I AM NOT A CELEBRITY-WATCHER. I'm still (like most of you) trying to figure out who the heck the Kardashians are and what relevance they have to...anything. However, because of my history I have a keen interest in news stories relating to cult involvement.
In July, celebrity Leah Remini, the onscreen wife of Kevin James in the now syndicated sitcom, King Of Queens, made a very public decision to leave The Church of Scientology. From what (little) I've read, her decision, at least in part, stems from the intimidating remarks she received after repeatedly inquiring on the whereabouts of her good friend and fellow Scientologist, Shelly Miscavige.
Shelly also happens to be the wife of the church's current leader, David Miscavige.
One doesn't have to be a celebrity or Scientiologist or best friend to wonder where the heck Shelly has been for seven years. Remini filed a missing persons report with the LA police which (in my opinion) must have scared Mr. Miscavige a teensy bit because not long after, Shelly magically appeared and assuaged any hint of fowl play. The police closed the case.
And the secrets continue.
However, it's reported that Remini, who was raised in Scientology, plans to write a tell-all book. If you've ever seen Remini in action, the woman's got gumption. It will be a best seller.
All cults have similar characteristics. For one thing, there is that exclusivity. Swathed in self-importance, it gets angry when it's challenged. Remini's sister Nicole Remini-Wiskow left Scientology in 2005 and has been an outspoken dissident. The Church used intimidation to break the bond between these sisters. Apparently it has failed. Hooray!
But not without a few stabs. A church rep is quoted as responding to Remini's missing person's filing with, "This is just harassment. It's a publicity stunt cooked up by a small band of unemployed fanatics who live on the fringe of the Internet."
The battle will wage on. But Remini is now free to do her own thinking. There is no greater feeling.
How do you feel about this? Has religion impeded your ability to think for yourself or just the opposite?
