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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Scientologists: Looking after your human rights

Your Human Rights are listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But do you know what they are? Does your government allow you those rights? Or better yet, does your government enforce those rights?

Those rights were put into document form after World War II and were ratified in 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly. They are rights that had to be fought for. It's pretty obvious that if the Nazis had won WWII these rights would never have seen the light of day.

So it is up to each one of us to keep these rights alive by knowing what they are and insisting they be applied by our governments.

Churches of Scientology and their members all around the world are very active in making human rights known and insisting on their application. Just a couple of weeks ago Churches of Scientology in 14 countries joined forces with Youth for Human Rights International to conduct a global petition drive in support of human rights education. You can read about it here: Churches of Scientology: Petition Targets Human Rights Education.

Scientology Question: Best way to study the Basics

Andrew S. Doub (a Grateful Dead Fan as you can tell from his chosen screen name) asked:
I am new to Scientology and recently began investigating the church. The nearest mission is about 8 hours away, so I am not in an area where I could go a take a course. I recently purchased the 18 Basic Books and two lecture sets (Professional Course and Clearing Congress). I was wondering, what would be the best way for me to study? I know chronologically reading the books is suggested, but are there any home study courses or study guides I could use? How can I get the most from my time, other than just reading the books?

The best way to do the Basics for someone new is to start with the Scientology Beginning Books and study them at a Church or Mission, but given your situation the next best is to do the Scientology Basics Extension Courses. These are home study courses which will guide you through the books and lectures, plus you have someone that you send your lessons to who can help you with questions, etc.

What I'd suggest is that you contact your nearest Scientology Mission and enroll on the first extension course there. You can find the nearest Mission here: Scientology Global Locator (Mobile version) or Scientology Global Locator (Full version).

Good luck. Tell me how you get on.

The NY Mosque

I have been appalled by the media frenzy over the plan to build a mosque in a cultural center several blocks from Ground-Zero.

The mosque and the people who will attend it have no connection whatever with the 911 terrorist attacks and neither does the Islamic religion.

The people who perpetrated 911 were terrorists not Muslims. To equate the religion with the actions of a few evil men makes as much sense as to say that all Catholics are child molesters just because some priests committed such acts.

Such thinking is not rational.

Recognize the differences between the 911 terrorists and the people who are building the mosque. Recognize that the only similarity between them is that all involved have a head, two arms and two legs and there the similarity ends.

In Scientology we know that sanity is the ability to recognize differences, similarities and identities. For example, if a man thinks the friendly dog coming towards him is the same as the dog that bit him last week, then him will act irrationally.

And that is what is happening here: people are acting irrationally, egged on by a news media that craves conflict and will create conflict if it doesn't already exist.

So let's practice tolerance, recognize the differences and get back to doing something constructive in the world.
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Good news for human rights in Germany

After 17 years of operation the "Scientology Task Force" of the city of Hamburg has been shut down.

Of course they didn't announce the fact that after 17 years of intrusive and unconstitutional investigation of the Church of Scientology's activities they found nothing - as in zip, nada, sweet FA, zilch - illegal going on. Nothing they could prosecute, nothing they could publish a government pamphlet about, basically nothing at all.

Must be pretty embarrassing for the Hamburg government and the notorious, human rights violating head of the "task force", Ursula Caberta. They created a task force based on rumors, lies and bigotry and after 17 years finally realized they were wasting government time and tax payer money.

Oh well, it's one more step forward in the fight for Religious Freedom and a great day for human rights in Germany.

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Helping the world: Golden Era Productions

I had a basic idea of what Golden Era Productions does. To quote the official description:

Golden Era Productions is the worldwide dissemination and audiovisual production center for the Scientology religion, producing all Dianetics and Scientology instructional and informational films, as well as multimedia properties for the social betterment programs and humanitarian initiatives the Church supports.

That's all very well, but what is the reality of it and what does it have to do with the title of this article? Well, check out the entertaining and enlightening video you'll find here: Golden Era Productions, and tell me what you think.

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Scientology in South Africa

So much expansion is going on in Scientology right now that it's hard to keep up with it all, so although I knew about the opening of the new Life Improvement Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, I didn't know that it is the biggest such center in the world!

Well done to all the guys in South Africa who worked so hard to bring it about.

