Elisabeth Moss Defends Scientology To Instagram Fan

Elisabeth Moss has spoken out via her Instagram account to defend her belief in Scientology, after a fan asked her a question comparing the belief system to that of the regime in her new show, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’.

The 35 year old actress is the main star of the recent Hulu series ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, adapted from Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel. However, she was asked a question by a fan over whether ‘Gilead’, a futuristic dystopian version of America that has been taken over by a religious sect and treats all women as maids, bore any resemblance in its workings to Moss’s adherence to the Church of Scientology.

“Love this adaptation so much,” the Instagram user, called ‘moelybanks’, wrote on Wednesday (August 16th). “Question though, does it make you think twice about Scientology? Both Gilead and Scientology both believe that all outside sources (aka news) are wrong or evil… it's just very interesting.”

“That's actually not true at all about Scientology,” Moss responded. “Religious freedom and tolerance and understanding and truth and equal rights for every race, religion and creed are extremely important to me. The most important things to me probably. And so Gilead and THT hit me on a very personal level. Thanks for the interesting question!!”

More: Full 2017 Television Critics Assocation Award winners revealed

The person who asked the question then responded to former ‘Mad Men’ star Moss’s reply, saying: “Unfortunately that’s the only information that we have on your religion based on what the general public hear if we are not a part of it.”

Scientology has long been a controversial religion, with critics describing its practices as a cult and that it’s really a money-making business, although the Church has denied the allegations. It famously has many celebrity adherents, including Moss, Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Juliette Lewis.

Several films, including Louis Theroux’s My Scientology Movie released last year, have sought to gain access to the extremely secretive religion, which was developed by science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard in the 1950s.

More: Leah Remini aiming for a federal investigation into Scientology with second docuseries