Featuring news about Scientologists from around the world.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Church of Scientology Sponsors Red Ribbon Week Forum on Strategies to Reduce Drug Demand
Jesse Morrow, Social Reform Director of the Church of Scientology
National Affairs Office in Washington, D.C., introduces those attending
the first annual anti-drug forum of the Truth About Drugs.
Honoring Red Ribbon Week and its message of prevention and education, The Church of ScientologyNational Affairs Office in Washington, D.C. co-hosted the first annual anti-drug forum of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World on October 22.
Held in Chestnut Hall in the new National Affairs Office in Fraser Mansion at Dupont Circle, the forum focused on effective strategies to reduce the demand for illicit drugs. It was chaired by Jesse Morrow, Social Reform Director of the Church of Scientology National Affairs Office.
Red Ribbon week is a national drug prevention and education week, held in the last week of October each year to honor the memory of DEA agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who was tortured and killed in 1985 by drug traffickers while working undercover in Mexico. October is also National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, as designated in 2011 by President Obama.
The panel featured John Redman, Executive Director of Californians for Drug-Free Youth (CADFY), the group that created the first statewide Red Ribbon Week Campaign in 1985; Peggy Sapp, President of the National Family Partnership (NFP), the organization that initiated the first national Red Ribbon Week and sponsors the campaign; Courtney Bennett, Community Organizer for Wards 5 & 6 of the DC Prevention Center; and Imani Walker, Executive Director of the Rebecca Project for Human Rights.
The consequences of drug abuse affect everyone at all levels of society, whether or not they or their friends or families are directly involved. For example, drug abuse kills more than 37,000 Americans each year, more than the number of annual traffic fatalities. Teen deaths from drugs doubled in the first decade of this century. This year, the National Drug Control Policy Office reported that illicit drug use in America contributed to $193 billion in crime, heath-related costs and lost productivity.
In his presentation, Redman pointed out that much of the public discourse on legalization misrepresents the issue. He debunked myths that promote drugs as harmless, showing they are far more potent now than in the 1960s and 1970s.
Bennet’s presentation concerned synthetic marijuana, far stronger and more dangerous than marijuana. She covered its accessibility, the alarming effects of its use and its increased popularity among D.C. youth.
“Any successful drug prevention endeavor must include factual drug education at its base to empower individuals with the knowledge to decide for themselves,” said Morrow, “Once they have that knowledge, they make the right choice.”
The Church of Scientology National Affairs Office, opened Sept 12, 2012, at Fraser Mansion at Dupont Circle, was established to promote solutions to society’s greatest challenges. The historic building is configured to host a wide range of functions, from human rights symposiums and drug education workshops to panel discussions, press conferences and awards ceremonies.
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Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “The planet has hit a barrier which prevents any widespread social progress—drugs and other biochemical substances. These can put people into a condition which not only prohibits and destroys physical health but which can prevent any stable advancement in mental or spiritual well-being.”
The Church of Scientology sponsors one of the world's largest nongovernmental drug education and prevention campaigns. It has been conclusively proven that when young people are provided with the truth about drugs—factual information on what drugs are and what they do—usage rates drop commensurately.
A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights, are the aims of Scientology.~~~L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion
Meet a Scientologist!
Meet a Scientologist - Barbara Schneider's Happy Ending
Scientologist Barbara Schneider is a model, TV personality, paramedic, Scientology counselor and mother of four who didn’t anticipate how well things would turn out 18 years ago when things went wrong. Born and working as a paramedic in Lugano, Switzerland, in the early 1990s a failed relationship left her desperate to get away.
“I went to a travel agent and told him I needed a change,” she says. “I wanted to be someplace far away and on the sea.”
The next thing she knew, she was flying to Majorca with her 3-year-old son. Once there, she was paying a friend a visit at a hotel when a man directed her ‘right this way for the audition.’ She tried to tell him that was not why she was there, but he insisted, and she ended up being cast as co-host of a TV show.
Despite the change in scenery and an exciting new job, a year and a half later, Schneider was still suffering.