Here are some great shots of the grand opening: World’s Largest Scientology Life Improvement Centre Opens in Johannesburg, South Africa

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Scientology: Expanding all over the place

I'm a bit late in reporting this, but another big, bright and bustling Church of Scientology was opened last week in Seattle.

There has been a church in Seattle for 54 years, but the new building was needed because they grew out of the old one.

You can read more details here: Church of Scientology Dedicates New Building for the Pacific Northwest

Giving too many chances

People can be very forgiving perhaps sometimes even too forgiving. Such is often the case in Scientology. We try to give a second chance whenever possible and that second chance often extends to third, forth, fifth and more chances.

Such was the case with Mark "Marty" Rathbun. Despite his really bad behavior he was given many chances but eventually he decided he didn't want any more chances and left the Church. It was his right to do that, no one can force you to be a Scientologist. But then he saw an opportunity to make a quick buck out of Scientology's huge popularity and his former position in the Church and so began his campaign of lies that culminated in a ridiculous news article (see "Inside the S.P. Times") and a TV show that really shows how bad journalism can get (see "A History of Lies")

Of course, there will be those who, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, will insist that Rathbun's unsubstantiated accusations are true. Unfortunately for such people, Rathbun just went out of his way to prove how untrustworthy he is by getting himself arrested (Mark "Marty" Rathbun arrest documents) and then took no responsibility at all for his actions.

This nine-day-wonder is nearing the end of his ninth day and will soon relapse back into obscurity along with his lies and money making hopes. Personally, I can't wait for midnight to strike.

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Newest Ideal Scientology Church Opens

The Church of Scientology of Pasadena opened its new location a few days ago. It is the sixth new church to open this year and is in another historic building that has been fully restored to its original glory.

You can read more about it here: New Ideal Scientology Church In Pasadena, California.

And you can see tons of pictures here: Stunning New Scientology Church Opens in Pasadena, California

L. Ron Hubbard - Administrator

Okay, so L. Ron Hubbard founded the Scientology religion and he did a lot of work as a humanitarian, so what has being an administrator got to do with all that? Surely running a business has nothing to do with religion or humanitarianism.

Well, you'd be surprised. Look at it this way: today in the apparently very prosperous United States of America there are more than 37 million people living below the poverty line. Spiritual improvement is not easy to give any attention to when you are on the verge of starvation.

L. Ron Hubbard developed highly workable methods for successfully running groups. These methods have been used to expand Scientology from one man in 1950 to over 7500 churches, missions and groups in over 100 countries today. This "Management Technology" can also be used to make businesses successful so they can employ more people and thus help them get above the poverty line.

You can read more about it here: L. Ron Hubbard - Administrator.

As LRH said, "Man’s happiness and the longevity of companies and states apparently depend upon organizational know-how."

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L. Ron Hubbard - Humanitarian

Whilst best known for founding Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard also did a great deal of work to help solve the societal problems that beset mankind, such as drug abuse, criminality, immorality and illiteracy.

His work in these fields have earned him many recognitions and awards and you can find out about this aspect of his life on the new L. Ron Hubbard website in the section called L. Ron Hubbard - Humanitarian.

LRH said, "I will not admit that there is a naturally bad, evil man on Earth," and you can see from what he did to help mankind that he truly believed it.

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L. Ron Hubbard - Founder

L. Ron Hubbard founded the Scientology religion. Sure we all know that, but why? Why would a guy who had what many would consider an ideal life found a religion?

He was already well off from his writing. He was already famous from his exploits as an adventurer and explorer as well as from his writing. So what motivated him to found a religion?

The new L. Ron Hubbard website covers his life and motivations in depth but in the L. Ron Hubbard - Founder section you will hear that the goal of Scientology is "a greater freedom for the individual." Personally, I think that was the main motivation for L. Ron Hubbard, to bring a greater freedom to each individual member of mankind.

To find out for yourself, visit the new website, watch the videos and read the articles.

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L. Ron Hubbard - Adventurer and Explorer

L. Ron Hubbard is probably best known as the founder of Scientology and then as a writer but in his younger days he was also known as an adventurer and explorer, leading expeditions to what were in those days exotic and rarely visited parts of the world.

Part of why he went on these expeditions was to observe and study peoples of different cultures so he could understand mankind better and perhaps answer some of the riddles of human existence.

