Meet a Scientologist Video: My Friend Cindy

There are now over 200 videos in the Meet a Scientologist series. These are short (1 - 2 minutes) videos of everyday Scientologists who tell you a bit about their lives and the difference Scientology has made to them.

There is a new one out featuring a friend of mine: Cindy Gainsforth. Check it out and see what she has to say about Scientology (or in this case Dianetics) and what it has done for her.

It's appropriate that in her video Cindy is talking about Dianetics, because the 61st anniversary of the publication of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health is rapidly approaching.

Happy Birthday L. Ron Hubbard!

Today is a day of celebration for Scientologists all over the world because it marks the 100th birthday of the founder of our religion: L. Ron Hubbard.

And it's not just members of the Church of Scientology who are happy about what LRH did for us, millions of others have benefited from his discoveries in the fields of education, business administration, drug rehabilitation, criminal rehabilitation and morals.

So today is truly a day of celebration for millions of people all over the world.

So I just wanted to say: Happy Birthday Ron!!!!

More Questions from a Nurse (10)

Taylor asked a number of questions here: More Questions from a Nurse. Here are more answers:

16. When I give the report I'm supposed to provide handouts for the class. Is there anything that you can think of that would benefit?

Regarding health, Scientologists tend to follow the advice in Chapters 1 and 2 of The Way To Happiness. I recommend you download the book and read those chapters (they are short). This will give you the basic idea of our views on this area.

One other important thing is that when ill or injured Scientologists like to get "Assists" which are spiritual healing procedures. You can read all about them here: Assists for Illness and Injury. These can really help speed up recovery.

The Scientology Web Site has a very good search feature. Just go to the site, type in the "Search" and press the Enter key.

That was the last question. Thank you Taylor for asking them. It's always a pleasure to clarify questions about Scientology and Scientologists.

More Questions from a Nurse (9)

Taylor asked a number of questions here: More Questions from a Nurse. Here are more answers:

14. If caring for a family member in a nursing home and is going to die, is there someone to prepare the body?
There are no special religious requirements for preparation of the body after death. The normal traditions of the individual would apply. For me it would be finding an undertaker.

15. Is there a particular process for the funeral?
We do have a funeral service in Scientology. What is the Scientology funeral service?

Whether the coffin is there or the service is held after burial (as in a memorial) is a decision of the loved ones.

More tomorrow.

More Questions from a Nurse (8)

Taylor asked a number of questions here: More Questions from a Nurse. Here are more answers:

13a. What are the thoughts on Divorce?
There is a good chance that a marriage that is heading for divorce can be put back together again with Scientology Marriage Counseling. It has a very good success rate.

If at all possible a marriage should be saved but there are circumstances where the best course for all involved is divorce. That sums it up for me and I think for Scientologists in general.

More tomorrow.

More Questions from a Nurse (7)

Taylor asked a number of questions here: More Questions from a Nurse. Here are more answers:

13. What are the thoughts on infidelity?
Infidelity is destructive to the individuals involved and has a ripple effect on other family members, especially children.

As L. Ron Hubbard says in The Way to Happiness Book, "Unfaithfulness on the part of a sexual partner can heavily reduce one's survival. History and the newspapers carry floods of instances of the violence of human passions aroused by unfaithfulness. 'Guilt' is the milder evil. Jealousy and vengeance are the greater monsters: one never knows when they will cease to sleep."

I would recommend reading Chapter 3 of the book because I would say it accurately describes a Scientologist's view on this subject.

More tomorrow.

More Questions from a Nurse (6)

Taylor asked a number of questions here: More Questions from a Nurse. Here are more answers:

12. What are the beliefs and views on marriage?
Scientology regards the family as the building block of any society and marriage as an essential component of a stable family life.

For more check out this: How does Scientology View Marriage and the Family? and this What is the Scientology Wedding Ceremony?.

12a. Are there arranged marriages?
No.

More tomorrow.

More Questions from a Nurse (5)

Taylor asked a number of questions here: More Questions from a Nurse. Here are more answers:

10. On whom do you rely on health care services or healing?
For general data on the religious view on medical care read this: What is the Scientology position on medical care?

For myself the answer to the question is the clinic I mentioned above and Dr. Fuhrman.

11. Are there religious restrictions that your caregiver should know?
The Church of Scientology itself does not enforce any restrictions on physical treatment.

