The renovation and restoration of the Scientology Motor Vessel Freewinds described as “unheard of” and “historic” by industry experts.

A milestone Scientology project is featured in the October 2009 edition of Maritime Reporter and Engineering News—the complete refit and restoration of the Scientology Motor Vessel Freewinds.  In writing the feature story, editor Gregory Trauthwein found the project so significant he dedicated his editorial to the ship as well, describing the passion surrounding this project and ship as “immeasurable.” “There literally was not a single detail spared in the complete rejuvenation of M/V Freewinds,” he wrote.

The  Freewinds is home of the Church of Scientology Flag Ship Service Organization (FSSO), a religious retreat that delivers the most advanced level of spiritual counseling in the Scientology religion.

In addition to the impact of these renovations on the thousands of Scientologists who visit the ship each year, the sheer scope and attention to detail has set an entirely new standard for the cruise ship industry.

“The level of quality is incredible,” said Jon Rusten, COO and VP Development, Ocean Development Group, which oversaw the project. “Nobody can afford this level of quality anymore.”

Describing the project as “A magnificent ship renovation via elbow grease, heart and soul,” Mr. Trauthwein begins his article by stating:  “In today’s ‘I need it yesterday’ world, emphasis on quantity often overpowers quality, while the quick fix can supersede the correct one.  Step back, take a deep breath and enjoy the fruits of a tremendous labor, a labor of love.”

For the past 20 years the Freewinds has provided a distraction-free environment for ministration of the highest levels of Scientology religious counseling, far from the crossroads of the workaday world.  The completion of these historic renovations extends its continued service in this capacity far into the future.

And here is the original Freewinds article

In a very quiet way, day by day, Scientology Volunteer Ministers on the Outback Goodwill Tour help people overcome the barriers to their happiness and renew the dreams of the people of dreams—the indigenous people of the Australian Outback.

The plagues that dominate indigenous Australian culture are drug and alcohol abuse and illiteracy.   In 2005, the reading levels of less than half of third year Aboriginal students and only 31 percent of fifth year students met national standards. While only 5 percent of Australia’s 10-17-year-olds are Indigenous, they make up 40 percent of all young people in the nation’s juvenile justice system. A report released in June 2009 found that Indigenous Australians are 13 times more likely to end up in jail than the rest of the population.  The report found a clear link between drug and alcohol abuse and the high number of incarcerated Indigenous people.

The Scientology Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tour tackles these problems in villages and camps on a one-on-one basis, using Study Technology, the Answers to Drugs Booklet, and Scientology Assists—”spiritual first aid” that helps establish the person’s communication with his or her body to overcome the pain and discomfort often associated with withdrawal.  This spiritual technology, developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, is making a difference in the lives of these people, one person at a time.

Alice Springs is a cultural meeting place for the 60,000 Indigenous Australians of the Northern Territory. An additional 2,000-3,000 Indigenous people pass through 18 outlying town camps and thousands visit the Todd dry riverbed, a sacred site that runs through the town. Volunteer Ministers have introduced hundreds living in the city and camps and those making the spiritual trek to the city to technology to help with drug addiction, literacy, ethics and morality.

An elder from Alice Springs heard about the Volunteer Ministers on the “bush telegraph” (in other words, by word of mouth) and how much their Scientology Assists had helped people.  When she encountered the volunteers she had them train her to give Assists and she now uses them regularly with her own friends and family.   A Lutheran pastor from Hermannsburg heard about Assists and he too is now delivering them—and has taught 30 others this technology.

With their motto “Something can be done about it,” the Goodwill Tour reaches hundreds of people each month, and through training them in these tools for better living, reach out to an entire culture.

For more information on the Volunteer Ministers Goodwill Tours visit the Scientology Volunteer Ministers website at www.volunteerministers.org.

What is auditing?

Auditing is the term given to the spiritual counseling which is the central practice of Dianetics and Scientology. It is delivered by an auditor (from the Latin word audire, meaning to listen)—a person trained and expert in the exact techniques of Dianetics and Scientology.

The goal of auditing is to restore individual ability. It is a precise, thoroughly codified activity with precise procedures.

An auditor uses exact sets of questions asked to help a person find out things about himself and improve his condition. An unlimited number of questions could, of course, be asked—which might or might not help a person. The accomplishment in Dianetics and Scientology is that L. Ron Hubbard isolated the precise questions and directions to invariably improve a person’s ability and remove the impediments to his or her spiritual growth.

An auditor does not engage in some vague form of mental exploration, nor does an auditor offer solutions, advice or evaluation. One of the fundamental principles of the Scientology religion is that an individual can improve his conditions only if he is allowed to find his own answers to life’s problems. Scientology auditors help individuals to accomplish this goal by guiding them to examine their existence through a carefully structured series of steps that Mr. Hubbard developed. By following this gradient process, individuals can improve their ability to face what they are and where they are.

On Saturday, October 31, the Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, opened its new premises six blocks from the White House and minutes from Capitol Mall. Attended by nearly 3,000 Scientologists and guests, the Church was dedicated by Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion.

