Help! My Beliefs Are Viewed as Intolerant
I can still remember watching an interview years ago where Oprah Winfrey asked Tom Cruise about his controversial religion of Scientology. Cruise’s faith had come under fire due to recent events, and Oprah was pressing him pretty hard about what he really believed. After a few testy exchanges, Oprah finally got to the nub of the matter: “So Scientologists don’t believe their way is the only way?” With this one solitary question—which was obviously the question—the tone of the interview shifted dramatically. Whatever other things Cruise might believe, surely he couldn’t believe his religion was the only right one. Who could ever have the audacity to believe that ? Not surprisingly, Cruise alleviated Oprah’s fears: “No. We’re here to help. It’s not like you’ve got to believe this . . . [that] you must believe what I believe.” After a deep exhale, the interview then continued on with a more gentle, friendly tone. As I watched this exchange play out, I pondered what might have ha