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Laura Prepon is what many people would call a rather quiet Scientologist. That’s because a lot of people don’t even know that she belongs to the controversial church. Unlike Tom Cruise, John Travolta, or even Elisabeth Moss, Laura likes to keep a rather quiet profile. Even though she’s a Hollywood actress who is well known in the entertainment industry, she doesn’t talk much about Scientology, or her ties with the church, for that matter.

Back in June of 2017, she confirmed that she and her boyfriend Ben Foster were expecting their first child together on Live With Kelly and Ryan. She’s since then given birth to a daughter named Ella. It’s without a doubt that Laura’s life has drastically changed and that she might be leaning on Hollywood actor, Scientologist and friend, Tom Cruise.

But with all of that being said, Laura is still a devout Scientologist. And because there is so much suspicion surrounding the uber-sensitive religion, a lot of people believe that Laura has to abide by the same Scientology parenting rules as everyone else. Clearly, if there is anyone who knows every rule in the handbook, it’s Tom Cruise himself. With that being said, here are 15 Scientology parenting rules Laura Prepon is probably learning from Tom Cruise.

Silent Birth

Even though this has never been confirmed, a lot of people believe that Tom Cruise’s ex-wife Katie Holmes had to go through the pain in silence when she gave birth to her daughter Suri Cruise back in 2006. I mean, can you believe having to keep absolutely quiet during childbirth? I know a lot of women who scream like you wouldn't believe because of the pain that they have to go through! There’s just no way that you can keep quiet, unless you either have a really super easy childbirth, which is doubtful, or because you have patience made out of steal!

Now, no one has ever recorded or documented a Scientologist mother having a silent birth. All we know is what is reported through media sources. But apparently, it’s a thing and it’s supposed to work really well for both mother and child.

According to Scientology Parent, here’s how they describe silent birth: “It is labor and delivery done in a calm and loving environment and with no-spoken words by everyone attending as much as possible. It is not a policy of the church, nor is it required that Scientologist mothers give birth in any prescribed way. The way a woman gives birth is up to her, her family and her medical staff.”

No Talking Or Touching After Birth

It’s without a doubt that the first thing a mother wants to do is hold her baby right after she gives birth to her child. It’s an instant bond the moment a mother cradles or holds her newborn baby right away. But according to Scientologist rules, you can’t do that. Not only do you have to endure a silent birth, but you are also not allowed to talk or touch your baby after birth. It might be hard to believe, but it’s a rule that Scientologists have been abiding by for many years. And according to some sources, it’s also something Katie Holmes had to do with her daughter Suri right after she gave birth.

Time Magazine writes, “It’s possible that Holmes, who was raised Catholic, first started getting cold feet as Suri’s due date approached. Cruise reportedly wanted Holmes to have a 'silent birth' — a Scientologist’s ideal way to deliver a child. According to Scientology Newsroom, the church’s official media resource center, founder Hubbard stated that 'particularly during birth, absolute silence must be maintained' by everyone around the mother (the no-words rule doesn’t apply to the mother herself; the site notes that 'it is doubtful that any woman could give birth without making any noise at all.' For sure, there’s little to argue with in that statement). “

Children Are Interrogated At 6 Years Old

One of the reasons why Katie Holmes pulled the plug on her marriage to Tom Cruise is because she didn’t want her daughter Suri to deal with the interrogation that most Scientologist children have to deal with at a young age. Instead, Katie wanted Suri to focus more on having a happy childhood. She wanted Suri to dance, sing, laugh, and play with friends rather than have to deal with time-consuming interviews that most little girls her age wouldn’t understand anyway. As a matter of fact, these interrogations come off as rather stressful for many adults, too.

Ranker writes, “Hubbard started the process in 1961 and it still goes on today. It involves an 'ethics officer' asking a child lots of questions to make sure they aren’t doing anything wrong. It can also be a way to spy on the kid’s parents, by getting them to say if they have heard or seen anything happen that goes against Scientology. Hubbard wrote up a list of 100 questions for children from ages six to 12 to be asked. The list includes inquiries like, 'Have you ever pestered older children, or grown people, who were trying to work?' and, 'Do you have a secret?' or, 'Have you ever failed to finish your schoolwork on time?'"

