3 (or 4, after Dottie)

        CB, you guys really have been a beacon on this story — I am so impressed with your fearlessness in covering all the less-than-flattering aspects of Co$. It’s why I come here for celeb news and ignore shills like People mag. Thanks!

  6. Rthompspn says:

    Would Katie just throw out those ugly wanna be boots already! They ruin every outfit she wears.

  7. hayley says:

    her outfit (red jacket) is ADORABLE. it’s crazy how much more awesome she already looks since ditching Tom. go Katie!!

  8. Mg says:

    Why does Suri always look so unhappy? Is it just me or have we never seen pics of her smiling? Seems like such a waste of a childhood.

    • moo says:

      I think Suri’s already had a pretty tough childhood…. Can you just imagine what it was like in that household?? She should brighten up now.

    • LadyJane says:

      Yes, she is the most unhappy looking child. And I know there are photogs around and she hates them, but even on the seeming far-away shots she often looks very angry. I guess children who are spoiled rotten often are very unhappy. I feel sorry for the little girl.

    • jazzmin says:

      Mg, Suri has a wonderful childhood, she has been allowed to do whatever she wants. She has never heard the word NO! until now. That miserable pout you see is her mother giving her something that all kids need: DISCIPLINE, STRUCTURE AND THE GOOD OLD FASHION NO! that word works wonders. Katie has her work cut out for her. Suri has been spoiled by Tom, hopefully it is not too late.

      • carlino altoviti says:

        When she was 2 or 3 she was happy and smiling, but now she needs to have friends and to live a normal life.

    • Snowangel says:

      I find spoiled children are often very unhappy. They are always thinking about what they want to have next. Their next large ice cream cone, or next cell phone, or next lap top. When they get what they want they are happy for about 30 seconds and then they are off to ask for something else.

      • gg says:

        Right. And spoiled kids know that if they make a disgruntled face, then the indulgent mommy and daddy will give her something to make her stop making the face. So she’s learned that she gets more if she looks pissed, than if she’s happy and smiling.

        She is going to be hell on wheels when she gets in school and realizes that she’s just one of the pack. I feel for the teachers.

    • LahdidahBaby says:

      That pic was taken outside the pet store they had just left, where Katie told Suri “No” to the puppy Suri wanted. I think Suri isn’t used to hearing NO. Maybe now, if the paps will just leave them alone, Suri can have a normal childhood: not getting everything she demands, and not having to cower in fear of yelling strangers pursuing them with cameras every time her mother takes her out of their home.

  9. ladybert62 says:

    That child always seems to have a snarl or a pout or a depressed look on her face. Hopefully this will change.

  10. Jaded says:

    David Miscavige has been “going rogue” for a number of years now. He’s a certifiable, celebrity-worshiping megalomaniac with a severe case of narcissistic personality disorder and a side order of Napoleonic complex. Scientology always has been a brain-washing money-sucking cult but he’s taken it to new levels of violence and persecution. Time for him to disappear on RPF duty and lick toilets clean for a few years.

    • Hautie says:

      I am beginning to wonder if Miscavige is about to end up in that hole.

      That hole he is so fond of sending people to… the one that no one escapes from on that creepy compound.

      I would not be surprised, if within the next 18 months, that mutiny breaks out over at the Cult’s LA Center.

      Because behind every crazy sociopath leader, is a budding one. Wanting to take over.

  11. RHONYC says:

    in pic#2:

    Suri: but mommy, why-oh-why can’t we get more mango ice cream to have for dinner at midnight…whyyy? daddy always lets me. hmp!

    Katie: *giggling* sweetie, i don’t give a flying fig what daddy let you do.
    you’ll eat your Whole Foods Spaghettios dinner at 6 sharp lil’ missy & noooo pouting or no slumber party with the twins tonight. got that pumpkin? 😉

    • jazzmin says:

      LOL!! ha ha Suri is a spoil little girl. It will be a battle for Katie teaching her daughter discipline while Tom lets her do whatever she wants.

  12. the original bellaluna says:

    Well, Rathbun, CO$ wanted to be a “church.” Welcome to it.

    When one highly ranked member of (or person of authority in) a church does something wrong, it reflects on the entire church. (see: Catholic molestation scandal)

    DISCLAIMER: I am in NO way equating CO$ and/or their practises with Catholicism; that’s just the first example that came to mind.

    • Angel says:

      +1

    • AnnieN says:

      Hahaha! Don’t you just love having to have disclaimers now?

