The very public break-up of movie stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes has a very prominent religious dimension to it – if the tabloids and scandal mags are to be believed.   Tom Cruise is well known for his membership of Ron Hubbard’s Scientology cult.   Katie Holmes is a Roman Catholic.   Apparently some of the issues surrounding their separation have concerned the upbringing of their daughter, Suri.   Should she be raised as a devout Roman Catholic or as devout scientologist?

In last Thursday’s Toowoomba Chronicle there was an opinion piece by Merryl Miller on the subject.   Ms Miller’s views on religion are fairly typical of our post-modern society, where all claims of truth are supposed to have equal standing.   This article was a classic example.   She outlined the supernatural elements of orthodox Christianity and then the strange views of scientologists and concluded, “…both stories sound kind of kooky and way out…!”   She quoted comedian, Dave Allen, “Religion is just like two kids arguing about who has the biggest invisible friend.”

So what is this Scientology thing?   It originated with a science fiction writer, Ron Hubbard.   He taught that there is indeed a Supreme Being but he also taught that all human beings are really immortal aliens called “thetans”.   During this life these thetans are trapped here in physical mortal bodies, unaware of who they really are – only scientology can rehabilitate them by a process called ‘auditing’.   Thetans are reborn again and again in new bodies.   In this respect Ron Hubbard’s religion is very much like Eastern Mysticism with its view of reincarnation – except that it is given a sci-fi twist.   Thetans abandon the body at death and go to a “landing station” on the planet Venus.   From there they are sent back to earth to re-enter another human being.

The Toowoomba Chronicle opinion piece refused to take sides claiming that “both stories sound kind of kooky”.   But Merryl Miller is just burying her head in the sand.   One only has to think of the sources of both “religions”.   On the one hand we have a solitary science fiction writer whose religion involves a “landing station” for thetans on Venus.   On the other hand we have a book written over a period of more than 2000 years with contributions from some 40 authors and a wonderfully unifying theme that centres on Jesus Christ.   That’s no contest, MS Miller!   A good journalist should go back to the sources.

In our scientific age we dismiss anything that can’t be put under a microscope as personal opinion.   People should remember that there are other proofs than that produced by microscopes and test tubes.   Consider, for example, the matter of evidence.   Were there witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus?   Absolutely!   Paul claimed he could call on five hundred of them – well almost, because a few of the witnesses had died.   But so far there has been no evidence of a “thetan landing station on Venus” – and I wouldn’t advise anyone to hold their breath while we wait for evidence of that either.

All of this illustrates the truth that GK Chesterton once expressed, “When people stop believing in God, they don't believe in nothing – they believe in anything” – even a thetan landing station on Venus.

John Westendorp