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David Miscavige

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David Miscavige
File:Miscavige.jpg
David Miscavige
BornApril 30, 1960
Philadelpia, Pennsylvania, United States
Occupation(s)Chairman of the Board,
Religious Technology Center (RTC)
SpouseShelly (Michelle) Miscavige
ChildrenNone
WebsiteReligious Technology Center, Bio

Template:ScientologySeries David Miscavige (born April 30, 1960) is Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center (RTC), a corporation that controls the trademarked names and symbols of Dianetics and Scientology, and controls the copyrighted teachings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. [1] Although Religious Technology Center is a separate corporation from the Church of Scientology, Miscavige is officially described as "the highest ecclesiastical official of the Scientology religion," and he is the effective leader of the religion.[2] A second-generation Scientologist, Miscavige was an assistant to Hubbard while still a teenager, and he had risen to a leadership position within the organization by the early 1980s. He was named Chairman of the Board RTC in 1986, some months after Hubbard's death. He reportedly lives at Scientology's Gold Base, which is also the main RTC headquarters, near Hemet, California.[3][4][5]

Biography

David Miscavige was born in Philadelphia to Loretta and Ron Miscavige Sr. The family was of Polish/Italian extraction and he was their youngest son. The family was Roman Catholic, but not very observant.[6]

David suffered from childhood ailments, including allergies, which kept him from accomplishing athletic and academic goals. During this time his father, a trumpet player, became interested in Scientology. Ron Miscavige Sr.'s interest in Scientology led him to have the boy sent to a Scientologist. According to him and his son, the 45 minute Dianetic session cured his ailments. The family was impressed enough by Scientology to convert and move to the world headquarters in Saint Hill Manor, England.

Miscavige dropped out of high school in 1976 and joined the Church of Scientology's Sea Org and Commodore's Messenger Organization, where, while still a teenager, he became one of L. Ron Hubbard's assistants, first as Video in-charge, then as Cameraman, in the production of Scientology training films. After this, he became Action Chief Commodore's Messenger Organization Int. He was later appointed Special Projects Operations of the CMO Int, which disbanded the Guardian's Office and reworked the corporate structure of the Scientology network. In the early 1980s, he became Chairman of the Board of Author Services, Incorporated (ASI). [7]

Scientology career

His importance to the organization is said to have come at a relatively young age. In 1981 Mary Sue Hubbard, at that time second only to L. Ron Hubbard himself in Scientology's hierarchy, was appealing her prison sentence (assigned her by the courts for her part in the Operation Snow White controversy) and she began to face criticism from within the Scientology organization. The St. Petersburg Times, in the 1998 article "The Man Behind Scientology", states: "During two heated encounters, Miscavige persuaded Mary Sue Hubbard to resign. Together they composed a letter to Scientologists confirming her decision -- all without ever talking to L. Ron Hubbard." According to Miscavige, he and Mary Sue Hubbard remained friends thereafter,[6] however, other sources say Mary Sue later decided she had been tricked by Miscavige and wrote to her husband in complaint, getting no reply.[8]

In 1993 after lengthy negotiations an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service was reached on this issue. Miscavige went to IRS headquarters to meet with the Commissioner, which led to a two year review process[9], and ultimately, full tax exemption.

Outside of this he has played an active role in expanding the religion's influence. He encouraged the rise of their Celebrity Centre International and other churches. He also increased the profile of the group by working with professionals in public relations, as well as increasing visibility of Scientology's many branches such as Narconon and Downtown Medical.

Miscavige was interviewed at length by Ted Koppel of ABC News in 1992. In the interview he attempted to dispel what he claimed were misconceptions about the faith. He states that extraterrestrial beliefs (see Space opera in Scientology doctrine) are not as important as people believe or not important at all.[10]

Aside from that interview, he has rarely spoken to the press. However, he often is a speaker at major Scientology openings, award ceremonies and related events.[11]

Among Scientologists, Miscavige is often referred to simply as "DM"[12] or "C.O.B." (Chairman of the Board).

Personal life

Miscavige's hobbies are: Riding his motorcycles, snorkeling, underwater photography, and target shooting[13].

Miscavige has been married to Shelly (Michelle) Miscavige, née Barnett, since 1981, who also serves as his official assistant. They have no children. He has a brother, Ronnie Jr., a twin sister, Denise Gentile (formerly Denise Covington, then Denise Licciardi) and a younger sister, Lori Miscavige Vernuelle. Ronnie Miscavige, his brother, now sells real estate in Virginia.

Miscavige is allegedly actor Tom Cruise's best friend.[14]

Criticism and controversies

During his rise in importance, Miscavige has faced several criticisms both within and outside the group.

Alterations to Hubbard's works

Main articles: Altered texts in Scientology doctrine and Patter drills

Since Hubbard's death, there have been many alterations to subsequent releases of his works (known as "tech" in the Church), including writings, films and recordings. This contradicts the fundamental Scientology tenet that Hubbard's works are immutable "Standard Tech", as well as Miscavige's promise to make Hubbard's every word publicly available as part of the newly-announced Golden Age of Knowledge.

