Scientology Spokesman Tommy Davis Leaves Interview in Anger

By PopEater Staff Posted Oct 26th 2009 11:15AM

The Church of Scientology is taking a beating today.

First, former member Paul Haggis wrote a scathing letter renouncing the religion, and now a video of spokesman Tommy Davis walking out of an interview with Martin Bashir on 'Nightline,' is making the rounds on the Internet.

Davis was offended when Bashir asked questions about the popular celebrity religion's beliefs. Watch Freakout @ 3:40

"Do you believe that the Galactic Emperor called Xenu brought his people to earth 75 million years ago and buried them in volcanoes?" Bashir asked.

"Martin, I'm not going to discuss the disgusting perversions of Scientology beliefs that can be found out commonly on the Internet and be put in the position of talking about things that ... talking about things that are so fundamentally offensive to Scientologists to discuss," Davis replied.

But the 'Nightline' anchor pressed on. "Well, I have the burden of my own journalistic responsibility that I bring to this meeting and I hope that I've been appropriately respectful of you in my asking of the questions."

"Well you haven't to the degree that the question you asked me you know by virtue of the fact that it's been made very clear in other media entities that it's something that we considered offensive. And it is in violation of my religious beliefs to talk about them," Davis answered.

Bashir tried to ask again, but was interrupted. "I'm going to stop you, if you're going to ask me that question again and you're going to repeat things about volcanoes and this kind of thing and so on and so forth, I will stand up and walk out, Martin. Because what you are doing by doing that, is you are intentionally asking me things which you know I find offensive and you're insisting on asking me of them, so I'm asking you one more time," the Church's spokesman said.

"Mr. Davis, I'm not trying to offend anybody. I'm just trying to ask you a series of question about the public faith that you have. I'm not trying to mock you, I'm trying to understand what your beliefs are. You've explained what auditing is, you've explained the growth of the church. You've done all of those things. I am asking you, in the context of those questions, is it true that L. Ron Hubbard said that understanding the origins of the human race as described through Xenu and the Intergalactic Emperor," Bashir was unable to finish his question because at this point, Davis tore off his microphone and walked off the set.

Tags: Martin Bashir, MartinBashir, nightline, Paul Haggis, PaulHaggis, scientology, tommy davis, TommyDavis

Comments

(456)

Monday 26 October

By hyssop7@aol.com

Vote down Vote up Report this

Some 30 years ago, I got off an escalator in the Port Authority in NYC and picked up some literature on on a table on Scientology. I wanted to learn more about it, but fortunately, when I looked into it, I found it cost too much money.

That's the first and last thing I found out about the movement ~ it all costs a lot of money, and you actually can be too poor to be a Scientologist. They kept writing me back and forth to try to persuade me.

All of their mumbo jumbo appeals to people who are too self-oriented to rely on Jesus Christ for real spiritual fulfillment, and I was one at one time, albeit a relatively "poor" one. If we're open to the Lord God, however, He draws us close to Him and keeps us from getting involved with this kind of unprincipled cultish lifestyle.

By j9

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Bashir is a nasty beast..... his entire schtick is ambushing & entrapping celebrities. Were this ISLAM he questioned he would put on his "slavering idiot" face, as does all of Western media. they attack Scientologists because they are TOO COWARDLY TO ATTACK A REAL ENEMY. They pick on a people who have bombed no-one, who have no suicide bombers, who try to (and given the number of followers) help people, and they mock, ridicule, & demean at every turn. I'd like to see the same "journalists" go after someone (ISLAM) who might HIT THEM BACK instead of a group who are NOT the problem -- just treated as such. No I'm not a Scientologist -- I'm an Episcopalian.

By will

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

CULT.

By boz

What really cracks me up is that all the higher SS types of Scientology like Mike Rinder who were gun-ho Hubbardites when they were on the inside goose stepping alongside Miscavige and Wilhere are just ex war criminals no better than Rudolf Hess. By the way, Miscavige, Cruise, Will Smith et al have there day with justice down the road. Let's hope some unstable person doesn't meet them in a dark alley and deliver vigilante justice before the lady with the scales metes out war crime convictions.

By jeffrson13

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

I agree that I do not understand why Mr. Davis would not answer this basica question on Scientologies fundamental beliefs. The only thing plausable I can think of is that it is forbidden to talk of these things to outsiders and that Mr. Davis thought Mr. Bashir knew this and was therefore offended. Many societies and cults keep their information in-house, i.e. Freemasons.

However, for all you religious nuts that want to bash this and say Hubbard was a sci-fi writer etc. Galactic Lord Xenu coming to Earth is really no more far-fetched or outrageous to me than say... a burning bush talking to someone... a person walking on water... a virgin birth... a giant spider hiding and protecting a prophet in a cave while an Arch-Angel delivered the holy book to him (That's in Islam for all you uneducated rednecks)... or a TON of other things that come out of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic mindset. Religions are supposed to be moral templates so we don't all go insane on each other. And if the Christian God created us all in his image... well than He must be one sick, evil bastard because just take a look around at what humans do to themselves and to others. People 2000 years ago taking advantage of a movement to gain money and power is not different than demons like Rush Limbaugh preying on the publics fears and confusion to make a buck on his radio show.
And the thing I love most... The Jewish God, the Christian God, and the Islamic God are all the same person. All three religions worship the "God of Abraham." I amazed me how few people recognize or acknowledge that. So you have a god that has let three groups of people kill and attack each other in his name for how long now? Sounds like an evil god to me.
So my point is... no one knows what is going on and if Scientology makes these people feel better... leave them alone. Stop hating because you're life is so miserable and you are so intolerant and ignorant. It's a big world people, and to think anyone of us is better than a culture we are not part of is... evil and ignorant. Amazing how often you hear republicans and Christians preachers tolling their superiority. Ignorance would be bliss if the ignorant weren't running things.

