Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Haiti - What Medical Professionals Have to Say

Since 17 January 2010 Scientology Volunteer Ministers are helping the Haitian population in every way needed. More than two months after the disaster there are still more than 100 Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Haiti, arranging logistics and supplies while helping to build shelters and improving living conditions. Their contribution has been received well by medical professionals and other aid workers.



A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

21st Annual Say No To Drugs Holiday Classic Draws 55% More

Tampa Bay Informer

The 21st Annual Say No to Drugs Holiday Classic 5K, 10K and Children's 1 mile fun-run drew an extensive crowd on December 19th, exceeding all expectations with the number of participants running to forward the message – including myself, a first time 5K runner.

I arrived early, the crisp morning air jolting me out of my weekend sleepiness. I knew the event would be popular, but I did not expect the sea of people assembled in front of the Harborview Center. According to an event coordinator's estimate, 1,700 runners participated this year, 600 more than in previous years – an increase of nearly 55%.

With a final turn-out of nearly twice the number that early-registration figures had suggested, it was understandable that I found myself among the few runners still receiving their numbers even as Hana Li Winters sang the Star Spangled Banner and a small army of runners waited for Lt. Dimmer of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office to blow the starting whistle. Event coordinators Chris Alexander and Sue Minkoff assure me that with this year's experience, they will be fully prepared to handle the enormous crowds next year – including the opportunity to pre-register and receive numbers the day before the race in addition to the morning of.

This being my first race, I paced myself along the course, from the starting line in Coachman Park to the steep incline of the Memorial Causeway leading to Clearwater Beach. Pushing myself up the arch of the Causeway was a challenge; it is no surprise that it features in many other races throughout the year, including both Ironman and Iron Girl. The course doubled back just after the bridge for the 5K runners, while the 10K continued out to the beach.

Participants represented all levels of the running scene: From the professional competitors leading the pack, to amateurs like myself who enjoy running for fun and fitness, to those who chose to walk the course, many coming out just to support the Say No to Drugs theme of the event. I found it to be an excellent race for a first-timer like myself, with a friendly and very supportive field. As the first of the 10K runners overtook some of us just rounding the bend on the 5K, words of encouragement met the athlete: “Finish it man! Finish it!”

Crossing the finish line, we were greeted with an all-you-can-eat breakfast of homemade organic spelt pancakes courtesy of volunteers led by Kitty Magness, and complimentary massages from Sun State Massage Academy and adjustments by Family Life Chiropractic – welcome rewards after the morning's exertion.

As the name implies, the Say No to Drugs Holiday Classic aims to raise awareness and spread a drug-free message. At the post-race breakfast in the Harborview Center, children pledged to live their lives drug-free and were sworn in as Drug-Free Marshals by the Youth for a Drug Free Florida, while runners viewed the DVD “The Truth About Drugs” or read the accompanying educational pamphlets.

Nathan Holden from Jacksonville and Melissa Todd from Kansas City won the men's and women's 10K, respectively. Daniel Geilman and Christa Benton of St. Petersburg took the men and women’s 5K races. Awards were also presented to top finishers in a range of age groups; including 90 year old Jane Bussman of Clearwater, in the 5K.

The Say No to Drugs Holiday Classic was started 21 years ago by world class runner and local resident Sandra Johnson, member of the Dianetics Athletics Association of the Church of Scientology. The idea was to promote an anti-drug message by raising awareness through a road race. From there it has become one of the premier races in the Tampa Bay area.

For more information, including race-times and results, visit www.saynotodrugs.com.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Scientology Volunteers Attack Drug Abuse in Sydney

Scientology youth attack drug abuse at 26th annual Glebe Street Fair.

Members of the Church of Scientology of Sydney, Australia, who belong to the Drug-Free Ambassadors were out in force Sunday, November 15, distributing thousands of fliers at the 26th annual Glebe Street Fair. Their purpose: to inform kids about drug abuse and the truth about drugs so they make informed decisions to stay drug free.

Concerned about a new drug called Mephedrone, or “MM-Cat,” that Sydney students and club goers buy over the Internet, the Drug-Free Ambassadors spent the day talking to kids and teens, swearing them in as Drug-Free Ambassadors. New Drug-Free Ambassadors take a pledge to be drug free and to help their family and friends do the same.

