Germany has barred Bryan Singer and company from shooting at a German military site because the film’s star Tom Cruise is a Scientologist. The German government does not recognize as a church. According to THR, Berlin says Scientology masquerades as a religion to make money, a charge Scientology leaders reject. The movie, Valkyrie is based on true events, and tells the story of a scheme hatched by German Generals to assassinate Adolph Hitler at the height of World War II. Descendants of Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg have also been vocal about Tom Cruise being cast for the lead role, fearing that the story will be turned into “propaganda” for the actor’s Scientology beliefs.”
Like Cruise, or hate him. Like Scientology, or hate it. You have to admit, Germany has still not learned tolerance. To not allow the film to shoot because of the lead star’s religion is ridiculous. I actually looked at my computer’s calendar to make sure the year was still 2007 and not 1934.
June 25th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
LOL!!I like Tom Cruise but hearing something like that is so hillarious.LOL!!!!!
June 25th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
You can’t say Germany hasn’t learned tolerance. Maybe this story is “too much”, but there’s reasons. The people of the country wants to be as perfect as possible. Logical.
Here in Europe we mostly fights against old’s idea like scientology (yeah, 1934 is for the scientology, not the Germay). It’s an insult to say “I actually looked at my computer’s calendar to make sure the year was still 2007 and not 1934.” I hope no German people read this site. Do you think about what you say to thousands ? Writing in oublic, it’s responsabity. Think before writing.
The scientology is ridiculous, and every time Cruise (I like the actor, not the man) comes in Europe, it’s propaganda agin and again. Shut him up and the movie will film in Germany ^^
As Tom is in 1934, Germany will wait till he’ll come in modern time an ideas lol
Sad from a website I visit twice or three times a day.
Pierre from France
ps : sorry for my english
June 25th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
Chief Executive Officer Paula Wagner released the following statement:
“To set the record straight, ‘Valkyrie’ is a historically accurate thriller that presents the World War Two resistance hero Col. Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg as the heroic and principled figure he was, and we believe it will go a long way towards reminding the world that even within the ranks of the German military there was real resistance to the Nazi regime. ‘Valkyrie’ was originated and brought to United Artists by Bryan Singer and Christopher McQuarrie. Based on the fantastic screenplay written by Mr. McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander, we gave it the green light. Mr. Singer, the director, then offered the role of Col. Stauffenberg to Tom Cruise because he thought he was perfect for the part. Aside from his obvious admiration of the man he is portraying, Mr. Cruise’s personal beliefs have absolutely no bearing on the movie’s plot, themes, or content. And even though we could shoot the movie anywhere in the world, we believe Germany is the only place we can truly do the story justice.”
June 25th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
It is unbelieveable that Germany is still Nazi. They started against Jews long ago, killing millions of them, and they continue against Scientologists now. What will be next? It is the land of intolerance and bigotry. And it is because its people allow it to be.
What happened with Hitler or with the Inquisition should be a huge lesson to mankind. If this is let happen, Human Rights are really at risk in Europe.
June 25th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
@Joxe: you appear to be very well informed, given the qualified statements you venture on European politics, and on that spectacular historic arc linking the Inquisition (religion-based) to Hitler’s (counter-religious) Nazi regime. Based on your professional view as a distinguished scholar in comparative historic analysis, would you be able to tell us on which basis you dare comparing the murder of millions of people before and during WWII to the non-issuing of a shooting permit for a commercial US company in a European country? To be honest, I find this very insulting to all the victims of the Nazi regime (and frankly also to the intelligence of whatever education system yielded this view).
June 25th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Germany has barred … from shooting at a German military site because of the religion of one of the company’s actors. At the same time Germany’s CONSTITUTION guareneets freedom of religion. Typical government thinking if you ask me.
June 25th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Germany didn’t stop Tom Cruise from filming MI3 there two years ago, when he was at the height of his Brooke Shields bashing Scientology preaching.
I think the Germans are rightly cautious about letting their historical sites be used in a Tom Cruisevanity project that he will doubtless use as a pretext for criticizing the status of Scientology in Germany and draw these same exact spurious parallels to Nazism.
June 25th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
excellent point, terryeo, but you’re forgetting one thing:
germany doesn’t grant scientology religious status. they see scientology for what it is: a dangerous organization that defrauds people of their money, and destroys families.
