Show me the mania!
No. 1 Scientology fan Tom Cruise goes all out in describing his hard-core dedication to the sci-fi-themed belief system in a video that has surfaced on the Internet.
“It’s rough and tumble! It’s wild and wooly! It’s a blast, it’s a blast, it really is fun, because – damn it – there is nothing better than going out there and fighting the fight and suddenly you see things are better,” Cruise says with bug-eyed intensity during the taped testimonial.
In between moments of cackling laughter and swooping karate chops used for emphasis, Cruise’s most fevered moments come when he talks about the power Scientology gives its practitioners.
“When you drive past an accident, it’s not like anyone else, because when you drive past you know you have to do something about it because you know you’re the only one who can really help,” he says.
“We are the authorities on getting people off drugs, we are the authorities on the mind, we are the authorities on improving conditions. We can rehabilitate criminals. The way to happiness – we can bring peace and unite cultures.”
At one point, the actor says, “It’s our responsibility to create the new reality.”
He confesses that he doesn’t even feel comfortable taking vacations – because he has a duty “to do something” with his higher knowledge.
Set to music reminiscent of the theme to his “Mission: Impossible” flicks, the video is loaded with Scientology buzzwords and appears to be intended for only longtime followers of the L. Ron Hubbard-created faith.
“So they said, ‘Have you met an SP?’ ” he says, breaking into a fit of hyena-like laughter as he discusses enemies of the church known as “suppressive persons.”
“I thought, ‘What a beautiful thing,’ because you know, maybe one day . . . Wow, SPs, you’ll just read about those in the history books, you know.”
Somehow the video emerged on the Internet in recent days, despite apparent efforts by the Church of Scientology to block its spread. Messages left with spokespeople for the church and Cruise were not returned yesterday.
As for those who only dabble in Scientology, Cruise reserves his greatest scorn.
“That’s spectatorism,” he says, “and it’s something that we have no time for right now.”