“The drug-free message is really important to get out in times like these,” said Drug-Free Ambassadors spokesperson Cyrus Brooks. “People are bombarded with bad news in the media and they look for escape, especially young people. Unfortunately there is a lot of false propaganda around that drugs and alcohol provide that escape. We need to attack these lies as it’s just not true.”

Brooks and his Drug-Free Ambassador team inform youth of the short-term effects of drugs such as Mephedrone and Ecstasy, which include paranoia and depression, and that users risk even more serious long-term effects such as kidney failure and cardiovascular collapse.

Cocaine, another popular “party drug,” has similar effects but can also cause tactile hallucination, with some kids talking about having the sensation of bugs burrowing into their skin. This drug can also cause reproductive damage and infertility. “Drugs like these ruin lives,” says Brooks. “The best solution is to not get caught in the drug trap in the first place.”

At the Glebe Street Fair the Drug-Free Ambassadors distributed a brochure explaining what drugs are, how they destroy creativity and why drugs don’t actually bring happiness, but quite the opposite. Dixon Restaurant in Chinatown and the Church of Scientology of Australia funded the printing of the brochure, which is being translated into Chinese and Korean to get the word out to Sydney’s Asian population too.

Drug-Free Ambassadors, founded by the Church of Scientology in 1993, helps communities all over Australia fight the scourge of drugs. For more information on the Drug-Free Ambassadors of Sydney visit their web site at www.drugfreeambassadors.com.au.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

For Tom Cruise... Not Even the Sky is the Limit with Study Technology

Actor-producer Tom Cruise told the audience that Applied Scholastics holds the key to understanding and applying what one reads and studies. His goal as international ambassador for L. Ron Hubbard’s Study Technology: making it available to all who reach for it.

What better time to learn how to be a pilot than in preparation for ‘Top Gun,’” he told more than 2,500 educators and guests gathered at the opening of Applied Scholastics’ new international teacher training facility near Saint Louis. “So one day I went to have a lesson and after one day I gave it up — I couldn’t do it.”

There was just one problem, he admitted: he could not understand what he was reading in his training manual — and to make matters worse, a decade earlier he had been convinced of a label he found impossible to shake at the time. “I had been diagnosed with a false label — dyslexia,” he said. “With that I had been told I had a ‘learning disorder.’”

Thus, his immediate reaction to failure as a pilot student was, “’I’m dyslexic — damn!’ I’ve got to figure this out.”

He tried everything to unsnarl his study troubles — “different tutor groups, different speed reading courses, I hired people to come in and read with me.”

Then, the breakthrough:

“Shortly after that I discovered ‘the study technology,’” he said, referring to discoveries by author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard that teach people, young or old, how to learn anything.

Today, the producer and star of The Last Samurai, says he hasn’t seen his learning difficulties since he began using Mr. Hubbard’s revolutionary study technology.

“Now, I am a licensed pilot — twin engine, instrument rated, which means I can fly through any weather by flight instrument alone; commercial rated, which means I can carry passengers as a profession if I so desire; and just for fun, I’m a highly trained aerobatic pilot.

“I am a film producer, I have my own film company, I own and run three companies and I continue to act in movies in addition to all that. And I learn every single day,” he stressed. “I use this technology each and every day in my life, at my work, with my children, in every area of life. Because of what study technology did for me, I started helping others.”

Mr. Cruise has done so as a founding board member of the Hollywood Education and Literacy Project (HELP), a highly-effective community-based learning program utilizing the study technology to open the doors of learning to thousands. This year, he was recognized by the National Mentoring Partnership with its Excellence in Mentoring Award.

(More from Freedom Magazine)

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Building for the Future of the Scientology Religion

Mr. Miscavige is the Driving Force of a Movement Now Spanning This World With Ideal Churches of Scientology.

To exactly that end, he sets the direction for the acquisition, design and planning of new Churches—quite literally from inception to ribbon cutting. In consequence, the horizons of Scientology are filled with scores of new Churches in the making for 2009 and beyond.

