Germany imposes ban on Tom Cruise
Current Affairs, Pop Culture June 27th, 2007“Germany has banned the makers of Tom Cruise’s new movie from filming at military sites in the country because the actor is a Scientologist.” BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6240312.stm
June 27th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Was interested to read this. Am generally against such prohibitions, but would agree with the German approach in this case. Scientology is a cult.
There are two meanings for the word cult.
The original from the Latin ‘Cultus’ which means a religious denomination.
The more recent which means a small and/or insular group that holds beliefs or maintains practises that are considered outrageous or outside of social and cultural mainstreams.
A seemingly small and semantic difference, but an important one.
Scientology I would suggest, on the weight of research that has been provided, belongs to the latter, and as such a cult of this sort needs close observance and monitoring.
It is my interpretation that asides from the fact that Germany is monitoring the scientology cult (in a fashion that the UK is not) it is also concerned that the character of Klaus Von Stauffenburg who plotted to kill Hitler and very nearly succeeded, should be the primary focus of the film. Casting Tom Cruise in this role would in my humble opinion detract from the importance of this historical figure, considering the evangelic fervour that Tom Cruise exhibits towards spreading the Scientology ‘message’.
But I will be careful not to elaborate much further lest I fall foul of impinging upon freedom of speech.