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Tag: Going Clear

  • John Travolta on Scientology: It’s ‘Not Understood’

    John Travolta appeared on Good Morning America on Monday, and the topic, of course, turned to Scientology. He was there to promote his new film, The Purger, but seemed to have quite an agenda regarding his religion, too.

    “People really need to take time and read a book. You know, that’s my advice. You can read New Slant on Life, you can read Dianetics,” he said. “I think if you really read it, you’ll understand it, but unless you do that, you’ll speculate, and I think that’s a mistake to do that.”

    It was only a couple of weeks ago that HBO aired Going Clear, a documentary that resulted in many questions about Scientology. Alleged abuses by the church are at the center of the documentary, which features former members of the organization who are highly critical of its practices. It even references John Travolta.

    The Church of Scientology’s own publication, Freedom, says that Going Clear is “glorifying admitted liars” and that the film and the book that inspired it are “transparent vehicles for their vendettas against all religion and people of faith.”

    John Travolta offered his own explanation during his GMA interview Monday about why Scientology comes under so much scrutiny and criticism.

    “Sometimes when something really works well, it becomes a target,” he said. “You know, 40 years for me, I’ve been part, and I’ve loved every minute of it.”

    His family has also done well with Scientology, John Travolta claims.

    “I’ve saved lives with it,” he said. “Saved my own life several times. Through my loss of my son [Jett, in 2009], it helped me every step of the way for two years solid.”

    What’s your take on Scientology? Do you believe people like John Travolta or do you think they’ve been brainwashed? Is the ‘religion’ a haven for wealthy Hollywood types like Travolta and Tom Cruise?

    Even if you’re not a proponent of Scientology, you may still wish to check out John Travolta in his upcoming film. The Forger opens in theaters on Friday.

  • John Travolta Defends Scientology After Going Clear Documentary

    John Travolta is not jumping on the bash-Scientology bandwagon.

    When the HBO documentary Going Clear hit, it roped one of the biggest documentary audiences of all time. People came out of the woodwork to express shock at what the documentary represented Scientology as being like.

    Former Scientologists like Leah Remini spoke up about the documentary, agreeing with its stance.

    “They say they’re loving, caring, non-judgmental people,” Remini said of Scientology, “but secretly, they were judging the world for not believing what they believed. To me, that is not a spiritual person. That’s a judgmental person.”

    She tweeted:

    When the Tampa Bay Times asked John Travolta to give his take on the debate, he took a different side.

    “I haven’t experienced anything that the hearsay has (claimed), so why would I communicate something that wasn’t true for me? It wouldn’t make sense, nor would it for Tom [Cruise], I imagine.”

    John Travolta called Going Clear a product of “people who were disgruntled with their experiences” with Scientology. In contrast, he says, “I’ve been so happy with my (Scientology) experience in the last 40 years that I really don’t have anything to say that would shed light on something so decidedly negative.”

    John Travolta said that he has used his Scientology beliefs to help others.

    “I’ve helped so many people through hard times. Loss of children, loved ones, physical illnesses. Through many tough, tough life situations I’ve used the technology to support them and help them. It’s always worked. So, why would I even approach a negative perspective? That would be a crime to me, personally, to do that.”

  • Priscilla Presley and Her Alleged Scientologist Lover

    Priscilla Presley finds herself at the center of the latest rumor involving Scientology and the odd way things are said to be handled within the organization.

    According to a report in a recent edition of The Enquirer, a source for the magazine has read a top-secret church document within the Scientology archives that outlines an affair between Priscilla Presley and a high-ranking “auditor” within the church.

    “He was auditing her, and then they were sleeping together,” the source told Enquirer.

    Auditing has nothing to do with financial records, but is a counseling session that uses an electronic device patented by the Church of Scientology to supposedly help people release emotional baggage.

    According to Enquirer, persons conducting audits are tasked with helping a person achieve a state called “clear,” when all such emotional baggage — and the alien souls that accompany them — are removed. A person who has not completed this process is called “pre-clear.”

    The Enquirer found the former Scientologist referred to in the documents. He now is 58, is married, and lives in Florida. He would not confirm or deny the story.

    “I had a lot of pre-clears, but I really don’t want to be talking about anything regarding the church,” the man said.

    A rep for Priscilla Presley said, “Ms. Presley never had a sexual relationship nor did she sleep with an auditor in the Church of Scientology,”

    This story is just one of the many that have floated around for years on the Internet, but are seeing an upswing in the wake of the HBO documentary Going Clear. The doc has caused controversy and attracted lots of attention to the beliefs and practices of Scientology.

    John Travolta, himself a noted Scientologist, takes issue with the documentary, saying it was produced by “people who were disgruntled with their experiences” with Scientology.

  • Leah Remini Thinks New Scientology Doc is Spot-On

    Leah Remini had a rather auspicious exit from the ranks of Scientology back in 2013. This wasn’t on of those amicable partings where the two parties agreed to not bad mouth each other. Leah Remini was fed up and was not shutting up.

    “They say they’re loving, caring, non-judgmental people,” she said of Scientology, “but secretly, they were judging the world for not believing what they believed. To me, that is not a spiritual person. That’s a judgmental person.”

    Karin Pouw, a Scientology spokeswoman fired back at Leah Remini.

    “It comes as no surprise that someone as self-absorbed as Leah Remini with an insatiable craving for attention would exploit her former faith as a publicity stunt by rewriting her history with it, including omitting that she was participating in a program to remain a Scientologist by her own choice, as she was on the verge of being expelled for her ethical lapses.”

    But when the new documentary about Scientology called Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief aired on HBO, Leah Remini chimed in her support for the show.

    Going Clear is already tallying up to be one of the most-watched HBO documentaries ever. And it’s been a great source of funny tweets too.

  • Leah Remini Thanks HBO For New Investigative Documentary On Scientology, Church Calls Her ‘Self-Absorbed’

    Former Scientologist actress Leah Remini sent out a heartfelt thanks to HBO filmmakers for their work in making the investigative documentary Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.

    Remini made headlines after her high-profile exit from the Church of Scientology in July 2013. According to a statement released during her departure, the main reason she left the religious sect was due to issues with its management.

    Remini tweeted her gratitude towards HBO’s documentary, saying, “Thank you to the brave who did something about it. And to those who didn’t have a voice, you do now.” The tweet was posted on her account on Monday.

    In a candid interview with BuzzFeed, the Exes actress said she didn’t want her daughter to grow up under the teachings and influence of her former church. She didn’t want her child to be forced to live in a secluded Scientology compound in Florida.

    “They say they’re loving, caring, non-judgmental people, but secretly, they were judging the world for not believing what they believed,” she said.

    “We were working from morning until night with barely any schooling,” Remini recounted. “There was no saying no. There was no being tired.”

    Going Clear debuted three months ago at the Sundance Film Festival. The documentary shed light on some of the alleged scare tactics of the religious group, and followed the Hollywood director and former Scientologist Paul Haggis as he recounted the times when he was allegedly threatened and blackmailed by the church.

    A representative from the Church of Scientology issued a statement to People shortly after the revealing interview, in which Remini was named “self-absorbed” and a woman with “an insatiable craving for attention” who was exploiting “her former faith.”

    “I don’t want to be known as this bitter ex-Scientologist. I’m not trying to bash anybody, and I’m not trying to be controversial. I just want people to know the truth,” Remini said in reply.