cruisevid.jpgExhibit A in the challenge the Web poses for image-conscious organizations: The ridicule heaped on Tom Cruise's unsettling appearance in a Scientology recruitment video, and the subsequent parodies, attacks, etc that flooded YouTube (GOOG) after it surfaced.

So now Scientology is launching its own YouTube channel. We don't know if this means they're no longer petitioning the service to take down clips it doesn't like, but Scientology says the purpose of its channel is to "share the truth about Scientology's beliefs with the general public."

Views on YouTube so far: 8,307. Several copies of Cruise's Scientology video have racked up 4 million views on YouTube over the past month; Nick Denton's Gawker garnered 2.3 milion views over a few days in January when it first showed the clip.

Bonus Post: Scientology Launches Online Ad Campaign to Boost Low YouTube Ratings