June 26th, 2007 at 3:27 am
Jerry Seinfeld : +1
Terryeo : Scientology is not à religion, but a secte (I don’t know the englich word lol).
Joxe : You are intolerant. Germany doesn’t like Scientology, they have the rights to refuse.
I’m agree that it’s “too much”, but don’t do parallels with Nazi or Inquisition : it’s ridiculous. You don’t understand what you speak about. And you know what ? Human Rights are more at risk in USA than Europe (Guantanamo, Irak, blablabla). Nobody is perfect, but don’t say silly words without thinking. ^^
June 26th, 2007 at 3:31 am
Like Harlan Ellison said: “You are not entitled to an opinion, you are entitled to an informed opinion!” Germany is not the only european Country, who does not grant Scientology religious status. But sure it is an easy target. Sixty Years ago they were evil Nazis, so when they now consider Scientology a doubtful and dangerous Organisation, than it’s of course all of the same.
Scientology opened recently their new Headquarter in Berlin. If Germany really were a never changing country of evil nazis and not the free and democratic community it really is, this would hardly be possible.
Even to compare the methodic execution of millions of innocent man, women and children by the nazis to this is childish at best.
June 26th, 2007 at 4:06 am
What about “barred [...] from shooting at a German military site” is so hard to understand? The German Ministry of Defense is just not willing to let them shoot on state property. And they have every right to do so. There is no constitutionally granted right to shoot movies on state property. And why should there be any?
Scientology is regarded as a sect not a religious group with all the religious freedoms the constitution grants. A sect that uses indoctrination and coercion.
It´s quite obvious scientologist disagree with that. And they are allowed to, just because they are free to do what ever they want. Yes, they are free to do so, it´s in the constitution or to be precise the Grundgesetz. They are free to do whatever theay want as long as they do harm others. They are free to believe anything as well. But just not on state property.
Scientologists are not prosecuted or hunted down like millions of innocent jews and other minorities were in the 1930s and especially the 1940s. To compare the fates of these people to Tom Cruise and the crew of “Valkyrie” being barred from shooting there is a shame. Calling that nazi-like is highly insulting to the victims of the holocaust.
Get a grip - and think about what you wrote. It´s insulting and ignorant.
June 26th, 2007 at 4:10 am
Sorry, it should read “want as long as they do NOT harm others”.
June 26th, 2007 at 6:54 am
Peter Sciretta , don’t be a patsy for the $Cult$ of Scientology.
Tolerance ? Get real, these people know a duck when they see one.
Fewer and fewer people are falling for the nonsense of Diuretics and the hucksterism of ol’ Layfeyettes volcano shakin’, DC9 flying Xenu stomping nonsense.
Relgion indeed - they don’t even believe in God…
June 26th, 2007 at 7:43 am
“I actually looked at my computer’s calendar to make sure the year was still 2007 and not 1934.”
“It is unbelieveable that Germany is still Nazi.”
WOHOOOOOO! omg!
im angry - yeah, im angry like HULK!
when slave-maker and native-american-killers write that bullshit. that is PAST - you know the word PAST????
MI3 etc. etc.
another fact: in berlin there is a new massive great building of scientology!
inform you!!!
BAH!
June 26th, 2007 at 8:32 am
Wow. All of you sit back and talk about how Scientology is a cult.
How they are doing nothing but stealing people’s money. Heh. At least
they are doing it outright. Instead of like your prescious god worshipping
preist, that take your money as a pretense of getting you into heaven.
Yeah I know I’m about to be told how you give your money to help the
church and your fellow congregation members. Got that, they are
doing the same thing. If the people that believe in Scientology want to
give up their money to the “religion” let them. It’s not your money.
Oh and Pierre. What are you talking about?
“Joxe : You are intolerant. Germany doesn’t like Scientology, they have the rights to refuse.”
So your saying that if I don’t llike you I can keep you out of my city?
It’s called tolerance for others. Maybe you people should actually read
your bibles once i a while and listen when it says
“judge not lest ye be judged.”
Your God and Religion preaches tolerance for everyone and forgivness.
You guys have problems with the religion, fine. But just because
someone doesn’t believe in your god your telling me they are less
of a person because of it?
June 26th, 2007 at 8:47 am
SCIENTOLOGY is a CULT that seeks to gain influence in governments through bribery, intimidation and litigation.