You Can’t Get Sick

One of the biggest Scientology rules is that you can’t get sick. That’s right – no colds, no fevers, no germs, no viruses. In other words, you shouldn’t have a reason to see the doctor, ever. And for a young child, that has to be extremely difficult. After all, kids are prone to getting sick by picking up all the germs they usually get from school, the playground or playing with other kids their ages. There are very few kids on this planet who can avoid getting sick altogether. It just doesn’t sound very feasible or realistic for that matter. Any sound parent will tell you that as well.

Apparently Scientologists don’t see it this same way as many others do. Even if you do get sick, they apparently advise that you don’t see a doctor.

According to Ranker, “When you are a part of Scientology, you are not supposed to get sick. Of course, this is hard for even the healthiest people to control, particularly children. They are walking germ factories. But Hubbard said that if you are a good Scientologist then you should be healthy all the time. It’s one of the many superpowers that following his doctrines is supposed to give you.”

Many sources state that Katie Holmes was advised to bottle feed her daughter Suri Cruise until she was about 3 years old. But according to medical and parenting experts, that’s a huge "no no" in the parenting guidelines and rulebook. Most kids should be weaned off from pacifiers and bottles by the time they are 18 months at the latest. Sure, every child grows on his or her timeline but the more you bottle feed your child, the more of a chance that they might grow up with some sort of dental issues later on. Of course, none of that is confirmed, but prolonged bottle-feeding isn’t recommended. Now, breastfeeding is a whole different story. You can breastfeed as long as you want, as it is both beneficial to mother and child.

Yet, Scientology Parent says the religion likes to follow their own set of rules.

Here’s what they have to say: “Absolutely not. Barley formula was mentioned as a suggestion for something that might help, for mothers who are looking for an alternative to messy, artificial powdered formulas. But there’s no requirement in Scientology governing the diet of a baby at all. Do your research, look at your baby, see what helps them thrive, and do that.”

Kids Can Spy On Their Parents

It’s no secret that a lot of parents like to “spy” on their children, especially as they grow older. This is especially true in the tween, pre-teen and teen years as kids tend to get a little more secretive and distant from their parents. But when it comes to Scientology, the spying actually happens the other way around.

That’s right: kids get to spy on their parents! They are expected to report anything suspicious about their parents’ behavior to the higher ups at the Church of Scientology.

In other words, you can’t even trust any member of your own family. As bizarre as it sounds, that’s just the way the religion works. There’s no head of a family, just the head of the religion.

Mamamia writes, “There are strict rules surrounding their upbringing, including strict diets and no contact with anyone outside of the religion. When it’s time to be audited, children are encouraged to 'spy' on their parents and tell the church everything that is going on in their household. Scientologists also believe in silent births, which basically means there are to be no spoken words by anyone attending. Hubbard believed that words spoken during times of pain and unconsciousness can have an adverse effect on one later in life.”

She Has To Follow Dianetics

First off, a lot of people don’t even know what dianetics is. According to sources, it is actually a set of ideas and practices between the metaphysical relationship between mind and body. It was created by science fiction writer and Scientologist founder L. Ron Hubbard. Everyone in Scientology is expected follow dianetics even though it isn’t considered a scientific theory. Instead, a lot of experts believe it’s a form of pseudoscience.

In other words, it’s a belief system that is totally unconfirmed and with no real scientific basis.

A lot of people would argue that it seems to be the case with a lot of different new and modern religions. Plus, Tom Cruise has even gone on the record to defend his religion several times in the past. Here’s what the Daily Mail has to say about it: “Cruise was asked about his thoughts on Louis Theroux’s documentary My Scientology Movie (due in 2017), which does not paint the church in the most positive light. ‘It’s something that has helped me incredibly in my life,’ he began. ‘I’ve been a Scientologist for over 30 years. It’s something, you know, without it, I wouldn’t be where I am,’ he continued. ‘So it’s a beautiful religion. I’m incredibly proud.’"

