Scientology Volunteer Ministers Helping in Japan

Scientology Expansion Keeps Expanding

I was just considering how to apologize for hardly blogging at all this year. Saying I'm incredibly busy, while accurate, is of course a lame excuse. It's not like there's nothing to tell you. The expansion of Scientology is becoming exponential and the problem, if you can call it that, is that there's so much news, it's almost overwhelming. So, I'll just say "sorry" and "I'll try to mend my ways."

Anyway, here is a news item that blew my socks off: The Church of Scientology just bought the KCET studios in Hollywood. This is not just a Hollywood landmark but a state-of-the-art broadcasting and production facility just walking distance from the Church's international management HQ. I remember driving past it many times on the way to Church when I lived in LA.

Here is some blurb from the press release:

This new studio is a turnkey setup that provides the Church the means to move into broadcasting for both the religion and its many social betterment and humanitarian programs. It is also ideally set up to establish a central media hub for our network of Churches around the world. Utilizing the studio’s existing satellite uplink, we will be able to provide our Churches and affiliated groups globally with instantaneous access to a wealth of content, all in high definition, ranging from the Church’s six annual international events to new educational and introductory films and even video updates for the public informational displays located in Churches around the world.

There's a lot more, so go read the entire article.

Anyway, I'll be posting more often the rest of this year, so stay tuned.

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!!!!

Church of Scientology Moscow Grand Opening

Yet another new Church of Scientology just opened, this time in Moscow. That makes 20 such churches opened in the last five years.

We have quite a bit of slang in Scientology and one such bit is "org". It's short for "organization" and means a Church. The new org in Moscow is an "Ideal Org", meaning that it was architected and designed from the ground up as an ideal center for Scientology in its area.

There has been a Church of Scientology in Moscow since 1993, but this newly opened building is much bigger than the previous one and is, as I mentioned, an "Ideal Org".

You can read about it here: Church of Scientology Opens New Church
in the Heart of Moscow, see what Russian dignitaries and members of the government had to say and see a ton of pictures of the ceremony and the new building.

I'll leave you with what a member of the Russian Federation’s Public Chamber had to say at the grand opening: “Scientologists work to see that all have the right to thought, to practice religion and to rejoice. You work to see that all people have the right to assemble, the right to establish and support their own churches and organizations; that they have the freedom to think for themselves and to the expression of their thoughts and ideas. These freedoms are the very manifestation of the individual spirit. So it is important that we rejoice today, for this is a glorious day in the name of freedom for all of Russia.”

Scientology: Abuses and Injustices.

If you get into trouble in Scientology then what do you do? If you see something going on that you feel is wrong, how do you handle it?

Maybe you get fired from your position in the Church for something you didn't really do. Or maybe it's not that simple. Maybe a lot of things went on, some of which you were responsible for and some of which you weren't, but in the end you were the one who got clobbered. Maybe it's so bad that you actually get expelled from the Church. Or maybe you see someone getting in trouble and you know they are not to blame but you feel like you'll get hit if you open your mouth.

So what do you do?

In our current society it is hard to handle an injustice. More often than not, the "justice" system seems to be run for the benefit of the rich. After all, they are the ones who can afford the expensive attorneys.

The word "recourse" means "a turning or applying to a person or thing for aid or security." In Scientology there are many methods of recourse. The simplest is to write a report of what is going on and send it to the people whose job it is to handle the situation. The least simple could be getting the highest authority in the Church to convene a full investigation into the situation.

Whatever method you use, the truth is that there are many, many ways to handle any abuse or injustice and there are lots of people who have successfully done just that. Even people who have "gone over to the dark side" and have publicly attacked the Church have been able to handle their situations and get back into good standing.

How did they manage it? Well, there is now a website spotlighting the personal stories of people who were in such a situation and what they did to handle it. The accounts are in their own words and show that it can be done.

Check out Truth Be Told and tell me what you think.
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What is Study Technology?

Study Technology is a set of methods you can use to enable you to study any subject successfully. Can you imagine the difference it could make in your life if you could study and actually understand ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO?