Germany isn’t having it. The USA should take a lesson in this case.
June 26th, 2007 at 8:54 am
Dude who writes this blog is a seriously warped liberal.
June 26th, 2007 at 8:55 am
David: Where are you getting your information from? Honestly I haven’t
done that much research on the matter. Maybe your sources could
enlighten me?
Oh and also L Ron Hubbub: Religion is definied as 1. Beliefe in a divine
being or beings, 2. A specific form of belief and practice.
Tell me how Religion is only for beliefes that include a God? To me
Scientology is a religion, not one I follow but a religion for those that do.
June 26th, 2007 at 8:59 am
Lucin : I understand you, but what I tried to say with my bad english (^^), it’s not that you think lol
Scientology is a sect (I don’t know if it’s the english right word), not a religion. And in that case, it’s not relly the scientology the problem (Scientology have a building in Germany, like they saif), but Tom Cruise speaks about it again and again. It’s propaganda.
And no, here we fight against all that is against human rights. Scientology fools people and their money because they take the weak. I’s not because it’s not my money that I don’t fight all that is against human rights. All that is against humanity in the world concerns me. Africa, Darfour, the poor people in my country, Irak, Guantanamo, china…when everybody will have my chance of liberty, it will not my problem. Do you understand ?
Oh, and…I’m not religious, I have no god, except…cinema :-D
Peace,
Pierre
June 26th, 2007 at 9:10 am
Oh, I forgot :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology#Controversy_and_criticism
Germany classes Scientology as a business, rather than a religious organization, and Belgium, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Spain and the United Kingdom remain unconvinced that Scientology is a religion[88].
Scientology’s disconnection policy, in which members are encouraged to cut off all contact with friends or family members considered “antagonistic.
Some countries, mostly in Europe, have regarded Scientology as a potentially dangerous cult, or at least have not considered local branches of the Church of Scientology to meet the legal criteria for being considered religion-supporting organizations.
In Germany Scientologist are free to practice.
n France, the Church of Scientology was categorized as a sect (or cult) in the 2468 report of the Assemblée Nationale (the legislative body), in 1995. A more recent government report in 2000 categorized the church as an “absolute sect” and recommended that all its activities be prohibited.[150]
etc etc
The problem today is not the Scientology itself, but the Toms Cruses’s propaganda. (anyway, Scientology is a dangerous cult, but I’m not here to tell you that)
And Peter, if you don’t want silly comments, don’t write sylly words ^^
You’ve a responsability when you write for public.
Peace,
Pierre, writer, France
June 26th, 2007 at 9:57 am
Good Lord, Peter.
From your continuous posts about Sicko, I figured you for a liberal. I’m really shocked though that you would draw a parallel between Nazism and not allowing a movie to shoot because of the lead actor’s religious affiliation. And lets not just call it an affiliation, the man is a zealot ofr a belief system that can hardly be called a religion… it has much more in common with cults and has been investigated many time for being nothing more than an pyramid scheme to raise huge amounts of money.
“Like Scientology, or hate it. You have to admit, Germany has still not learned tolerance.” No, Peter, I don’t have to admit that. They are a sovereign state, and have every right to disallow filming by a person/religion that they disagree with. There is a difference between tolerating something, and agreeing with it. I may tolerate someone’s beliefs, as long as they don’t infringe on my own, but that does not mean I have to allow them into my home.
“I actually looked at my computer’s calendar to make sure the year was still 2007 and not 1934.” Sensational, much? We both know this is just silly.
June 26th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Pierre: Sorry about that then. Germany keeping Cruise out, fine I understand.
In fact I don’t blame them. He brings bad publicity where he goes.
The problem I have is the reason they choose to keep him out. Citing he
believes in Scientology as the reason, is a very bad reason. I believe they are doing it to keep the bad publicity out of their country. But they could just say that instead of resorting to his religion as a reason.
Scientology being a sect, or group of misguided people, fine. I don’t care what yo label them. My opinion against popular belief is that it is a religion. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not a scientologist and never will be. I’m agnostic. But they have a belief system they want to hold on to. If said belief tries to corrupt the government like David says then yes it needs to be stopped.
Unfortunately I ave no referrence for this. So I can not back you guys up on this.
