Scientologist: We Do, Too Treat Illnesses

Addresses Questions About Church Spreading Since Jett Travolta Died; Explains Views On Afterlife, Grieving, Autism, More

(CBS)  Since the sudden death last weekend of John Travolta's son, many questions have been raised about the views of the Church of Scientology about treating illnesses.

The Travoltas are among the best-known Scientologists.

Jett Travolta died at the family's vacation home in the Bahamas of what an autopsy showed was a seizure disorder. He was 16.

A memorial service was to be held Thursday in Florida.

On The Early Show Thursday, co-anchor Julie Chen asked Scientologist spokesman Tommy Davis to comment on many of the notions about the church that have been raised by its critics in the days since Jett passed away, and to explain some of the church's basic beliefs.

Davis, who says he's known the Travolta family for more than 18 years, told Chen, "The thing you have to understand is Scientologists, like many people, like anybody, we go to doctors if somebody's sick, some sort of physical ailment. We go to the doctor. You get a prescription. You know, whatever the course of treatment that would be recommended by a doctor, you're gonna do that. You know, it's very important. It's not -- I mean, really, it's actually something that's mandatory from the church's viewpoint. If someone has some sort of physical difficulty or problem, something's happening with them, they're ill, go to a doctor. Get it checked out. Find out what's going on. If it involves a prescription, or whatever treatment the doctor recommends, they're gonna do that."

What about psychiatric drugs?

"There's a difference. We're talking about a medical condition. When you have a medical condition and there's something happening with the body, there's some sort of illness going on..."

"But people think," Chen pointed out, "you know, a medical condition can be a chemical imbalance, take antidepressants, but Scientology doesn't think that's a medical condition?"

"That's not even a viewpoint as far as Scientologists are concerned," Davis responded. "That's something that's really clear, you know, just even in the medical community. You have physical ailments, there's something wrong with the body. There's something happening. That can even involve, you know, malfunctions of the brain or these kinds of things. And those things are treated. Like seizures, for example, you're gonna, if there's an anti-seizure medication recommended by a doctor, you're gonna do that."

Chen asked about the notion that Scientology doesn't acknowledge there is such a thing as autism, and Davis replied, "To the degree you have a medical condition, like there's something going on like, you know, seizures or some sort of physical problem that's happening with the body, you know, that's gonna get treated by a doctor. But the church doesn't involve itself in diagnosing or classifying medical conditions. I mean, it's just not -- as a church, we deal with the spirit. In terms of bodies, and the handling of physical problems, that's something for the medical community."

"But," Chen pressed on, "will you acknowledge that autism does exist in the world, not so much, you know, I'm not saying you'll diagnose it, but is there such a thing as autism in the world of Scientology?"

"I mean, yeah, to the degree that you have the medical community acknowledging that there is this thing called autism and that it requires treatment and doctors treat it and so on and so forth, yeah, absolutely," Davis said. "I think I would go the other way from it. There's this misconception or this thing that I've certainly seen, that the church doesn't, quote, unquote, recognize autism. It's just not true. It's not -- we don't recognize or not recognize anything. I mean, we're a church. And if you're dealing with medical conditions, that's doctors. Doctors do that. We tell Scientologists, you have something going on physically, you have to go to a doctor, you have to get that properly treated."

At that point, Chen turned to Scientologist views on the hereafter.

"The best way to understand that," Davis explained, "is, in Scientology, you, the individual, are an immortal spiritual being. ... living forever. It's like you don't have a soul or a spirit. You are an immortal spiritual being. That is who you are. So you lived before. You'll live again. The concept of past lives. And it's really in the older, you know, Asian sense in terms of that, in terms of Buddhism or Hinduism. Different from reincarnation, because that gets into what you're gonna come back as. It's really a much simpler process, you know. You inhabit a body, but you aren't your body. So, as a spiritual being, you're gonna come back in a new body. You've had lives before, you'll have lives in the future."

"If Jett comes back in someone else's body, will it be someone that the Travoltas know? What's the belief there?" Chen asked.

"It would never be anything so specific," Davis answered. "Really, the point is as a general rule, and this would apply to anybody. If you go back to that basic idea that the individual himself or herself is an immortal spiritual being, you're living lifetime after lifetime after lifetime, and that's your existence, you know, through time. So, when the body dies, you would go and pick up a new body, really, to sort of put it in a simple sense. You know, whatever, whoever that may be."