I can tell you from personal experience that it works. I've used it to keep ahead in a very technical field that is always changing and advancing (software development) and I've used it to learn other things both for pleasure and for getting things done in life.

Here is a link to a video introducing Study Technology. The link will also take you to a free online course you can take in Study Technology.

So check it out, try it out and tell me how it goes.

The Scientology Cross

Jay asked: Hello, Can you tell me why there is a cross in your logo? I thought that you accepted all religious beliefs, if so would that not offend others. Jay

Thanks for your question. Although most people think of the cross as a Christian symbol, it actually predates Christianity and was long used as a symbol for representing the freeing of the spirit from the material: the shaft represents the spirit moving up toward freedom and the bar represents the material universe attempting, but failing, to block it.

The Scientology Cross has that meaning plus it adds four extra points in the center so that it has eight points altogether. Those eight point represent the eight parts that Scientologists split life into in order to understand it better - what we call the Eight Dynamics.

For more information on the Scientology Cross and what it represents check out these links:
- What is the Scientology Cross?
- What does the Scientology cross represent?
- Scientology Insignia
- Video explaining the Eight Dynamics
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Record Number of New Ideal Scientology Churches Opened in 2010

2010 was an amazing year for Scientology expansion. You can read an article and watch a whole bunch of videos. Go to this page Scientology Opens Record Number of New Churches Around the World in 2010, and below the video you will see a band of pictures. Click any one of the pics and a video of the grand opening of that Church will play.

There are videos of Brussels, Los Angeles, Mexico City and the list just goes on and on. The number of dignatories, government and academic speakers at these grand openings alone is impressive, but the things they have to say are even more so.

Watch the videos and see for yourself that this expansion is not just for the benefit of Scientologists, but is also for the benefit of the cities, states and countries in which these Churches are situated and that it all adds up to benefit for all of mankind, because that's what we Scientologists are all about - making a better world for everyone.

Have a great 2011, I know the Church of Scientology will!

Church of Scientology Melbourne Grand Opening

The Church of Scientology Melbourne has a beautiful new building. The renovations were completed and it was opened just a few days on 29th January. Here is a video of the event.

Wow! The new Scientology Dissemination and Distribution Center

I just watched the video about the new Church of Scientology Dissemination and Distribution Center and all I just kept saying "wow!" all the way through.

I guess when you have as much expansion and popularity as Scientology is experiencing right now, you need a center like this one to cope with it all. Amazing.

Here is the link to the article and the video: Church Of Scientology Flips the Switch On 185,000-Square-Foot Dissemination And Distribution Center

Scientology and Christmas

People sometimes ask how or what Scientologists celebrate at this time of the year, so here is the Church's answer: The Scientology Religion and the Holiday Season.

If you want a more personal answer then here is mine: Scientology is not like other western religions in that it is inclusive rather than exclusive. For example, if you are a Christian then you are not a Muslim and you are not Jewish. But if you are a Scientologist you could also be a Christian or a Muslim or a Jew or a Buddhist or ... etc., etc. We don't have any rule that stops you from being a part of another religion. This is because Scientology is a practical religion that addresses improving your life in the here and now. It does not require faith or belief: You can try out the teachings of Scientology for yourself and see whether they work or not.

Of course there can be clashes between some beliefs and the teachings of Scientology but even then a person could use some of the practical teachings of Scientology even if they rejected others.

For me personally, because I was raised in a somewhat Christian family, I do the usual Christmas stuff -the tree, decorations, presents, parties, family, Christmas music, etc.

I hope that gives you an idea of how or what Scientologists celebrate at this time of year.

Silent Birth: Good Article

Here is a good article on Silent Birth with an actual example of one: Scientology's Silent Birth: One Mother's Story.

One point I wanted to make: there is a comment from a doctor that implies that quiet during birth makes no difference. What she is missing is that the whole point of silent birth is to avoid words spoken during a traumatic birth. Sure if the birth contains no pain and unconsciousness for the mother and baby then you could have a brass band playing if you really wanted to. But how can you guarantee that there won't be any pain or unconsciousness?