David: Sorry if what I said sounded abit like I was trying to cut you down. I’m not.
I honestly just want to know where your gettin gyour information so I can make an informed descion like you already have.
June 26th, 2007 at 10:09 am
Hello,
I just want to add that I am a journalist and a few years ago I had to do a series of features on the Church of Scientology. After trawling through countless testimonies and government reports on the CoS (most notably the British Foster Report). I came to the conclusion that Scientology is a dangerous and insidious organisation bent on the exploitation of very vulnerable people. They maintain a veneer of credibility by hooking gullible celebrities to front an organisation whose inner workings they know precious little about.
In conclusion I don’t think it is right that exploitative groups can hide behind the label of religion. I agree with the government of Germany’s intolerance of Scientology.
Don’t forget intolerance has a place in society too - intolerance of racists, Nazis, con men, thieves, criminals, and maybe even Scientologists.
June 26th, 2007 at 10:36 am
Peter Sciretta,
I urge you to apologize for your vile and idiotic remarks,
and correct your racistic, ill-informed point of view!
June 26th, 2007 at 10:43 am
Finchie: Can you please tell me where someone not associated with
the press can find such information?
June 26th, 2007 at 10:46 am
Thanks Pierre. I appreciate the link and information.
June 26th, 2007 at 10:47 am
It doesn’t matter if Germany believes that Scientology is a business and not a religion. They are not allowing them to shoot on ground where other movies have shot because of that fact. I could understand if the film was going to promote scientology, but it clearly isn’t. The film is also not being produce or funded by the religion. So to deny them based on the religion of the film’s main star alone is intolerant. And yes, my last comment was meant to be Sensational.
June 26th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Ok. After reading the wikipedia site Pierre linked for me, wow Scientology
is full of mistakes and seems to be geared toward the brain-washing of
the simple minded. That’s based off the stuff I read.
Honestly though while I won’t sit here and say they are evil and need to
be shut down, I will neither boost them as good. While some of their
members and leaders did go to great length to make the “religion”
look better, even far enough to break the law and threaten people.
Every religion has it’s fanatics. Granted Scientology seems to have alot
more of them then any other religion. They also place the celebrity
members as more important than the non-famous, bothers me to no end.
So as a final thought from me on this. Meh, I just stopped caring.
June 26th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
U gotta laugh. Germany’s constitution guarentees freedom of religion. While its governmnet has even banned Microsoft products because of the religion of a subcontractor. U gotta laugh at government thinking.
June 26th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
didn’t we go over this already, terryeo? or are you hoping that people will skip down to the last post without reading any of the others?
germany doesn’t grant scientology religious status.
i repeat. germany doesn’t grant scientology religious status.
wash. rinse. repeat as necessary.
June 26th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Tom Cruise is a cancer and should stick to brainwashing young actresses and films with any historical content since he is completely unbelievable in whatever role his picks-
June 26th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Tom Cruise should also be banned from Germany for just being a talentless hack- Just because Americans bend over to any lame cult doesn’t mean Germany should accept this moron to portray
a heroic man of principle- If Cruise had any scruples or taste he would bow out- but he won’t- cause he’s a freak and doesn’t have any principles- Scientology- I’ve got a degree in Thinkology ! lol
June 26th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
oooo PARIS HILTON can play Eva Braun! Oooh!
June 27th, 2007 at 2:38 am
I’m Catholic, not a scientologist, but it’s obvious that Germany has committed some secret
crimes that they are afraid Tom Cruise or Scientology could find out about. Scientology
has helped millions of people and L Ron Hubbard is considered a great friend of mankind
all over the world by people of all faiths. Germany is just being suppresive putting some
false datum out there about scientology.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:16 am
Tom is just not getting the message, is he? To be sacked by your film company because of your religion is one thing but to be barred from a country?
The Scientologists like their pet celebrities to be rich, popular and successful. At this rate, he may even be sacked by them, too.
June 27th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
I’m Catholic, not a scientologist, but it’s obvious that Germany has committed some secret
crimes that they are afraid Tom Cruise or Scientology could find out about. Scientology
has helped millions of people and L Ron Hubbard is considered a great friend of mankind
all over the world by people of all faiths. Germany is just being suppresive putting some
false datum out there about scientology.
no, you’re a scientologist, Dr. Krippen.