This aspect of his life is covered in one section of the new L. Ron Hubbard website: L. Ron Hubbard - Adventurer and Explorer. It makes fascinating reading.

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L. Ron Hubbard - From Montana to China

What motivated L. Ron Hubbard to want to unravel the mysteries of the mind and spirit?

That question is answered completely on the new L. Ron Hubbard website.

One aspect of the answer can be seen in this video: L. Ron Hubbard - Asia and the South Pacific.

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L. Ron Hubbard Early Years

The new L. Ron Hubbard website contains videos and articles on all aspects of his life.

Many of the videos contain excerpts from lectures that Ron gave where he talked about his life or used his own experiences as examples for the point he was trying to make.

One such short video can be seen here: L. Ron Hubbard - The Early Years.


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L. Ron Hubbard Website - Revamped

The L. Ron Hubbard Website has been totally rebuilt and looks great. It documents the life and achievements of the founder of the Scientology religion, with videos, articles, amazing graphics and more.

A big part of understanding Scientology is understanding the man who founded it. And understanding L. Ron Hubbard has become very easy now with this new site.

I could burble on about LRH and his life, but I think the site does the best job, so get started by watching this short video of his life: L. Ron Hubbard, A brief chronology.

Scientology: Contemporary Issues

My fellow blogger djdiaz answered the question: "What are scientology's teachings on contemporary issues such as: Homosexuality (sex, marriage, adoption etc.), abortion, global warming & 'going green', euthanasia, and finally the relationship between church and government?"

Good questions and he gives good answers.

Truth versus Hatchet Job

A hatchet job is defined as "a very strong and unfair criticism, especially in the form of a newspaper article". That's a rather mild definition. I'd call it a deliberate attempt to harm or destroy in a news media article.

In an attempt to recover his dismal ratings, Anderson Cooper, that handsome CNN presenter (I won't call him journalist as that would insult real members of the profession), did a hatchet job recently on Scientology . The facts of what happened may fascinating reading. You can read all about it (and see some really good videos) here: CNN The Least Trusted Name in News - AC360: See Anderson Cooper Run for Ratings

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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.

Anonymous Member Gets a Year in Jail

Brian Mettenbrink, of Grand Island, Nebraska is a member of the ... what shall we call it? Hate Group? Cyber Terrorist Group? I know, Yeah, let's call it the cyber terrorist and hate group Anonymous.

Two years ago he and his fellow criminals decided that they knew better than religious experts and courts and that in their infinite wisdom they were justified in breaking the law so as to harass and attack a religion they knew nothing about.

The sheer arrogance of these people is amazing.

Anyway, Mettenbrink has been caught tried and sentenced for his part in this criminal act and will be spending the next year of his life in jail. Read all about it here: Nebraska man sentenced in Scientology cyber attack.

He is the second Anonymous member to go to jail over these cyber attacks. The first was Dmitriy Guzner. Let us hope there are more to come.

More Questions from a Nurse (1)

Taylor asked a number of questions here: More Questions from a Nurse. I will answer them over a number of days starting with these answers:

1. What is your name?
Grahame

2. Primary language:
English

3. Place of birth:
United Kingdom

4. Educational level or specialized training:
I am an ordained Scientology Minister and am trained as a Scientology Auditor.

Secularly I am a highly trained software developer.

5. To which ethnic group do you belong?
Caucasian.

More tomorrow.

Questions from a Nurse

I just got a couple of good questions:

Hello,

I am currently in nursing school to become an LVN. The new criteria is 'transcultural nursing'. This new subject is a way for nurses to cater better to the different cultures and religions that are in this wonderful world of ours. My theory teacher has assigned us all to give presentations on topics that we choose. Mine is Scientology. There are many questions that we are required to ask and learn so that we may educate our fellow classmates. Would anyone be willing to educate me on a couple of questions for now and then I can ask more later?

1. If ill or have a condition, do you seek out a doctor for help or a respected individual in the community?
2. If someone had a condition like hyper tension (high blood pressure), diabetes, or asthma, can you take prescription medications or are there remedies or herbs that you prefer? If so what are they and what is in them?
3. WHen pregnant does the individual see a doctor? If so does she go for regular check ups? In child birth are there rituals, traditions, or certain actions that are made or certain parts needed (such as umbilical cord, some cultures need it)? Is birth control an option for teens?

