{"id":363,"date":"2006-06-09T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2006-06-09T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/idolchatter\/2006\/06\/scientology-on-the-fast-track.html"},"modified":"2006-06-09T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2006-06-09T12:00:00","slug":"scientology-on-the-fast-track","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2006\/06\/scientology-on-the-fast-track.html","title":{"rendered":"Scientology on the Fast Track"},"content":{"rendered":"
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While most recently associated with a certain couch-jumping movie star, Scientology has had a long history of recruiting celebrities<\/a>. But now the L.A.-based religion is turning its sights to the massive demographics of NASCAR, which has, as of a 2004 estimate, 75 million religiously fervent followers. The Associated Press<\/a> reports that \u201cKenton Gray, a 35-year-old Californian, will attempt to make the field for a late model race Saturday night at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway\u201d in a Ford Taurus sponsored by Bridge Publications, publishers of \u201cDianetics.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Gray\u2019s car is not just a blank billboard–he\u2019s a believer and success story and hopes to spread the word to those at the motorway. \u201cDianetics is a book that helped me in many ways since I first read it many years ago,\u201d Gray said in a statement released to the AP. \u201cIt helped me get better control over the obstacles I had to get through to reach goals I was passionate about. It\u2019s a great honor to have a sponsor relationship that\u2019s so directly related to my making it this far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having religious imagery on a NASCAR vehicle isn’t something new. Driver Bobby Labonte plastered an advert for “The Passion of the Christ<\/a>” on his car, but Lord only knows how many bad jokes will be made if a Viagra-sponsored auto and the “Dianetics” car–with it’s exploding volcano–ever take the same track.<\/p>\n

In other Scientology-related news, it seems that outspoken liberal comedienne and Air America radio host Janeane Garofalo has alienated her co-host of “Majority Report,” Sam Seder. Often cynical and subversive in her stand-up routine, the star of “The Truth about Cats and Dogs” and “Mystery Men” has in the past few months been seemingly endorsing<\/a>, on her show, a controversial Scientology detox program for NYC firefighters who were involved in 9\/11 cleanup. According to MSNBC.com\u2019s \u201cThe Scoop<\/a>,\u201d Garofalo and Seder recently \u201chad a heated argument over her continued promotion of [the program], that ended with Seder storming off the set.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perhaps, Janeane should take the motto of her political-action group to heart and just Move On before she losses her comic cred.<\/p>\n

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While most recently associated with a certain couch-jumping movie star, Scientology has had a long history of recruiting celebrities. But now the L.A.-based religion is turning its sights to the massive demographics of NASCAR, which has, as of a 2004 estimate, 75 million religiously fervent followers. 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