Here’s what LRH had to say about Catholicism:
“You will find the cross as a symbol all over the universe, and the Christ legend as implant in preclears a million years ago.†(L. Ron Hubbard, Professional Auditor Bulletin 31, 1954)
“Somebody, somewhere on this planet, back about 600 BC, found some pieces of R6…. And it became what is known as Christianity. Uh, the man on the cross, there was no Christ, but the man on a cross, is shown as every man…. a person can have been crucified, but in R6 he is shown as crucified….. the entirety of Roman Catholicism, the devil and all this sort of thing, that is all part of R6.†(L. Ron Hubbard, Class VIII Auditor Course Lectures, 1968)
June 27th, 2007 at 1:03 pm
no, you’re a scientologist, Dr. Krippen.
Here’s what LRH had to say about Catholicism:
“You will find the cross as a symbol all over the universe, and the Christ legend as implant in preclears a million years ago.†(L. Ron Hubbard, Professional Auditor Bulletin 31, 1954)
“Somebody, somewhere on this planet, back about 600 BC, found some pieces of R6…. And it became what is known as Christianity. Uh, the man on the cross, there was no Christ, but the man on a cross, is shown as every man…. a person can have been crucified, but in R6 he is shown as crucified….. the entirety of Roman Catholicism, the devil and all this sort of thing, that is all part of R6.†(L. Ron Hubbard, Class VIII Auditor Course Lectures, 1968)
June 27th, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Yeah, was kind of very unhelpful and just sounded like rambling to me. Am I being dense or am I supposed to derive meaning from that quote? If so, i may require Way more brainwashing than usual.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:40 am
Maybe to add some facts, if anybody is interested (I do have the impression the public debate on this has left the reign of facts a while ago): (1) no shooting permit has been requested by the production company so far, consequently none has been rejected. (2) the German Ministry of Defense (which is quoted in most news items as the source of the supposedly rejected permit) does not own the building all this is about (the “Bendlerblock”) - it is owned by the Ministry of Finance, (3) Scientology has two specific “status features” in Germany that are relevant here: it is considered a commercial organisation (not a “church”), and it is officially under observation by the German “Verfassungsschutz”, which you could translate with a national police unit dedicated to protection constitutional issues. The latter means that there is an initial suspicion that the organisation may be or will be enganged in violating German constitutional rights, such as non-discrimination, freedom of speech, fredom of science, etc. (and yes: the freedom to choose and practice one’s religioun). All this is based on a long history of court cases that have been well documented, and where the arguments pro and against each decision have been discussed. As for the “discrimination” argument raised: Neither of these status decisions means that the ability of the organisation to operate is restricted, they just do not receive the state (e.g. tax) benefits an approved “church” receives and they cannot use the public tax authorities to collect “membership fees”. Hence it can operate in just about the same way as it can, eg, in the US.
So what is it that makes this story such a big thing? Well, nothing, actually, so far…
July 7th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
All those german politicians are so short minded. They have a constitution and then they don’t respect it. They don’t respect freedom of thought which by the way is also one of the human rights. No wonder Hitler was able to do what he did. I he came back in germany, maybe these politicians would help him. They have the frame of mind. They are definitely bigots.
July 8th, 2007 at 4:49 am
You Americans are so close-minded. You think that just because a celebrity endorses something that it is okay. Well guess what it’s not. It is typically American to try and link anything that happens now to the one notable historical event that exists in the American psyche in reference to the place. Well not everything that happens in Germany can be related back to WWII. That’s lazy and bigoted and, dare I say it American.
Well, dudes, maybe you should worry about how your government is supporting a murder machine in Iraq and less about the antics of some pocket-sized brainwashed freak.
Happy fourth of July.
July 9th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
One must always have in mind that nowadays the government is not the people. They are two absolutely different things in most countries.
September 29th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
It’s hilarious to see how easy is to brainwash people. Tom’s reps keep denying the invented stories about scientology and him. Apparently someone is busy inventing nonsenses and throwing them to the press people. And the funniest thing is that they believe and publish them and part of the public fall in the trap too. I wonder who is crazy here… We have seen so many lies about Tom Cruise published in the last couple of years starting with the placenta story, that I wonder how some people still believe these crazy stories. Any media reporting them should be ashamed. And the people believing them should seriously worry about their mental health.