If I have offended anyone, I apologize. I would like to get as much information for my report and to educate my fellow classmates just as you will do for me. Thank you for any insight that you may provide and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Best Wishes,

Taylor

Hey Taylor,

I'm going to answer each of these questions from the viewpoint of the Church as I understand it.

Q1: This depends on the individual and their preferences. It is recommended by the Church that a person get care when they are ill. This is one of the precepts of the book "The Way To Happiness". The book itself is non-religious, but it is recommended by the Church that Scientologists follow it. How the individual implements this recommendation is up to them. They could go to a medical doctor, a naturopath, a chiropractor or whoever they prefer. Such a choice is individual and not an area in which the Church interferes.

Q2: Again it is up to the individual. If you want to go to a medical doctor and take prescription drugs then that is your choice. If you prefer to try something that is actually effective (e.g., Lower high blood pressure, handle diabetes, handle asthma) then it is your choice. The Church simply recommends that you get care when you are ill.

Q3: This is really four questions in one.

The answer for the first and second parts: it is up to the individual.

For the third part of the question: At birth there is an additional recommendation that the birth is kept as quiet as possible. For full details you can read this article, Scientology Silent Birth: 'It's A Natural Thing' . There are no other recommendations and no requirements. The physical bits connected to birth should be handled in whatever way the individual decides. Standard hygienic practices are always a good idea.

And for the last part: guess what ... it is up to the individual and, in the case of someone underage, their parents.

Not any real earth shattering or controversial answers but, hopefully, they tell you what you want to know. If you have more questions please feel free to ask. I'll try to answer a bit quicker than I did with this one. Last week was rather busy for me.

Good luck with your studies.

Dianetics: Purpose of the Mind

The next axiom of Dianetics is:

The purpose of the mind is to solve problems relating to survival - L. Ron Hubbard

Think about that one for a moment. What are you using your mind for every second of every day?

Just deciding what to have for lunch is solving a problem relating to survival:
- Maybe you are on a restricted budget and must decide where to go that will give you the most food for the few dollars you have.
- Maybe you brought your lunch with you because you want to eat healthy fresh food and restaurants in the area don't impress you as healthy.
- Maybe you eat junk food because you like how it tastes and you have no idea of how unhealthy it is.
- Maybe you eat junk food because you have been given false information that it is fine to eat and has no bad health effects.
You see, the mind works on data and sometimes the data it has is wrong. In Dianetics this is sometimes called "didn't know the gun was loaded".

So now you know the purpose of the mind so how does it achieve that purpose? Stay tuned for tomorrow's article.

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Dianetics: The Basics

As I posted yesterday, in its original form, Dianetics was a family of sciences addressing humanity and its betterment. The form of Dianetics that most people are familiar with and that was covered in the best known book on the subject, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, was first covered in the book, Dianetics: The Original Thesis.

This form of Dianetics was described as:

A science of thought applicable to psychosomatic ills and individual aberrations - L. Ron Hubbard

It was based on a few important axioms (established rules or principles), the first and most important of which is that the lowest common denominator of the finite universe is SURVIVE!

The activities of the finite universe can be seen to obey this axiom as though it were a command. All works and energies can be considered to be motivated by it. The various kingdoms have this as their lowest common denominator, for animals, vegetables and minerals are all striving for survival. - L. Ron Hubbard

Think carefully and you will see the truth in that statement. Every living thing and all forms of energy are attempting to survive. Even if they are unsuccessful, they are still attempting in their own way to survive.

And don't think of survival as just for oneself. Survival is a broader concept than just survival of self. Look at the selflessness of a firefighter who puts himself in danger saving others. Clearly he sees survival as more than just "looking out for number one."

Even when a person attempts suicide they are doing it out of an idea that it will aid survival in some way. The idea could be completely crazy, but survival of someone or something will be found at the bottom of it.

This primary axiom leads us to the second which will be discussed tomorrow.

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Dianetics: 60th Anniversary

May 9th, 1950 was the day that the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health was published.

Who would have thought, when it was published, that this book would become the genesis of a world-wide religion with over 8,600 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, spanning 165 countries?

So what is Dianetics?