The Nightline interview

In Miscavige's 1992 Nightline interview, Miscavige made several strong and controversial claims, the factuality of which were questioned. Perhaps the most controversial was the claim that in 1955, a bill had been presented in Congress to set aside "a million acres [4000 km²] in Alaska" to set up a "Siberia, USA" for the housing of mental patients. When host Ted Koppel asked for evidence of this, such as the sponsor of the bill, or the bill number, Miscavige claimed that he had already given all that information to Koppel's colleague Forrest Sawyer.[10] It is generally assumed that Miscavige was referring to the Alaska Mental Health Bill, (H.R. 6376, 84th Congress, 2nd Session) dated January 19, 1956. The purpose of the bill was to establish a land trust to allow the Alaska Territorial government to fund its own mental health facilities as opposed to its practice in that time of sending its patients for treatment in Oregon.

Miscavige also claimed that the "APA [presumably the American Psychological Association or American Psychiatric Association], AMA, Food and Drug Administration ... were all coordinated" in a five-year campaign against Scientology that included the murder of one of Scientology's executive directors (unnamed): "They literally murdered- the Food and Drug Administration hired an informant to go into our organization in Seattle, Washington, his wife was there [...] Several weeks later, murdered the head of our organization."[10] (Author Paulette Cooper mentions a murder in the Seattle Org committed by the jealous husband of a female Scientologist, who was enraged that the victim, a Scientology Reverend, was having an affair with his wife[15]).

Another claim was: "look at the studies that brought about the Holocaust of the Jews, that the Nazis justified killing the Jews, they were done at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Leipzig, Germany". However, the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry has only existed since 1966; the Deutsche Forschungsanstalt für Psychiatrie was integrated into the Max Planck Society in 1954. [16]

Miscavige made accusations against specific individuals as well, claiming that Time magazine reporter Richard Behar (author of an article highly critical of Scientology) had advocated the kidnapping and deprogramming of Scientologists, and that Vicki Aznaran (Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center, previous to Miscavige) had been "kicked out for trying to bring criminals into the church": "She wanted to bring bad boys into Scientology, her words."[10]

Other matters

  • In 1982 Hubbard's estranged son, Ronald DeWolf, accused Miscavige of embezzling from and manipulating his father. In the following year Hubbard sided with Miscavige, ending the issue.[17]
  • Starting in September of 2005 all mentions of Mark Rathbun and Warren McShane, two of Miscavige's close associates at the top of the Scientology hierarchy and the only publicly known members of the RTC board of directors, were removed from all Scientology web sites without explanation. As a result, Miscavige is now the only member of RTC Board listed on the RTC website. [18] [6]

Notes

  1. ^ Religious Technology Center David Miscavige Biography (accessed 4/21/06)
  2. ^ Behar, Richard The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power Time Magazine May 6, 1991 page 50 (convenience link by Xenu.net)
  3. ^ Reitman, Janet Inside Scientology Rolling Stone, Issue 995. March 9, 2006. Page 57.
  4. ^ Young, Robert Vaughn Scientology from inside out, Quill magazine, Volume 81, Number 9, Nov/Dec 1993. (convenience link by Xenu.net)
  5. ^ Hoffman, Claire Tom Cruise and Scientology, Los Angeles Times, December 18, 2005
  6. ^ a b Tobin, Thomas C. The Man Behind Scientology St. Petersburg Times October 25, 1998
  7. ^ David Miscavige affidavit [1] 17 February 1994
  8. ^ Atack, Jon (1990). A Piece of Blue Sky. New York, NY: Carol Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8184-0499-X.
  9. ^ New York Times investigation of the agreement between the IRS and Scientology
  10. ^ a b c d Koppel, Ted Nightline David Miscavige interview of February 14, 1992. Transcripts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Video: Video
  11. ^ Inauguración de la Iglesia Nacional de Scientology de España [2], Keynote Address at the Grand Opening of the Church of Scientology New York [3] (accessed 8/03/06)
  12. ^ Sappell, Joel (1990-06-24). "The Man In Control". Los Angeles Times. p. A41:4. Retrieved 2006-06-06. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Additional convenience link at [4].
  13. ^ Jesse Prince tape transcription
  14. ^ [5]
  15. ^ Paulette Cooper: The Scandal of Scientology, Chapter 2
  16. ^ A brief history of the Institute, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry
  17. ^ Miller, Russell (1987). [[Bare-faced Messiah]], The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard. Henry Holt & Co. ISBN 0-8050-0654-0. {{cite book}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help) Page 369.
  18. ^ Religious Technology Center Mark Rathbun: Inspector General Religious Technology Center (archive.org copy of RTC.org page from May 3, 2005 - accessed last on Jun 6, 2006). Compare to the current RTC web site.
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