Scientology's Views On Death

The Early Show: Principles Likely To Play Role In Jett Travolta's Funeral

(CBS)  The funeral of John Travolta's son, Jett, will be held in Florida.

The ceremony will most likely involve tenets of the Church of Scientology, the faith of Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kauffman observed Tuesday.

Jett Travolta, 16, died Friday at the family vacation home in the Bahamas. Funeral home officials say the cause of death was a seizure disorder.

And, Kauffman says, while there will be mourning for Jett, Scientologists believe his spirit is still alive.

"The mood of the funeral or the ceremony itself would not be a very sad one," former Scientologist Bruce Hines says. He's presided over Scientologist funerals.

In Scientology doctrine, Hines explained, "the body that you have ceases to work. It dies for whatever reason, and then you go and, for example, they say you would go to a hospital and find some baby being born and you would decide to inhabit that body."

Call it reincarnation, with a twist, Kauffman suggests. That spirit is called a thetan.

"Scientologists believe that thetans have been attached to bodies in past lives and that this pattern of attachment will continue well onto the future," points out Stephen Kent, professor of sociology and alternative religions at the University of Alberta.

"At one point during the history of Scientology," Hines notes, "they said you had to dodge these alien beings who will try to trap you and give you an implant."

Most scientologists cremate their dead, Kauffman says. The Travolta had Jett's body cremated.

Says Kent, "The founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, was cremated. ... Because the body is de-emphasized in the Scientology belief system, likely it doesn't really matter a whole lot what happens to the body itself."

To lose a child after illness is especially difficult for Scientologists, Kauffman adds, because they believe 70 percent of disease is psychosomatic.

"If you are sick," Hines says, "you definitely have something you need to deal with on a mental and spiritual level.

"The other possibility," says Kent, "is to believe the thetan had some issues in past lives that it was working out by incarnating in a challenged body."

In Jett's case, Kauffman concludes, the challenge was seizures.

[sly_64]

Well, when you die, you are gone. You no longer exist, and you don''t care, because you''re gone. When you truly beleive this, you feel much more comfortable and happier than you will ever feel in your life, you are not afraid to die.

[lilajimok]

There is medication for those troubled with "seizures". Does the Scientology "religion" believe in medication for illnesses? Will the Travoltas admit they did not treat their son for his illness, except according to Scientology make believe???

[citizenusa-2009]

What a shame that with all their monetary resources that the Travolta''s didn''t have the very best medical care available...apparently, their "religion" frowned upon it. Terrible!

BTW- If "God" doesn''t "approve" of medicine, he would''t have given us the ability to learn, heal and treat. It''s common sense.

[lesleyhearsh]

Jett Travolta was on anti-seizure medication, Depakote, for a long time and up to the point where he was suffering from organ damage. And did it help? No, obviously not.

[imotorist]

L Ron Hubbard wrote a science fiction book. He never envisioned that people would take his work literally. This leads us to believe that years from now a new religion could evolve. Hence Treckies, who will look to the "heavens" for enlightenment.

[lesleyhearsh]

Jett Travolta was on anti-seizure medication, Depakote, for a long time and up to the point where he was suffering from organ damage. And did it help? No, obviously not.

[rrozsa-2009]

Well, when you die, you are gone. You no longer exist, and you don''''t care, because you''''re gone. When you truly beleive this, you feel much more comfortable and happier than you will ever feel in your life, you are not afraid to die.


-------------------Posted by sly_64 at 11:04 AM : Jan 06, 2009

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You sound very sure of yourself. How did you come into such knowledge? Do you speak from first-hand experience? Oh, wait, if you had already been through the death experience you would have disappeared forever, according to you.

[jdwalk2]

Do Scientologists read the Bible? Ezekiel 18:4 & Ecclesiastes 9:5,10 & John 5:28,29

[displeased]

BTW- If "God" doesn''''t "approve" of medicine, he would''''t have given us the ability to learn, heal and treat. It''''s common sense.
Posted by CitizenUSA

Or in pharmaceutical and business terms, your god has given some the ability of greed, unethical manipulation, and self serving accumulation.

