Hip Hop legend Dr. Dre once wrote a song with the chorus, "This is dedicated to all of those with big egos". He might have been talking about Scientology, the well-known religion which has attracted a disproportionate amount of attention from Hollywood celebrities. According to professor Jacob Neusner, Scientology "teaches that people are immortal spiritual beings who have forgotten their true nature". Being immortal? Yeah, I'm sure many Hollywood celebs would buy that idea in a second.

Let's be real: most of us laugh when celebs talk about Scientology. Talk of living on other planets and damning the evils of modern psychiatry lead some of us to conclude that the Hollywood drug culture is in full effect. But the fact is that there may be something more, and whatever that thing is, celebrities are loving it. The list of Hollywood Scientologists includes the likes of John Travolta, Tom Cruise, Doug E. Fresh, the late Isaac Hayes, Haywood Nelson and Persia White.

In 1993, the Church of Scientology gained full status as a tax-exempt religious entity, which some argue to be proof that the church is serious and legitimate. The founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, created the church as a successor to his self-help program called "Dianetics", created in 1952.

Although many celebrities swear by Scientology, there are those who simply think it's a fad. Celebrity Gossip Columnist Lady Drama says, "Being a successful Hollywood celeb is all about who you know and practicing scientology."

There is the larger question of what drives celebrities toward Scientology in the first place? Let's think this through, shall we?

Critics might say that the celebrity personality is one that tends to navigate itself toward narcissism. When you are earning $10 million dollars per flick and have seen the world move with the snap of your fingers, it's easy to believe that you've been touched by a higher power. In fact, you may be tempted to believe that you actually ARE that higher power.

Hugh B. Urban, Professor of Religious Studies at The Ohio State University agrees.

"It's (Scientology) very individualistic. It celebrates your individual identity as ultimately divine. It claims to give you ultimate power over your own mind, self, destiny, so I think it fits well with an actor personality."

A recent Time Magazine article points to a site called Patheos.com, which discusses what various religions believe. The site compares different types of faith and measures the areas in which they overlap or disconnect. Some have argued that many religions are quite similar to one another, and that there is a greater acceptance for people who have different viewpoints. So, while we might make fun of celebrities for embracing a religion that seems a bit odd, the truth is that they may be seeking the same things from their religion that you are seeking from your own.

There is an added possibility that the Church of Scientology has been using celebrities to get its message to the public. According to Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, "Celebrities are very special people and have a very distinct line of dissemination. They have comm[unication] lines that others do not and many medias to get their dissemination through."

In other words, Hubbard is using a tried and true tactic that has sustained many religions in the past: Marketing. He effectively seems to argue, correctly, that if you associate your brand with brands that other people value, then your brand is going to be elevated in the eyes of the public. This is the same reason that McDonald's spent millions on Michael Jordan commercials, and the reason that a high school kid gets more dates if he is seen kissing the homecoming queen.

If in fact Hubbard's faith is not real, his feat would not be the most impressive when it comes to bamboozling people into believing his words. Hong Xiuquan, a 19th century Chinese prophet, convinced millions of followers that he was the baby brother of Jesus. He compiled an army of one million men and women and captured the city of Nanjing, making it into his capital. So, while some are amazed that Hubbard has lured in Tom Cruise, he might have to take a back seat to Xiuquan when it comes to having an impact.

I would argue that there is something else at stake. People are seeking truth in their world. Rather than accepting the possibility that we simply do not have the perceptive tools necessary to comprehend our role in the universe, we connect to that which helps us to feel comfortable and well-adjusted. Thousands of years of war, famine, murder and anxiety can lead us to turn to whatever we can find in order to keep it all together. African Americans, an incredibly religious ethnic group, leaned heavily on faith in God to survive the horrors of slavery.

Karl Marx once described religion as the "Opiate of the people." While we can engage in an endless argument about which religion is the right one, it is certainly true that even a false faith can serve as an opiate. It provides a sense of comfort, spiritual renewal and renewed confidence that helps us get through the week. Being the son of a Baptist minister, I often marveled at the amount of spiritual and psychological energy put forth every Sunday in church, as if people were laying their problems and emotional chains at the feet of something greater.

With all the insanity and uncertainty of Hollywood life, no one needs an opiate more than modern celebrities (I would argue that Scientology is likely the healthiest of Hollywood opiate options). When you mix that with larger than life egos and self-centered behavior, Scientology seems to be the perfect fit. The fact that the faith's name has a variation of the word "science" in it also makes it sound sophisticated and intelligent, as if you've found answers that no one else has.

What do I believe? Well, that's my business. But I do know that Scientology gains its appeal for reasons similar to other religions: Good marketing, a message of comfort and the appearance of providing something more. Also, Scientology's talk of being a divine being from other planets might be the best bait to grab the great big stars of Hollywood. If you are looking for answers, there is always someone out there who claims to have them. Hubbard's pitch has been quite successful.