Scientology, Seizures, and Science

The Atlas Society - The Center for Objectivism ^ | 1/13/2009 | Edward Hudgins

[Ed Hudgins]

Scientology, Seizures, and Science

by Edward Hudgins

January 13, 2009 -- Jett Travolta, the sixteen-year-old son of actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston, died recently of what the autopsy found to be a seizure. The boy had a history of seizures and unconfirmed reports suggest that his parents acted responsibly to ensure he was on medication to mitigate his condition.

We don’t know yet what caused the seizure—a change in medication or dosage, or a worsening of the underlying condition that caused the seizures.

I’ve held in my arms a dear loved-one during her seizures, someone who fortunately now survives and flourishes thanks to modern medicine. Thus I can identify personally with the dangers of such conditions and appreciate the imperative to understand and treat them.

And we can all have sympathy for Travolta and Preston and hope that progress in medical science can reduce the number of such tragedies so that other parents can be spared terrible grief and suffering.

But there’s a sad irony here: Scientology, the religion to which Travolta and Preston belong, and other irrational belief systems have, in principle and practice, always stood in the way of such progress.

Scientology was created by sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard. Its secret teachings apparently maintain that 75 million years ago the galactic tyrant Xenu anaesthetized billions of his enemies; flew them in spaceships to Earth; dropped them into volcanoes and nuked them; and collected their ghosts—called “thetans”—in giant theaters to show them movies that left them thoroughly confused and wandering aimlessly on our planet.

“So what?” you might ask. “All religions have weird beliefs.” True! Mormons believe that God lives around the star Kolob with his wife. Catholics believe that the bread they eat at communion is the actual, real, no-fooling flesh of Jesus.

[CharlesWayneCT]

“All religions have weird beliefs.” True! Mormons believe that God lives around the star Kolob with his wife. Catholics believe that the bread they eat at communion is the actual, real, no-fooling flesh of Jesus.

And humanists believe that the entire universe simply popped into existance out of nothing, and then assembled itself into tens of thousands of species of plant and animal life, including humans.

So I guess we all have our strange beliefs.

[Louis Foxwell]

It is lack of critical thiking that allows true believers like yourself to lump Cults such as Scientology with Catholicism. A little research into the theology of transubstantiation could relieve you of your ignorance.

[Tired of Taxes]

Someone from the Atlas Society was on Philadelphia Talk Radio the other night talking about Atlas Shrugged. Was that you?

[Ed Hudgins]

Yes, that was me! I was discussing a piece in the Wall Street Journal on 1/9/09 by my friend Steve Moore on the events of Atlas coming true today with the statists and Obama.

Here’s the link to the WSJ piece:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123146363567166677.html

And a link to our blurb on he piece:
http://www.atlassociety.org/cth-13-2120-Atlas_Ideas_Jan_9_09_Kelley_WSJ.aspx

[fproy2222]

I find that there are many here at FR who say, “If you do not believe like me you are a cultist.”

[Ed Hudgins]

I’m well aware of the twisted, tortured thinking behind transubstantiation as well as the trinity, a guy who was his own father, the historical development of Christianity and the like. At least Protestants consider communion to be symbolic and at least Catholics and Protestants today aren’t fighting bloody religious wars over such nonsense as they did in the past. Today the belief’s averse affects on many might not be much worse than horoscopes and the like.

[Tired of Taxes]

Well, well, small world, isn’t it? I enjoyed the show! I was out shopping but sat in my car just to finish listening to it. Thanks for the links.

[Ed Hudgins]

You might think of what happened to John Travolta as a classic (and I would had, symbolic) case of Nemesis. He is a high-profile guy promoting cult views on medicine that can and have led to misery and possibly death. So while he was responsible with respect to his own child, this terrible tragedy occurred in his family that could occur in any other family that takes his religious rantings seriously.

[RnMomof7]

Seizures are common in autism, and word is that the kid suffered from autism.

Scientology does not “believe” in any emotional or mental illness diagnosis it is considered a character flaw that their “auditing” takes care of.

So this poor kid lived his isolated little life not as the victim of a serious illness, but as guilty of something in a former life that brought this on .

