OPRAH, TOM & NOAH

What do these three people have in common? Not much you say? Well take another look because I think they do.

That headline makes me sing The Land of the Lost theme outloud, as their names would fit right in where "Marshall, Will and Holly" used to go.

Oprah, Tom and Noah
On the subject of religion
Met the greatest earthquake ever known...

But I digress.

It has become widely known that Tom Cruise is a kook of the highest order when it comes to his "religion" of Scientology. Unable to convert his ex-wife Nicole Kidman, or estranged girlfriend Penelope Cruz, he succeeded in seducing Katie Holmes and presto/chango...the pair are engaged. Apparently he is now after Oprah.

Now, personally I shrug at this and don't pay it a second thought. But think about it: who is the most influential woman in America today? Who has almost created her own religion with the way that the hordes of viewers and book clubbers follow her every move and suggestion for living life. If Oprah became a believer in Scientology I shudder to think of the effect it would have upon those souls.

And what is Scientology? The article simplifies it down to this:

Founded by the late L. Ron Hubbard in 1955, Scientology is defined by a belief in the power of a person's spirit to clear itself of past painful experiences through self-knowledge and spiritual fulfilment.

This is achieved through intensive counselling. Scientologists believe humans are an exiled race from outer space called Thetans and claim to have eight million followers worldwide (though some critics would argue its true membership is only about 50,000).

[snip]

On the set of his latest film, War Of The Worlds, Cruise demanded that a Scientology tent - complete with volunteer ministers - should be available at all times to help any sick and injured among the movie's cast and crew.

[snip]

According to members of the group, Cruise has reached the sixth of eight "Operating Thetan" levels and is trusted enough to know almost all the secret truth of the universe.

Ummmm....sure. Now, what does all of this have to do with Noah? Well take a look at this survey's results, and then read the entire article. It's one of the best at analyzing the paradoxes rampant in American society today. And if we, a nation of self-professed Christians, really are this ignorant of what Christ called us to be as Christians, then Scientology doesn't need Oprah. It may already be too late.

ONLY 40 PERCENT of Americans can name more than four of the Ten Commandments, and a scant half can cite any of the four authors of the Gospels.

Twelve percent believe Joan of Arc was Noah's wife.

This failure to recall the specifics of our Christian heritage may be further evidence of our nation's educational decline, but it probably doesn't matter all that much in spiritual or political terms.

Here is a statistic that does matter: Three-quarters of Americans believe the Bible teaches that "God helps those who help themselves." That is, three out of four Americans believe that this uber-American idea, a notion at the core of our current individualist politics and culture, which was in fact uttered by Ben Franklin, actually appears in Holy Scripture.

The thing is, not only is Franklin's wisdom not biblical; it's counterbiblical. Few ideas could be further from the gospel message, with its radical summons to love of neighbor. On this essential matter, most Americans - most American Christians - are simply wrong, as if 75 percent of American scientists believed that Newton proved gravity causes apples to fly up.