Tommy Davis is the official media spokesperson for the Church of Scientology.
Tommy Davis on disconnection
Mark “Marty” C. Rathbun was Inspector General of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), the organization that controls the copyrights and trademarks of the materials relating to Dianetics and Scientology.
His role was to head the Inspector General Network. The post is one of the most senior management functions in the Church and its related organizations.
Rathbun left the Church of Scientology in 2004 and is now an independent Scientologist.
In 2009 Marty Rathbun stated to the St. Petersburg Times that physical violence is a common occurrence within Scientology management, and that Miscavige regularly beats his staff, or orders staff to administer beatings to designated individuals – accusations which the Church of Scientology categorically denies.
Tommy Davis on beatings by David Miscavige
Video 1 Transcript
John Roberts: “On that point, help us to understand something about the church, and it is something this group Anonymous is protesting. They claim that the church separates family members. There is this practice of disconnection where, if you are a member of the church of scientology – to the best of my understanding here on this issue, because I am not a member and I don’t fully understand it- but, if you are a member of the church of scientology, and someone in your family or a friend or your spouse, is skeptical or critical of the church of scientology, you were supposed to disconnect yourself from that person. And Jenna Miscavige Hill, who is a nurse… a niece rather of the church’s leader, David Miscavige, says that happened to her, which is the reason she left the church a couple of years ago, and she has now a website, bringing together former members of the church of scientology to talk about issues like this.”
Tommy Davis: “Well… First of all, this is a perfect example of how the Internet turns things, and twists things. There’s no such thing as disconnection as you are characterizing it, and certainly… you have to understand… scientology is a new religion. The majority of scientologists in the world, they’re first generation. So, their family members are not going to be scientologists… and this kind of things… and Scientology absolutely mandates, and its really part of the code of being a scientologist, to respect the religious beliefs of others. So, certainly, someone who is a scientologist is going to respect their family members’ beliefs, and we consider family to be a building block of any society. So, anything that’s characterized as disconnection or this kind of things, its just not true. There is not any such policy in the church that’s dictating who people should or should not be in communication with. You know… It just doesn’t happen.”
Video 2 Transcript
Tommy Davis: “We’re talking of about 50 instances of violence on 22 people. Only reason I’m using those numbers is that those are all where the person themselves can state that it occurred. And there were witnesses to it, multiple witnesses. Ok. And that is why I bring it up. The point is, is that if you want to get into why and how and so on and so forth, sure we can get into the time track and we can get into all of this. I am saying…
“Here’s the thing: if you came to me and said ‘we were talking to Marty Rathbun and he’s left the church and he’s talking about some of his history and so forth…’ and he never brought up anything about physical violence, and never said anything about David Miscaviage beating this person or that person, and whatever, I would never bring it up. I woudn’t. Even though I knew it would annihilate his credibility, I wouldn’t do it, I wouldn’t do it.
“But he’s the one who’s saying that Dave Miscavige beat these people. And he’s saying that Dave Miscavige beat the exact same people that he beat! And that’s what pisses me off! Because this guy’s a fucking lunatic and I don’t have to explain how or why he became one or how it was allowable!!
“The fact is he’s saying David Miscavige did what he did. Not once, not twice, but 50 times to 22 people, who are people who are still around they can attest to it, and there are witnesses to it. And the instances that you’re saying that Mr. Miscavige engaged in aren’t that way. And you are saying 75 to 100 but it isn’t true.
“And now I’m getting a little angry. Am I angry at you? Not necessarily. But I’m god damned pissed at Marty Rathbun. Because he knows that he was the reign of terror.
“The whole track prison warden and the lunatic. Because he admitted to it, he admitted to it, and he knew, and it was part of his downfall. And I think that the individuals who were attacked by him have the right to talk to you about it, and I think that the individuals that he is saying Mr. Miscavige attacked have the right to it, because factually every single person on that list that you sent me a fax of, I haveaffidavits from them stating that they were never beat by Mr. David Miscavige.
“So, that’s the problem with this thing. And when I came to you and I said that we had things that we wanted fact-checked, that, you know, there were a few things that you were saying that Marty was going to fact-check, or that there was going to be a fact check, these are the things that I am talking about, because they bear fact-checking
“Because the bottom line, the problem is that we can drop down into this minutia, but we are talking about the ecclesiastical—leader—of—the—scientology—religion, ok. And it’s a bigger picture than that here.
And for Marty Rathbun, Amy Scobee or Tom De Vocht to leave, and tell their tales of woe, and fall into the category, exactly like so many have before, Jesse Prince, Vicki Aznaran, Larry Wollersheim, Robert Vaughn Young, Stacy Young—all of them—thesame allegations, saying the same things, in some cases things far more horrible, and every time Mr. Miscavige has been vindicated, as has the church. And the thing is, is they have become what they detested, and they have become what they fought for so long. And that is the truth of it.”
Scientology 101 