“My twin sister Elena could tell I was unhappy,” says Schneider. “She had been a Scientologist since we were 16 and she was convinced Scientology would help me.”
Agreeing to give it a try, she received some Scientology spiritual counseling and was amazed—the upset vanished.
Schneider relocated to Clearwater, Florida—the spiritual headquarters of the Scientology religion. It was there that she met and married husband Roberto.
A Scientology auditor (religious counselor), she credits the skills she has gained from her training for her success as a mother and in so many other aspects of her life.
“I don’t know how I would raise a family in the world today without what I’ve learned in Scientology,” she says.
She is tremendously proud of how self-reliant and responsible her children are.
“My kids have a very good life but they work hard for it,” she says. “It’s not automatically—‘Oh, you’re 16 so here’s a car.’ They earn what they get by studying hard and doing well in school. Even with my little one who’s only four, she loves contributing to the family. She helps me around the house. We make it a game and she’s proud of what she does.”
Schneider’s commitment to helping others extends beyond the family. A Scientology Volunteer Minister, she traveled to Port-au-Prince in January 2012 with her three sisters and several close friends to help in the wake of the Haiti earthquake.
“We are all mothers and the children there really touched our hearts,” she says. “We took on helping more than 100 children who were living on the streets, orphaned or separated from their parents. We built tents, turned an old school bus into a cafeteria, cooked and served their meals, arranged medical care, and tutored them. Where possible, we helped them find their families. My sisters stayed on for months and made sure the children would be cared for when they left.”
Involved with helping others since she was a child, Schneider finds being a Scientology auditor (counselor) enormously gratifying.
“What I like most is to touch someone’s life with a bit of magic—that’s what I really love to do,” she says, “to inspire them, bring out the best in them, so they can see solutions on their own and go ahead and resolve their problems and be happy.”
To meet more than 200 Scientologists and hear their stories, watch the “Meet a Scientologist” videos at www.Scientology.org.
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The popular “Meet a Scientologist” profiles on the Church of Scientology International Video Channel at Scientology.org now total more than 200 broadcast-quality documentary videos featuring Scientologists from diverse locations and walks of life. The personal stories are told by Scientologists who are educators, teenagers, skydivers, a golf instructor, a hip-hop dancer, IT manager, stunt pilot, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, engineers, students, business owners and more.
A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, in April 2008 the Church of Scientology became the first major religion to launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, with videos now viewed more than 7 million times.
Human Rights Day 2011: Church of Scientology Spearheading Human Rights Education
On the 63rd anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Church of Scientology urges mandatory human rights education as the key to its full implementation of the Declaration.
Human rights are the rights that belong to everyone without exception--to people of any color, creed, age, ethnicity or gender. But as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon pointed out in his Human Rights Day message this year, "...unless we know them, unless we demand they be respected, and unless we defend our rights -- and the right of others -- to exercise them, they will be just words in a decades-old document."
To make the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights known to all, the Church of Scientology has undertaken a massive human rights education initiative, reaching more than 180 million people in 2011 with the information on human rights in 17 languages.
The United Nations estimates that 2.45 million people are trafficked each year, nearly a billion live in hunger, and almost half the world’s population subsists on less than $2.50 a day, making it clear any momentum generated this year must continue and that education and insistence on human rights has never been more vital.
In a global demonstration of support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its 30 rights, Scientology Churches and Missions marked Human Rights Day with seminars, rallies, concerts, round tables, forums and festivals, and helped organize more than 80 human rights walks in 26 countries to raise awareness of the Declaration and the need for its full implementation.
In 1969, L. Ron Hubbard wrote, "The United Nations came up with the answer. An absence of human rights stained the hands of governments and threatened their rules. Very few governments have implemented any part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These governments have not grasped that their very survival depends utterly upon adopting such reforms and thus giving their peoples a cause, a civilization worth supporting, worth their patriotism."