In other words his treatment was lousy

[CholeraJoe]

At least Protestants consider communion to be symbolic

And Calvinists believe that Jesus didn't die for everyone's sins, just ours. You can see why there were so many bloody wars.

[D-fendr]

Problem is your choice is to be a reductionist, materialist, follow scientism, or to have a religious worldview - whatever form that may take. Chances are you have one as well.

And if you think the Trinity is tortured thinking, try quantum physics.

[RummyChick]

“I find that there are many here at FR who say, “If you do not believe like me you are a cultist.””

Read an affadavit from an ex-scienologist who helped the cult with their religious cloaking

http://evil.scientology.googlepages.com/home

Members of Scientology receive a tax deduction that no one else in the country can get.

See the Sklar cases.

This deduction violates the Establishment clause.

How and why did they get it? See Operation Snow White.

Why has no one done anything about any of this?

I guess one could ask why Clinton helped the Scientologists by misusing the State Department.

Or maybe the Feds are worried about another Waco

http://www.whyaretheydead.net/krasel/aff_at.html

[Louis Foxwell]

Terms such as “Twisted” and “tortured” belie your prejudice. Your inability to comprehend a concept as spiritually sound as the trinity only demonstrates your earth bound consciousness. Paul called it “animal consciousness.” Suffice it to say you are not reborn, in Christ’s terms, a spiritual creature with knowledge of spiritual matters.

[Ed Hudgins]

I don’t believe that reductionist materialism is the only alternative to bizarre and unprovable mystical beliefs. You can go to Aristotle, Ayn Rand or a number of other good secular thinkers and find a different perspective.

[Ed Hudgins]

It's irrational thinking like yours, Scientologists’ and others’ that I find most interesting to study and understand. I'm also interested in ways of educating and training in the future that might help individuals from sliding down the slippery mental and psychological slops into conditions like yours.

[D-fendr]

thanks very much for your reply...

the only alternative to bizarre and unprovable mystical beliefs

You've substituted nonsense for the half of my dichotomy which was " religious worldview - whatever form that may take." By this I mean something that includes knowledge beyond the confines of reason/logic. Since pure reason logic is forever conditional, materialism and scientism are the result of those who limit themselves to it.

You can go to Aristotle, Ayn Rand or a number of other good secular thinkers and find a different perspective.

I would disagree with putting Rand in this category. She did not believe anything could or does transcend reason - I think a provably naive position.

Don't get me wrong on Rand. Her books forever change a great many college-age students for the better, myself included. Great stuff. However, we hopefully grow to include more knowledge or our reason/logic has nothing for its foundation.

[annalex]

All serious theistic systems rest on the understanding of the created world as the evidence of creation. Again, one may posit various ideas that explain the universe around us and do not involve a creator, but one cannot say that theism is like Scientology and Tarot cards.

Christianity, in addition to that, rests on the historical evidence of resurrecton of Jesus Christ. One can dispute the evidence recorded in the Gospels but one cannot say that Christianity is on the same plane as Scientology or Tarot cards.

Catholicism, specifically, takes literally certain words of Jesus that other traditions of Christanity do not. Hence the transsubstantiation. Since we believe that a man once killed rose again, it is not illogical to believe in other miracles as well, especially since we witnessed other miracles throughout history.

If you need the Trinity, the Transsubstantiation or anythign else in Catholicism explained to you rationally, I will do so.

It is fine for you to call for parents to act responsibly and avail themselves of the discoveries of science, and advice the Catholic Church gives also. It is fine to ridicule Scientology, superstitions like Tarot cards, astrology, and the like. Stay our of sneering at Christianity, something you have no evident understanding of.

[annalex]

and advice -> an advice

In other words, the Church and most Christian communities of faith fully embrace all therapeutic medicine (we oppose certain procedures sometimes considered a part of medicine that do not cure a disease).

[Louis Foxwell]

Rational thought, after all, is the source of all truth. Unless, that is, you are interested in the mind of God. But then you have no need of God.
Keep doing what is right in your own mind. It will get you to the edge of your life but not beyond.