But Scientologists are opposed to destructive psychiatric treatments such as psychiatric drugs, electroshock therapy and psychosurgery. I have seen that regular doctors are prescribing psychiatric drugs without understanding there dangers, so that would be a restriction which a caregiver would need to know: don't give psychiatric or other mind-altering drugs to a Scientologist. For more info read this: What is the Scientology View
on Drugs and Medicine?

Medical drugs and normal medical treatments are no problem.

More tomorrow.

More Questions from a Nurse (4)

Taylor asked a number of questions here: More Questions from a Nurse. Here are more answers:

9. Who/what is your primary source of information about your health?
This answer has nothing to do with Scientology. My answer reflects my personal choices.

My wife and I have read widely in this field attempting to discover what diet and other life style choices lead to health. Over the years I have used many sources, tried many different diets and have finally narrowed it down to something that actually works. My primary source is Dr. Joel Fuhrman who bases his recommendations on thousands of scientific studies rather than opinion or a few studies that conform to a personal bias. Since following his methods my health has improved more than ever before. For example, I lost 65lbs in nine months, my energy went way up and my general level of health is the highest it has ever been.

During our quest we also discovered a local clinic that uses physical tests (blood tests, saliva tests, etc.), Functional medicine, Orthomolecular medicine and Naturopathic medicine. Their diagnoses go much deeper than those of a traditional medical doctor and they use both natural and medical solutions as appropriate for solving health issues. I find that actual physical tests interpreted by someone who is well trained are far superior to any other method.

We also use Chiropractic and other natural practitioners when needed.

More tomorrow.

More Questions from a Nurse (3)

Taylor asked a number of questions here: More Questions from a Nurse. Here are more answers:

7. Can you describe some of your family's dietary habits and your personal preferences?
Our diet has nothing to do with our religion. There are no dietary rules in Scientology.

My adult kids don't live with us, so they eat whatever they want. My daughter tends to go for more organic and healthy foods. My son is more lax about what he eats.

Until about a year ago, my wife and I ate what we thought was a healthy diet, mainly organic, avoiding junk food, but eating along the lines of what you could call a "Standard American Diet" of mainly grains, a normal amount of meat (light on the red meats) and some vegetables.

In the last year we have become Nutritarians and eat a science based, high nutrient diet that is actually healthy and not at all like the Standard American Diet we used to eat. This is a personal choice and has nothing to do with our religion.

8. Are there any foods forbidden from you diet for religious or cultural reasons?
No. Although after watching the documentary Super Size Me you'd have to be nuts to eat junk food.

More tomorrow.

More Questions from a Nurse (2)

Taylor asked a number of questions here: More Questions from a Nurse. Here are more answers:

6. Who is the spokesperson for your family?
If we did or did not have a spokesperson, it would have nothing to do with Scientology. Such things are personal or traditional choices.

For our family, we don't have a "spokesperson". Not sure when or why we'd need one. My kids are adults living their own lives now but when they were still children my wife and I would always discuss things with them and come to an understanding. There were very few situations where we had to override their choices and if we ever did then there was full agreement between my wife and I. I guess we have more of a democratic set up than a dictatorial one.

Here is more data: What Does L. Ron Hubbard Say About Raising Children?

More tomorrow.

Scientologists Gather Signatures for Human Rights

March 21st was the United Nations Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, something that is very much needed in this world.

Volunteers from Churches of Scientology from all over the world went out on that day and gathered signatures on petitions to ask for mandatory human rights education.

You can read the complete article here: Scientology Volunteers Gather Signatures on Human Rights Petitions in 21 Countries

Scientology and Drugs - Attitudes and Rules

Eric asked: I know Scientology opposes the drugging of society, but I am unclear as to precisely what extent it stands in opposition to drug consumption, i.e. absolute opposition vs. nuanced opposition.

What, if anything, does Scientology have to say, for example, about "moderate" caffeine and/or alcohol consumption? Are Scientologists discouraged from drinking beer and caffeinated soda?

Hey Eric,

Great question.

The Church does its utmost to not interfere in people's lives. So there are no rules about what you can and can't do regarding drugs - other than the usual laws of the land.

It has been found that certain drugs affect Scientology Auditing, so there are rules about how long you have to wait after (for example) drinking a beer or taking a painkiller before you can get auditing.