For more than four decades, the Church has worked to make the Universal Declaration of Human Rights broadly known. The Declaration appeared in the first edition of Freedom Magazine, the Church’s human rights journal, in 1968.In 1998, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Declaration, the Church carried out the first of five annual cross-European marathons, reaching an estimated 33 million with its message in support of human rights.
Ten years ago, the Church began publishing materials that present the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in terms anyone can understand. These booklets, award-winning public service announcements and human rights documentary videos are available free of charge to any individual or group.
"There are many examples in history of what individuals can accomplish by demanding their rights and insisting on the rights of others," says Rev. Robert Adams, Vice President of the Church of Scientology International. "But a knowledge of these rights comes first. The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, yet in many ways, despite advances, the violations of its articles are as abhorrent today as they were six decades ago. We work with many dedicated groups, organizations, agencies and government bodies to make human rights a reality. To achieve this goal, education in human rights must be mandatory, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be given the force of law."
Since Human Rights Day 2010, through direct action and sponsorship of activities and materials, the Church of Scientology has reached hundreds of millions of people with humans rights information, distributing more than 2 million publications and providing educational materials to more than 45,000 human rights organizations and 4,500 educators and educational institutions.
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The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in the United States in 1954 and has grown to more than 9,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups and millions of members in 165 countries.
Church of Scientology Cuts Ribbon on Twin Cities Landmark Home in Minnesota’s Capital of St. Paul
Scientologists, guests, state and city officials assembled in downtown St. Paul, Saturday October 22, for the dedication of the new Church of Scientology Twin Cities.
Scientologists, guests, state and city officials assembled in downtown St. Paul, Saturday October 22, for the dedication of the new Church of Scientology Twin Cities. (Event Images: http://www.ScientologyNews.org ). The Church stands at 505 Wabasha Street and was formerly home to the Science Museum of Minnesota. The acquisition of the 82,000-square-foot facility in the heart of St. Paul was necessitated by the meteoric growth of the resident Scientology community. The Church of Scientology Twin Cities is now the largest Scientology facility in the American Midwest and will serve parishioners from Wisconsin to the Dakotas.
Located just blocks from the State Capitol and St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Church is additionally adjacent to the famed Fitzgerald Theater and so forms an “historic square” of buildings in downtown St. Paul. The premises were carefully renovated to preserve its most memorable features, including the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Wabasha Street and the three-story atrium. Also faithfully preserved was the original 300-seat IMAX Theater, now to serve as the Scientology Chapel and community meeting ground for citizens of all denominations. >>
Australian Scientologist Peter Dunn has served as a Scientology Volunteer Minister in Haiti, Queensland, and Japan.
At 4 a.m. on March 11, 2011, the shock wave from the magnitude 9 earthquake that triggered a 30-foot tsunami off the northeast coast of Japan reached Australia—not as a physical blast but rather as a summons for Scientologist Peter Dunn to return to Japan and help in her time of need.
Dunn, a native of Adelaide who lives in Sydney, had spent the last few months volunteering in the December 2010 Queensland floods, helping residents of Grantham, the town hardest hit, clean up their homes and neighborhoods.
Having lived in Japan for several years when he served as a staff member at the Church of Scientology of Tokyo, Dunn’s strong affinity for the Japanese people and his sense of duty prompted his departure for Japan.
Described by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan as “the biggest crisis Japan has encountered in the 65 years since the end of World War II," the earthquake and tsunami left more than 20,000 dead or missing, causing an estimated 16.9 trillion yen ($220 billion) in damage and triggering the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
Dunn, who also served for several months in Haiti following the January 2010 earthquake, described the scene he encountered in Japan as very different from what he experienced in Port-au-Prince. Although the destruction was worse and more widespread than in Haiti, Japan rebounded, able to quickly leverage far more resources in the relief effort.
As is the custom of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, on arriving in Japan they asked what was needed and wanted and set about providing what was asked. They distributed food and water, worked on the search and rescue operation, and manned shelters. They even arranged bicycle donations so junior high school students could travel over roads still closed to cars and trucks to deliver food and supplies to ill, injured, and elderly residents in and around the city of Kesennuma.