      On another note, so sorry about Kitteh and hope toddles is doing OK. When some furry child passes I always think about that little clip of Flealick from Babe. He sheds his little wheelchair to chase butterflies in that flowery meadow. He only passes for a moment but I like to think that’s where they go 🙂

      • the original bellaluna says:

        Thank you AnnieN. He’s still asking for her, and this a.m. my other kitteh came into the bedroom to screameow at me. (I tried to explain it to her, but I guess she’s miffed because she didn’t get to say goodbye.)

        I never thought I’d need a disclaimer as a simple commentor, but it seems some threads get contentious. I’d rather just avoid that. 🙂

    • Genevieve says:

      Bella…I meant to ask about your dear kitty in a thread you started last night, but stupidly forgot, in the tsunami that is my life recently. I take it the news is not happy? I am SO awfully sorry :(…I know it’s really, really difficult for a family to lose one of its members. My heart is with you, and my furry creature’s, too. Be well, my CB friend ((()))

      • the original bellaluna says:

        Genevieve – No, not good for my stupid self, who figured she’d live forever. But she was 20, and she had a good life. I just hoped she’d die in her sleep, cuddled into bed with her people (us).

        Thank you so much to my CB sisters for the love. 🙂

        I hope your tsunami life is not bad – everything okay?

  13. carolyn says:

    suri has the face of one spoiled little child.

  14. Shoes says:

    I think Scientology is a bunch of hooey, and obviously the harassment ans human rights violations are evil, but if there are people who find comfort in grasping some tim cans and getting their audited, then i don’t have any objection to that. Rathbun’s point is that you CAN separate the “tech” or whatever from Miscavige’s organization. There are “free” or “independent” Scientologists who realized how shady the operation is, but who still like the self-help stuff. There was an entire “mission” in Isreal that defected. So it’s theoretically possible to experience some of the “teachings” of CoS without all of the BS and harassment.

  15. carlino altoviti says:

    This only means that Miscavige has failed. They can not say that Scentology’s technology has failed, the responsibility is leaning against Miscavige.
    In fact Kate has a strong personality and has resisted the brainwashing, but also with Nicole did not work well.
    Scientology does not admit the failure of his techniques and look for a culprit.

  16. Flea says:

    Scientology has a war on psychiatry because they use psychology to brainwash members. If a member visited a psychiatrist or actually read up on psychiatry they would be “realitied” out of the trance of Scientology. Pretty sure the only part of Scientology that “works” is the psychological therapy-like counseling.

  17. Anna says:

    The problem with “mixing it up” is that for Scientologists, LRH’s words and writings are scripture and cannot be deviated from. Everything he put out there is set in stone for traditional Scientologists and nothing may be altered, whether in writing or in spoken form. Essentially, Miscavige would’ve violated one of the most “sacred” beliefs Scientologists hold and it’s twice as bad because he’s supposed to be the Keeper of the Grail, so to speak.
    I love how Rathbun says that Miscavige’s abbreviated, VIP version of Co$ is what ultimately may have saved Katie from fully buying into this cult. He may be on to something here and it’s fascinating because if any of this (and in that I include the very true assessment that Miscavige is bending the rules for Tom by not making him go through disconnection with Katie and Suri) really does trickle down to the normal, lower-level Scientologists, Miscavige will have been the reason the Church started crumbling from within. And that’s what we need to hope for. Sadly, “good” Scientologists are indoctrinated to shield themselves from all entheta in the media, so this might still take a long while. But we might be seeing the beginning of the end of Co$ here. We might.

  18. foozy says:

    suri looks happier with her dad

    • Linda says:

      …because he lets her do whatever the hell she wants.

    • littlestar says:

      No she doesn’t. She looks much happier with Katie doing kid things she hadn’t been allowed to do before with Tom. Example – playing with other children.

    • AnnieN says:

      how can you tell? we never see her face.

      Unless you are that lady that was standing behind them in that unfortunate top?

      Please let Tommy know we are all on to him. The best PR strategy for him now would be to leave the cult. Join the Israelis as Independent if he wishes to continue to practice. I’m not against him practicing his “religion” if he so wishes. Just stop supporting the cultish human rights abuses, the murders, the child abuse, the familial alienation, and all the other despicable activity.

      And apologize! A statement that he doesn’t support DM’s madness would be nice too 🙂

      • Aria says:

        +1

        Besides Suri looked the happiest in her zoo visit. She seems to be an animal person.

    • gg says:

      floozy, why do you insist on coming on here and making the same idiotic statements over and over? It’s obnoxious.

