John Travolta brings relief supplies and a plane full of Scientology Ministers to Haiti

John Travolta - Lending a hand to Haiti

I believe, truly, that John Travolta's heart in is the right place by flying his own plane filled with aid for the Haitians who are suffering so horribly from the devastating earthquake.  What puzzles me is that John also flew in a gaggle of Scientology "ministers" who are claiming to be healing critically injured Haitians with their special "touch".

Thomas Coex/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

via TheNewYorkTimes.com

On Saturday, the French news agency Agence France-Presse reported that one Scientologist from Paris who gave her name as Sylvie claimed that the controversial church’s techniques were working:

“We’re trained as volunteer ministers; we use a process called ‘assist’ to follow the nervous system to reconnect the main points, to bring back communication,” she said. “When you get a sudden shock to a part of your body the energy gets stuck, so we re-establish communication within the body by touching people through their clothes, and asking people to feel the touch.”

Next to her lay 22-year-old student Oscar Elweels, whose father rescued him from the basement of his school where he lay with a pillar on his leg for a day after the deadly Jan. 12 quake. His right leg was amputated below the knee and his left leg was severely bruised and swollen. [...]

“One hour ago he had no sensation in his left leg, so I explained the method to him, I touched him and after a while he said ‘now I feel everything’,” said Sylvie. “Otherwise they might have had to amputate his other leg.”

The news agency said that an American doctor at the hospital who asked not to be identified commented sarcastically, “I didn’t know touching could heal gangrene.”

Yeah.  My thoughts exactly. It's a little presumptuous and arrogant to swoop into a country that has been ravaged by a natural disaster and cram your religion down the suffering locals'  throats.  Haiti's religion is predominantly Roman Catholic (with a pinch of Voodoo, occasionally.)

What are your thoughts on this?  It may just fall into the category of "Is it just ME?" but, I'll bet some of you have some strong opinions about this, too.  Are the Scientologists trying to tidy up their image?  Lord knows, Haiti doesn't have any money to hand over them (which is a well-known requirement), so that's not their motive.  Again, I really think Mr. Travolta is doing a wonderful thing by using his Boeing 707 to bring relief supplies to Haiti.  That's not my concern.  It just sounds weird when Scientology ministers are claiming they are healing these poor, severely  injured folks by seemingly, false medical claims.