It is easy to demonstrate the effect upon a person of words spoken during moments of pain and unconsciousness. Those words act like a post-hypnotic suggestion. E.g., If the mother says "the smell of antiseptic makes me feel sick" during a traumatic birth, then it is likely in later life (once meaning can be assigned to the words) that the grown child will feel sick when he or she smells antiseptic.

For more details on this read the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health
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What do Scientologists Believe?

hijabilicious asked:
Could you tell me what scientologists believe in? I tried to look it up but it sounds really complicating, and what happens to a person who reaches the clear-level? could you please explain in a non-complicated way? thnx beforehand

Thanks for the question.

The simplest one liner is: Scientologists believe that each person is a spiritual being who has abilities that are way more than anyone ever thought and he or she thinks they can regain these abilities through the methods discovered in Scientology.

There is a lot more to it, but that is the simplest one-sentence explanation I could come up with.

The "basic principles" section of the Scientology web site says:

"It comprises a vast body of knowledge extending from certain fundamental truths, and prime among those truths: Man is a spiritual being endowed with abilities well beyond those which he normally envisions. He is not only able to solve his own problems, accomplish his goals and gain lasting happiness, but he can achieve new states of awareness he may never have dreamed possible"

What is Clear? The simplest one-sentence explanation I can give you is: A Clear is someone who has had the negative part of his mind cleared up so that he or she can live life to the fullest.

Again, there is a lot more to it. The section of the Scientology web site that deals with the Clear says:

A Clear is free with his emotions. He can think for himself. ... Clears are self-confident, happy and generally successful in both careers and interpersonal relationships. It is a highly desirable state for any individual and is attainable by virtually anyone. In fact, thousands upon thousands of people have achieved the state of Clear ...

Does that help?

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Scientology: What is Silent Birth?

Here is what the Church of Scientology International has to say about Silent Birth:

Received 18 November 2010, from the Church of Scientology International:

MEDIA ADVISORY ON SILENT BIRTH

In view of recent incorrect media reports about "Silent Birth" the Church of Scientology International advises the media about the background and meaning of "Quiet" or "Silent Birth".

WHAT IS SILENT BIRTH?

Silent birth is all about providing the best possible environment for the birthing mother and her new baby. Its origins can be found in L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health and are firmly rooted in a fundamental and abiding principle that women, particularly expectant mothers, be given the utmost in care and respect.

A silent birth is labor and delivery done in a calm and loving environment and with no spoken words by anyone attending. Chatty doctors and nurses, shouts to "PUSH, PUSH" and loud or laughing remarks to "encourage" are the types of things that are meant to be avoided.

As L. Ron Hubbard wrote: "Everyone must learn to say nothing within the expectant mother’s hearing during labor and delivery. Particularly during birth, absolute silence must be maintained and the more gentle the delivery, the better."

The point of silent birth is NO WORDS. It does not mean a mother cannot make any sound during childbirth. It is doubtful that any woman could give birth without making any noise at all.

Mothers naturally want to give their baby the best start in life and thus keep the birth as quiet and peaceful as possible. That being said, a woman’s choice for her delivery is completely up to her and her doctor. There is no requirement to adhere to any specific routine. Just like care is taken in all other aspects of labor and birth, a woman and her doctor or midwife and any others present work out how to communicate without words.

Doctors respect the right of a mother to choose her birthing experience. Silent birth is not a medical model but a religious and philosophical approach based on L. Ron Hubbard’s research into the mind and spirit.

The principle behind not speaking during childbirth is delineated in Dianetics and to fully understand why, one should read the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. But to provide a brief explanation, L. Ron Hubbard discovered the hidden source of nightmares, unreasonable fears, upsets, insecurity and psychosomatic illness—the reactive mind. This part of the mind records all perceptions during times of pain and unconsciousness—which childbirth is for both mother and child. And words, in particular, spoken during these moments, can have an adverse effect on one later in life.

However, since the research, findings and practice of silent birth were first announced by Mr. Hubbard in the 1951 text entitled Child Dianetics, this method has been corroborated and applied by doctors, nurses and midwives world over.

