Tom Cruise vs L. Ron Hubbard

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress Katie Holmes faces two strong adversaries in her legal fight for sole custody of 6-year-old daughter, Suri, as she battles estranged husband Tom Cruise and his Scientology religion, experts said on Monday.

The "Dawson's Creek" actress, 33, made headlines last week when she filed for divorce from "Mission: Impossible" actor Cruise after nearly six years of marriage and one child.

While Holmes, Cruise and representatives for both have remained quiet about the reasons for the high-profile split, speculation in the media is that Suri, now at the age when she begins a formal education, and the Church of Scientology, of which Cruise is a key member, are central to the breakup.

"What's interesting is that there's three players in this case - the mother, the father and this very controversial concept of Scientology," said New York-based divorce lawyer Lubov Stark. "The daughter is in the middle of this whole divorce. She seems to have been raised in Scientology up to this age, so if the judge comes in and gives custody to Katie Holmes, she can change (Suri's) religion," Stark said.

The Church of Scientology was founded by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard (above right), and it describes its practices as a religion. The organization believes man is an immortal being whose experience extends beyond one lifetime, and it has attracted followers including Cruise and John Travolta. But some observers - including media mogul Rupert Murdoch - liken it to a cult. Critics think the group coerces followers to think like they do, and they accuse Scientologists of harassing people who seek to quit.

PS - I met Hubbard in the late 50's, very charismatic. Then, he was promoting his theory of  Dianetics, which later evolved into Scientoloty. I know very little about Scientology, and not sure how Dianetics worked into the present "religion." As I recall, he left the country, went to England, and some time later, resurfaced in this country with another "idea" which later became Scientology. His thoughts were somewhat radical, and his "clear" of Dianetics followed much of Adolph Hitler's concept on how to create his "Superman." Clear the brain of "engrams," which increases brainpower, and thus, the German Superman. Same concept. When I heard him speak in Reno, he insinuated that he had acquired some of those teachings, and they were somewhat the basis for Dianetics. His book on Dianetics is still available, an interesting read, and some insights into basic psychology. 

My Introduction to L. Ron Hubbard

In answer to some EMails I have received.

I saw L. Ron Hubbard in Reno, Nevada, late fifties, not sure of the exact time. He had given a brief lecture at the top of Harold's Club, called the Seventh Floor. I had read his book on Dianetics, and that fascinated me. It was basic, easy to understand, and I could relate to many comments in the book.

At that time there was a couple in Reno, wife worked in the casino's but her husband was a hypnotist who worked with Physicians in Reno and had an office of his own to help people quit smoking, drinking, and primarily in Nevada, to quit gambling. As I recall, he had gone to Baltimore, Maryland to do some studying on Dianetics, and I think was considered what we called in those days, a Dianetician.

As we were milling around after his lecture, talking, and I think Hubbard ultimately became a part of the group, something was brought up that I am still confused about. Either he made mention of it, or someone in the group, but the subject came up that a lot of Dianetics came from some documents that were discovered after WWII, in Germany, that were the blueprint for Hitler's "Superman." I do recall mention of an Army Major who was in the first occupation force that entered Germany. I always assumed it was Hubbard, but I later learned that he was in the Navy.

The same princciple in Dianetics, that were used to become a "clear," had been used in Germany, to increase the brain power of his troops, to make his "supermen" as near perfect as possible.

As I recall, Hubbard was in the Navy, but somewhere, the occasion arose for him to become associated with the "blueprints" and it was the basis for Dianetics. Perhaps some reader has more information on this.

I vividly remember that Hubbard had a "magnetic" personality, and you were drawn to his every word. After almost 50 years I still remember a great deal about Dianetics. There was a small group of us who really got interested in it, and did some "regressing" and practiced some of the theories in the book. Dianetics is one of those books, as you read it, you can relate to it. You keep saying, "yea, that happened to me," or "I understand that." This was about Dianetics, in the 50's before a  lot of what has happened since then.