[xceptit]

I don''t know the full story,, I''ve taken on seizures for 20 years, I''m 50. You have to maintain one of the medicines. Seizures aren''t a joke...they know that. They loved their son also. I''m not a Scientologist, but I know it relaxes you in life and death, and offers you another understanding of them both. No one wants it, but everyone know it; and it seems the longer we are alive, the more we understand there are reasons. When we find these in a religion we have an ease and remain. They''re all around. Have peace

[susieq_13]

This so called Scientology religion sounds depressing to me. I would much rather believe that the one who dies is with Jesus and God in heaven. Jett won''t have to worry about seizures now. RIP

[michaelh2001]

I''m not a Scientologist, but why is what they believe any more absurd then what others believe? God giving birth through a virgin woman? Absurd. Prophets falling from the sky? Absurd. We are possessed by things called Thetans? Absurd. When we die we go to heaven or hell or maybe come back as a bird or a leopard or a worm? All absurd. Its ALL mythology!

[displeased]

Did you stop beating your cat just to type that?
Posted by DaVicar3

Naaa, a double barrel super soaker water gun is more productive. Now where is that useless fur ball...

[brianp55]

I once dated a Christian Scientist who informed me that she had repaired dental cavities through prayer. The relationship was not a lengthy one.

[cbscrash072]

Religion. You have to smile. Its amazing the things people come up with and convince each other to believe in.

[displeased]

Its ALL mythology!
Posted by michaelh2001

Amen!

[cbscrash072]

These Scientology followers sound like a bunch of NUTS!!! The average NORMAL person has enough sense to know what is real and what isn''''t. These pseudo science followers are being lead by the teachings of a false prophet and it shows. It makes for interesting news but none of us NORMAL people will be running to the Scientology center soon.

Posted by steve777a at 11:50 AM : Jan 06, 2009

No. You so called normal people will go to Church on Sunday. You will praise a god that in all likely hood is just as imaginary as a thetan. You will laugh at the others for not believing in your one true god. you will claim you know the truth even though it is unknowable. Christians would be just as funny as Scientologist if there weren''t so dam many of them.

[rushlimpdrug]

I believe there is a helll.

It is called africa.

(that''s a joke)

[bigal321321]

Well, I''m glad to see that the 16% of America that doesn''t believe in God is in force today. I agree with cbscrash072. 97% of the world is delusional. Just listen to John Lennon and Imagine a world without a God. It makes it much easier to believe in yourself. You don''t have to turn your life over to an imaginary being that gives you a 50/50 chance at everything. You can do that without religion and it doesn''t cost anything. My condolences to the Travoltas.

[heathme2003]

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
-- Paul as recorded in 1st Corinthians 1:18

[sly_64]

Oh people, don''t make me post the top 10 reasons again.

[jamster31]

Religions for scared people who can''t take the fact that when ur dead ur just dead like any other animal. People go around everyday like they''re some special being that has the right to a special place while killing other animals and condeming those who don''t believe as they do.

[sly_64]

Top Ten Signs You''''re a Fundamentalist Christian


10 - You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.

9 - You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.

8 - You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.

7 - Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don''''t even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" including women, children, and trees!

6 - You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.

[sly_64]

5 - You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.


4 - You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs -- though excluding those in all rival sects - will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet consider your religion the most "tolerant" and "loving."


3 - While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in "tongues" may be all the evidence you need to "prove" Christianity.

2 - You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.

1 - You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history - but still call yourself a Christian.

[sly_64]

Well, when you die, you are gone. You no longer exist, and you don''''''''t care, because you''''''''re gone. When you truly beleive this, you feel much more comfortable and happier than you will ever feel in your life, you are not afraid to die.


-------------------Posted by sly_64 at 11:04 AM : Jan 06, 2009

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===

You sound very sure of yourself. How did you come into such knowledge? Do you speak from first-hand experience? Oh, wait, if you had already been through the death experience you would have disappeared forever, according to you.


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Posted by RRozsa

My true point, is that I am more comfortable without religion than I was with religion. Born and rasied catholic. Then I got smarter.

[sly_64]

I would never expect to change one''s point of view, nor do I want to. Understanding is the road to knowledge. I understand why people beleive in religion, maybe they can understand why I do not.

[jamster31]

MOSLIM RELIGION IS THE BEST RELIGION ON PLANET EARTH.