The Church has no policy against the use of medicines to help a person with a physical situation and these principles do not preclude a mother from receiving any medical procedure needed to safely deliver the baby, including Caesarean section. These are medical decisions and these, too, are between the mother and her doctor.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

HOW DOES SILENT BIRTH ACTUALLY WORK?

There is no specific routine. Just like care is taken in all other aspects of labor and birth, a woman and her doctor or midwife and others present work out how to communicate without words. Different women have done different things.

IS IT A CHURCH RULE THAT THEIR MEMBERS MUST ADHERE TO THIS PRACTICE?

Not at all. A woman’s delivery is always up to her and her doctor.

DOES THE CHURCH HAVE RULES AGAINST PAINKILLERS, ANESTHESIA OR OTHER MEDICAL DRUGS?

The Church has no policy against the use of medicines to help a person with a physical situation. This is a matter between the person and their doctor.

DOESN’T L. RON HUBBARD RECOMMEND/ADVOCATE A NATURAL, DRUG-FREE BIRTH?

Yes, because it is best for the mother and the child. It is common knowledge that natural childbirth is best, but that doesn’t always work out, and it is up to the mother and her doctor.

IT HAS BEEN REPORTED THAT MANY SCIENTOLOGISTS WILL DEMAND A NATURAL CHILDBIRTH WITH NO DRUGS. WHY?

It is the mother’s choice. If they don’t use drugs it’s simply because a mother wants the best for her new baby.

IS IT TRUE THAT SCIENTOLOGISTS CAN’T TOUCH OR TALK TO THEIR BABY FOR THREE DAYS TO A WEEK? OR ARE THERE SEVEN DAYS OF SILENCE AFTER BIRTH?

Absolutely not, this is a complete fabrication and not a practice of Scientology.

DO DOCTORS AGREE WITH THESE PROCEDURES?

Of course. It’s a personal decision of the mother and doesn’t interfere with any medical procedure. Doctors naturally respect the right of a mother to choose her own birth experience.

ARE C-SECTIONS PERMITTED?

This is a medical decision, nothing to do with Scientology.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN FURTHER WHAT DIANETICS IS?

L. Ron Hubbard discovered the single source of stress, worry, self-doubt and psychosomatic illness, which is the reactive mind. This part of the mind records all perceptions in times of pain and unconsciousness and in particular, words spoken during these moments can have adverse effects on people later in life. Full information on this is available in the book, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.

WHAT DOES SCIENTOLOGY SAY ABOUT THE RAISING OF CHILDREN?

L. Ron Hubbard has written a great deal about raising children. In Scientology, children are respected the way any person should be albeit in a young body. This does not make them any less a person and they should be given all the love and respect granted adults. Scientologists also believe children should be encouraged to contribute to family life and not just be "seen and not heard," as the old saying goes.

Most children raised in Scientology homes are above average in ability and quickly begin to understand how and why people act as they do. Life thus becomes a lot happier and safer for them.

WHAT ELSE HAS L. RON HUBBARD WRITTEN ABOUT RAISING CHILDREN?

There is a lot written in Scientology about children. Scientology help people understand their basic nature and this alone helps parents tremendously.
Some of the basic principles Scientologists apply to parenting are summed up in the following quotes:

"Today's children will become tomorrow's civilization. Try to be the child's friend. It is certainly true that a child needs friends. Try to find out what a child's problem really is and without crushing their own solutions, try to help solve them. A child factually does not do well without love. Most children have an abundance of it to return." - "The Way to Happiness"

"The spoiled child is the child whose decisions have been interrupted
continuously and who is robbed of his independence." - "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health"

"Affection could no more spoil a child than the sun could be put out by a bucket of gasoline." - "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health"

"A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have." - "Child Dianetics"

"A human being feels able and competent only so long as he is permitted to contribute as much or more than he has contributed to him." "Child Dianetics"

DO SCIENTOLOGISTS CONSIDER CHILDREN ADULTS IN A SMALL BODY?

No. Scientologists consider children to be spiritual beings, like all people are but they need to be taken care of as children. L. Ron Hubbard has written quite a lot on the subject, including that "a child needs all of the love and affection it can possibly get" and that "a good stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have."

