Just because Will Smith has repeatedly defended pal Tom Cruise in recent months doesn't necessarily mean he's joined the E-meter-reliant Church of Scientology. The A-lister is denying he's become a member of the L. Ron Hubbard-founded, glib-free faith.

"You don't have to be Jewish to be a friend of Steven Spielberg. You don't have to be a Muslim to be a friend of Muhammad Ali. And you don't have to be a Scientologist to be a friend of Tom Cruise," he declares to the New York Daily News. "I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions. And I respect all people and all paths."

(You'll recall that back in 2006, Cruise told Diane Sawyer, "... You can be Catholic and be a Scientologist. You can be Jewish and be a Scientologist." OK, moving on ...)

According to Radar magazine, which has an in-depth piece on Scientology in its new issue, the church has been "making a strong play" for Will and Jada.

The box office-busting actor has been a vocal supporter of Cruise, who in January became the subject of endless parodies following the unauthorized release of a video in which he described Scientology as "rough and tumble" and "wild and woolly."

"I was introduced [to Scientology] by Tom and I'm a student of world religion," Smith explained to "Access Hollywood" in December. "I was raised in a Baptist household, I went to a Catholic school, but the ideas of the Bible are 98 percent the same ideas of Scientology, 98 percent the same ideas of Hinduism and Buddhism."

His theological calculations were identical during a sit-down with the December issue of Men's Vogue.

"I studied Islam for 'Ali,' I grew up in a Baptist household, I went to a Catholic school," said Will. "I've studied Buddhism and Hinduism and I've studied Scientology through Tom. And nobody's saying anything different! ... [I]n all of the experiences I've had with Tom and Scientology, like, 98 percent of the principles are identical to the principles of the Bible."

In January, the Daily News reported that Smith presented crewmembers on his forthcoming flick "Hancock" with "a card good for a personality test at your local Scientology center," even though the tests are given free.

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