I like this shirt: http://www.cafepress.com/mccam/658079

Run, Katie, Run

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First, let me state clearly that I an *NOT* a Scientologist. I am just someone who is really sick and tired of these misconceptions being thrown around the net.

Check out Celebrity Baby Blog for some comments from a reader who *IS* a Scientologist that totally debunks all this nonsense about Katie having to be completely silent during the birth.

http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2006/03/katie_holmes_st.html#comments

Everything reputable I have found on this subject basically sounds the same as the Bradley method of childbirth. It's reasonable. It's about keeping the mother calm and centered. All this fuss about trying to create a peaceful birthing atmosphere. It's all because people have decided they hate Tom now because he's been outspoken about some of his opinions. I've never heard anyone rant and rave like this about the Orthodox Jewish rules that state that during the birth they will not touch their wives or pass objects directly to them. But Heaven forbid that Scientologists try to encourage a calm and peaceful atmosphere during the birth.

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Holy sh*t! I am all for equality and turning a blind eye, but I am going to go ahead and be an a**hole and say that Scientology is NUTS!!!! Everytime I read up on the freakin' thing it makes my brain want to explode.

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I'm with Angelica on this one. I've read and read and I try sooo hard to keep an open mind, but the more I hear these stories, the more freaked out I become. I just can't get past this sounding like some really weird cult with Tom Cruise as it's spokesperson. Scary. I'm not saying all of these stories are true, but nevertheless he lost me with the jumping on the couch like a maniac. And the whole tirade against Brooke Shields, PPD and anti-depressants. Oh, and the home ultrasound machine. And flying a very preggers Katie to Australia for a photo op to prove they are together. I mean I can go on and on. He is just plain creepy.

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Way to reinforce other stereotypes when trying to tell people to be open minded, momma2mingbu.

There is no dictum in judaism that states that men can't touch their wives or pass things over their bodies. Judaism simply doesn't operate that way. Each jewish community is different, even with fundamentalist jews. While there likely are hassidic jewish communities that believe that, that's not the same thing as orthodox. Hassidic jews are fundamentalists.

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I knew Jewish women in the past who went through that.

http://www.ethnicityonline.net/judaism_birth.htm

My WHOLE POINT was that there are people of the Jewish faith who follow that guideline and I don't hear people going nuts about that choice the way I hear them going nuts about the so-called "silent birth" thing. The difference? If Tom Cruise was of a faith where this was practiced we'd hear, "Oh my gosh.....how will she ever get through labor if her baby daddy can't touch her to help her and comfort her? That's just so wrong and horrible!" Instead, we have to hear all this complaining about silent birth that has been totally misunderstood.

Oh, and for the record I just *love* people who post anonymous comments. If you can't sign your name, don't post...I mean REALLY...if you feel strong enough to say it, own up to your words.

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I am holding on to hope that she starts experiencing labor pains, and decides to shove those posters up Tom's ass, which telling him to "Be silent..." There is something SERIOUSLY wrong with these people!!

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I'm all about calling out Tom Cruise for the crazy. And the misogyny. And the bad "acting". And Scientologists are, by and large, nutjobs brainwashed into the cult of an opportunistic, b-level sci-fi writer. But momma2mingbu is right, they are getting unfairly smeared in this silent birth debacle.

The silent birth dictums do not apply to the mother, who can scream her everlovin' guts out if that's what she needs to do. The signs, directions, etc, are aimed at *everyone else* involved in the birthing process. And really, how horrifying and barbaric that rather than some sort of Hollywood melodrama birth where everyone is screaming "Push!" at the top of their lungs and bustling about for no discernable reason, Crazy Cruise and Held Hostage Holmes attempt to create a peaceful atmosphere for their baby's birth. Would her birthing choices (because I'm assuming that Ms Holmes is not simply some host and has, in fact, had at least some input into the details of her birthplan) be more acceptable if she chose the overmedicalized vision of birth that so much of North America is trained to buy into?

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http://www.geocities.com/kiduniverse.geo/scientology-silent-birth.html

Interesting reading.

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Not to rain on everyone's religious parade but most organized religions have some really wacky stories in their backgrounds. Sure, Scientology is particularly whackjobby, but c'mon...

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I have to agree with Crystal. When I read the story all I could think was if I was Katie, the minute labor started & he started telling me to be quiet I would have to say: "Shut the f*** up you idiot! You're not the one having this baby!"

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Having had a little girl in the last year, I am willing to sing the praises of whomever invented the epidural! Good luck to Katie. I don't envy her at all.

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I'm thinking that only when Crazy Cruise is preparing to squeeze a bowling ball out his butt, should he have much of a say about a birth plan.

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Thanks momma2mingbu for your tolerance and treating us as people, and not going about degrading and maligning our beliefs like some of the others on this board. As a Jewish Scientologist, I have birthed 2 beautiful children using the Scientology birthing method, and I can difinitively say that the media is printing blatant lies about what it is and why it is just to cause such a reaction. I don't blame anyone for being outraged. I would be too if I was fed such horrid lies. But at least I wouldn't treat people of a different faith like garbage.

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How are you a Jewish Scientologist? Do you practice both judaism AND scientology?

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I don't really care when or how Tom and Katie are going about this birth, but I can tell you I wouldn't have been too happy if I was walking around, nine months pregnant, seeing six foot tall posters with instructions for giving birth. I mean, how many people are attending the birth that they need such reminders?

Out of curiosity, in 'silent birth' if it applies to the people around the mother, is no one allowed to give her encouragement or tell her how the birth is progressing?

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Anonymous,

You can be an anything scientologist because scientology is more of a "belief system" than a "religion". The worship of a deity aspects are (mostly) absent from Scientology, which focuses more on free the psyche from eternal servitude to evil alien overlords.

You know, I didn't really want people talking to me while I was in the actual process of giving birth. I believe I may have even made an indelicate suggestion as to what I would do to the next person who hollered "push" at me. And I certainly remember the idle chitchat in the room made me want to scream. I really don't see it as a hardship to the mother if the people around her take some time to think and make her atmosphere as calming and pleasant as possible.

And again with the caveat that I think Crazy Tom Cruise is a headcase (and possbily a misogynist), I have to ask the married or partnered moms out there: Did your partner really have no input into your birthplan whatsoever? Wasn't allowed to have any sort of opinion at all as to what should happen?

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No man should tell a woman how to have a baby.

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The quote is from CHILD DIANETICS, Dianetic Processing for Children (1951). Here we go:

1. Observe silence during and for several minutes after moments of pain and anaten at all ages.

Especially important are:

Prenatal Life: Be silent during and after the sex act. During pregnancy be silent at times of injury, during applications of first aid, doctor’s examinations, illness, and operations involving the expectant mother. Be silent but helpful after electric shocks, bumps and jars to the mother’s body. Be silent after the mother coughs or sneezes. Arrange for silence when a general anesthesia is administered to the mother. Where there is a choice, local anesthesia is always preferable. If your aberrations, environment or social set compel you to drink to excess, for posterity’s sake learn to do it in complete silence.

Birth: Arrange for absolute silence during labor and birth.

2. Observe silence during moments of emotional disturbances involving the expectant mother or child. During moments of crying or fear, rub the pre-clear’s back firmly and gently, preferably with skin contact, but be silent and make all physical movements slow and understandable. Do not argue with, or within the hearing of mother or child.

Also from CHILD DIANETICS by LRH, "A grandparent may not be permitted into the home of the children until they learn how to behave themselves
dianetically"

Translated this means Katie's parents will not be invovled as normal grandparents until they convert.

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