Will Smith: I'm Not A Scientologist

Monday word leaked that the April cover of Radar magazine features the article "Scientology Under Siege." The article says, "The Church has also set its sights on African Americans, opening up a center in Harlem in 2003 and making a strong play for Hollywood supercouple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett." A good friend of Scientology superstar Tom Cruise, Smith denied the claim to the NY Daily News:

Smith, a good buddy of Scientology poster boy Tom Cruise, denies he is a church member. "You don't have to be Jewish to be a friend of Steven Spielberg. You don't have to be a Muslim to be a friend of Muhammad Ali. And you don't have to be a Scientologist to be a friend of Tom Cruise," Smith tells us. "I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions. And I respect all people and all paths."

Previously:
Will Smith likens Scientology to the Bible

Comments

[javaman]

09:25 AM on 03/20/2008

but you do have to be a little crazy to be tom, career crusher, cruises friend.

[GenRom]

10:11 AM on 03/20/2008

I read that Will was handing out copies of Dianetics. Seems to me that if he is promoting COS, then he is pro-scientologist. He's full of it!

[AurigaRa]

04:57 PM on 03/19/2008

yeah but Will, if you were REALLY smart you'd see that the Scientologists are NOT tolerant and run the other way.
but that's ok - we have Jeff Conaway to worry about for a while.

[SkuddGobang]

01:25 PM on 03/19/2008

OK, see what's going on is that if he appears to have already DRUNK the Kool-aid, everyone would write him off as brain-washed and Scientology as the cult that it is...

but if he's just hanging AROUND them and telling people that you can be friends with Scientologists and that you have to have respect for their LEARNING, then they think it'll make people less afraid of Scientology and there's a better chance that they can ensnare more poor black Americans who look up to Will Smith.

Getting someone respectable (or so it did seem) like Will Smith to give credence to the lie that Scientology is anything but a scam and a cult gives it some much-needed good press.

[fraziersview]

08:22 AM on 03/19/2008

Intolerance is the product of ignorance and ignorance is the product of avoidance. It seems to me that Smith clearly stated he was not a Scientoligist, he merely stated he was a student of all religions, thus clearly defining his desire for knowledge, his ability to be objectively tolerant, and his exuberance for many aspects of life...MLK spoke frequently about conscientious stupidity and its part in perpetuating intolerance and predjudice... Chosing knowledge over ignorance seems like a great way to live life and contribute to the greater good.

[middleoftheroad]

04:42 PM on 03/18/2008

Will, if you keep talking like this you will never get to OT 5!!!

[timran]

02:04 PM on 03/19/2008

lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mpgarr]

02:32 PM on 03/18/2008

I have made a vow---if I know that an entertainer of any sort is a member of Scientology----I will not longer knowingly going to pay to see anything they do----Scientology is certainly not a religion but it is something far worse than some big scam operation--it is an organization that has seen fit to take on entire governments and tried to usurp them--it is too bad we have this acceptance of whacked out "religions" in this nation and we could not ban them like other nations have done----The Church of Scientology is a very dangerous organization if one dares to cross them---anyone who dares to do so is "a supressive person" and as old L Ron specifically directed his minions---"you use any means necessary to destroy an SP!"
If Will Smith has become a Scientoolgist---he joins my growing list of banned actors, musicians, etc, who have chosen to align themselves with this criminal organization.

[tecpatl]

04:50 PM on 03/18/2008

I do exactly the same. No Scientologist will ever get a dime from me. Smith gave away coupons for Scientology readings at the wrap party of one of his movies - therefore he is a Scientologist. It is that simple.

[nuglet304]

01:52 PM on 03/18/2008

a student of all religions? what a strange thing to say.

but still, who cares?

[helonias]

01:21 PM on 03/18/2008

I thought he was a climatologist

[BK1717]

10:20 AM on 03/18/2008

Not a scientologist, eh? Is that why he gave the whole crew from I Am Legend copies of Dianetics, as a gift, when the film wrapped?

[grisgris]

11:53 AM on 03/18/2008

Did he really? Interesting. Smith is probably back peddling now that he's started to see the negative impact any association with Scientology is having on other actor's careers. Scientology can turn their attack lawyers on everyone except the court of public opinion. And, in case you haven't noticed, the general public takes a dim view of Scientology and it's followers. I USED to like John Travolta. Would I pay to see him in a movie today? No. If it doesn't come out on cable t.v., I probably won't see it.

[PhillyQuaker]

09:56 AM on 03/18/2008

"I am a student of all religions. And I respect all people and all paths."
You would be a terrific Quaker, Will!

[InstantDogma]

09:28 AM on 03/18/2008

As I have said before, Scientology is no loonier than any other religion. It's a great scam.
Pax, Steve

[jbeach]

11:02 AM on 03/18/2008

Mm, presented without comment:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R2-45
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Snow_White

[AgentMacGyver]

03:25 PM on 03/18/2008

"than any OTHER religion" ergo, you accord it the status of a religion. Also, Buddhism (as propogated by Buddha, atheistic) is a lot less "loony." You're a schmuck, pax.