Let The Child Rule The Roost

When it comes to Scientology families, the child is expected to rule the roost. That’s right: kids get to make their own rules and they can follow or break them as they please. It might be strange, but according to a lot of Scientologist families, it works for them.

Parents aren’t expected to direct their children. Instead, they teach them the difference between cause and effect. A lot of people say that this form of teaching has proven to be very successful for many parents and children.

Scientologist kids get to do as they please. In other words, Scientologist children are given a lot of responsibility and are expected to make their own decisions from the get go. According to Time Magazine, “Children raised according to the tenets of Scientology are given a tremendous amount of responsibility and are allowed to make significant decisions; some are even able to decide when to start formal schooling. If finances permit, they attend one of about 50 Scientology schools in the U.S. or receive religious tutoring that supplements public-school education. In theory, parents help construct a self-contained world for children, so all their teachers — including dance instructors and soccer coaches — ideally practice Scientology.”

You Can’t Say No To The Child

If there’s one word that children absolutely hate to hear, it’s the word "no." As many parents know, they like to operate on the word “yes.” A lot of parents say no to their children for their own good. After all, there’s only so much sugar or television a kid should have in one day, right? But if you are a Scientologist parent, that’s not the case. As part of their handbook to parenting, you can’t say no to a child, ever. Whatever the child wants, the child gets. There are no exceptions. This might seem strange to the outside world, but for Scientologists, it works well and with results, too.

Here’s what one Scientologist mother named Leah wrote for Patheos: “We do not give our kids lots of unnecessary stops or 'be careful you’ll hurt yourself!' such as: yes they can jump on the bed, yes they can climb high things, yes they can run fast and so on. Yes sometimes they get hurt in which case we do another Scientology technique called a 'contact assist,' which works really well. But in the main, they don’t get hurt – and I think it is from just being positive and not stopping them.”

Kids Should Be Treated Like Adults

Another important rule in the Church of Scientology: kids should be treated like adults. You don’t baby them, and you certainly don’t engage in baby talk with them. You treat your children as if you would treat another adult, neighbor, co-worker or friend. In other words, you prepare kids for the real world and you also show them respect. In Scientology, kids and adults are treated as equals, with both expected to give and take on the same level.

According to Pathoes, mom Leah also explains, “We apply Scientology technology in little ways to our children every single day. The most used piece of tech are locationals, where you have them look at things or touch things in the area around them when they are upset to get them into present time, and out of whatever upset they’re in. This works so well in fact, that my mother in law (who used to be not a fan of mine and not a fan of Scientology either) has gone out of her way to tell my sister in law ‘look what Leah’s doing – she does this thing where she has the girls touch things and look at things when they’re upset and it works every time. You should try that.’”

No Asking Questions

In life, we all deal with speed bumps. There are a lot of things that need explanations. And unfortunately, we don’t always find the answers to the questions that we ask. But when you are a member of Scientology, you are supposedly not allowed to ask questions or question anything for that matter. You don’t question anything that comes your way, either, and this is also applied to your pregnancy, your family life and the way you are expected to raise your children at home. Remember, your kids are watching your every move and might report you! Actually, we honestly don’t know how a 6-year-old could or would report you unless you just happened to eat the last batch of cookies that were available. Otherwise, tough luck, kid.

According to Mamamia, you are also not allowed to complain. They write, “Letters that Sea Org members write to their families are screened before they are passed on to make sure they do not contain any negativity or messages of unhappiness. The Sea Org management reserves the right to ship different family members off to work in other countries or areas without any approval from the spouse. If the family complains, they are punished.”

