Readers speak out
on Tom Cruise

Poor Katie
I almost feel sorry for Katie Holmes. She has been starstruck and sucked into Tom's weird world where Tom is always right. I think their relationship probably is real, but he seems very controlling of people he's dating. His over the top displays of affection for Katie are weird. That bit on the Oprah Winfrey show actually made me feel embarrassed for Tom. In addition, Tom's obsessive belief in Scientology is making him into a more and more bizarre individual. What he said about Brooke Shields' postpartum depression was extremely condescending. Nicole never carried her own babies; what in the world does Tom really know about postpartum depression? What did that say to all the millions of moms who have suffered from post partum depression who have flocked to his movies on opening day, including me? I used to love Tom Cruise; now I think he's an arrogant Hollywood product that I don't much care for. He is clearly recruiting for Scientology; it's cultlike and creepy and makes me less interested in supporting his future film ventures. —Leslie, Garland, Texas

The real definition of "bigot"
Bigot (definition Googled) A hypocrite; esp., a superstitious hypocrite. A person who regards his own faith and views in matters of religion as unquestionably right, and any belief or opinion opposed to or differing from them as unreasonable or wicked. In an extended sense, a person who is intolerant of opinions which conflict with his own, as in politics or morals; one obstinately and blindly devoted to his own church, party, belief, or opinion.

Tom Cruise would be well-advised to stop tossing around the word "bigot," as his misguided intolerance of psychiatry and psychology make him appear the quintessential bigot. I watched his interview with Billy Bush and could not have been more disgusted by this person whom I used to brag I had shaken hands with on a Florida movieset, when he couldn't have been any kinder. To Bush, Tom reported he had gotten no negative feedback regarding his stance on these sciences or his religious rhetoric; instead, he claimed fans were thanking him! I was stunned by his detachment with reality.

Does Tom really believe that a schizophrenic, for instance, can be cured by the "powers" of Scientology? He is so alarmingly uneducated about what he calls "false" sciences. Quite simply, I would love to see Tom take a seat alongside two people, a reputable psychiatrist and a well-regarded psychologist; they would decimate him with credible rebuttals rooted in proven scientific research. Tell Tom it's time to put up or shut up, as he is abusing his media access with displays of shameful intolerance and hypocrisy. I am veteran public school teacher, aged 39, and I will never again use Tom Cruise as an example to my eighth graders of a successful person who uses his wealth to make a positive difference in the world for all people. —Barbara Raines, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.

Scientologist speaks out
I'm really tired of seeing journalists bash Tom Cruise and Scientology for that matter. I'm proud to say that I'm a Scientologist, and it's easy to see why Tom talks about it a lot. It's not just another religion, it's a way of life. I know what the Jews must have felt like during the holocaust, because in present, a lot of people who are ignorant to our religion, scoff at it and makes jokes so as to make themselves look bigger and more important. If you are going to criticize something, then get your information from the source, not from rumor mongers and gossip. I think that Tom Cruise is doing a lot for the world as a whole, and if a journalist needs a news story, why not write about all the humanitarian things that Tom has done over the past few years...oh wait, chaos and negativity sells, doesn't it! —Name withheld

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