The earliest writings on the subject described it like this:

Derived from the Greek word for thought, dianoia. A term employed to embrace the science of thought and including a family of sub-sciences by which the individual and collective activities of mankind may be understood and predicted and bettered. - L. Ron Hubbard

The discoveries that came out of Dianetics led to the applied religious philosophy of Scientology and all the expansion described above.

To celebrate the anniversary, for the next few days I will be writing about Dianetics so you gain a deeper understanding of what it is and how it might help you and those you love.

Reference: Scientology Churches Celebrate Dianetics 60th Anniversary.

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Steps Toward Handling the Drug Problem

Earlier this week, the Reverend Robert Adams told a coalition of anti-drug activists of a positive step taken by the White House Office of Drug Control Policy. It's something that could be duplicated at the State and local levels that could lead to meaningful demand reduction.

Read the article here: Scientology Official Calls for Government/Community Cooperation to Attack Drug Abuse.

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Haitian amputee helped by Volunteer Ministers

My friend Denice just sent me some good news about Haiti. Here is the email she sent me and a picture that certainly paints a thousand words:

I haven't done an official debrief on my trip to Haiti with the Volunteer Ministers and Help for Orphans but I have had MANY one on one conversations. I have finally posted pictures on my website, many are different from my Facebook page. But today I couldn't help myself in emailing out this incredible news about a young amputee I had met in a hospital in Haiti working as a physical therapist. The two Volunteer Minister Physical Therapists got her papers to leave Haiti and get her feet. Today I received a photo of her walking!!!!. My eyes are still wet with joy. The two weeks I spent have continued to spread goodwill and inspiration to all who couldn't go and I am so grateful for all the support that I and the volunteer groups had to truly make a difference!!!
For all the help you give, walk a little more proud today!......... because Mana certainly is.
Much Love
Denice

(Click the picture to see it full size.)

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Church of Scientology Los Angeles Grand Opening (Part 2)

Here is more on the Grand Opening of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles. This features shots of the interior and exterior and also some footage of other grand openings over the last year.

Church of Scientology Los Angeles Grand Opening (Part 1)

Here is a video of the actual Grand Opening of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles:

Church of Scientology Los Angeles (and more)

Another news video on the Grand Opening of the newly renovated Church of Scientology of Los Angeles:

Church of Scientology Los Angeles (More)

Another news report about the Grand Opening of the newly renovated Church of Scientology of Los Angeles.

One comment - the reporter got the definition of the word "thetan" wrong. Thetan is the Scientology word for spirit or soul. A thetan is a spritual being. In other words it's you, not you body or something you have but just "you".

Anyway, here is the video:

Church of Scientology Los Angeles

The Church of Scientology was founded in Los Angeles and the city also boasts the highest population of Scientologists in the world. The Church there was just renovated and had a Grand Opening in April. Here is a new report about the "new" church.

"A being is only as valuable as he can serve others"

That quote from L. Ron Hubbard is a wonderful description of the value of volunteers. The quote was used during an award ceremony held at the Historic Fort Harrison Hotel as part of National Volunteer Week when five Florida groups were recognized for their invaluable work.

Recognized at the event were Project Medishare, Feeding America Tampa Bay, United Way Tampa Bay, the United Relief Force Foundation and the Willa Carson Health Resource Center.

For more on the ceremony and pictures: Church of Scientology Holds National Volunteer Week Recognition Luncheon at Historic Fort Harrison Hotel

Alternative Media (Guest Post)

This is a guest post from Anthony Fox, the former editor of No Agenda News.

I've been seeing some terrible stories about Scientology in the news recently and pretty much every one of them leaves me wondering, "What do the Scientologist's have to say about this?"

The mainstream media quite often leaves me, and many others, with unanswered questions. The alternative media came into existence as an attempt to answer those questions.

As the mainstream media becomes more and more connected to big corporations; promoting the corporate agenda at the expense of the individuals, small businesses and organizations; the alternative media grows in response.

So what is the alternative media?

Wikipedia:

Alternative media are media (newspapers, radio, television, movies, Internet, etc.) which are alternatives to the business or government-owned mass media. Proponents of alternative media argue that the mainstream media are biased. While sources of alternative media can also be biased (sometimes proudly so), proponents claim that the bias is significantly different than that of the mainstream media, hence these media provide an "alternative" viewpoint. As such,advocacy journalism tends to be a component of many alternative outlets.

