Political Scientology

As you all know by now, I never miss an opportunity to pass along negative press about the batshit lunacy known as Scientology.

From today's Open Salon:

"In a bizarre turn of events, an Australian Member of Parliament has accused the Church of Scientology of all manner of crimes from the floor of the Senate.

In a senate speech late on Tuesday, independent south Australia senator Nick Xenophon said: 'Scientology is not a religious organisation. It is a criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs.'

The senator tabled letters he received from former Scientology members detailing claims of abuse, false imprisonment, forced abortion, embezzlement and the covering up of children’s deaths.

Xenophon quoted Aaron Saxton, from Perth, who said he engaged in torture and blackmail while working for the church in Australia and at its American headquarters between 1989 and 1996.

'Aaron says women who fell pregnant were taken to offices and bullied to have an abortion. If they refused, they faced demotion and hard labour,' Xenophon said. 'Aaron says one staff member used a coat hanger and self-aborted her child for fear of punishment.'"

Now sure, the name of the Australian MP, "Xenophon," is pretty damn funny given that the name of the supposed evil galactic overlord preached as part of Scientology's silly cosmology is named "Xenu." But what makes this interesting is that once again someone in a high-ranking position in government has brought up the dangerous, unmitigated nonsense that is the Church of Scientology in an official capacity -- ensuring that his claims can't simply be swept under the rug or threatened away by the organization's team of voracious legal pit bulls.

What this story really is, though, is an excuse for me to run the Tom Cruise Scientology video again in its entirety. I swear, I still watch this every once in awhile and it never gets old. It's that fucking crazy.

Seriously, for the rest of Cruise's career -- every time one of his movies hits theaters and you see him doing press for it, seeming completely calm and sane -- just remember that this is the real him: