Jason Beghe, TV And Movie Actor, Films Scientology Rant: "Destructive And A Rip-Off"

A former Scientologist has left the controversial church of Tom Cruise and is speaking out on YouTube. Jason Beghe is the real-life best fried of David Duchovny, he played Demi Moore's love interest in "G.I. Jane" and has appeared on shows like "Criminal Minds," "Numb3rs" and "CSI."

As Foxnews reports about the Jason Beghe video:

In 2005, Beghe appeared in promotional spots for the Church of Scientology. But now Beghe has escaped the church after taking courses since 1994. He's made a video that's up on YouTube.

This is what he has to say: "Scientology is destructive and a rip-off." He also says: "It's very, very dangerous for your spiritual, psychological, mental, emotional health and evolution. I think it stunts your evolution. If Scientology is real, then something's f----ed up."

You can see from the video that Beghe does not mince words. But his refreshing candor about the religion he joined in 1994 should shake the Celebrity Center to its core. "It ain't deliverin' what it's promised. It sure has not."

The video is billed as a three-minute teaser to a longer interview with Beghe that's on its way. But the short video packs a powerful punch. Beghe still uses a lot of Scientology lingo like "OT" and "clear." Still, it's quite easy to understand the point he's making. After 14 years and a tremendous amount of money, he's seeing Scientology in a different light.

Beghe has completed so many courses that he's considered a top Scientologist, or "OT 5" -- similar to Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley. But Beghe reveals: "The further up the bridge, the worse you get."

Watch:

Comments

[sweatpantsninja]

I would reply to one comment, but there are too many users here that truly do not understand the nature of Scientology. To say that it is no different than any other religion is a grave, grave mistake. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that aetheists are right: there are no higher powers, and all religious mythology is nonsense, and churches exist to control people. Scientology is STILL a very, very different organization from most other religions. There are no religions which control their followers to the same degree that Scientology does. Scientology doesn't just take their money.
--They emotionally and psychologically abuse their followers.
--They are deceptive about the amount of money and time commitment required for membership.
--They isolate and censor their members from the outside world.
--They force members to sever connections with family or friends that they deem to be enemies of the church.
--They convince members who cannot pay the exorbitant fees to start working for them, for less than minimum wage and longer than legal working hours, and to live in wretched conditions.

Other religions DO NOT DO THESE THINGS. I highly suggest everyone read "Cults In Our Midst" by Margaret Singer. The most important thing I learned from the book is that cults need not be religious in nature. It is not the religious aspect of Scientology that is the problem, it is the coercive, deceptive, and controlling aspects that are the problem.

[psy]

Can't agree more on "Cults In Our Midst". If I was a school teacher I would make it required reading for my students. It helped me so much in recovering from the cult I was in and could go far in educating, inoculating, others so they don't end up in a similar situation. As you've said, anybody is vulnerable.

[readreza]

Other religions DO NOT DO THESE THINGS. What???
Oh, yes they do. It's all a matter of degrees. Scientology may be the worst of the worst offenders, but your statements about scientology apply to many other groups. The fact that scientology was begun AS a scam sets it apart somewhat, from some other groups, but just about every "religion" fits the same mold to some degree. Look at the ICC, the Mormon church... the newer the "religion" the more obvious, but ancient religions are not off the list...

[heyletsevolve]

The more these horrendous organizations are exposed, the more people will be saved from wasting thousands of dollars on evil pyramid schemes that destabilize their sense of reality. $cientology, ETS, Landmark and all their spin-offs are affecting the minds and wallets of millions of people worldwide, promising everything from the sublime to the ridiculous.

You can say people get what they deserve, but as someone who lost a loved one to Landmark Education's form of mind control, I can tell you that the families and friends of people sucked into cults really suffer. Some people experience complete psychological breakdowns through these cults, and it's horrendous to watch.

Scientology is not a religion, it's a sales pitch for suckers looking for answers, and it goes after people with big bucks --movie stars are major targets. Good for Jason Beghe for speaking out.

[jbeach]

I find it very, very difficult to believe that you lost a loved one exclusively due to Landmark Education.

Can you please give more information with your claims, as to the specific circumstances?

It sounds more to me like whoever you are referring to had underlying issues which they ignored. That's sad and tragic, but that's not the fault of Landmark. Landmark states very specifically, and emphasize both in writing and in lecture form, that it is not a substitute for any other form of therapy, and if you are seeing a therapist, you should be very sure *and your therapist* should be very sure that Landmark is right for you.

Nor does Landmark put forth any sort of "right or wrong", or encourage seminar students to sever family connections, tithe money, spurn non-believers, etc. etc. In my experience, if anything, it strengthens family connections by making it possible for the seminar student to realize how *they* are making their family wrong for something that wasn't their fault, and healing this breach.

To equate Scientology with Landmark Education is unfair to Landmark, in the extreme. The worst I've seen Landmark do is irritate the uninterested.

All of which is why I find it hard to believe your statement, that you lost someone due to Landmark.

However, please prove me wrong and back up your claim. If you have some actual evidence, I'm all ears.

[heyletsevolve]

If you want to learn the truth about Landmark, there are many internet websites available, though Landmark tries its hardest to censor them.

Start with the Rick Ross website and go to the Forums page and start reading about Large Group Awareness Trainings. There are many threads there about Landmark and the lives that have been destroyed through it.

And yes, my friend had underlying issues that were ignored, or she never would have bcome involved with Landmark. Landmark had her sign a waiver, waiving all her rights away before she even knew what was involved in the Forum, and of course she lied and said that she wasn't on anti-depressants or had a history of mental issues -- which she did. Landmark, of course, does not check this out. nor are they equipped to handle the psychological disturbances they create in their hapless victims who fork over ridiculous sums of money for the privilege of being scammed by a sleazy irresponsible pyramid scheme.

Any rational person can see what Landmark is, but my friend was desperate to change her life and was willing to believe whoever claimed to have the answers. Better yet if they claim they can "transform" your life in a weekend! Sure, using mind control techniques, hypnosis, etc.

Don't waste your time apologizing and spinning Landmark to me, I've heard it all. If you really are "all ears" then do your own homework. The truth is out there.

[SILVANUS]

I invite you all to join my new church, the CHURCH OF NOTHINGNESS AND ALLNESS.

[SILVANUS]

To be fair, there are useful things in Scientology, which have been borrowed from anyone with common sense, and a few other ancient religions, and they are not too far left about anti-depressants, really.
Now, beyond that, it was the brainchild of a fledgling sci-fi writer, and everyone in Hollywood who signed up did it with the hope that they'd network and become famous like the few who did (Travolta, Cruise, etc.). Hollywood is all about sucking UP.
And dats da truth.

[heyletsevolve]

If there wasn't something "useful" in ALL of these cults, no one would ever get sucked in. That's not the point.

[jbeach]

It's important to define what you mean exactly by cult.

Important rules of thumb:

http://www.rickross.com/warningsigns.html (not affiliated with me at all, I just googled it - but it makes sense)

1. Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.
2. No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.
3. No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.
4. Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.
5. There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.
6. Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.
7. There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.
8. Followers feel they can never be "good enough".
9. The group/leader is always right.
10. The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.

[GoreyFantod]

Don't forget that Scientology claims it can "cure homosexual­ity." Travolta & Cruise aren't just in it for the networking.

[JackHughes]

Take the money (including salaries) out of ALL religion and they'd all wither away.

If it was really worthwhile religion would be done for free.

[monty]

Scientology and Christianity are the same in that they're pyramid schemes designed to take money from the poor and feed it back to the rich at the top.

Those huge churches (theaters) and expensive costumes don't pay for themselves!

In addition, they get to dictate how people live their lives and tell them who they should hate. It's no wonder religion is used as a powerful weapon by corrupt politicians. It's cult members are easily manipulated.

[Vinquus]

In all fairness to the Scientologists, I don't think they rape kids.

[Phasis]

Oh really? This was covered in the NY Post (and other places).

http://www.scientology-lies.com/press/ny-post/scientology-sex-assault-nightmare.html

[CammyV]

Not for nuthin' but this guy's a little scary his own damn-self.

[amamomofsons]

Anyone know what the national stats are on antidepressants?

[amamomofsons]

I heard a statistic on a program about Mormons on PBS that said that 1 in four women in the mormon church are taking antidepressants. Now what the heck does that say about that particular cult?

[Foohog]

On scientology-

LRon was a bad science fiction writer.

The author of Genesis was a good writer and by the time it wound its way past King James and his editors (after being redacted and re-edited for several centuries) it was a magnificent piece of writing. But anyone who literally believes the creation story in Genesis is as guilty of goofiness as those who believe LRon's fanatasy.

I watched as the theater department at a public university became ate up with scientologists, to the point where you got extra credit in certain performance classes if you attended channeling sessions by night. After these sessions, as you left the professor's living room, there was a wicker basket by the door for the students to toss money in.

In one class on stage movement we didn't do a single acting or blocking exercise all semester. We gave each other back rubs and then gave book reports on LRon and people like Edgar Casey. The professor said it would "open our minds".

The teachers and students came to their senses and it all stopped after a year, but not before the scientology folks took a bunch of money off a bunch of kids, many of whom were selling plasma to make that money.

[Gifts]

Your example of a public university "became ate up with sceintologists" try looking at all the psychology classes that are mandated for student to participate in or the psychology "techniques" that are complete failures that continue to be funded throughout the country via our tax dollars. The ever growing number of "mental disorders" that are being pushed off on our children. These disorders are voted in by psychiatrists! Voted in, do you get that, no blood tests, no brain scans, a checklist of behaviors, and our government is funding this shit! So, forgive me, a back rub over labeling people mentally ill, locking them up, and drugging them. I will take a back rub any day over labeling a 7 year old with ADD off a checklist of a voted in disorder that the government is funding. What a complete failure psychiatry is and guess what it is killing us. Even if you don't take antidepressants, you just might be at a location where someone on antidepressants takes out a gun and shots 35 people and then turns the gun on themselves. And the sad thing, the government will seal their records and never address the drug induced reaction the person is having that just killed your mother or father or son or daughter. I'll take a back rub.

[mojopo]

Righteous indignation aside, what part of "I took a stage movement class" and "did book reports and got back rubs instead" do you not understand?

[Foohog]

I was never mandated to take a psychology class. Neither is anyone at a public school who doesn't need it for their major.

Yes, oh master of redundancy, one can take a pill and go out and do a massacre.

They can also do a massacre by not getting help because some dumbass scientologist told them that LRon the moron knew more about the physiology of the brain than all the doctors did.

I'm not defending psychiatry. The choice isn't between the back rub or the kid with ADD. Personally I think alot of so-called ADD is the result of using time-out instead of a good whack on the ass.

So debating the merits of this or that psychiatric treatment is fine, but it has nothing to do with the very real fact that Scientology is a con job and a cult and takes money in return for supossed salvation.

By the way: given how he conducts himself, I'd rather take my chances with the one person in a million who reacts badly with a pill than have Tom Cruise anywhere near my family.

By the way again: if Scientology is so damned concerned about guns in the hands of whack-jobs, why don't they take on the NRA and work to close gun sales loopholes?

[Dunnage]

Not being sarcastic. What is it about scientology that everybody yells about it? Honestly curious if people really read about this group or if a lot of people get riled and write.

[GalaxieGal]

It preys on people's insecurities and convinces them that by spending lots and lots of money on their classes, they can fix you. It's all about freeing you - FROM YOUR MONEY!

Don't have enough money to achieve the higher levels? No problem! You can sign and indentured servitude contract for your next several lifetimes to pay for it.

Google Lisa McPherson or go to clambake.org and read about why it's bad.

BTW, L Ron's life story, the one they promote, is complete fabrication. You want your religious icon to be a liar?

[screwedrus]

If you really want to know, go to clambake.org and do some reading. It's un-frickin­'believabl­e. Anyone that thinks Christians/Jews are goofy for believing in a "magic man up in the sky" won't know what hit them when they read about these crazy bastards.

Aliens, volcanoes, spaceships that look strangely like DC-9's. Xenu the Galactic Overlord. Really. I didn't make that name up. My six-year old probably could have, but I didn't.

What Scientology offers at it's very core, is a way to blame all the bad shit in your life (whether it was done to you or done by you) on someone or something else. (body thetans)

Really, there's just too much crazy shit to shake a stick at. You'll love it and be horrified by it at the same time. It's sort of like staring at a traffic accident. You just can't help yourself.

[desmirl]

Scientology is bad science fiction masquerading as religion. It was conceived over a weekend by a bad science fiction writer, L. Ron Hubbard, and shows it. It has, however, made a lot of people at the top of the pyramid very wealthy--so it's achieved its goals.

[Gifts]

Interesting, the media seems to promote all these people that bash religions. As a Roman Catholic who works with CCHR (Citizen Commission on Human Rights) founded by the church of Sceintology, the media clearly has a motive to Brainwash the public against sceintology based on their stand against mind altering drugs that are inducing suicides and mass murders like the Virginia Tech. The media benefits from the psychiatric drug advertising! Enough, no one is forcing you to become a scientologist. When is the media going to hold psychiatry accountable for selling the public snake oil cures! When we start mandating toxicology screening of suicide victims and sorting the dead, the evidence will clearly point to psychiatry, not the Church of Sceintology! Enough! We should start interviewing everyone who has left churches of every nomination and allow them to tell us how they were not saved, what a rip of religion is, give us a break! I am sure the Church of Sceintology only wishes this dude well. From the years I have known sceintologists, they are wonderful human beings, and have so much to offer society! How foolish anyone is to believe the garbage the media is selling on the Church of Sceintology! Let's all try to respect others and their belief system. We should all be thanking Tom Cruise for speaking out against psychiatry, no one else had the balls to do it!

[robotfog]

There's nothing wrong with psychiatry. Carl jung is God.

[jbeach]

Actually, God is Sigmund Freud. To really fit the religious model, I would put Jung more as the leaders of the Gnostic sect, who this time actually didn't get wiped out.

Of course, Freud himself was quite wounded at Jung's eventual independence, so he himself might have cast Jung as Judas or perhaps even Satan - in this case, Jung as a trusted angel rising in defiance, and then willfully falling from grace...

[Foohog]

Religions get bashed because of their verifiable records of bash-worthiness.

Scientology supports human rights. They do other good things I would imagine. Doesn't make them any less of a cult and doesn't excuse the con-job of taking money for salvation.

Some drugs work for most while causing massive problems for a few. Just like guns, just like cars and certainly like religion. Show me a pill that caused a massacre and I'll show you a history of religious massacres and butchery that defies counting. Show me a pill that caused a suicide and I'll show you more churches than you can attend in a month of Sundays where kids get abused or their very real medical problems are ignored in the name of religion.

I don't need the media to see the true snake oil salesman. It's the guy who says by giving him more and more money and going through all this religious play-acting in his church, I'll come closer to God or heaven.

[WBP]

Hmmm, "Gifts" you sound a lot like a scientologist to me. "Roman Catholic" huh? The BS about psychiatric drugs give you away. I am sorry to inform you, but mental illness cannot be solved by tweezing old aliens out of a person's body.

Snake oil cures - BULLSHIT! Virginia Tech happened because the shooter's mother kept taking him to her pastors to have him exorcised and NOT to a doctor who could have diagnosed him as the mentally ill person he was.

"I am sure the Church of Sceintology only wishes this dude well." BULLSHIT! They want him silenced or back in the cult coughing up $$$.

[screwedrus]

WBP - Oh shit, man. "Tweezing old aliens out of a person's body" is probably the best description I've ever read.

[Gifts]

hummm. I happen to have lost a family member to drug induced suicide who was under the care of a psychiatrist and a pyschologist at the time of his death. I do not hide who I am. Not that I have to tell you my religion, I am a Roman Catholic and teach CCD, I run a non profit organization called Ablechild.org that represents well over 10,000 parents, many of which testified before the FDA advisory panel to get the Black Box Suicide Warning on the antidepressant label, in memory of their loved ones. I am a big fan of the work of scientologists, I think they are very well educated, giving, very considerate and enjoy when other people succeed! In addition they are honest, hardworking and dedicated to their religion and give back to the community. On the other hand those who attack Scientology are weak and are used by the media to make these attacks, they are often thrown away after the media finishes using them up. Virginia Tech happened because the shooter was on MEDS being treated at a behavioral health center in VA. He was also mandated by the Court for TREATMENT. FACTS.

[Phasis]

Wow. Now you have really opened a $cientology can of worms.

The list of people who NEEDED Psychiatric treatment and medication and died as a result of being prevented from obtaining it is long and tragic, but I will just draw attention to 3 of the most notorious examples.

Lisa McPherson: died in the midst of a psychotic break after she had been held for 17 days in $cientology's Clearwater, Florida headquarters (Ft Harrison Hotel) where she was denied medical treatment.

Jeremy Perkins: a young schizophrenic man who killed his own mother after stabbing her 77 times. His mother was an ardent high level OT $cientologist who prevented Jeremy from getting the psychiatric medicine that he desperately needed until one day he lost all contact with reality and killed the mother he loved and who loved him.