The church policy about physical illness is that you should go to a competent practitioner in that field: e.g., an MD, a chiropractor, a nutritionist, etc. At that point it's up to the practitioner.

As to attitudes of Scientologists to drugs, there are some survey results here: Use Of Drugs/Alcohol.

The following data on attitudes to drugs is from my own experience and observations.

Illegal drugs: They are illegal, so we don't touch them.

Legal drugs that have been proven to be safe: if you need a drug because of a medical situation and it has been prescribed by a competent practitioner then you should take it. Ditto for over-the-counter stuff.

Scientologists are individuals. Most that I know are very careful about drugs and we have workable alternatives to them. For example, I'd say a Scientologist was less likely to take a painkiller for the pain from an injury than your average Joe, because we have alternative, very workable methods of handling pain (See Scientology Assists). But if you need a medical drug and it's the usual thing to take then you take it.

Here is an example: a friend of mine had a burst appendix. It was pretty severe and she needed a major operation to handle the peritonitis caused by it (she still has a 6 inch scar from this operation). After the operation she was put on Vicodin for the post-op pain - a powerful and potentially addictive painkiller. As soon as I could, I gave her a course of Scientology Assists and next day she didn't need the Vicodin anymore, she was able to go down to aspirin. After some more assists she didn't need any drugs at all.

Legal drugs that have been proven to be dangerous and to cause harm but are still on the market because the drug manufacturer makes billions from them: We are opposed to these. We don't take them. Examples of this sort of drug: Psychiatric Drug Side Effects Search Engine.

Other miscellaneous drugs such as alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, etc.: Some drugs can get in the way of Scientology Auditing. For example, you can't get auditing within 24 hours of drinking alcohol because it has been found that it will interfere with your spiritual progress. Same goes for some other drugs such as aspirin. So there is no restriction on you having a beer, just that you can't get auditing for 24 hours afterwards.

I've never seen anything regarding most other "minor" drugs such as caffeine or tobacco, it's personal choice.

My own personal preference is to stay away from any kind of drug as much as possible. If I have a physical problem then I'll first try something natural, if it doesn't work then I'll try something stronger, but I'll try to apply the Scientology principle of gradients. E.g., If I had a nasty systemic virus such as Chronic EBV, then maybe I'd start with dioxychlor, if it didn't handle it I'd move on to something stronger and more medical like doxycycline and if that didn't work then acyclovir (BTW: that's an actual example I know of). Of course, all this would be done under the guidance of a competent practitioner, the Church would not be involved in this sort of medical treatment in any way.

I hope that answers your question.

Scientology and the Da Vinci Code

The other day, a co-worker who has the subtly and diplomatic skills of a charging rhino (I'll call him Bill), asked another co-worker (Joe) who the woman and child were in the picture on his desk. Joe replied that it was the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. Bill went on to extract from Joe that Joe was a Catholic. Bill the rhino then asked Joe if he'd read the Da Vinci Code and what he thought about it. Joe (who does have some diplomatic skills) said he hadn't and attempted to move the subject off to something less controversial, but Bill persisted.

Being a mediator at heart, I jumped in and said a couple of things about the book that directed the rhino charge elsewhere and saved Joe from further embarrassment.

Having read a couple of the books referenced in the Da Vinci Code and not having a foot in either camp, I sent Joe a link to an FAQ, that authoritatively and accurately debunks Dan Brown's assertion that "all descriptions of [..]documents, and secret rituals in this novel are accurate" and are based specifically on the fact that "in 1975 Paris' Bibliothèque Nationale discovered parchments, known as Les Dossiers Secrets" which reveal the story of the Priory of Sion. (See The Da Vinci Code Faq.)

As I said, I have read a couple of the books that are referenced in the Da Vinci Code and I must say they make fascinating reading and I can understand how they could have influenced Brown to write his book. They are filled with fascinating speculations and intriguing deductions but they are not filled with much in the way of facts.

I re-read the Da Vinci Code FAQ and was struck by the idea that, in all probability, millions of people now believe that the Priory of Sion exists and that Christ was married-with-kids. And all based on the attempts of an impoverished French would-be aristocrat to ascend to the thrown of France followed by the machinations of a TV producer attempting to improve his ratings by embellishing an already outrageous story.