THE MOST PEACE LOVING AND MOST RESPECTING OF EVERYBODY.


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Posted by signtwo at 12:51 PM : Jan 06, 2009

The most evil on the planet. they kill you if you don''t believe.

[opedanderson]

I have respect for all religions but please......Scientology sounds like something from an early episode of Star Trek or The Twilight Zone!

[sly_64]

I have respect for all religions but please......Scientology sounds like something from an early episode of Star Trek or The Twilight Zone!


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Posted by opedanderson

But I''m sure people beleived similar thoughts about all religions when they first started.

[antoniof123]

Well, I don`t know who Robert Oven is, but I do know he`s a weetar!
Imagine...just because something isn`t based in fact it cannot be true? What a maroon!
Posted by DaVicar3 at 01:03 PM : Jan 06, 2009

You must be an evangelical or evilangelical. Because my God shows me proof and is real. But I guess if you are happy then go for it but me I need proof and I have it. Just look up at the sky in the night or see the sun shinning or perhaps the moon going in perfect orbit around the earth and then the earth and other planets around the sun. But hey if listening to some guy who talks to a 900 foot Jesus is your thing go for but count me out.

[brianp55]

Remember what Peter Ustinov said:

"Beliefs are what divide people...doubt unites them."

[sly_64]

You must be an evangelical or evilangelical. Because my God shows me proof and is real. But I guess if you are happy then go for it but me I need proof and I have it. Just look up at the sky in the night or see the sun shinning or perhaps the moon going in perfect orbit around the earth and then the earth and other planets around the sun. But hey if listening to some guy who talks to a 900 foot Jesus is your thing go for but count me out.


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Posted by antoniof123

And if humans came from Mars, they would look up at the sky and think the same thing. What a beautiful orange sky. It''s perfect because you are so used to it and that''s the way it has always been.

[tscc2]

Religion is for people who doubt or do not believe in God.

[rrozsa-2009]

I would never expect to change one''''s point of view, nor do I want to. Understanding is the road to knowledge. I understand why people beleive in religion, maybe they can understand why I do not.

-------------------Posted by sly_64 at 01:06 PM : Jan 06, 2009

==========================

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, this is the first mention I''ve seen you make regarding religion. Prior, I was responding to your emphatic statement that there is no afterlife, so now you seem to be changing topics on us. You don''t have to believe in religion, per se, to believe that a human''s life-energy is not necessarily destroyed after death. Just sayin.

[used2bfedup1]

I have a feeling if L. Ron Hubbard was alive today he would be-----

CMON ppl I write science fiction this is science fiction.

Sheesh. Kind of war of the worlds-ish.

[sly_64]

Ev
eryone is entitled to their opinion. However, this is the first mention I''''ve seen you make regarding religion. Prior, I was responding to your emphatic statement that there is no afterlife, so now you seem to be changing topics on us. You don''''t have to believe in religion, per se, to believe that a human''''s life-energy is not necessarily destroyed after death. Just sayin.


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Posted by RRozsa

I understand, it''s fine. If belonging to a religion makes you feel good about yourself and others, that is wonderful. But like anything else, I won''t force my beliefs on anyone as I don''t expect anyone to force theirs on me.

[displeased]

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT? BILLIONS OF MUSLIMS CANT BE WRONG IN KILLING IN THE NAME OF GOD!!
Posted by signtwo

First of all, billions of muslims aren''t killing in the name of god. Second, your religion, unless you''re an atheist type, is as mythological as theirs.

[ladyraestewa]

The bottom line is that all religion ---- ALL, not one or two, not some, not half, not most but EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM is based upon faith and belief. No one, not a single person, NO ONE knows for sure and so they believe but there is absolutely no foundation of fact in any religion or non-religion. Consequently, none of them are wrong, none of them are flawed, none of them are silly or stupid, they are all faith based.

But added to that is the fact religion stems from a mean to control people. Read up on your history - all religions, everyone of them attempts to control people.

[sly_64]

Religions were created to control people. They also fluourished because some people''s lives weren''t very good. Look at the middle ages for example. They WANTED to beleive there was something better after death.

