This might come off sounding a little harsh but... I have no need for nor do I care about Scientology one way or the other. Also, I really don't care about Tom Cruise one way or the other either.... he can take "a big hike" as far as I am concerned... most of his movies suck anyway.... the only one I have really cared for so far was "Minority Report".... and that could have been anyone besides Tom and have been just as good. Harsh I know... but my opinion !!

This of course has nothing to do with you personally BLT.

 It doesn't come across as harsh at all.  These are your honest feelings.  I only care about Scientology in terms of its potential to create harm.  I liked Minority Report, and have nothing against Tom Cruise as an actor.  I don't have anything against him as a person either, I just disagree with his approach to psychology and psychiatry.  

It's not that psychology and psychiatry has all the answers either, and it's not that there aren't psychiatrists and psychologists out there who do more harm than good---but to block psychology and psychiatry as legitimate avenues to seek care is, in many cases, equal to adding insult to injury and to greatly compound injury. 

I agree with you on that point, there have been "religions" through out the ages that have done things like this... refuse medical treatments and the like. Does it make them right...NO. Some of these folks have even been "dragged" into courtrooms for humanitarian offenses. I like you BLT and most of your posts as well, especially the pure music posts. I am lately just getting a little tired of hearing about things that really do not matter to me such as Tom Cruise, Scientology, Brittney Spears and the like..... I don't care one way or the other..... if Heath Ledger wants to off himself.... who cares....sorry but I don't !    Yes I know it "does" sound harsh.

Q. What's the difference between ignorance and apathy ?   A.  "I don't know, and I don't care !"

Very astute comments.  Doggone it, you guys are making me think!  When I think of Tom Cruse, I think of the hotshot in "Rainman" who screams, "You never told me I had a brother!"  I know that I have more than two!

First of all let's different Orthodox Christianity from the Evangelical Christianity.  Orthodox Christianity has held fast to the wisdom revealed from God in His love and care for man over the centuries.  It has zealously guarded this revelations from any change and innovations and has held fast to the example of the Apostles.  Evangelicals on the other hand are based on different opinions and individual interpretations of scripture, with out regard to the examples given by the actual practice of the Apostles and their spiritual sons and daughters.  As you can see if everyone follows their own interpatations, their can not be any real unity.  Now those who have struggled to be obedient and live God fearing lives in the Orthodox Church have said that to refuse medical care is nothing ,but pride[ and pride is the mother of all sins].  They point out that God has given man a brain while taught Him about His creation and commanded that man love each other.  So a good Doctor is another manifestation of God's love and to refuse to acknowledge sickness and refuse medicine is to refuse God Himself.  On the other hand, their is a tendency among those who are ignorant of God to fill that void with the worship of false idols.  So we have to be on guard against those who would use psychiatry to replace true religion.  Psychiatry is a science to help us learn about the mind and treat it when it is broken.  But it can not address spiritual matters.  Man has a biological, mental, and spiritual nature and a illness's with one effects the other.  With science we can in part treat the biological and mental parts of ourselves, but for spiritual care we need a spiritual physician.  This too God has provided in the form of His Orthodox Church.  So psychiatry can not replace true religion, nor does God ask us not to accept the help that can be provided by God fearing physicians.  Now I am off to worship The source of all good.  Have a blessed Sunday.   

BLT,

Good Blog..

SOJO. Great post..

Gsisola, I understand your growing impatience over blogs about celebrities, but Tom Cruise is not really the issue here.  It's more about the poison that is being pumped into the heartland from pseudo-religions like that of Scientology and from fundamentalist elements within "Christianity."  And by the way, I like you too.  I'm a big fan of you and of your comments.  

Thanks wspalifornian, and thanks, tkozy, and it's great to have both in the midst of this conversation.  You too, sojourner, and you've made some great points.  The only thing I would like to add is that while psychology and psychiatry can't address core spiritual issues, as you've correctly pointed out, sometimes psychological issues can be misinterpreted to be spiritual in nature, and often well-meaning individuals can do great harm to the suffering individual by asserting their spiritual "diagnosis" in the presence of that person.  

Also, sometimes psychological problems such as clinical depression can be like a dark cloud that will not allow spiritual light and spiritual truth to penetrate through it.  So in that way the spiritual and the psychological are interdependent dimensions rather than being separate in the way in which they function.  

The cool thing about blogs is that there's something for everyone.  I don't care about celebraties either but apparently some do.  I don't care a lot about a lot of things some do and I'm sure they aren't all interested in the things I am.  I just scan the blog captions and if it doesn't interest me, I don't open it.  It's a pretty simple strategy really.  Sometimes I get sabotaged but there isn't much we can do about that.

Tolerence.  "God grant me patience and I want it NOW"

Scientology, despite being a meaningless scam designed to make money for those at the top, is nevertheless as valid a religion as any other.

One of the main reasons why fundamentalist Christianity (in my opinon) opposes psychiatry is that it's one way in which people *RECOVER* from fundamentalist (and orthodox) Christianity.

 Great to hear your insightful comments, Nancy.  You make a good point.  And, speaking of points, Random, I agree with you, to a point.