By N

It was not too long ago that Tom Cruise had a melt down about what he was being asked or telling people about scientology. It occurs to me that when someone is not sure how to answer, one of the ways it is commonly handled is by angrily accusing others of offensive behavior. But then, how can a scientologist answer genuine questions when thier beliefs are based on fictional principles.

By Julia

Talk about evasiveness. I'd never heard of Tommy Davis but don't have much respect for him now.

By flamingrose40

Two words sum up this wacko "out there" religion...TOM CRUISE!! NUFF SAID!!

By PAT

I guess celebs aren't satisfied with the old, but equally ridiculous large religious cults like christianity and islam so they have to waste their time with a zany new cult like scamontology. Whoever said there's one born every minute knew what they were talking about.

Tuesday 27 October

By not in Clearwater

I lived in Clearwater, FL in and around the 'Scietos', so to try to understand where it all came from I tried to read L. Ron's sci-fi, boringly bad. Thank you, Leslie, for confirming what I've always thought and said. Anyone can create a "religion" thus a cult, control of other's minds and bodies....very sad to see such archaic practices still in use....it keeps popping up though....

By Erika

Scientology forces its members to sublimate the truth...Katie Holmes, WAKE UP!

By priderockT

Once again, people; sciencetology is a CULT. It is NOT a religion.

By steve

what's so funny is when the lucky people who have time and know they are dyeing ,,,,,, as they lay on there death bed and have time to think they always break down and ask god to forgive them for there sins because they have always known that god existed they just didn't want to admit it ......... but I have never herd of anyone on there death bed thinking hard about there life then asking Xenu and the Intergalactic Emperor or Mork from Ork to forgive them for there sins lol .... they all know that Xenu is a scam and prob a pretty good tax write off for all the rich ........... but Jesus is who they all turn to in the end .... weather he here's them when they cry out may be a whole different story :)

Saturday 31 October

By Paul

Hey Steve...you are seemingly cut from the same cloth as those fundamentalists that you speak of. The "God" that people speak of on their death bed are simply conditioned since childhood. This argument is another week leg that christian apologists use to stand on when reason alone cant be rationalized. Understanding the sociology of man is where you should concentrate your interests. I challenge fundamentalist of all convictions to stop looking at the world for right and wrong. Apathy is the consequence of Christian apologists.

By Robert

All cults are based on finding people that are lost souls. Whether rich or poor, they have a void in their life and want someone to tell them what to believe and not believe, what to do and not to do. Most of these off breed religous fanatics are following a belief or a religion that was started for no other reason than a tax write-off

By Growl10

WOW, its like watching Fox News asking Obama a question! Come to think of it perhaps Obama is Zenu.

By Mike

Scientology is not a religion it is a joke. I worked for them years ago and got a first hand look at what they do in day to day operations such as the Sea Orgs that work like ants at their disposal 24/7 for room and board and their so called purification b.s. They don't worship anything but the almighty dollar. And like one of my workers said at the time who the hell is Leroy Hubbard

By Lindsay

I absolutey agree. Scientology is an absolute load of crap and everyone knows it. I'm sorry, but if you believe in something...and I mean TRULY believe in something with all of your heart, and someone asks you a simple question regarding that belief and faith.....what's so difficult about answering his question? What? Are you embarrassed by your faith and the concoctions that the religion (Scientology) has created? I wonder what "XENU" would think? (HA!) Because, in all honesty.... when listening to the ideals of Scientology...I can't help but laugh. It sounds like a humorous science fiction story. Scientologists are nothing but a bunch of looney tunes....and rather snarky and sarcastic if I do say so myself. They have a crappy air to them. I applaud the individuals who escaped Scientology that were interviewed on this segment the other night. I applaud their want to expose this Cult....because that is what it is. A CULT. The entire thing is a joke already. Its just plain comical.

By Sally

Oh my gosh, go to Google and type in Scientology/Xenu. What a blast !!! A complete sci-fi movie script written by L. Ron Hubbard. It is absolutely nutso - lololol And all these people actually believing this stuff. Wow. I wonder where common sense went in this day and age. Maybe transported to the Galactic Empire mentioned in the article. LMAO

By agladchester

Wow. That Davis guy is an idiot. How hard is it to say "No, we (or I) don't believe that" or "Yes, we (or I) do". If the stuff about Xenu and volcanoes is NOT true, why doesn't he just say it instead of getting pissy and acting like an infant? You don't walk out when YOU agreed to do the interview and help people better understand what you're teaching. It's babyish and stupid.

I say the negative perceptions of scientology have been well-earned.

Page 5 of 23