Be a Hero

I was just thinking - what really makes a hero? I realized it doesn't really require doing something super-human, that's what it takes to be a "super-hero."

I looked the work up.

In the 1828 Websters it is defined as "A man of distinguished valor, intrepidity or enterprise in danger; as a hero in arms."

In the 1913 Websters it is:"A man of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering; a prominent or central personage in any remarkable action or event; hence, a great or illustrious person."

Merriam-Webster defines it today as "a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities; one that shows great courage."

These are qualities we admire. But how about being qualities we take on ourselves?

There's a Scientology course called the Personal Values and Integrity Course that anyone can study. Any Scientology church or mission has this course. You can even visit a Scientology Volunteer Ministers tent and get a copy of the booklet that's the text for the course, or read it online at the Scientology Handbook web site.

If you feel you could do with some polishing up of your person hero qualities, that's a great place to start.

Human Rights

I recently saw the public service announcements produced by the Church of Scientology International and Youth for Human Rights International.

These are an incredible weapon against intolerance and abuse.

What is incredible about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is how universal it really is. If these rights were actually enforced for every person on earth we would have no war or crime.

This fits so well with the Aims of Scientology (A civilization without insanity,without criminals and without war,where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights,and where man is free to rise to greater heights) that it's quite natural for people who embrace Scientology to also embrace human rights.

A few weeks ago, aboard the Freewinds motor vessel, David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center (RTC) described the church's human rights campaign as an essential program in bringing about world peace.

Three of the PSAs can be viewed online at the Youth for Human Rights International web site or downloaded from I Tunes, and the remaining of the 30 PSAs will also be available online soon.

Pass the work on these PSAs to anyone you know. I really believe that the Internet is the most potent human rights weapon on earth and by using it to get these PSAs out we could create peace.

New York Fire Fighters

Fire fighters are unique breed. They put their lives on the line every day. Any fire they respond to could contain a level of personal danger that threatens their lives or health.

Of course everyone wanted to be a fireman when I was a kid - ride in that big red truck with the horn or siren, wear the cool fireman's hat -- everybody has to get out of your way when you drive down the street.

But really, what would prompt someone to take on such responsibility?

I was so moved at the grand opening of the Church of Scientology of New York when
Stephan Hittman Chief Executive Officer, 9/11 Foundation and Honorary Commissioner of the New York Fire Department honored the Church for the work of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers at Ground Zero.

Here is what Mr. Hittman said:

"In recognition of the humanitarian efforts of the Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology, and the help they provided to members of the Fire Department of the City of New York, in keeping with the principles developed by L. Ron Hubbard; and

"WHEREAS: FDNY and the 911 PROGRAM recognize this unwavering commitment to firefighters, to paramedics, to other rescue workers, in keeping with our proudest traditions; and be it known,

"THEREFORE: That FDNY and the 911 PROGRAM officially recognize this dedicated service to the citizens of the City of New York, and hereby bestow upon L. Ron Hubbard and the Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology, the FDNY and the 911 PROGRAM's Medal of Valor and 9–11 Service Award — on the occasion of the Grand Opening of the New York Church of Scientology."

Following as it did on the speech David Miscavige gave, where he also acknowledged our work, I couldn't have been prouder of being a Volunteer Minister.

I also think the work Tom Cruise has done to make the detox program available to fire fighters and other rescue workers is such a humanitarian act. These people are still suffering from the toxic poisoning they experienced following the fall of Twin Towers -- some are incapacitated, many are having to live their lives as virtual cripples. It is so wonderful that L. Ron Hubbard's research on toxicity and how to rid the body of toxins is being made available to these brave heroes.

More Scientology Volunteer Ministers Heroes

I was really impressed with the story I read on the Church of Scientology of Tampa web site about Alissa Sears and her work to help the children of Sri Lanka.

The whole story can be read online on Freedom Magazine.

The story shows a level of care and dedication that is extraordinary.

Indonesia earthquake reveals the quiet heroism of survivors

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) - Switzerland published a story yesterday about the survivors of the Java earthquake.

Nearly two weeks after the devastating earthquake, which struck the Indonesian island of Java on 27 May, the aid operation is beginning to shift from its emergency phase towards ongoing relief and recovery activities, such as shelter, food, water, sanitation and psycho-social support.

Meanwhile, the Javanese themselves have already begun setting about rebuilding their lives with strength, determination and humility.

"We saved for years to build our house, but in 30 seconds it was gone," says Wartini, a 35-year-old mother of two in Sumber Mulyo village, some 15 kilometres south of Bantul, one of the worst affected areas.

The village was completely destroyed when the quake struck at dawn, as many people still slept. Ever since, the surviving residents of Sumber Mulyo, who are now living in tents provided by the Red Cross and Red Crescent, have been busy salvaging whatever they can.

"We are collecting everything that we can use," says Wartini, as she painstakingly pries undamaged bricks from what is left of the walls of her house. Wood from collapsed roofs, even the iron rods inside the cracked and crushed concrete will all be retrieved.

"In Javanese culture, people will always help each other," says Achmer Albugis, a volunteer with the Indonesian Red Cross, known locally as Palang Merah Indonesia or PMI, who traveled 200 kilometres from his home in neighbouring Central Java province to assist in the relief effort.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Disaster Relief Team is in Java, providing one-on-one help to the survivors and training anyone who wishes to help.

To find out how to join them, contact on of the following persons:

Australia, New Zealand and Oceania Coordinator, Virginia Stewart at: virginias@scientology.net

US Coordinator Aenetta at, ihelpwestus@ihelp.org

UK Coordinator: Ann Rollins at, ihelpuk@ihelp.org

South East Asia Coordinator, Angel Wijayanto at: seasiaproject@scientology.net

Human Rights Heroes

Yesterday, in Washington D.C., the Church of Scientology International and Youth for Human Rights International joined forces to acknowledge 4 human rights heroes.

Actresses Anne Archer and Jenna Elfman were there to present the awards at Capital Hill.

The Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre web site explains the Church's views on human rights as follows:

"Scientologists have worked over the past five decades to defend and uphold human rights and religious freedoms — not only to preserve their own rights, but also to guarantee the rights and freedoms of every citizen. The freedoms of speech, choice, thought and belief are sacred, and their violation can be found at the root of any conflict.

"Central to the establishment of international human rights is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Adopted by the United Nations in the aftermath of World War II, the declaration proclaims that all people are entitled to basic rights that none have the power to take away."

The site goes on to say:

"Mr. Hubbard pointed out, 'Very few governments have implemented any part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These governments have not grasped that their very survival depends utterly upon adopting such reforms and thus giving their peoples a cause, a civilization worth supporting, worth their patriotism.'"

L. Ron Hubbard - Tribute

Every year there is a celebration for Mr. L. Ron Hubbard. This event is traditionally hosted by Mr. David Miscavige the eccelesiatic leader of the Scientology religion.

The events cover many aspects of Mr. Hubbard's life and times. His birthday fell in March and events were held around the world. I attended the one in LA, and despite rain there were record numbers of people in attendance.

There is a website that give the information about the Hall of Fame in East Grinstead and gives interesting information about L. Ron Hubbard.

Scientology Volunteers in Natural Disaster Zones

There are so many stories of heroism and true emotion that never get told. And none as heart-wrenching as the people who have suffered loss of family and home, and their whole community when disaster has struck.

We all watch the results of the tsunamis in South East Asia, so glad it didn't happen to us. However, close to home Hurricane Rita struck and Americans felt this much closer to home.

Right now we have Central America and Pakistan undergoing the same upheavals when your house is just swept away, or worse, family members lost.

In each case Scientology Volunteers have been on the scene as fast as possible to help give these people comfort. Specific stories and articles can be seen at the Volunteer Minister website.

This is a photo from New Orleans:



Scientology Volunteer Ministers in their yellow shirts unloading supplies for the evacuees.

Hot Line Heroine

Coming up in October is the annual International Association of Scientologists event which takes place at the beautiful Saint Hill Manor in East Grinstead Sussex England. This year's event is going to be the biggest ever. It is predicted that 10,000 Scientologists and others who are friends of the Church will be arriving.

There are always very moving acknowledgements done of individuals who have made great strides to assist their fellows in the world. Those helped by the technology cover vast subjects and people of all walks of life. This includes getting people off drugs, criminals in prison for real reform, psychiatric abuses exposed and handled, great strides in education for third world children just to name a few.

One that was memorable was a woman who assisted on a teenager suicide hot line. She has stories to tell but several young people going through a rough time were saved due to her compassion and willingness to be there and communicate to them.

In a Prison in North Carolina

I heard a story that I thought you might like to hear. There was a prisoner in North Carolina who saw a Dianetics book. The way he tells it the book leaped off the cart and there was L. Ron Hubbard's face looking at him. He read the book. He wrote to the Church of Scientology address on the book.

He was then directed to do an Extension Course. He began to do counseling with other inmates and reports that his life has never been the same. He then did another course and now several inmates are carrying on and violence has gone down markedly. This prisoner now has hope for the future.

Sports Hero

Some say leaders are born and some say leaders are made. There is a coach who was captain of his football and hockey team in High School. He then grew up to be a coach at several colleges. He learned about Mr. Hubbard's tools of communication and the components of understanding which consists of Affinity, Reality, and Communnication. By using these tools he states he could form a team that was a real team and that would work together.

This coach recommends that anyone who needs to learn the skills of cohesing a bunch of hopeful prima donnas into a team should go to their local Church of Scientology and take the basic Communication Course that is available.

He is a hero to his team because he is dependable, fair, and predictable as well as competent and those characters go a long ways.

Applied Scholastics

The Church of Scientology delivers study technology that was developed by L. Ron Hubbard. This technology has some very basic principles. One of them is related to the fact of never going past words that one doesn't understand. A book called "How to Use a Dictionary" is user friendly to readers of all ages and is highly recommended.

One child who never was able to add or subtract but otherwise was quite intelligent cleared up the definition of the word "equals" and f ound that she never understood this word that alone was preventing the ability to add or subtract. Once that was cleared up she could do math like a champ and the grinning never stopped.

An Italian, my Sister, my Friend, a Scientologist

My sister, Amanda, has been an inspiration to me my whole life. She married an Italian and now speaks it fluently. While in Italy she became a member of the Church of Scientology. She told me a story of a friend who had a horrible accident and as the friend came from an Italian family the last rites were being administered.

My sister went to the hospital and she is a Volunteer Minister from the Church of Scientology. She delivered what is called an "Assist" which is a technique created by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology. This procedure enables the spirit, or the person himself to re-orient himself with his environment. The Doctor's can only call it a miracle. Amanda's friend recovered. I decided to check out Scientology myself after this.

Based on the peace and confidence I have as a result of joining this Church I want to thank from my heart my sister for this gift. She is my hero and so is every other Scientologist that I know.

Ms. Elena Ruggero

Elena Ruggero is a humanitarian artist of our time. She is beautiful, talented and has proven over and over her care for her fellow man. She is a Scientologist and high energy singer who recently gave a stellar performance in Hollywood at the Celebrity Center International annual Gala a week ago. She sang to a crowd of over 500.

She has been a Scientologist in Italy for many years and applies the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard in her profession and personal life.

Volunteers

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers consist of everyday people with jobs, families and responsibilities who are willing to step out of their normal lives in order to help others. A good example of this was when hundreds of VMs from all over the world traveled to the Asian Tsunami area to help with relief efforts. They stayed for many weeks until the situation was much improved and the local people could now look after themselves.

Freedom Medal Winners

David Miscavige Presents
IAS Freedom Medal Winners

Arresting the decline of drug proliferation was the first topic in Mr. David Miscavige‘s round-up of year number 19‘s accomplishments. It was, as well, the cause championed by the evening‘s first IAS Freedom Medal winners Michael Neilson and Åsa Graaf, leaders of a team of drug education specialists in Sweden who, in Mr. David Miscavige‘s words, are “doing more to handle the drug problem than any other group on the planet.”

Neilson and Graaf set out ten years ago to save Swedish children from a drug problem of epic proportions. In that time, they have not only salvaged an entire generation, they have created a nationwide movement for a drug-free tomorrow.

Australian Wendy Honnor, the next Freedom Medal recipient, is a Scientology Volunteer Minister working one-on-one with residents of all social strata in her native Tasmania.
“Our final Freedom Medal Winner didn‘t just answer a call — she led a charge,” said Mr. David Miscavige in introducing Honnor, “In fact, her personal mission of bringing real help has given new meaning to that old phrase ‘charity begins at home.‘”

Honnor assists local leaders in communities throughout her island home state with the 19 technologies a Scientology Volunteer Minister is trained in. In so doing, she has helped to change the tune of media headlines from those that once trumpeted “the land of gloom and doom” — marked by the nation‘s highest suicide rate and 10-year economic slump — to the upbeat of a state now enjoying a full social and economic resurgence.

On that theme — of what one individual Scientologist can do to bring about dramatic change — Mr. David Miscavige told the audience, in closing, “Your participation is more than the proper thing to do. It‘s the difference between more of ‘same old, same old‘ and total freedom. That‘s the crossroad where we stand, a place and point in time where our actions individually and collectively, will determine the course of history.”

Mr. David Miscavige

Mr. David Miscavige opened the 1993 birthday event to a capacity gathering at the spiritual mecca of the Scientology religion, the Flag Land Base in Clearwater, Florida.

Mr. David Miscavige first gave a summary of the international tributes and proclamations bestowed upon L. Ron Hubbard over the previous twelve months. He then introduced a riveting account of L. Ron Hubbard's path to discovery of Dianetics and Scientology.

Read the tribute by David Miscavige>>>

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Honored

It was all through the news - Scientology Volunteer Ministers Honored as "Hurricane Heroes" by Governor Jeb Bush. The basic story goes like this:

Tampa Bay, Florida - In his Indian Shores office on Thursday March 24th, State Representative Everett Rice, Florida District 54, presented four of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Tampa Bay with a certificate from the Governor of Florida, which honors them with his Points of Light Award as “Hurricane Heroes.”