It's a frightening commentary on how gullible people are. Just because a fiction writer says at the start of his book that something is true doesn't mean it is, but apparently millions of people are willing to just accept it without question.

So what has all this got to do with Scientology? Well, if you are foolish enough to start hunting around the Internet for web-sites about Scientology you will find many that say extremely alarming, damaging and downright nasty things about Scientology and the Church of Scientology and, like Dan Brown in his opening note to the Da Vinci Code, they will assert that what they are saying are "facts".

Of course I can simply tell you, "It's a pack of lies" and then you can say, "So how can I tell if your blog isn't just a pack of lies also?" And the answer is that, without further research, you can't.

So, here is what I suggest:

• If you are not interested in further research then please don't believe any of it. Don't believe the detractors and don't believe me. Just stay completely neutral on the subject. Allow Scientologists the same rights as anyone else when it comes to what they believe and what religion they wish to practice (See: Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
• If you are willing to do some further research then buy a basic book on the subject (such as Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health or Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought), read it and then use the practical methods the book gives you to improve your life or the lives of others. At that point you will be able to evaluate for yourself if the subject is valid or not.
• Another thing you can do is go to a Church of Scientology (Scientology Church Locator) for a free introductory lecture or a low priced introductory service. That way you get to see what the subject is, use the practical methods of the subject to see if they work and meet real-life Scientologists so you can observe people who use the subject daily in their lives. Then you can make up your own mind based on personal, first-hand experience.

Is it a deal?

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Scientology is here to stay

While Martin Bashir and the French government are busy attacking Scientology, the religion continues to grow at an exponential rate.

One could look at the timing of the most recent attacks from the SP Times and Nightline and be surprised that they both occurred during major international Scientology gatherings and celebrations (one in June and one in October) when the Church staff members who would normally be handling such media machinations are at their most busy. One could perhaps get the idea that these attacks were carefully timed and coordinated. But the joke is that these attacks merely shove the subject into the public eye and cause more people to become interested and want to find out about Scientology.

It's a phenomenon that I've noticed since I got into Scientology over 30 years ago. I recall an incident in England when a TV station broadcast a standard hatchet job and for the following month the Churches in the UK were inundated with new people wanting to find out more.

You have to wonder at people who attack a religion which runs the biggest non-governmental anti-drug campaign in the world. Who are the attackers working for? Drug companies? Drug cartels?

You have to wonder at people who attack a religion which runs the biggest human rights educational campaign in the world. Who are the attackers working for? Oppressive governments? Corrupt governments?

You have to wonder at people who attack a religion which runs the biggest moral standards campaign in the world. Who are the attackers working for? Organized Crime? Anonymous?

You have to wonder at people who attack a religion which runs the biggest non-governmental volunteer disaster and emergency services organization in the world. Who are the attackers working for? Arms dealers? Media Moguls?

It's hard to fathom the depths of depravity you'd have to reach to attack such a religion, but unfortunately there are people who have descended to those depths who do just that. Some of them work for the SP Time and Nightline and the French government. But don't worry. Deep down in the cinder block they have in place of a soul, even they know that they are attacking the good guys, and they will eventually do something to stop themselves.

Actually I feel sorry for them. Can you imagine having to live with someone like that? Well they have to live with someone like that 24/7 - themselves.

So, despite the cockroaches getting under our feet, Scientology is expanding at an unprecedented rate, and that expansion will continue. So, just in case anyone reading this is from any of the groups listed above (you know, the drug cartels, the corrupt governments, etc.), I'm sorry to have to burst your bubble, but you may as well give up now, because Scientology is here to stay.

Meet a Scientologist: Astra, Dancer

Meet a Scientologist: John, Personal Trainer

Meet a Scientologist: Kenton, Race Car Driver

Meet a Scientologist: Marc, Medical Inventor

This is a pretty cool invention:

Quotes from L. Ron Hubbard

In 1990 the Church of Scientology published a book that contained a collection of quotes from L. Ron Hubbard. The quotes were chosen over a forty year period because they were the favorites of Scientologists.

I have that book and for the next few days I'll be quoting from the book. My goal is two fold:

1. To show you some of the things L. Ron Hubbard actually said. As opposed to things someone says he said.
2. To show you a little more of what Scientologists are really like. After all, these are their favorite quotes, so that will tell you something of how they think.

The first quote will be tomorrow.