What's a Scientology funeral like?

"It's pretty conventional in terms of what most people would be familiar with a funeral. You have a minister, an ordained Scientology minister that would conduct, you know, the service. And often, family or friends will talk about the person who's passed away. You could have a eulogy, you know, these kinds of things."

Is there a lot of people grieving and crying, or does that defeat the purpose of what you believe in, that they're not really dead?

"Well, here's the thing," Davis observed. "I mean, you know, whenever anyone experiences a loss, I mean, it's a huge emotional loss for anyone to be gone. And to the degree -- I mean, of course ... the concept (is) that the person themself and who they are as a person that you know is never gone. And so, to that degree in a Scientology funeral service, it's really a celebration of the person's life and acknowledging them for the life lived and wishing them well in their next. So, it's really a celebration of their life. Anyone's going to grieve with that kind of loss. And anyone would."

Davis described the Travoltas as "doing great. You know, I think it's really -- this is a time for them and their family and their friends and, you know, like anyone, we would wish them well."

"So," Chen followed up, "what would the proper thing be to say? Do you say, 'So sorry for your loss?' What would be the appropriate thing to say? 'He goes on?' I don't know."

"Sure. What you just said, of course," Davis replied. "You know, for any Scientologist, it's really no different than anyone else, you know, anyone grieves the loss of a loved one or a friend or, you know, anyone that they know."

So it is a loss?

"Sure, of course. Of course."

But Jett will live on later in someone else's body, but we don't know who and when?

"Yeah. To that degree, exactly. I mean, I think just from a simpler concept, you know, Scientologists are like anybody else. You know, you have your family and you have your loved ones. And to the degree that they're there with you, you know, that's a wonderful thing. And when they're gone and they're not around anymore, you know, that's a loss. And -- but I think as a general rule, people the world over definitely, you know, have the concept that we're spiritual beings, and that we have a future, and there's life down the road, and there's more to look forward to no matter what. And we know, you know, that our loved ones are always with us in some way."

[yjidam]

Truthrule:
"Jett may very well still be with his family if Scientology allowed them to gie him the type of medication needed to treat his condition."

What condition and what medication would that be? There are no medication for autism, and they did give him medication for his seizures. In which way did Scientology prevent them to give him the medication needed? It didn''t. Critics just try to blame Scientology for it, by any means possible, but they haven''t come up with good arguments so far.

[cath78_uk]

I''m not into this scientology malarky but they are and who cares! It''s something they believe in and they should be allowed! This is a tragic thing that has happened to them and i think it''s awful how they can be accused of not doing enough! This is their child! Of course they did enough! People are always quick to judge someone who is different in cases like this! At the end of the day we are all different!
My heart goes out to them, family and friends! I''m very sorry for your loss! xx

[wendy62-2009]

Sorry for their loss!! I wish they had come out with Jett having Autism. My grandson has Autism.They could have done a lot for Autism.

[truthrules]

Yjidam,
Yes the case was finished long ago because they didn''t have anyone to peg the blame on and the church spend millions defending her death. Fact is she died in the "church" of Scientology''s care. Because she was starved and extremely dehydrated. Get a clue.

Jett may very well still be with his family if Scientology allowed them to gie him the type of medication needed to treat his condition. But Scientology doesn''t believe in them.
Morn his passing, absolutely, ignore the fact he could still be here, never.
Tommy is a liar. Been there and done that with Scientology. I and everyone that is and was a Scientologist knows that Scientology doesn''t believe in Autism, so Jett wasn''t treated.

[austintx007]

Scientologists like Travolta and Tom Cruise might of gained the world but have lost there souls to a pseudoreligious cult.

[kawagner1-2009]

I have been a Scientologist for 30 yrs. I have a genetic condition that killed my mother and brother. I have to deal with this on a daily basis, and Scientology has helped me to do so. Without the assistance of my religion, I would be lost and terrified.
I see my specialist on a routine basis. I take three prescriptions at present. The medical field has no answers and no hope. Scientology keeps me from sinking into the ''no hope'' that I have seen others of my family and others in general with this condition sink into.
I am thankful every day for this.
I am so sorry the Travoltas lost their son. No parent should ever have to go through what they are going through. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

[gifthorsie]

So sad that this young boy has passed away. I''m very sorry for the family''s loss.