While he was prepared to take on any task needed, Dunn is a Scientology spiritual counselor or auditor—“one who listens,” from the Latin audire, “to hear or listen.” So his main function in Japan was to provide Scientology assists. These are techniques developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard that relieve stress and emotional trauma and can speed physical recovery by addressing the spiritual factors in illness and injuries.
“At one shelter, a lady who couldn’t walk when we started rose after a five-minute assist feeling like she wanted to run,” says Dunn. “Another elderly woman was deeply disturbed and told me she expected to die soon. A week later, after daily assists, she had regained her will to live and her enthusiasm and she was bringing life and optimism back to the entire room of 30 survivors in the shelter where she was staying.”
Dunn is proud that in each disaster where he has served, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers have addressed the task at hand with industry, willingness and persistence.
“It has been my honor to help hospital-bound amputees in Haiti, polite and gentle Japanese pensioners in homeless shelters, and rough, tough Aussie farmers,” says Dunn. “And each of them know by our actions that we have simply come to help.”
Introduced to Scientology in 1974 when a friend gave him a copy of Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought by L. Ron Hubbard, Dunn, now 61, found answers he’d long sought about the meaning and purpose of life. What he appreciates most from what he has gained in four decades as a Scientologist is the ability and opportunity to help.
The Scientology Volunteer Minister program was initiated by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard in 1976. There are now hundreds of thousands of people trained in the skills of a Volunteer Minister across 185 nations.
News about the Scientology Volunteer Minister at Blog.VolunteerMinisters.Org!
John Travolta Opens Scientology Mission in his town--Ocala, Florida
The new Scientology Mission in Ocala is gorgeous, and makes Scientology available to the people of John's home town (at least his hometown now--he's originally from Jersey).
Kim Payne volunteers at the annual St. Petersburg Human Rights Walkathon to raise awareness of human rights abuses. Her video isone of 200 "Meet a Scientologist" videos available on the Scientology website at www.Scientology.org.
For the fifth consecutive year, the 2011 Human Rights Walkathon in St. Petersburg, Florida, came off without a hitch, and part of the team responsible for its success was Kim Payne, Scientologist, mother of five and human rights activist.
"The purpose of the Walkathon is to raise awareness of human rights issues," she says, "and encourage people to demand human rights education and the full implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the document endorsed by United Nations member nations in 1948 to provide a common understanding of the rights every individual inherently possesses. Groups throughout the Tampa Bay area participate and it’s a great way to coordinate and build cooperation."
Just minutes before the Walkathon began this year, Payne, 45, always on the solution side of any problem, was climbing trees, with characteristic energy and cheerfulness, to get the last of the signs in place before the crowds arrived.
"As the Walkathon site manager, I make sure it is all ready to go when people arrive to register at 9 am—whatever it takes," she says.
Payne has been a Scientologist since 1987 when her husband introduced her to the subject. Having spent her teen years using and abusing a wide variety of drugs, she had some issues to handle.
Raised on a farm near a small town in Michigan, Payne got involved in drugs at age 12 and partied her way through high school. "Don’t ask me how I graduated," she laughs. "I have no idea." She married at 19 and had her first child within a year.
Two years later, her husband read Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. On finishing the book, he simplysaid, "This is it," and packed the family into the car for the three-hour drive to the nearest Church of Scientology.
"I was really just going along with him because he was so enthusiastic about it, but I’m sure glad I did," she says. "I received Dianetics counseling. There were things I had been upset about for a long time but I’d never been able to communicate. After the counseling they were gone and the relief was incredible."
Payne, who completely overcame the effects of her teenage drug use, describes herself as "a real product of Scientology."
"I learned how to study," she says, "something I definitely did not learn to do in school. My IQ went up more than 50 points. Some of my behavior in the past was not exactly ‘good.’ Through Scientology, I have come way up the line as far as responsibility goes."
In addition to the personal gains from Scientology, Payne says she is very grateful to have had Scientology technology when it came to raising five children.
