"She did not elaborate further, encouraging readers to seek out her previous comments on the matter, which were made to the gay publication the Advocate in order to say that she, personally, believed the freedom-centric teachings of Scientology allowed for same-sex partnerships, and that “Many of my church’s stances and concepts are grossly misunderstood by the media. It’s a long list.”"
No matter what one believes about the reported abuses within the church of Scientology, it’s easier to accept that the religion’s most recognizable faces all have a devotion verging on the messianic, from Tom Cruise’s mission of conversion to Kirstie Alley’s rants against apostate Leah Remini.
Alley, Cruise and other celebrity Scientologists like John Travota and Jenna Elfman, have come in for derision due to their public association with the religion. But, with all respect due, none of them are exactly at the center of the culture; Cruise is by far the most famous public Scientologist, and his amped-up advocacy in the mid-2000s (along with his general weirdness about his wife, Katie “Kate” Holmes) led to a career downward spiral that he’s only now recovering from. Other celebrity Scientologists say little about their practice: Beck, for instance, has said that he “has had lots of benefits from it,” and that “it’s just something that I’ve been around.”
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Moss is entitled to defend herself, and her defense is articulate such as it is; perhaps there’s some corner of Scientology, removed from the high-powered corridors in which Cruise and Miscavige travel, that provides actual solace to Moss and those like her. I only know about Scientology what is reported in the media, and those reports are to my eye chilling. But Moss’ defense of Scientology as a framework for healthier living that is wide-open to the worshipers’ own interpretation stops short of actually explaining what it does for her, or how it has helped her in her own life. The last time a public figure used their media spotlight to defend the tenets of Scientology specifically was Tom Cruise’s disastrous “Today” appearance in 2005 during which he called Matt Lauer “glib” for tolerating Ritalin use; is Moss’ unwillingness to defend anything about her religion, all while calling those who find it objectionable uninformed, coincidental?
The Elisabeth Moss dilemma: Is it possible to be a fan of a Scientologist? - Salon.com
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