For those who say they are interested in Scientology I''d recommend: www.xenu.net

[yjidam]

"You can hear a clip of an L. Ron Hubbard lecture here, where he states policy regarding Epilepsy"

I don''t see that it really said anything one way or the other. It didn''t say "you must tell him to come off drugs", it said, "And then you come along as an auditor and you try to audit the pc and you tell the pc that he''ll have to go off that drug". That''s a comment about what another person might do, not a directive of what action to take.

[yjidam]

"You can hear a clip of an L. Ron Hubbard lecture here, where he states policy regarding Epilepsy (and calls professional medical treatment "gobbledegook"):"

Lie. He only says that there''s a lot of jargon. Here is the full sentence:

"Now I''ve been using a lot of medical words here or chemical words really. Just dont pay any attention to them because they''re mostly gobbledygook, and theres an awful lot of gobbledygook words. Gobbledygook just means nonsense chatter, you see. There''s an awful lot of them."

[yjidam]

The Lisa McPherson case was finished long ago when the prosecutor decided that he had no case against Scientologist and dropped the complain.

Nevertheless, anti-Scientologists are going to bring this up forever, giving it their on spin.

They don''t have a better argument than with Jett, when they tried to falsely assert that Scientology is against medical treatment.

What they showed to the world is that anti-Scientologists are a heartless, ranting on their pet anti-cult propaganda right as the Travoltas mourned their beloved son. All they could come up was to blame an obviously loving family with accusations that they killed their own son. All because anti-Scientologists hatred of Scientologist have blurred their perception and their humanity.

[eddievroom]

You can hear a clip of an L. Ron Hubbard lecture here, where he states policy regarding Epilepsy (and calls professional medical treatment "gobbledegook"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMom3y1zyZU

[BambiQ]

I am very interested in scientology. I was raised Catholic but am tiring of the guilt associated with my beliefs. Is there more information or manuals you can suggest to help me to understand this way of life? I am also wondering about how you deal with such illnesses as drug and alcohol abuse? Are these considered illnesses or is the person looked on as being a lazy flawed person?

[BambiQ]

I am very interested in scientology. I was raised Catholic but am tiring of the guilt associated with my beliefs. Is there more information or manuals you can suggest to help me to understand this way of life? I am also wondering about how you deal with such illnesses as drug and alcohol abuse? Are these considered illnesses or is the person looked on as being a lazy flawed person?

[BambiQ]

I am very interested in scientology. I was raised Catholic but am tiring of the guilt associated with my beliefs. Is there more information or manuals you can suggest to help me to understand this way of life? I am also wondering about how you deal with such illnesses as drug and alcohol abuse? Are these considered illnesses or is the person looked on as being a lazy flawed person?

[BambiQ]

I am very interested in scientology. I was raised Catholic but am tiring of the guilt associated with my beliefs. Is there more information or manuals you can suggest to help me to understand this way of life? I am also wondering about how you deal with such illnesses as drug and alcohol abuse? Are these considered illnesses or is the person looked on as being a lazy flawed person?

[BambiQ]

I am very interested in scientology. I was raised Catholic but am tiring of the guilt associated with my beliefs. Is there more information or manuals you can suggest to help me to understand this way of life? I am also wondering about how you deal with such illnesses as drug and alcohol abuse? Are these considered illnesses or is the person looked on as being a lazy flawed person?

[rsmik]

Scientologist: We Do, Too Treat Illnesses, We Just Don''t Treat The Ones We Don''t Like

[ladyluv5]

to each there own. People are against Islamic faith, people you can practice what ever you like as long as it does not hurt anyone physically. I really would like to know what religion is truly excepted.

[truthrules]

Amanda Hugen,
Show us the case files of said people!

Fact is Scientology does not believe in mental disorders and that is why Jett was never even diagnosed.
Keep in mind this is the same group responsible for the death of Lisa McPherson. And how they treat their own staff.

[sharon_m1]

Scientology''s record on medications and their beliefs regarding anything psychiatric are well documented.

See http://www.scientology-lies.com/faq/teachings/medical-drugs.html for additional information.