      You are brain dead. Find something else to do.

    • Genevieve says:

      Hi foozy…how’s Xenu these days? 😀

    • Miss S Ippi says:

      Puh-leeze…and good for Katie and her Midwest roots. Saying NO will be good for her. It’s not too late to undo the damage. In 15 years, she will resent Tiny Tom for his indulgences.

  19. the original bellaluna says:

    Ladies, no feeding the trolls on this thread, please.

    • Izzy says:

      I’m not defending $cientology at all, as a practice or a ‘church,’ but it did occur to me one day (fleetingly – I do not spend a lot of time worrying about this) that WHEN (not if) the Church of $cientology falls, a whole flock of sheep will be without a shepherd. And this bothers me because in power, where there is a vacuum, someone will always step up to fill it, and in power with a history of abuse, that someone who steps up is often worse than the predecessor.

      At any rate, not worrying overmuch, cuz like I’ve said before, I’m Jewish. And stayin’ that way.

      Karmakaze, anyone? It’s after noon here…

      • the original bellaluna says:

        You know, I was actually pondering (just this a.m. in fact) who DM’s replacement would be. (Tommy D is out of the picture and TC is one of the top 3, right?)

        Most importantly, would DM’s replacement be another tiny tyrant; is the devil you know better than the one you don’t?

        Who’s to say the replacement wouldn’t be worse? Look at the previous examples set…

        Karmakaze would be great, and it’s after noon, here too.

      • Emily says:

        The only possible replacement for leader is someone every bit as bad as both Miscavige and L. Ron Hubbard. Because it’s a cult, and as Hubbard himself said, the only way to control people is to lie to them.

      • Anne de Vries says:

        That’s why I think a strong Indie movement is good. The more people are on the outside, practising scientology at home or with people they know and without leader, the more likely I think it is that if the Co$ falls many scientologists will continue Indie style.

        Actually, no. There is SO MUCH MONEY in the cult that there are bound to be contenders for new Ultimate Leader. *sigh*

  20. NYCGAL says:

    First off, just want to say I am an avid fan of Celebitchy and come here every day for gossip.
    Just a note on the word “shyster” though-the use of the word “shyster” to describe someone has strong anti-Semitic connotations, even if literally it was derived from “deceptive” or “unethical” practice of lawyers. It is slang that has a double meaning, instead of straightforward slang terms like “shady” which isn’t associated with any one group.

    Just something to think about.
    Here is an interesting article that discusses this issue:
    http://www.entish.org/wordpress/?p=604

  21. Talie says:

    I honestly don’t see how Tom will continue to keep up a tight bond with Suri. In public every once in awhile because he has to…but he has to be getting so much heat and the church as well, from people who are cut off from “SP’s”. Why isn’t he?

    • gg says:

      He’s untouchable to any of the $cilons. Just more of the lies. And he’s not about parenting, he’s about his own image and his work and that’s it.

  22. grayze says:

    I know that yes, Suri’s probably spoiled and yes, this is a difficult transition, and yes, she’ll have trouble with it (even though it will be good for her).

    But it’s…okay…for little girls not to smile, or even for them to look grouchy or unhappy, you know?

    Maybe I’m just sensitive to it because I had a pretty freaking happy childhood but I was never a big smiler, and I remember grownups constantly admonishing me to “smile, sweetie, you’re so pretty!” which was really shorthand for “you don’t act like we think a cute little girl should act.”

    • Boo says:

      True that. I was not a smiley child either, even though I was not unhappy. It used to piss me off something fierce to be told to smile all the time. Fuck off!

    • Emily says:

      This.

      It’s okay for girls and women not to smile. We don’t actually exist to please other people.

    • The Other Katherine says:

      Hear, hear.

    • Anne de Vries says:

      YES! People don’t exist as decoration or set dressing for other people’s lives.

  23. Aria says:

    I’m so glad Katie left Tom Crazy for good. He’s such a creepy guy. Sinister! It’s shame Suri has to be alone with him.

  24. dorothy says:

    I don’t know many people that after all that has come out would trust TC with a child. The possibility of being influenced by him and his gang of crazies is high.

  25. Katyusha says:

    All this reminds me of “Sleeping with the Enemy.” I bet she had to make sure all the can labels were facing outward.

  26. Tara says:

    “I don’t care about their religion – that’s their business, I care about how they violate the law and abuse practitioners and their families.”

    ^^this^^ … CB I love you.