[yongamerica]

So Scientologists believe their souls are aliens, not of this planet. Therefore Scientologists believe they are aliens hosted in a human body. Sciencefictionology at its best.

This article didn''t say how the soul, the Thetan first goes back to Venus for a long period of cleansing and abuse. Kind of like what SillyScientologists inflict on themselves here on earth. CLEAR! bzzzzzzzt.

[kamehagreat]

Death is Part of the Cycle of Life, You don''t know till you get there, But being a High Profile Movie Star it doesn''t guarantee you it gets Better than what you had. It is possible you''ll be flying with the seagulls , but no Guarantee where ? in the Bahamas or some Trashed Filled Aley in a slum .Rest In Peace Young Soul.

[idnnsg]

ElRon started the scientology "religion" to make lots of money when he wasn''t doing very well as a sci-fi writer. He said so himself. He also said that he was Satan. He was also drugged out his mind while writing his secret scientology documents, but scientology today is AGAINST mind-altering drugs! What''s up with that? They''re against the very thing that inspired all their own "religious" doctrines!!

"Scientologists believe that thetans have been attached to bodies in past lives and that this pattern of attachment will continue well onto the future".

True, but what this article fails to mention is that scientologists (if they''ve paid enough money to get to the OperatingThetan 8 level) believe that:

70 million years ago, the galactic overlord, /X/e/n/u/, had an overpopulation problem so he killed off billions of people from many planets, vacuumed up their souls ("thetans"), sent them to earth in spaceships that looked like DC-8s, brainwashed them with movies about Jesus and other mythological figures along the way, and stuffed these "thetans" into some volcanoes. The thetans eventually escaped and, when human beings evolved on this planet, they inhabited our bodies, causing all kinds of problems for the possessed humans. Scientologists supposedly use their little lie detectors ("E-meters") to remove those nasty little thetans or to get rid of the effects of the thetans by over-riding their movie brainwashing.

It''s the biggest crock of you-know-what that I''ve ever heard!

[forever1973]

Well, when you die, you are gone. You no longer exist, and you don''''t care, because you''''re gone. When you truly beleive this, you feel much more comfortable and happier than you will ever feel in your life, you are not afraid to die.

Posted by sly_64 at 11:04 AM : Jan 06, 2009
--------------------------------
yes, but people have an innate fear of death that was selected for in the process of evolution so that they would survive longer and create more copies of their genes.

[jennasmith2]

But added to that is the fact religion stems from a mean to control people. Read up on your history - all religions, everyone of them attempts to control people.


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Posted by ladyraestewa


You forgot to mention, a person cannot be controlled unless he/she allows it. Religions would not exist except people are afraid to be alone and out of control. The world is perceived as a scary place without answers, so therefore people willingly give up their freedom, their own power just for the feeling of safety in numbers, whatever the doctrine of the time/place may be. Regardless of what happens when someone passes away, it''s the people who are left here on Earth that deserve the freedom and peace to mourn their loss in their own way.

[cricketmk3]

I am all for freedom of religion. I believe everyone should be able to decide for themselves what they believe in and what brings them comfort. However, not in my wildest dreams would I ever believe in this Scientology nonsense. I cannot take it seriously and I''m surprised at the people who do!

[rrozsa-2009]

I understand, it''''s fine. If belonging to a religion makes you feel good about yourself and others, that is wonderful. But like anything else, I won''''t force my beliefs on anyone as I don''''t expect anyone to force theirs on me.


--------------------------Posted by sly_64 at 01:43 PM : Jan 06, 2009

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We are in agreement on that. As far as I am concerned, people confuse organized religion with a personal relationship with God. I think religion scr3ws up most people who get messed up in its dogma. Even Jesus said as much....

[vranger]

"Well, when you die, you are gone. You no longer exist"

And you know this ... how? ROFLMAO
Been there?

[vranger]

"CMON ppl I write science fiction this is science fiction."

The problem I guess is that it is scribbled in some little notebooks that not even you yourself go back to re-read. LOL

You can''t even write a post on a message board well. God forbid we should be subjected to your ''fiction''. LOL

[timothyone-2009]

Religion is weird. Nature is god, and evolution is creation in the process.

[timothyone-2009]

Religion is weird. Nature is god, and evolution is creation in the process.