Because the term "alternative" has connotations of self-marginalization, some media outlets now prefer the term "independent" over "alternative".

Most, if not all, alternative media does at least some reporting on media bias, as it is the reason alternative media exists.

I saw what I believed was media bias in the reporting on Scientology. So I did a piece on it 'Attacking Scientology' and a follow up 'Attacking Scientology Revisited' where I relate my experiences with the 'Anonymous' group after posting the original piece. I did these articles, not because I'm a member of the Church of Scientology (I'm not) or because I think Scientologists need to be defended. I did them because it was an opportunity to take a shot at the corporate owned media. And if you read the articles, you'll see, I hate bullies.

My name is Anthony Fox and I am the former editor of No Agenda News. I'm a member of the alternative media.

This is what I want:

I want you to find alternative media blogs.

I want you to subscribe to those blogs.

I want you to leave comments on those blogs.

I want you to tell other people about those blogs.

I want you to create links to those blogs on other websites, blogs, and forums.

I say these things, not only because they are true for me, but because they are true for all bloggers. And, bloggers are the foundation of the alternative media today. If you want your story to be reported in the alternative media, bloggers are the key. Scratch their backs and they may scratch yours.

Here's how you can use this:

I want you to find alternative media blogs. - Where do you find alternative media blogs? There are a number of excellent blogs and websites that aggregate the content of other blogs. The majority of the content on No Agenda News, when I was editor, was aggregated. I also had a list, called a blog roll, on the right hand side of the blog which was composed largely of sites that do aggregation. Follow a site that does aggregation and when you see a story that appeals to you, track it back to the authors personal blog.

Find author's that write about things that matter to you and are relevant to the type of stories you want to suggest they look into.

I want you to subscribe to those blogs. - Subscribe to a site that aggregates the kind of stories that interest you and subscribe to the personal blogs of the authors that write those stories. This requires a newsreader. I recommend Google Reader it's the most popular and it's what I use. You'll need to find the RSS feed to the blog you're trying to subscribe to, you may see an icon similar to this or a link that says 'RSS' or 'Atom Posts' or any of dozens of other possibilities. If it's too hard to figure out, move on to the next blog.

I want you to leave comments on those blogs. - If the author has a lot of people commenting you probably will want to find another blog. The author may not moderate their comments, which means they don't read much of them, and you want to stand out as someone who takes a particular interest in their work.

Don't leave comments anonymously. I probably don't need to say that here, huh?

It's important to leave comments that show you read and understood what the author was writing about. This might seem obvious, but apparently, it's not to most people who leave comments. If your comments are relevant to the post it will be noticed.

While you do want to engage the author, you don't want to seem desperate and lonely. If you get into a conversation with the author don't change the topic when that one is exhausted, wait for their next post and discuss that.

Keep in mind your goal is to develop a relationship with the author. Don't twist their arm or spam them.

I want you to tell other people about those blogs. - Tell people about the amazing article you read and let the author know. It wouldn't hurt to set up an account on one of the social bookmarking or social news sites: StumbleUpon, Delicious, Reddit etc. (I'm assuming you're already on Twitter, Facebook, Buzz or something similar. You are, aren't you?)

I want you to create links to those blogs on other websites, blogs, and forums. - Links are a way for people to find the authors blog and they also help the blogs SEO (search engine optimization) which makes the blog more likely to be found by people searching for the content contained in the blog. With this also, let the author know.

Forums are also good places to meet and engage bloggers. No Agenda Forum and Above Top Secret are forums I follow for alternative news, though I am sure there are many others. I suggest following them in your newsreader.

I hope this information is useful and gets used. I really would like to hear what the Scientologists have to say for themselves.

(Grahame's Note: When Anthony left No Agenda News and it became a reviews blog I updated this post to refer to "alternative media blogs" instead of specifically No Agenda. I attempted to alter the content of the post as little as possible so tell me if I didn't achieve that.)

Guest Post - No Agenda News

For the first time on this blog I'm having a guest post and it's not from a Scientologist.

It's a guest post from Anthony Fox, the editor of No Agenda News.

It will be posted in the next couple of days. So stay tuned.

Scientology: A different view of the Sea Organization

Frank Flynn is an Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies and has qualifications about a mile long. Not only does he teach courses covering many areas of religion, but he has also published books and articles on the subject.