Just since the launch of the Ideal Churches program five years ago, 70 new buildings have been acquired in major population centers around the world. Church premises have increased from 5.6 million square feet in 2004 to over 11 million in 2009, with half a million square feet of renovations completed in 2009.

Meanwhile, another half-million square feet are under construction in Brussels, Rome, Tel Aviv, Quebec, Mexico City, Las Vegas and Washington, DC. These are the Ideal Churches of Scientology and they are designed to present the wisdom of Scientology to many millions planetwide.

NEW IDEAL ORG BUILDINGS

Shown here is just a sampling of newly acquired Church buildings, while the listing below includes all new properties now in planning or construction stage to open within the next 12 months.

UNITED STATES

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Atlanta, Georgia
Battle Creek, Michigan
Boston, Massachusetts
Chicago, Illinois
Cincinnati, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Detroit, Michigan
Harlem, New York
Inglewood, California
Kansas City, Missouri
Las Vegas, Nevada
New Haven, Connecticut
Orange County, California
Pasadena, California
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Portland, Oregon
Sacramento, California
San Diego, California
San Fernando Valley, California
St. Louis, Missouri
Seattle, Washington
Twin Cities, Minnesota
Washington, DC

CANADA

Kitchener, Ontario
Montreal, Quebec
Quebec City, Quebec
Winnipeg, Manitoba

LATIN AMERICA

Bogotá, Colombia
Caracas, Venezuela
Valencia, Venezuela
Las Lomas, Mexico
Mexico City, DF

EUROPE

Brussels, Belgium
Budapest, Hungary
Copenhagen, Denmark
Milan, Italy
Padova, Italy
Pordenone, Italy
Rome, Italy
Tel Aviv, Israel
Torino, Italy
Verona, Italy

AFRICA

Cape Town, South Africa
Durban, South Africa
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Pretoria, South Africa
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND/ASIA

Auckland, New Zealand
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Melbourne, Australia

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

David Miscavige

There has been a lot of interest in David Miscavige over the the past few years. Here's an excerpt from his bio page on the RTC web site:

David Miscavige is Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center (RTC), a non-profit organization formed in 1982 to preserve, maintain and protect the Scientology religion.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Meeting the Global Demand for the Scientology Religion

OPENING A NEW BREED OF CHURCH IN MAJOR CITIES, SCIENTOLOGY HAS DOUBLED ITS SIZE IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS.

“You are creating an island of friendliness, decency and succor in the sea of a violent world.... Sometime in the future the islands will become the sea.”
—L. Ron Hubbard

To meet the skyrocketing demand for Dianetics and Scientology throughout the world, and utilizing the technological advances of the 21st century, in 2004 Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center, Mr. David Miscavige, launched the Ideal Org strategy to transform all Scientology Churches into Ideal Churches of Scientology.

It was the goal L. Ron Hubbard had set for Scientologists—to one day create Churches that were a physical embodiment of the policy and technology he had provided to help all beings attain spiritual freedom.

An Ideal Org (for “organization”) is a Church configured to provide the full services of the Scientology religion to its parishioners and to the community.

“Ideal” status encompasses both the physical facilities and the quantity and quality of the service to its parishioners and community. Such Churches house extensive public information multimedia displays describing all aspects of Dianetics and Scientology and its Founder, L. Ron Hubbard, as well as the Church’s social betterment and community outreach programs.

Religious services are provided in efficient and aesthetic courserooms and spiritual counseling rooms. There are also libraries, bookstores, film and seminar rooms as well as an expansive Chapel for Sunday Services, weddings, naming ceremonies and other congregational gatherings.

Since 2004, more than a dozen Ideal Churches have arisen, including those in such cultural centers as Madrid, New York, London and Berlin.

Just since April 2009, three more opened—first in Malmö, Sweden; then Dallas, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee. As of this writing, 70 more buildings have been acquired and stand in various stages of design and construction. And so it is, Ideal Churches of Scientology will soon literally encompass the world.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

A Renaissance for Scientology

David Miscavige Recovers Original L. Ron Hubbard
Scriptures and Embarks on the Most Expansive
Publishing Program in History

An article in the new Freedom Magazine, click here.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Building for the Future of the Scientology Religion

Mr. Miscavige is the Driving Force of a Movement Now Spanning This World With Ideal Churches of Scientology.