The certificate signed by Governor Jeb Bush, Lieutenant Governor, Toni Jennings, Points of Light Foundation representative, Robert K. Goodwin and Volunteer Florida representative Cynthia Asia, acknowledged that, “This certificate is presented to Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Tampa Bay Hurricane Heroes, in recognition of exemplary efforts that not only benefit your local community but also lend truth to the belief that all citizens of Florida can make a difference in the lives of those they serve.”

Florida State Representative Everett Rice said, “We were all very impressed with what the Scientology Volunteer Ministers did during the Hurricane season of 2004.”

Over 300 Volunteer Ministers from the Church of Scientology spent some 20,000 hours during the summer of 2004 in relief efforts following the wake of Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. They distributed over 500,000 gallons of water, 500,000 bags of ice, 400,000 food packages and thousands of supplies including clothes and baby items.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers [www.volunteerministers.org] have been responding to disasters for more than 25 years. They are active in 50 U.S. states and in many countries around the world. They have been on the scene after scores of disasters, including the Oklahoma Bombings, the California fires, the Zimbabwe floods, the Taiwan Earthquake, the Moscow, Russia Hostage Crisis, the 911 tragedy and to this day they are still providing relief in Asia for the victims of the Tsunami Disaster. Scientology Disaster Response volunteers are professionally trained to respond to many aspects of emergencies. In addition to first aid services, The Volunteer Ministers provide expertise in organizing confused areas and delivering spiritual “assists”, which they describe as simple, but powerful techniques developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard to address and alleviate emotional and spiritual components of physical pain, shock and trauma.

Here are links that show all the on-line media that picked up this story:

PRESSBOX IN THE UK

PR LEAP

TOPIX.COM

THE SCIENTOLOGY.ORG NEWSPAGE


Even JEANETTE WALLS from MSNBC

also picked up by:

SAVETUITION.COM NEWS PAGE

OPEN PRESS

MEDIASYNDICATE.COM

and WEBWIRE

Scientology Volunteer Ministers in SE Asia

Sri Lanka

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers are operating in the Galle area in the south of the island. Local officials and business leaders are very supportive and appreciative of their work.

One man in Galle who was very depressed and seemingly unable to plan his future after losing his clothing business in the disaster, received an a Scientology assist (Assists operate on the principle that one tends to withdraw mentally or spiritually from an injured area. Only by restoring communication with this area can one bring the spiritual element into healing, thereby greatly speeding the healing process. Assists are used to alleviate stress and physical aches and pains, or to orient a confused or distraught individual to his present environment. Assists are not “massages.” They are techniques developed by L. Ron Hubbard to alleviate the spiritual component of physical pain, shock and emotional trauma.) that resulted in his commenting that he had lost his fear of the future and regained his interest in his livelihood. The following day, he returned requesting another assist, which he received. He is now working to rebuild his business.

Another successful result was an assist given to a woman who was experiencing pain in her leg and shoulder. Afterwards, she proudly displayed her ability to move her foot to the left, right, forwards and backwards, while she said the pain in her shoulder was gone.

Seeing such results, some local business leaders are sending their staff to the training workshops the VMs are holding, so the staff can learn how to do assists as part of their contribution to the recovery effort. The manager of a local hotel has been distributing fliers encouraging people to support the work of the VMs.

If you can help with donations or wish to volunteer time, call (323) 960-1949 or 1-800-435-7498 or e-mail vm@volunteerministers.org

For more information: Scientology Volunteer Ministers News

Tom Cruise

Mr Tom Cruise, as well as being one of the top actors on the planet, is involved in many social betterment activities. Contributing his time to worthy causes.

It is a well-known fact that he is an follower of the Scientology Religion and due to his affinity for Spain and the Spanish people, he participated in the official grand opening of the Church of Scientology Spain in Madrid.

This was also covered by beliefnet.com.





It has been stated publically by Tom Cruise, "Scientology helped me."

This is one of the things he stated in an article:

"When I was about 7, I had been labeled dyslexic," he told People magazine for its July 21 issue. "I'd try to concentrate on what I was reading, then I'd get to the end of the page and have very little memory of anything I'd read. I would go blank, feel anxious, nervous, bored, frustrated, dumb." After "Top Gun" came out in 1986, Cruise became a Scientologist and discovered the ``Study Technology'' the religion's founder, L. Ron Hubbard, developed in the 1960s. "I realized I could absolutely learn anything that I wanted to learn," Cruise said. Now the 41-year-old actor is a founding board member of the Hollywood Education and Literacy Project, a nonprofit group that uses Hubbard's teaching techniques in a secular setting. "I don't want people to go through what I went through," Cruise said. "I want kids to have the ability to read, to write, to understand what people are saying to them, to be able to solve life's problems."

He has also been an ambassador for the Church of Scientology International in other European countries.

I think his activities and what he has done to help others, definitely qualifies him for my Heroes blog.