In addition he was a Franciscan monk for six years so they guy knows what he is talking about when he writes about religious orders.

Here is a declaration he wrote in a recent court case where someone was challenging the religious status of the Sea Org, the religious order of the Church of Scientology. In it he compares the Sea Org with other religious orders. It's a fascinating read.

Declaration of Frank K. Flynn regarding the Sea Organization

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Haiti still being helped by Scientology Volunteers

The disaster in Haiti is no longer headlines, but it still goes on. When that amount of distruction occurs it takes a long time for the normal supply lines, those that bring food and other essentials, to start flowing again. Therefore emergency supply lines and the people to make them work are still needed.

So, the Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology are still working hard to keep those emergency supply lines working: Scientogy "Lifeboat" Arrives in Haiti

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

Work begins on the largest Church of Scientology in the Midwest

The building used to be the Science Museum of Minnesota but now it is being turned into the largest Church of Scientology in the Midwest.

Work has just begun on the 80,640 square feet building in St. Paul and the good news is being reported by the local media: Church of Scientology Starts Work at St. Paul Site.

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The Sea Organization - more data

Here is more data on the Church of Scientology's religious order: The Sea Organization (aka Sea Org)

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Scientology: Legal Victory in France

Last time I studied French was in High School, so to say my French is rusty is a huge understatement. I got this story after translating the original article using Babel Fish. Babel Fish is good, but sometimes its translations are not totally clear.

So, with that disclaimer, here is a link to the original article: Victoire de l'Église de Scientologie contre l'UNADFI

and here is a link to the English translation: Victory of the Church of Scientology against the UNADFI

Church of Scientology wins court case in US

Here is the press release:

Church of Scientology International & Religious Technology Center Win in Court Against Former Member

U.S. District Judge rules in favor of Church of Scientology affirming religious nature of the work of Scientology staff

Los Angeles (Vocus/PRWEB ) April 5, 2010 -- On April 2, 2010, the United States District Court, Central District of California (Case No. CV 09-3987 DSF (FFMx)) granted a motion by the Church of Scientology International ("CSI") and Religious Technology Center ("RTC") dismissing a claim for alleged violations of federal and state labor laws based on the plaintiff’s years of religious service at CSI and RTC.

In the ruling granting summary judgment dismissing the wage and hour claims, Judge Dale Fischer today agreed with the Church of Scientology that the members of its religious order, known as the Sea Organization, which is comprised of the Church’s most dedicated members, are not subject to labor laws. Because the plaintiff chose to join a religious institution under her Church’s doctrine, her work was not subject to the payment of wages, the Court stated.

Judge Fischer specifically found that the plaintiff "was employed by a religious institution," that is, Church of Scientology International and Religious Technology Center, "was chosen for her position based largely on religious criteria," and "performed religious duties and responsibilities." The Court stated that like members of other religious orders, the plaintiff was only able to hold these positions based on her commitment to Scientology.

The plaintiff was a member of the Sea Organization from 1991 until 2005. During her years in the Sea Organization, the plaintiff held many positions within Scientology. Both CSI and RTC are recognized as churches by the IRS. The Sea Organization is a religious order for the Scientology religion and is composed of the most dedicated Scientologists in the world—individuals who have committed their lives to the volunteer service of their religion.

The first Sea Organization members formulated the one-billion-year pledge to symbolize their eternal commitment to the religion, still signed by all members today. As volunteers and members of a religious order, Sea Organization members work long hours and live communally with housing, meals, uniforms, medical and dental care, transport and all expenses associated with their duties provided by the Church. They also receive a small allowance to purchase personal items, as all of their other expenses are fully covered by the Church.

Sea Organization members are at the forefront of spearheading the Church's massive social mission, including the largest non-governmental drug education campaign on Earth, the largest human rights education campaign on Earth and many more programs that touch the lives of everyone. Today, some 6,000 members of the Sea Organization occupy staff positions in upper-level Scientology Church organizations around the world, ensuring that the religion is available to the millions of Scientology parishioners who live and work outside the Church.

CSI and RTC note that while the plaintiff has chosen to litigate her case in the media, the Churches will continue to present their case in court.

Contact:
Karin Pouw
(323) 960-3500 phone
(323) 960-3508 fax