  27. Emily says:

    The independent Scientologists have a vested interest in blaming everything on Miscavige. They like to pretend that L. Ron Hubbard was a good and brilliant person when he was actually a vile, lying, abusive con man. They like to pretend that the “tech” (really nonsense dreamed up by a con man) can save anyone, and that anyone would benefit from it.

    • gg says:

      You forgot “blithering, drooling drug addict who was kept in a room away from the public so he could be abused by his own followers who were usurping his authority.”

      • Emily says:

        Well, yes, but that was later on :D.

        LRH designed Scientology in such a way that the end of his life would inevitably be hell on earth.

      • the original bellaluna says:

        And schizophrenic, gg. Don’t forget that.

    • Anne de Vries says:

      I agree, but blaming it all on Miscavige is for many people the first step out of cultish thinking. A lot of them will unfortunately stay at that point, but without the constant reinforcement from the official cult leaders, over time the movement is likely to drift away from rigid adherence to Hubbses word.

      I would rather everybody just saw the light, but that just won’t happen. Lots of people going Indie and practicing scientology in a way that works for them but isn’t abusive or toxic is the next best thing. If it’s just a weird religion, I have no problem with it – there’s lots of those around.

  28. marlod says:

    Does the movie The Firm ring any bells Tom?

  29. Miss S Ippi says:

    I could puke at this week’s People magazine. How much Scientology $ does it take to paint Tiny Tom as the victim? Keep going forward, Katie…

  30. Cam S says:

    If David Miscavage can rewrite his religion, then was it REALLY a religion to begin with?
    I’ll never get Scientology or the drones that adhere to the pyramid scam

    DID MARTY RATHBURN CALL DAVID MISCAVAGE A SUPPRESSIVE PERSON???? OOOOHH- SH*T JUST GOT REAL YA’LL

  31. erika says:

    good lord (no pun intended!) this ‘religion’ is so damn complicated! Reading that info about….i don’t even know to me is like i’m back in high school geometry but in this case, geometry is my religion…I’m LOST.

    Wow..CO$ sounds like a highly political, scandalous, deceptive, unfair religion to be a part of.

    when do they have time to get down to the ‘good stuff? the sip of wine (yummy!), the bible school bake sale, the shaking of hands and turning to your nieghboring pew to say ‘peace be with you’ ‘and you’ the choir singing Hallejulah!…?

    whatever…I’m happy Katie/suri are out and i hope it only gets better.

    there…how easy was that?

  32. DanaG says:

    Does this mean David M could find himself in his own little prison he set up for those who didn’t meet his standards? Or will he just disappear like his wife did? What will Tom C do then? Lot’s of questions as always. I would hope that some of those in Scientology listen to those who have left. Katie clearly didn’t take to David’s teachings he has a lot to answer for. But will he?

    • Anne de Vries says:

      Nothing will happen to him. Nobody inside the cult can touch Miscavige. He has ultimate power.

  33. Liza Jane says:

    I just finished watching a CBC documentary,in Canada, about Scientology ‘ escapees’ which featured the interviewer ( who I think was British) talking to Tommy Davis. First time I had ever seen the latter. Weird to think he is now missing? He was of course denying everything, but I am guessing was having to watch all the segments( many from Australia) about teenagers and kids being separated from their parents, some escapes, the stories of forced abortions etc..very compelling stuff. My wish is that there is a related story on TV every night to keep this in the forefront of everyone’s conscious so that eventually the whole House of Cards falls down. People should keep watching,keep harassing the media and forcing the authorities to really take note.

  34. Dee says:

    DM is disgusting and should be in jail. The Germans refuse to recognize them. They are flooding Los Angeles I read. Is that another reason Katie moved to NY? Next is Clearwater in Florida. From what I read about the founder of Scientology it scares me and he made up a religion to get rich . If so all these people are practicing what? Scary?

  35. aussie says:

    I’m glad you wrote this post, for all the jokes and whatever people want to think, COS is imploding and they have done some very serious harm to many people. What they do is dehumanising. I hope justice prevails for the victims and survivors. People really do suffer when a cult is busted.

    What I do wonder is..does the poster boy for COS, Tom know? He is surrounded by hardcore COS and lives in a self imposed bubble.
    Does he know how many high profile people have left COS, not just in the last four years but in the last few weeks? Does he know how many court cases are occurring?

    The ship is being deserted, his third marriage has just failed, and, I find this interesting and amusing.. apparently he has seen “The Master”, and he’s still grinning, madly …Hmm..