To exactly that end, he sets the direction for the acquisition, design and planning of new Churches—quite literally from inception to ribbon cutting. In consequence, the horizons of Scientology are filled with scores of new Churches in the making for 2009 and beyond.

Just since the launch of the Ideal Churches program five years ago, 70 new buildings have been acquired in major population centers around the world. Church premises have increased from 5.6 million square feet in 2004 to over 11 million in 2009, with half a million square feet of renovations completed in 2009.

Meanwhile, another half-million square feet are under construction in Brussels, Rome, Tel Aviv, Quebec, Mexico City, Las Vegas and Washington, DC. These are the Ideal Churches of Scientology and they are designed to present the wisdom of Scientology to many millions planetwide.

NEW IDEAL ORG BUILDINGS

Shown here is just a sampling of newly acquired Church buildings, while the listing below includes all new properties now in planning or construction stage to open within the next 12 months.

UNITED STATES

Albuquerque, New Mexico
Atlanta, Georgia
Battle Creek, Michigan
Boston, Massachusetts
Chicago, Illinois
Cincinnati, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Detroit, Michigan
Harlem, New York
Inglewood, California
Kansas City, Missouri
Las Vegas, Nevada
New Haven, Connecticut
Orange County, California
Pasadena, California
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Portland, Oregon
Sacramento, California
San Diego, California
San Fernando Valley, California
St. Louis, Missouri
Seattle, Washington
Twin Cities, Minnesota
Washington, DC

CANADA

Kitchener, Ontario
Montreal, Quebec
Quebec City, Quebec
Winnipeg, Manitoba

LATIN AMERICA

Bogotá, Colombia
Caracas, Venezuela
Valencia, Venezuela
Las Lomas, Mexico
Mexico City, DF

EUROPE

Brussels, Belgium
Budapest, Hungary
Copenhagen, Denmark
Milan, Italy
Padova, Italy
Pordenone, Italy
Rome, Italy
Tel Aviv, Israel
Torino, Italy
Verona, Italy

AFRICA

Cape Town, South Africa
Durban, South Africa
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Pretoria, South Africa
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND/ASIA

Auckland, New Zealand
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Melbourne, Australia

Scientology Web Site Inspires Personal and Social Change

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site provides tools to improve conditions in life.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site took on a new dimension last year with free online courses anyone can do. The result is a virtual nexus, where people from all over the world learn simple tools developed by L. Ron Hubbard and use them to improve conditions in their own lives and those of their friends, families and their communities at large. Scientology leader David Miscavige described the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program: “The final word, as regards our front-line work bringing our help wherever and whenever needed is our corps of Scientology Volunteer Ministers — on call, 24 hours a day in scores of nations.”

A student from Senegal in western Africa, who found the web site through Google, said, ” I think that even just reading the information I can achieve my goal: to avoid violence and create peace in my community.”

“I was thinking—How can we actually make a difference in the world?” wrote an industrial engineer from Bolivia, “and I was worried about the things that were happening. How can we face injustice, crime, and totalitarianism? We have to teach people to live by certain rules that ensure that these things won’t happen. We have to conquer darkness with light and develop social networks that bind people together with common principles of mutual caring, respect for law and respect for our neighbors. My country is going though very difficult times. There is violence and racism and hate. My search for peace and a way to make this world more secure led me to your web site.”

From Kenya, a childcare specialist wrote “Your lessons and strategies of dealing with children has really motivated me to join with your network.”

An engineer from Oman said “My interest was drawn to the real life issue assistance that I may attain from your courses. They seem to be the missing something that we very often overlook in life and forget to pass on to our children and peers.”

“What particularly got my attention,” wrote a manager from the Philippines, “is how your organization focuses its assistance on specific concerns and problems with solutions that can be applied immediately. I have been experiencing a great deal of change in myself and how I view others. And I want to learn more.”

