Congressman Praises Organization with Scientology Ties

It's probably been a rough week for Tom Cruise, but he may find comfort from an inadvertent alliance with an Indiana congressman. Representative Dan Burton, a Republican from the state's fifth district, lauded the Citizen's Commission on Human Rights, a self-described "nonprofit mental health watchdog" co-founded by the Church of Scientology: "By respecting and defending a parents' fundamental right to teach their children that there is acceptable behavior and unacceptable behavior, appropriate speech and inappropriate speech we can re-instill in our children a moral character of trust, honesty, respect and tolerance, qualities that are so necessary to having safe and prosperous communities — and which are at the core of CCHR's own philosophy," he said. Impassioned criticism of psychiatry is also part of its core philosophy; its website features a series of videos called "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Museum," which should be no surprise to those familiar with Scientology's attitude toward mental-health services. Regardless, Burton seems delighted that the group has a "beautiful new facility" in the nation's capital.