Scientologist Views On Medicine Questioned
In Aftermath Of Death Of Jett Travolta, 16, Critics Say Church Holds Profession In Negative Light
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Medicine: Scientology's Stand
Jett Travolta's death from a seizure disorder has sparked questions about Scientology's stance on medication. As Hattie Kauffman reports.
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Jett Travolta, left, and his father, John Travolta, in an undated family photo (AP Photo/Rogers & Cowan)
The Travoltas are Scientologists.
Early Show National Correspondent Hattie Kauffman reports that, since an autopsy showed Jett, 16, died of a seizure, his family now acknowledges Jett's been suffering seizures for many years.
The Travoltas have always been private about their son, Kauffman points out.
"John Travolta's friends who are lawyers indicated Jett had been on a psychiatric pharmaceutical drug that specifically intends to address issues about seizures," says University of Alberta Alternative Religions Prof. Stephen Kent. "They also went on to claim Jett was removed from that drug because it was causing organ damage."
One ex-Scientologist says when she suffered epileptic seizures 30 years ago, the church told her to stop her medication.
"So I started having grand mal seizures," recalls Tory Christman, "and I wasn't even off the medicine. I was only off part of the medicine, and I started having very bad grand mal seizures."
A Scientology spokesperson told CBS News the church doesn't get involved in medical decisions. The statement says, "Scientologists seek conventional medical treatment for medical conditions. Scientologists use prescription drugs when physically ill."
But skeptics point to the writings of the church founder.
"There are definitely some policies that L. Ron Hubbard wrote in the '60s where he was very critical of the medical profession,' says former Scientologist Bruce Hines.
Scientology's most famous member. Tom Cruise, has made it very clear the church is against psychiatric drugs.
"It sees psychiatrists as being enemies -- not only enemies on this earth, but also cosmic enemies," says the University of Alberta's Kent.
But Scientologists do believe in a purification program that Kelly Preston, John Travolta's wife, reported using to treat her son, notes Kauffman.
"People go thru periods of physical exercise combined with large doses of vitamins including niacin and then hours in the sauna," Kent says.
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See all 62 CommentsThe very tone of this article is to place blame on the family. This is full of conjecture and innuendo. This is just another typical msm piece full of shady "facts".
Leave the family alone.
The very tone of this article is to place blame on the family. This is full of conjecture and innuendo. This is just another typical msm piece full of shady "facts".
Leave the family alone.
The very tone of this article is to place blame on the family. This is full of conjecture and innuendo. This is just another typical msm piece full of shady "facts".
Leave the family alone.
The very tone of this article is to place blame on the family. This is full of conjecture and innuendo. This is just another typical msm piece full of shady "facts".
Leave the family alone.
The very tone of this article is to place blame on the family. This is full of conjecture and innuendo. This is just another typical msm piece full of shady "facts".
Leave the family alone.
I urge everyone to google Scientology and see the deaths, crimes, deception...
I urge everyone to google Scientology and see the deaths, crimes, deception...
I urge everyone to google Scientology and see the deaths, crimes, deception...
This is the part of the sad story that needs to be addressed.
Total healing comes from Christ, not drugs.
Scientology teaches that God, Christ, Mohammed and all the others were implanted in human minds by evil aliens.
Scientology therapy is a form of brainwashing. If you don''t get better it is your own fault and they kick you out of the "church" which is what the do to all dying people.
wrong
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Posted by DaVicar3
Right !
Was that his fault? His parents never gave him the chance to learn or experience Christianity, so how can a loving God condemn him to hell or prevent him from reaching Heaven? It was not his fault. That''s so cruel.
Scientologists are crackpots. No argument there.
Fact remains, they lost their teenage son in a horrible way. No parent should ever be faced with losing a child.
posted by Darwin200
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So do doctors. It is called resuscitation.
It''s a bummer for this kid that he was raised by lunatics. May he rest in peace.
That''s a real nice philosophy you''ve got there, but it sure ain''t what my preacher told me! Basically, it''s just a lame attempt at escaping congnitive dissonance. (God is good, but God makes defective people and then punishes them even though they had no chance? How can THAT be? There MUST be a way out. I know! It''s the magical Get-Out-Of-Hell-Free card, available to anyone WE think God wouldn''t punish for eternity, because that would be mean!)
posted by happy
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Guess you need those meds for depression cause if you ever need a blood transfusion you can kiss your happy tail goodbye.
Whether or not the treatments his parents allowed for him were effective is irrelevant because their son is dead.
Two parents who seemed to love their child have lost him, and that is the saddest story here.
Scientology is not to blame.
Ignorance and fear are.
1. LEARN TO SPELL 2. Learn to frame a coherent sentence
3.Judge not lest Ye be judged
4." AGAINST STUPIDITY THE GODS THEMSELVES CONTEND IN VAIN "(Georg Schiller, German Philosopher/polymath)
1 America has sep of church and state
2 all churches are a business
3 this is not an english class
4 not every one is highly schooled..
5 Ye free to worshop/not worship as ye see fit.
7 computer does not have spell check .
richbear..are ye a bloody teacher. I am 54. I told the mormons to take a hike and them them smart asre persons that are more blind than my legally blind eye. I am a white cane user. I can''t read and write that well but as a daughter of a vet I have a right to my say.
Tory Christman lies. Type
''"Tory Christman" affidavit 2003''
in Google and read her affidavit.
You will see that the guy advising her to stop her medication in 1969 was a young unqualified staff and that his decision was over-turned by L. Ron Hubbard himself!!!
In 1989, another young unqualified Scientologist (a 15 years old boy!!!) again tried to stop her because of her meds and again, that decision was over-turned by a higher authority in the church who also sent the person who had given her false orders to review.
Christman spend 30 years in the Church of Scientology, all the while being allowed to take her medication.
The affidavit itself is the best proof that Scientology does not require its members to stop their anti-seizure medication when needed.
In spite of this, Tory Christman now tries to exploit the emotion of the tragic death of Jett Travolta to promote a completely distorted and false view of what she herself wrote in a signed affidavit in 2003.
Check for yourself. Read her affidavit, then read what she now claims, and see the extend to which fanatical anti-Scientologists like Christman are ready to lie to promote their "Holy Cause".
Tory Christman lies. Type
''"Tory Christman" affidavit 2003''
in Google and read her affidavit.
You will see that the guy advising her to stop her medication in 1969 was a young unqualified staff and that his decision was over-turned by L. Ron Hubbard himself!!!
In 1989, another young unqualified Scientologist (a 15 years old boy!!!) again tried to stop her because of her meds and again, that decision was over-turned by a higher authority in the church who also sent the person who had given her false orders to review.
Christman spend 30 years in the Church of Scientology, all the while being allowed to take her medication.
The affidavit itself is the best proof that Scientology does not require its members to stop their anti-seizure medication when needed.
In spite of this, Tory Christman now tries to exploit the emotion of the tragic death of Jett Travolta to promote a completely distorted and false view of what she herself wrote in a signed affidavit in 2003.
Check for yourself. Read her affidavit, then read what she now claims, and see the extend to which fanatical anti-Scientologists like Christman are ready to lie to promote their "Holy Cause".
Posted by mugaluv
Free men do not need salvation.
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