Tom Cruise, Scientology, and the Crazy Women in his life

Once again, the media is chock full of stories about the trials and tribulations of the women who have come and gone in the life of Tom Cruise.  Countless photos of Katie Holmes clutching little Suri protectively in her arms on the streets of Manhattan, as if the child could suddenly be in harms way from the wacky reach of Scientology, in the midst of hundreds of paparazzi!

Now we find out that Vanity Fair's October issue will feature a story about Scientology's auditions for a suitable spouse for Tom.  Supposedly, prior to the "Katie days," Tom's church conducted a massive search for the perfect woman who would not only worship Tom but also show the proper reverence to the hierarchy of L. Ron's disciples.   The woman in question was supposedly required to dye her hair, and shave her incisors in order to become the perfect woman for Tom and members of the Celebrity Center of the church.
When the romance went south, the poor dear was forced to scrub toilets with a toothbrush and censured  for her failure to make Tom dance across a couch in the Oprah Winfrey studios.

Obviously, the trod upon women who dated or married Cruise had only the purest of intentions and had spent much of the time before meeting him probing the surface of an obscure planet, making them totally unaware that Tom was even remotely affiliated with Scientology, let alone that they might be expected to become affiliated as well.

I don't know much about the principles of Scientology, nor would I assume to judge any form of worship, other than those who advocated doing harm to others.  I do like to think, however, that before I agreed to date or marry someone, I would have a complete understanding of my partners commitments and obligations.  Tom Cruise doesn't do much for me; I mean he is no "Baldwin," as far as I am concerned, but there is no doubt he is a man with money, power and charisma.  Perhaps, these were the charms that convinced his former partners to overlook his dedication to a religion that appears to be a major part of his philosophy of life.

When she married Cruise, Holmes had a Scientology ceremony.  His best man was a major honcho in the Scientology community, and his children, from his marriage to Nicole Kidman, practiced his faith.   Perhaps that should have given Holmes the slightest of clues to Cruise's intentions regarding their own lives and future offspring.  It not as if Cruise suddenly jumped on this particular bandwagon and experienced an instantaneous conversion and demanded her conversion as well.  Had Holmes considered his religion some crazy cultish dogma, it should have been her obligation to assign those characteristics to her future husband as well.

Maybe Vanity Fair should consider writing an article titled,"Women Who Deny."  They could interview a wide variety of women who swear to having no prior inkling that their husbands were gay, abusive, gamblers, drunks, or drug users, until well after they dressed in white and marched down the aisle.  It might be hard to swallow, since the magazine seems to cater to women who aspire to independence, ambition, and shopping for just the right shoes and handbags, but still, with the right slant, some readers might just buy it.