"All our kids are doing great. They all have a lot of friends, they think for themselves and they are creative and smart," she says. "I am very proud of them. But I am sure I would not have had the success I had as a parent without Scientology—it makes it so much easier to be a mom."
The popular "Meet a Scientologist" profiles on the Church of Scientology International Video Channel at Scientology.org now total 200 broadcast-quality documentary videos featuring Scientologists from diverse locations and walks of life. The personal stories are told by Scientologists who are educators, teenagers, skydivers, a golf instructor, a hip-hop dancer, IT manager, stunt pilot, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, engineers, students, business owners and more.
A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, in April 2008 the Church of Scientology became the first major religion to launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, which has now been viewed by millions of visitors.
UMBERTO ORLANDINI A CATALYST FOR A POSITIVE FUTURE
|MILAN, ITALY •MARCH 1, 2011 |
There is no doubt about Umberto Orlandini—not a doubt that he will continue to succeed. His profile is one of200“Meet a Scientologist” videos available on the Scientology website atwww.Scientology.org.
When Umberto Orlandini first learned of Scientology in 1974, it immediately clicked.
A draftsman with a good job and the drive to improve, Orlandini was doing fine. But “fine” was not enough for him. On the lookout for courses that would help him in his business, he came across an article in the paper about Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard’s discoveries on the subject of communication—exactly the information he was looking for.
“The one area I had trouble with before completing the Scientology Communication Course was expressing myself,” says Orlandini. “I was uncomfortable and didn’t like looking people in the eye.”
The course dispensed with those difficulties and increased his ability to confront and solve problems. But best of all, he found Scientology aligned completely with his view of life.
“As soon as I understood what Scientology was about, I was a Scientologist,” he says.
The further Orlandini progressed in Scientology, the better he did.
“Through Scientology training and counseling you increase your certainty,” he says. “I know what I know and I know what I don’t know—the hesitancy and maybes are gone.”
Doing far better in his work as a result, he branched out—became an entrepreneur and now consults other companies so they too can expand.
“Getting people producing—that’s where my strength lies,” says Orlandini. “I’m decisive and I don’t worry about the future. If something unexpected comes up, that’s fine. I enjoy surprises—that’s what makes life exciting. But I know whatever happens, I have the technology and skill to handle it. That’s what makes it fun.”
Orlandini and wife Louise Vigorelli, 63, live in Milan, Italy, where she is a staff member at the Church of Scientology. All three of their children, ages 27, 36 and 39, hold trusted positions in Scientology Churches. Over the past 37 years, Orlandini himself has introduced thousands of people to Scientology, both personally and through TV interviews and lectures. And at 65, he is still going strong.
“I see myself as a catalyst to help create a positive future,” he says.
The popular “Meet a Scientologist” profiles on the Church of Scientology International Video Channel at Scientology.org now total 200 broadcast-quality documentary videos featuring Scientologists from diverse locations and walks of life. The personal stories are told by Scientologists who are educators, teenagers, skydivers, a golf instructor, a hip-hop dancer, IT manager, stunt pilot, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, engineers, students, business owners and more.
A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, in April 2008 the Church of Scientology became the first major religion to launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, which has now been viewed by millions of visitors.
Mr. David Miscavige Officiated at Grand Opening of New Scientology Church on Times Square in 2004
The Church of Scientology in New York City, located just off Times Square, was a gift from the International Association of Scientologists to the people of New York in recognition of their courage and spirit in the face of the 2001 World Trade Center disaster.
Mr. David Miscavige dedicated the building. He was joined by United States Congressman Charles Rangel, United Nations Undersecretary Maurice Strong, and Vice President of the Times Square Alliance, Mr. Bob Esposito.
In his address to the 10,000 Scientologists and guests assembled for the grand opening, Mr. Miscavige underscored the meaning of the new Church:
Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, officiated at the opening of the Church of Scientology New York.