The free Scientology courses provide tools to help with such things as marriage problems, trouble in relationships with others, raising children, difficulties on the job and overcoming stress, anxiety and depression. These are self-guided courses, meaning people move through them at their own pace. Each course includes practical exercises where students get hands-on experience in applying the data. The courses are supervised by trained extension course supervisors who ensure the students can use the material and provide feedback, guidance and help where needed.

To enroll on a free course, visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers web site.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Scientology Volunteer Ministers

Friends of mine are Scientology Volunteer Ministers heading off for Bihar in India to help flood victims. I am so amazed that there are people who will drop everything to go help total strangers just because they are in need.

And it's not like these people are independently wealthy or have businesses that can float them cash to enable them to go. No. They are just ordinary working people like me and you who know that their going to help in a disaster will save lives.

Here's what David Miscavige has to say about Scientology Volunteer Ministers. I have to admit I completely agree.



A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

New Dianetics Site

What a treat to see the new Dianetics video site! I'll let you look and make up your own mind (I LOVE it!)

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Video Site Online

You would have gotten from my last post that there's a new feature on Scientology.org of short video clips that describe Scientology principles and show what we're doing in our communities and in society as a whole.

There are some wonderfully moving videos. I highly recommend a trip over there.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Videos Highlight Scientology Humanitarian Efforts

There is a new section of the Scientology web site that has videos about Scientology and the many various activities Scientologists do in society. I knew we were committed to making this a better world, but seeing it all together like this I realized how much we are actually accomplishing.

Still, there's a lot more to do.

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Real Live Philanthropy

Whatever your opinions may by of the Microsoft empire, what Bill and Malinda Gates have done with their money is saving lives.

An article this week on Newsweek covers their work in sub-Sahara Africa to contain AIDS and bring in the needed resources to end deaths from treatable/curable diseases which still plague these countries. >>more

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Heroes Come in All Sizes

I was so impressed with the story of this two year old child who called 911 when her mother collapsed in their home, I had to share it.

"In a military town filled with heroes, Alana Miller has the distinction of being the smallest of them all.

"The 2-year-old girl is also on her way to becoming a miniature celebrity.

"Oak Harbor High School swim coach Erika Miller came home to her family’s house on the Seaplane Base last Thursday night with a migraine headache. She got up from the couch to make sure a door to the garage was locked. She fainted in the hallway, knocking her head on the floor.

"The precocious toddler sprang into action. She picked up the phone and dialed 911. She told the dispatcher in her tiny voice: 'momma owie, momma owie.'>>more

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

British Men Hailed as Heroes

Two British men on board an airliner which crash-landed in Thailand were hailed as heroes last night for saving several of their fellow passengers by smashing their way out of the burning wreckage.

Peter Hill, from Manchester, and Ashley Scott Harrow, from Northern Ireland, were said to have saved at least eight people by forcing open a jammed emergency exit. The Thai Prime Minister visited Ashley Scott Harrow where he is recuperating at Bangkok Hospital to thank him for his heroism. more>>

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Remebering Biko on the Anniversary of his Death

This story by Raymond Whitaker is well worth reading.

I met Steve Biko once. His miserable death on the floor of a South African prison cell, 30 years ago today, still lay a few years in the future. So did his friendship with the white newspaper editor, Donald Woods, resulting in the book and film, Cry Freedom!, which made him an icon. But if the name of Biko became a thorn in the side of the white regime, today's commemorations will be equally uncomfortable for South Africa's black majority government. more>>


A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Heroism at Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech showed us once again that real heroism is still with us.

"Liviu Librescu was doing a slide show for his engineering students when gunshots rang out a couple of classrooms away.

"Librescu's students say their 76-year-old professor moved quickly, blocking the door to give his class time to escape. Two were wounded, but all survived -- all except Professor Librescu.

"Librescu's son, in Israel, said he is not surprised that his father, who survived the Holocaust, would act with such bravery.">>

A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.~~~ L. Ron Hubbard; founder of the Scientology religion

Misou's Infoshop -- She Speaks Sooth

As a bit of an information snob who has the odd idea that facts are more important than "documentation," "reliable sources" or "experts" I love Misou's Infoshop and look forward to what new Wiki-dirt she's going to dig up each day.