Dealing With A Suppressive Person

Whenever someone decides to leave the Church of Scientology, they are automatically labeled as an SP, or a Suppressive Person. In other words, you are not allowed to have any contact with them and they shouldn’t have any contact with you. A lot of reports indicate that was the reason why Tom Cruise’s children Isabella and Connor pulled away from their mother, Nicole Kidman.

After she divorced Tom and left the church, Isabella and Connor had almost very little to no contact with her. It wasn’t until recently that Isabella started communicating with her mother again. Nonetheless, it is a difficult process dealing with a family member who is now an SP.

Tory Christman, who left the church back in 2000, writes on Xenu.net, “If you are labeled an "SP," your child will no longer be allowed to talk honestly with you about anything meaningful, but only about the weather or other surface topics. The other alternative is to "Disconnect" from you - which means literal disconnection. Since my mother was antagonistic to Scientology (the church having insisted that I stop taking much-needed medication), I chose the "Good Roads, Fair Weather" approach. Thank God I woke up before my mother died. She had spent 30 years with me telling her about beach parties and movies! Finally we had some wonderful discussions, once I left the Church of Scientology.”

Way To Happiness Program

If you want to be happy, good news: the Church of Scientology has a program for you. And if you are already a member, there’s a good chance that you might be called on to promote their Way To Happiness Program throughout your community. Because if there’s one group of people who know how to sell happiness like it’s sunshine in your pocket, it’s the Church of Scientology.

According to Xenu.net, this is how it works: “Your child might also come across a group called 'Way to Happiness,' which is named after a small book of that title written by Hubbard. The book itself is simple and promotes basic good values with which few people would disagree. How does the Church of Scientology use this? In an area where they plan to open a 'mission' or 'org' (organization) they visit local business and professional people – doctors, dentists, etc. – and persuade them to buy the Way to Happiness Program; each booklet will have the doctor’s or businessperson’s name and address on it. That seems innocent enough, eh? However, this is based on a policy Hubbard wrote called 'Safepointing,' in which Scientology 'safepoints' (makes safe) an area before arrival. So unbeknownst to Dr. Smith, he has now helped 'safepoint' the Church of Scientology by assisting in their Way to Happiness program. There lies the insidiousness of it.”

You Can’t Criticize Scientology And Neither Can Kids 

We’ve already gone through quite a few ground rules. You are expected to have a silent birth. You can never say “no” to your child. You should treat your child like they are an adult. You can’t complain about or question Scientology. And what’s more, you can’t criticize the religion, either. And if you do, you better only do it inside your head because if someone finds out that you’ve had something critical to say through the auditing process, you might be in a heap of trouble. When it comes to Scientology, it’s your job to be happy at all times with the religion, regardless of whether you feel that way or not. When you sign on the dotted line, you are in it until the very end (or until you come to your senses and quit). But until then, don’t say one negative word.

Tory Christman also writes, “What is 'Good Roads, Fair Weather?' If you in any way criticize Scientology to your Scientologist child, he or she will be sent to the 'Ethics Officer' and shown references about so-called Suppressive People – people who are perceived as hostile to Scientology. Suddenly your child finds out that YOU are a Suppressive Person. This carries HUGE significance within the Church of Scientology.”

Kids Can’t Leave The Church

A lot of people can’t help but wonder this same thing when it comes to Scientology: if you are unhappy with the religion, why not just get up and leave? Well, the truth of the matter is that it’s not that easy. You end up investing so much of your time and your money that you can’t just walk away from the church. A lot of people, like actress Leah Remini, tried unsuccessfully for several years. When you leave, everything that you’ve ever known in your life turns into nothing but a distant memory. You are forced to start your life over, from the bottom up. And yes, for a lot of people, it’s not easy at all.

Scientology Parent puts it this way: “The short answer to the question is that I feel that the Church of Scientology as an organization is absolutely intrinsic to the actual practice of Scientology itself, and that whilst books and lectures containing the scripture of Scientology can exist on their own and obviously require no organization to study, the practice of Scientology itself absolutely requires an organization and in most cases assumes the existence of an organization in order to be practiced at all.”

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