The Internet was all abuzz yesterday when photos surfaced of Tom and Katie’s daughter Suri Cruise sucking on a pacifier. She will be 5 next month.

This is the same little girl who wears lipstick and high heels, and regularly makes trips to Starbucks for her morning cup of joe. This type of odd behavior in a minor child would startle the average American parent. But Suri’s famous parents aren’t worried in the least, because a. they are narcissists, and b. they are Scientologists.

Scientology preaches tolerance and acceptance of a child’s individuality. Children are encouraged to learn life lessons – and consequences – on their own, and they are taught that their parents are just the vehicles that transported them here.

In other words, children of Scientologists are considered to be small adults, not kids. They are allowed to make their own way through life with very little input from the adults around them.

Everything you thought you knew about child rearing is wrong, according to Scientology.

“Scientology encourages you to make your own decision and learn lessons as you live your life,” a source close to the Cruise camp tells Popeater.com. “She’ll know herself when it’s time to throw the pacifier away, plain and simple.”

According to Popeater, Suri just isn’t told ‘no’ very often. Therefore, she can suck that pacifier as long as she wants to.

I should pause here to mention that Will Smith and his wife, jada Pinkett-Smith, are also devout Scientologists, which explains everything.