“As we look out across the world, we can speak of international conflict, of economic instability, and yes, of terrorism. But if we do my friends, let us not speak in terms of those problems. Let us speak in terms of solutions, solutions that can solve every one of them.
“This Church represents the work and help all of us must continue to bring, in achieving the full measure of our aims. For here is the Ideal Organization from which to bring all of our programs, all of our tech, literally everywhere.
“So yes, this is just the start. And that is why I say today is when the real work begins.
“For this is more than just a home for you, the Scientologists of New York.
Practically growing up on horseback, John Twomey, professional rider, trainer and coach, has his sights on Olympic gold. His profile is one of 200 “Meet a Scientologist” videos available on the Scientology website at www.Scientology.org.
John Twomey has been riding horses since he was four, when he helped his father muster cattle on their farm in Brisbane, Australia.
From there, he went on to breaking in young horses and working on cattle stations in northwest Queensland.
Then at 18 he discovered his true passion and turned it into a distinguished career—the Olympic equestrian disciplines of dressage, jumping, and his specialty, eventing: a three-day competition in dressage, cross-country and show jumping.
Twomey and wife Caroline share a passion as riders, trainers and coaches, and both are Scientologists. In his video at www.Scientology.org, he describes how Scientology has helped them achieve success in their field.
“One of the main areas is communication,” he says. “We have to be good communicators when we’re coaching, and we gained that skill through Scientology.”
Through his study of the religion, Twomey, 43, also gained an understanding of ethics and how this applies to his career and life.
“The old saying ‘you reap what you sow,’ is so true” says Twomey. “I work hard, do my best, and treat my clients and horses with respect. That’s why I continue to win.”
The Australian Twomeys lived in New Zealand for most of the past decade, winning a National Dressage title in 2004 and five of the past seven New Zealand National Titles. Now back in Australia, they are training and competing in preparation for the London 2012 Olympic selection trials.
“I never want to feel like I’ve reached the top,” says Twomey. “I never want to feel like I’ve achieved everything I can. Knowing there’s still more improvement, more learning—that’s what excites me.”
Mark Kosta, featured in the Meet a Scientologist videos, has save millions of lives with his invention of the auto-disabled syringe, and his dauntless work to get it into full use in developing countries, as covered in an article in Wired Magazine.
I love the new Meet a Scientologist videos on the Scientology website. They are short and punchy and each one tells a unique story. For example, here's Nicanor.
I have not idea what language he's speaking, but I love the story:
“When I discovered Dianetics, I started thinking faster compared to before. My decision making became better. It helped me, Dianetics, because my reaction time got faster. I could handle my relationship with my wife better. I confronted things that I needed to confront to feel better.”
Churches of Scientology in 14 countries joined forces with Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) last week conducting a global petition drive in support of human rights education. Based on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the petition calls on governments to make human rights education mandatory and to conduct human rights education campaigns. The Declaration was ratified by the UN General Assembly in 1948 and defines the fundamental freedoms and human rights in the United Nations Charter. Since that time it has influenced national constitutions, treaties, laws, and human rights institutions the world over.
“The Universal Declaration does more than condemn discrimination, slavery and torture,” said Rev. Bob Adams, spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International. “Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the full scope of these rights and so have no way of knowing when these rights are violated. It’s not something only for governments to care for—we all have an interest in these rights.”
Scientologists, their families and friends took to busy street corners, festivals and shopping centers and city squares, where they presented booklets and videos, engaged in human rights discussions and gained support for the cause on giant petition boards. Active on many fronts of human rights initiatives and reform for five decades, the Church sponsors a worldwide human rights initiative to raise awareness and respect for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This includes distribution of millions of booklets and the airing of 30 public service messages, both based on the Declaration’s articles. In 2009, the Church sponsored the production of a new educational film, The Story of Human Rights, a 20-minute entertaining and historical account of the development of human rights, and a new human rights educators kit. To date, these materials have reached over 500 million people in 180 countries.
“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes the inherent dignity and rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace,” said Rev. Adams. “The world needs a lot more people knowing it and supporting it.”