Children need respect, love, help, and education. They want to help others from a very early age and it is important that adults allow them to do so, within the realms of safety. A child has to know they have a place in life, that they are important and that their contributions are meaningful in a real way.

Education is an important part of this, as a child needs understanding of the workings of his family and society to be able to contribute to them in meaningful ways and in this he can be greatly assisted by his parents and other family members.

CAN CHILDREN PARTICIPATE IN SCIENTOLOGY? HOW?

Yes, many children do and there are no age restrictions as to who may participate in Scientology auditing or training. Scientology Churches conduct courses and study programs specifically designed for young people. Children below the age of majority must first obtain written consent from their parents or guardian to participate in Scientology services. Like adherents of other religions, Scientologists are very proud when their children join them in the practice of their religion.

WHAT IS SCIENTOLOGY?

Developed by L. Ron Hubbard, 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.

Scientology addresses the spirit—not the body or mind—and believes that Man is far more than a product of his environment, or his genes.

Scientology comprises a body of knowledge which extends from certain fundamental truths. Prime among these are:

Man is an immortal spiritual being.
His experience extends well beyond a single lifetime.
His capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realized.

Scientology further holds Man to be basically good, and that his spiritual salvation depends upon himself, his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe.
Scientology is not a dogmatic religion in which one is asked to accept anything on faith alone. On the contrary, one discovers for oneself that the principles of Scientology are true by applying its principles and observing or experiencing the results.

The ultimate goal of Scientology is true spiritual enlightenment and freedom.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CORE TENETS OF SCIENTOLOGY?

Fundamental to Scientology is a view of Man as a spiritual being. In Scientology, the spiritual being is called a thetan. The term is taken from the Greek letter theta for "thought" or "life" or "the spirit." It is used to avoid confusion with previous concepts of the soul. The thetan is immortal and has lived—and will continue to live—through countless lifetimes. One is a thetan who has a mind and who occupies a body. The thetan animates the body and uses the mind.

Also fundamental to Scientology is a view of life as compartmentalized into urges (drives, impulses) toward survival. These are called the dynamics and number eight in all.

The First Dynamic—is the urge toward existence as one’s self. Here we have individuality expressed fully. This can be called the Self Dynamic.

The Second Dynamic—is the urge toward existence as a sexual activity. This dynamic actually has two divisions. Second Dynamic (a) is the sexual act itself. And the Second Dynamic (b) is the family unit, including the rearing of children. This can be called the Sex Dynamic.

The Third Dynamic—is the urge toward existence in groups of individuals. Any group, or part of an entire class, could be considered to be a part of the Third Dynamic. The school, the society, the town, the nation are each part of the Third Dynamic and each one is a Third Dynamic. This can be called the Group Dynamic.

The Fourth Dynamic—is the urge toward existence as or of Mankind. Whereas one race would be considered a Third Dynamic, all the races would be considered the Fourth Dynamic. This can be called the Mankind Dynamic.

The Fifth Dynamic—is the urge toward existence of the animal kingdom. This includes all living things, whether vegetable or animal, the fish in the sea, the beasts of the field or of the forest, grass, trees, flowers or anything directly and intimately motivated by life. This can be called the Animal Dynamic.

The Sixth Dynamic—is the urge toward existence as the physical universe. The physical universe is composed of Matter, Energy, Space and Time. In Scientology we take the first letter of each of these words and coin a word—MEST. This can be called the Universe Dynamic.

The Seventh Dynamic—is the urge toward existence as or of spirits. Anything spiritual, with or without identity, would come under the heading of the Seventh Dynamic. This can be called the Spiritual Dynamic.

The Eighth Dynamic—is the urge toward existence as infinity. This is also identified as the Supreme Being. This is called the Eighth Dynamic because the symbol of infinity, 8, stood upright makes the numeral 8. This can be called the Infinity or God Dynamic.

Scientologists usually call these by number.

A further manifestation of these dynamics is that they could best be represented as a series of concentric circles, wherein the First Dynamic would be the center and each new dynamic would be successively a circle outside it. The idea of space expanding enters into these dynamics.

