Why Being a Mormon Makes Me Sympathetic to Tom Cruise

Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes

Big news on the Cruise/Holmes divorce proceedings. Tom Cruise admits that Scientology did play a part in his split from Katie Holmes.

In a transcript of an interview with Cruise for a separate law suit involving a publishing company who claimed Cruise abandoned Suri, Tom Cruise said that Suri is no longer practicing the religion. When asked whether Katie Holmes divorced him to "protect" Suri from Scientology, Tom Cruise thought this question was "offensive."

He said, "There is no reason to protect my daughter from my religion."

But he did admit later in the interview that it was one of Katie's "assertions" about the divorce.

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This is so tasty - I know, guys. Delicious even. But as strange as Scientology seems to me and as happy as I am that Katie is out of it (if she wants to be), I feel a little bit sensitive for Tom Cruise. I'm a Mormon, yo. I'm sure that seems really strange to a lot of people. I don't and wouldn't equate the LDS faith with Scientology - they're not even close, I'd say. But some people might. All the worst things (and more) that have been said about Scientology have also been said about Mormonism.

So while I would probably side with Katie (in my imagination where I am required to choose a side in all public celebrity divorces), I just can't go all anti-Tom. It's too easy.

I don't know what his religion means to him or what kind of father he is. But I know what my religion means to me and how much I hate being judged as a mom. Tom Cruise knows he's fair game because he's a celebrity, but reading headlines that say he abandoned Suri for Scientology really bothers him. He says, "Listen, I am a public person, I absolutely understand … I tolerate a tremendous amount and I am very privileged to be able to have the life that I have and I believe that. But there is a line that I draw for myself and … and that's it."

Divorce is always sad, especially when there are kids involved. In my religion we believe that families are forever. #kidding #notkidding.

-By Kacy Faulconer

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