There are new videos on the Scientology web site. They are easy to browse and you can watch the ones that interest you most. I like the educators and arts categories best, but there are many to chose from.
Photo: Submitted George Seidler is the director of the Peoria Scientology Mission. He's been a Scientology advocate since the days of L. Rob Hubbard, and the longest acting service director of a mission.
Since the dawning of Dianetics, Peoria Scientology Mission director George Seidler has been a believer.
Mr. Seidler, describing himself as a 21-year-old in an 87-year-old body, is a bit of a celebrity in Scientology circles, although he admits members such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta have more recognizable names.
According to www.scientology.org, Scientology is a religion that ''offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one's true spiritual nature and one's relationship to self, family, groups, Mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the Supreme Being.''
The video below was taken at a special presentation for Scientology Volunteer Ministers returned from Haiti in Feburary 2010. Many of them have gone back for a second or third round of service in Haiti. There is a lot of news on the Haiti VMs on the VM blog.
This whole program was developed in 1976 by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. In the wake of 9/11, David Miscavige greatly expanded the scope of the program, which now includes Goodwill Tours throughout the world.
Scientology Website explains the role of the Scientology Minister
The Scientology website has a new section where they describe the role of the Scientology minister in the community and society.
Scientology ministers act to ease suffering and provide counsel and support to those in need, whether a member of their congregation or simply someone in the community who may need help. In fact, one cannot function as a Scientology minister without a genuine and overriding desire to help others, whether to ease current suffering or to help people advance up The Bridge.>>
L. Ron Hubbard had the Scientology Handbook compiled to provide people of any faith or background with tools they can use to help their families, friends and community. Mr. David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, regularly briefs Scientologists of the work of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers at international briefings, held throughout the year.
The Volunteer Minister (VM) program was launched more than thirty years ago, in response to an appeal by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard.
Noting a tremendous downturn in the level of ethics and morality in society, and a consequent increase in drugs and crime, Mr. Hubbard wrote, "If one does not like the crime, cruelty, injustice and violence of this society, he can do something about it. He can become a VOLUNTEER MINISTER and help civilize it, bring it conscience and kindness and love and freedom from travail by instilling into it trust, decency, honesty and tolerance."
Accordingly, in addition to traveling to wherever disaster strikes, Volunteer Ministers work with public servants in their own communities, helping to improve conditions right at home. Their information and training centers are bright yellow tents open to the public at weekend events and fairs, where anyone may enroll on a course or seminar that is delivered right in the tent.
Extensive information displays present the full array of tools for resolving any situation—from rescuing failing students or getting addicts off drugs, to alleviating emotional trauma of physical injuries, salvaging troubled relationships or solving human conflicts.
Volunteer Ministers also deliver seminars to police, firemen and disaster relief organizations with local community programs as well as through Goodwill Tours traveling from city to city with their tents.
So whether manning a tent at home or in a village 10,000 miles away, Scientology Volunteer Ministers all live by the same motto: "Something Can Be Done About It."
Because of their courage, compassion and training, they have become indispensable in times of greatest human need-traveling halfway around the world to help people who have lost everything in an earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, flood or the like.
This includes a corps hundreds strong at Ground Zero within hours of the 9/11 tragedy. It also includes more than 500 volunteers from 11 nations in Southeast Asia in the wake of the tsunami and over 900 Volunteer Ministers attending to victims in Louisiana and Mississippi in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Likewise, during the Haiti earthquake disaster, the Church of Scientology and its parishioners flew in planeloads of much-needed medical and food supplies. In addition, they have brought in hundreds of medical professionals and Volunteer Ministers to help Haitians cope with their losses and rebuild their lives.
Volunteer Ministers have also trained and partnered with over 500 different groups, organizations and agencies around the world, including the Red Cross, FEMA, National Guard, Army Cadets, Salvation Army, Boy Scouts, Rotary Clubs, civil defense and disaster management agencies, YMCAs, police and fire departments of dozens of cities and towns and hundreds more national and regional groups and organizations.