The basic characteristic of the individual includes his ability to so expand into the other dynamics. But when the Seventh Dynamic is reached in its entirety, one will only then discover the true Eighth Dynamic. As an example of use of these dynamics, one discovers that a baby at birth is not perceptive beyond the First Dynamic. But as the child grows and interests extend, the child can be seen to embrace other dynamics. As a further example of use, a person who is incapable of operating on the Third Dynamic is incapable at once of being a part of a team and so might be said to be incapable of a social existence. As a further comment upon the Eight Dynamics, no one of these dynamics from one to seven is more important than any other one of them in terms of orienting the individual. While the dynamics are not of equal importance, one to the next, the ability of an individual to assume the beingness, doingness and havingness of each dynamic is an index to his ability to live. The abilities and shortcomings of individuals can be understood by viewing their participation in the various dynamics.

Kelly Preston and Silent Birth

With Kelly Preston's new arrival due any time, my fellow blogger Tad has created the ultimate answer to any question you may have about "silent birth".

(By-the-way, it's actually called "quiet birth" but that sounds less controvertial than "silent birth" so the media likes to mis-name it.)

Anyway, head on over to Tad's website and check out Everything you Wanted to Know About Silent Birth but Were Afraid to Ask .


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Oppressive court decision overturned in Russia

It is interesting how, in the 60 year history of Dianetics and Scientology, you will see a repeating pattern: a court comes out with a ruling against Scientology, the Church appeals, the appeals court throws out the lower court decision and the corruption involved in the lower court decision is then revealed.

Some examples are Spain, Italy and Australia. In those cases it took many years to get the oppressive decision overturned, so the fact that it only took a few months to get such a court ruling thrown out in Russia is a sign of how far that country has come on the path towards a free society.

Here is the English translation of the story:

Surgut city court ruling that Scientology materials are extremist overturned

October 12, 2010

On October 12, the Khanty-Mansi district court overturned the decision of the Surgut city court, which ruled as extremist works of L. Ron Hubbard containing the basics of the teachings of the Church of Scientology.

The March 26, 2010 decision of the Surgut city court was made behind closed doors. No one representing the Scientologists was allowed into the process. The prosecutor, and then the judge, decided that the fundamentals of the doctrine of the Church of Scientology are extremist. The prosecutor later acknowledged in an interview that he did not read the materials and relied on expert analysis. An expert was recommended by Galina Vydrina, an adviser to the governor of Khanty-Mansi who has long been fighting against non-traditional religions. The expert was anti-cult specialist Evgeny Volkov, who, instead of answering the court’s questions, summarized his “scientific” theories without even browsing through half of the materials submitted for analysis. The court as well did not familiarize itself with the materials by Ron Hubbard. The entire judicial process lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Believers in the local community (whose representative is Alexander Ilyin) feel that this decision was taken in retaliation for the recognition by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that local authorities had violated the rights of Surgut Scientologists to freedom of conscience.

Despite the fact that the decision of the Surgut city court had not yet taken effect legally, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation illegally added these materials to the list of extremist materials. Since the publication of this list, law enforcement agencies have been on the hunt for these materials across the country from Blagoveshchensk to Krasnodar, conducting searches and raids, unsealing materials at customs, calling citizens to administrative proceedings.

“The Surgut decision is a disgrace to the judicial system. As a citizen of the Russian Federation and as a lawyer, I’m glad it has been overturned. Even though it would have been excellent grounds for an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, I believe that the ability of the court of appeal to make decisions independently of religious preferences and of the political situation bears witness to the triumph not only of law but of common sense,” said lawyer Galina Krylova.

The head of the chief Scientology Center in Russia, Natalia Dvoryadkin, explained that the works of R. Hubbard have for over 50 years been distributed worldwide in 165 countries. The total circulation of the published materials today exceeds 81 million copies. For more information about the Scientology religion visit the sites Scientology Russia, Church of Scientology Moscow, Facts on Scientology in Russia.

(Here is the original: Surgut city court ruling that Scientology materials are extremist overturned) .

