Skip to main content.
Related sites:
Religion News Blog is a non-profit service providing academics, religion professionals and other researchers with religion & cult news
ReligionNewsBlog

Religion news articles about religious cults, sects, world religions, and related issues

Navigation:
Web religionnewsblog.com
Home | Site Menu | About RNB | RNB Store | Cult FAQ | Cult Experts | Apologetics Index | Cult Information Search Engine
Scientology:

TV actor Jason Beghe attacks Scientology in YouTube video

The Times, UK
Apr. 17, 2008
entertainment.timesonline.co.uk
  • Article Tools  • Share This Story

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 21191 • Posted: Thursday April 17, 2008  

Click here... More articles on this topic: Scientology

Apr. 22, 2008: Watch the full interview


American TV actor and former Scientologist Jason Beghe has labelled the controversial religion “destructive” and a “rip-off” in a video interview posted on YouTube, writes Veronica Schmidt.

The 48-year-old is the first celebrity to speak out against the religion, telling how his 12 years with the church have damaged him.

“My experience personally, and what I’ve observed for myself, is that Scientology is destructive and a rip-off,” said Beghe, who has acted on Cane, CSI and Veronica Mars.

Actor Jason Beghe is the first celebrity Scientologist to sit down and publicly talk about his experiences after leaving the group. The full interview will be out soon. Provided by XenuTV.com

“It’s very, very dangerous for your spiritual, psychological and mental, emotional health and evolution. I think it stunts your evolution.”

Scientology Cancels XENU TV’s YouTube Account

The actor, who estimates he gave the church $1 million (?500,000) over 12 years, has also given an interview to New York publication The Village Voice, explaining the church’s relationship with Hollywood heavyweights.

Beghe claims Scientology’s fascination with celebrities is not just a PR exercise but that the late founder L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction writer, had made it clear he wanted celebrities recruited to the church.

If a member could recruit a celebrity, Beghe said, they were rewarded by having the contents of their “ethics file” – the record of misdeeds admitted during “auditing” or spiritual counselling – cleared.

The church, which has dedicated Scientology Celebrity Centres, counts Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Kelly Preston and Kirstie Alley among its members.

Beghe has also revealed how he became frustrated with the religion after requirements for training continually shifted and an increasing amount of money was required to continue in the church.

The interview is the latest in a series of blows for the American-based church. In January, an embarrassing video clip of Cruise discussing Scientology was leaked onto YouTube.

The clip was followed by a further video in March of Cruise celebrating his birthday with members of the church.

The church insists it brings its members “spiritual enlightenment” and it has helped the world progress towards “the eradication of its ills”, including drugs, crime, violence and intolerance.

Scientology
Comments & resources by ReligionNewsBlog.com

The three-minute-long video, posted by the prolific Scientology critic Mark Bunker for XenuTV on Monday, is to be followed by a longer interview this weekend.

Beghe insists he does not have an axe to grind and has spoken out to help others who have become involved in a religion he now believes to be at best unhelpful and at worst damaging.

“I don’t have an agenda. Right now I’m trying to help,” he said.

Religion News Blog RSS feed Subscribe: Religion News Blog RSS feed  |  Religion News Blog RSS feed Subscribe by topic: Scientology
more cult news articlemore religion news More articles about Scientology

Like this story?

Today's Most Popular Articles

Doctor Says...

Share this

To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:




Article and Site Tools

» PermaLink to: TV actor Jason Beghe attacks Scientology in YouTube video
   Need a shorter link? You can remove everything after the final /
» More news articles + news archive on Scientology
» More religion and cult news

Subscribe (RSS / Email) [What is RSS?]
» RSS News Feed - All Topics: Religion News Blog RSS Feed
» RSS News Feed - Single Topic: Scientology
» Headlines by Email: Daily Religion News Blog Headlines

More Article Tools
• Bookmark / Tag: Del.icio.us
• Bookmark / Tag: Furl
Save this article
Email this article
Print this article [Temporarily out of order]

More Information
Books about Scientology
Relevant books (and other goodies)

About Religion News Blog
Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, alternative religions and related issues. RNB's non-profit news clipping service is used by - among others - Christian apologists, countercult professionals, anticult organizations, cult experts, teachers, religion professionals, reporters and other researchers.