Another case in Sydney Australia: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/i-just-butchered-my-family/2007/07/09/1183833402450.html

Also: The young man behind the Virginia Tech murders was NOT on any psychiatric medication or under treatment at the time of the massacre. Had he been, it's likely that 32 people would be alive.

Also, Kendra Wiseman, the daughter of Bruce Wiseman, the President CCHR is now one of $cientology's most vocal critics and has spoken out extensively against the abuses of the Cult in the media and her websiteshe founded with Jenna Miscavige (the niece of Church head, David Miscavige and Astra Woodcraft). See http://www.exscientologykids.com/

[ellocoliberal]

That's a pretty disgusting distortion of what happened at Va Tech. A deeply mentally ill person refuses any attempts at intervention and help by mental health professionals, and you imply he was deluded with psychiatric meds. Way to go skank. You did Turd Ron Hubbard proud, I'm sure. Not just fantasy and fiction, but self- and importantly, C. of $ promoting propaganda. Grab another half a level's worth dude.

You should be disgusted and deeply ashamed of yourself for such a vile little deception.

That being the case you are an entirely appropriate mouthhole for the "Moneytologists" that you do "NOT" represent (RC, right?)
$cientology- chock full of wonderful human beings (mostly Thetan free!) and offering the world so much!
To quote you further- Give us a break! We don't really believe that ANY of all those crappy SciFi books and movies are real, dum dum. Its for entertainment purposes only, not worshipping.

Enough! shout it again and again! Keep those damned Thetans away!

[Gifts]

Mental Health was mandated on the VA Tech shooter via the COURTS, he did receive MEDS, FACT Viriginia TECH, Shooter received mental health assistance. FACT Viriginia TECH shooter's medical records were sealed and tissue toxicology testing was never done. SCARY, SCARY scientologists what a threat they are to us all. Dude, no shame here, just the evidence and facts, MEDWATCH reports dude, you should also check into the Federal Cosmestic ACT and learn a little something about drug safety and the FDA, and a bit about the hundreds of victim's families that lost loved ones to antidepressant induced suicides that testified before the FDA advisory panel. Dude, where have you been, have you seen the BLACK BOX Suicide WARNINGS on the antidepressants. My advice, if you don't want to be a scientologist, don't become one, problem solved. But a label given by the mental health industry has no accountability, if you end up dead, they will blame the label.

[Foohog]

The first problem is the notion that giving money to any church does a solitary thing to bring you happiness, impress God or find whatever it is your soul is seeking.

The second mistake folks make is to think that going to church will do those things. Religion is, after all, only a tool. In every sense of the word.

Now, for those who talk about a refund: are you kidding me? For what? A one-way ticket to heaven and spiritual well-being that turned out to be counterfeit? The fact that he chose to ignore all the people who have called this outfit what it is, a cult, over the last several decades?

Maybe he should have read the cover story on TIME back in 1991 or 92 about Scientology being the worlds largest cult. If memory serves, the picture was of a giant octopus with grasping tentacles. Or watched any ten of the hundreds of news stories about Tom Cruise and his merry band of whack-jobs.

Or maybe just had enough sense to know that bribing your way into heaven is a quick way to go bankrupt.

[amamomofsons]

All religions are tax exempt and we are the chumps paying their way. Catholics truly believe that they eat and drink the body and blood of Christ. This institution has committed some of the most hideous crimes against children while protecting the perpetrators . They tortured, burned and murdered millions throughout history for blasphemy or whatever they wanted. They worship hundreds of saints, Mary , God, Jesus himself which makes them polytheists. Mormons believe that there are golden plates buried somewhere and that they have the right to baptize folks posthumously , not to mention the magic underwear and polygamy. Jews have their own goofy traditions and beliefs that are just too vast to mention here. All those religions like the snake worshipers and holy rollers as well as Muslims who would kill over cartoons of Mohammad and wage jihad against just about everyone on the planet are scams led by some enterprising madman who draws a following. Evangelicals have swindled millions out of the poor through their tax exempt TV programs and their leaders live like kings with private jets, huge homes. Meanwhile they are cavorting with prostitutes and trying to hide their gayness.So­me religions in undeveloped areas eat their dead. Some mutilate their daughters in religious ritual. Scientology is just another cult in the long list of cults. Who needs this crap? All religions are scams. Am I angry....y­up.

[MaracaKabob]

The Pope is Caesar. The Catholic church is the left overs of the Roman Empire.