Scientology - Recent Statistics

Here are some recent statistics regarding Scientology from Freedom Magazine:

• Number of new Scientology Churches opened since 2007 when Panorama started its “investigation”: 14


• Number of countries and territories with members of the International Association of Scientologists: 140 (two-thirds of the nations and territories of Earth across 22 time zones)


• Number of Guinness World Records awarded to Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard in the past three years:
  
  
  
  • Most published works by a single author: 1,084
  
  
  • Most audiobook titles: 185
  
  
  • Most translated author in the world: 71 languages

• Increase since 2007 in production capability of the Church’s Bridge Publications in Los Angeles and New Era Publications in Copenhagen, the world's largest all-digital, on-demand publishers: 660 percent
  
• Number of L. Ron Hubbard Dianetics and Scientology books placed in 97,997 libraries in 155 countries since 2007: 2.4 million

• Number of L. Ron Hubbard books and recorded lectures recovered and verified under the direction of ecclesiastical leader David Miscavige, a 2-million-man-hour restoration project: 1,317


• Number of books and lectures on Dianetics and Scientology distributed in the last decade to individuals: 91 million


• Number of people helped during the last year with the social betterment technology of L. Ron Hubbard: 3.5 million


• Number of people helped by Scientology Volunteer Ministers in the last 12 months: More than 1.5 million

Not bad.

Scientology: The Basics versus The Beginning Books

Mr.Pete brought up an excellent point: "I think a little more distinction between the Basic and Beginning books would be helpful rather than just links to them."

"The Basics" are a big deal right now in Scientology. They are mentioned a lot by Scientologists and there have been questions about them in comments on this blog. So I think I'd better clearly explain what they are.

We actually have three things that get talked about:
- The Basics
- The Basic Books
- The Beginning Books

First the word "basic". Here it is being used to mean "most important or essential". It is not being used to mean "elementary: serving as a starting point or minimum". I think some confusion has been caused because the word "basic" has both of these definitions.

The "Basics" are a collection of books and recorded lectures regarded as containing the fundamentals of Scientology and Dianetics. That may not seem significant on first reading, but think about it this way: the Basics are what Scientology is built upon and if you have not studied them then you really don't have a full and complete grasp of what Scientology is.

The "Basic Books" are the books within the the Basics. That is, the books excluding the recorded lectures.

The "Beginning Books" are the books to read to get an introduction to Scientology. They are a sub-set of the Basics and fit the "elementary: serving as a starting point or minimum" definition of the word basic. But to call them "basic" would be really confusing, so we call them the "Beginning Books".

I hope that helps.

The Mosque Next Door - What should you do about it?

A huge Islamic Center is about to be built next door to your local church. What do you do?

Unfortunately, due to misrepresentation in the media and outright lies by people with a vested interest in creating conflict, the all to common reaction is protest and outrage.

Lies such as "They're funded by Saudi Arabia," and "It's a breeding ground for terrorists," get yelled out by intolerant bigots and passed on by a media that thrives on controversy and conflict.
Luckily there are still sane and tolerant people in this world who instead welcome their new neighbours. Here is a wonderful tale of such tolerance and sanity: Cordova Christians put out welcome mat for mosque.

Well done to the pastor and congregation of Heartsong Church in Cordova, Tennessee. They are applying the tenets of their faith and not only offering the hand of friendship, but are also communicating with the "Muslims next door." The result is peace and understanding as it should be between us all whatever our religion or lack of.

I wish the so called "Christians" in other parts of the country would take a lesson from these good people and act likewise.

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How supported is Al Qaeda by Muslims?

Too often the media portrayal of Muslims implies that they support Al Qaeda. Too often the media portrayal of Islam is that it is a violent and hate driven religion.

Both of these ideas are false generalities and, just to prove it, there is a very interesting diagram on the "Anonymous Arabist" blog which you can see below.

Notice that the Al Queda population is at most 0.00063% of the Muslim population of the world. Not exactly a significant amount.

So let's realize that Muslims are just human beings like the rest of the population of the world and stop creating controversy over building Mosques in New York and stop the misrepresentations of their intentions in the media.

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