The building, over 49,000 square feet, represents the Church of Scientology’s largest presence ever in the nation’s capital, a presence that dates back to the 1955 establishment of the Founding Church of Scientology in the District by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard — an occasion considered a milestone in the establishment of Scientology as the only major religion founded in the 20th century, a religion that has since become the fastest-growing religion in the world.

Mr. Miscavige and other speakers gave special praise to the millions of Scientologists the world over who have given of their time and effort to make the Church’s anti-drug education initiative the largest non-governmental program of its kind and the Church’s human rights education program the largest on earth. They also praised the work of over 195,000 registered Scientology Volunteer Ministers trained to respond in times of disaster.

In expressing the importance of a prominent Scientology Church in the nation’s capitol Mr. Miscavige stated:

“In a word, this Church is the sum total of all our history and all LRH envisioned when serving as our first Executive Director.

“This is also the kind of Church he envisioned when authoring our programs and campaigns — in anticipation of a day when turmoil knocks out the props and the whole social veneer collapses…

“Which, of course, is exactly what happened — and thus what prompted our Wake-up Call after 9/11…wherein our history intersects with the history of this nation.”

Yet the significance of a major Church of Scientology in Washington, DC, runs much deeper as Mr. Miscavige made clear:

“You are looking at a living embodiment of the freedom and equality that originally inspired this nation because, yes, this Church stands for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And, yes, it stands here today because of the freedom on which this nation was built — the freedom of religion. For it was here, in this nation’s capital, that we fought for and won our recognition.”

And in the words of Congressman Brad Sherman of California’s 27th District in his address to the gathering:

“I have worked diligently and continuously to express my views, and I believe the views of the entire Congress, that all countries should treat all religions equally and provide true freedom of religion for everyone.”

Congressman Sherman praised the Church’s efforts in raising awareness of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and stated that the battle for human rights includes bringing human rights awareness to all people.

“That is why the efforts of many churches and religious organizations to focus on human rights issues are so important.”

Others speaking and participating in the dedication of the new Scientology Church were Ms. Addie Richburg, President and Chairman of the Board of the National Alliance of Faith and Justice; Ms. Diane Rothe-Smith, Executive Director of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD); and Mr. Mike Silverstein, President of the Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Association who also represented District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.

Rev. Sylvia Stanard, Director of Public Affairs for the Founding Church, invited all inside to tour the new Church, which includes numerous multimedia presentations in its Public Information Center, describing fundamentals of the Scientology religion, the Church’s worldwide humanitarian and social betterment programs, and the life and legacy of L. Ron Hubbard. As in any Church of Scientology, the doors are always open for people to walk in and find out for themselves.

Washington, DC, played a pivotal role in the life of the Founder of the Scientology religion. At age 13, as America’s youngest Eagle Scout, L. Ron Hubbard traveled cross-country to meet President Calvin Coolidge. As a student at George Washington University in the early 1930s, Mr. Hubbard learned the scientific methodology he later applied to unlocking the riddle of the human mind and life. After World War II, he tested Dianetics techniques on numerous cases at Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital and wrote the first manuscript of his discoveries in Dianetics: The Original Thesis. In 1955, he established the Founding Church and became its Executive Director.

The Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, DC, represents a milestone for the Scientology religion, which comprises more than 8,000 Churches, Missions and groups in 165 nations. As part of the continuing program to meet the demand for Scientology services, new Churches have been established in Berlin, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, New York and San Francisco. Earlier this year, new Churches opened in Malmo, Sweden; Dallas, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee and, on October 24, in Rome — five new landmark Scientology Churches opened newly in the last six months.

South LA faith-based and community-based groups combat hate crime through character education

With the FBI reporting violent crime against churches on the rise, St. Mark United Methodist Church in South Los Angeles and the Church of Scientology of Inglewood co-sponsored the Second Annual Hate Crimes Conference on October 27 and a workshop on November 3 to educate leaders of faith-based and community-based groups on underlying causes of anti-religious hate crime.

Held at St. Mark United Methodist Church in South LA, Hate Crime Conference speakers included human rights attorney Barry Fisher; Rev. Chip Murray, former Senior Pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church and now serving as professor of Christian Ethics at University of Southern California; Ms. Tereser Banks, Victorville Federal Prison Warden; Captain Bob Green, commander of LAPD 77th precinct; Mr. Shakeel Syed, head of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California; and Bob Adams of the Church of Scientology International.

From the issues covered in the conference, community- and faith-based groups attending requested further training in programs introduced by the Church of Scientology, resulting in the follow-up workshop.

Pam Roberts, Director of Public Affairs for the Church of Scientology of Inglewood, introduced Joni Ginsberg, Executive Director of The Way to Happiness Foundation International, who conducted a workshop on the newly published educator’s guide to The Way to Happiness, a non-religious moral code based entirely on common sense.  Written by L. Ron Hubbard, the booklet fills the moral vacuum and addresses urgent issues that contributed to increasing violence in today’s society.

Ms. Ginsberg’s presentation covered the precept “Set a good example.”  Those attending will now in turn implement the program in their groups, churches and communities.  Rev. Willie Rollins of Community Missionary Baptist Church in Compton said the information covered in the Hate Crimes Conference and The Way to Happiness workshop will help “build and improve relationships that will bridge the gap between religions and races.”

This year’s Hate Crimes conference grew out of a program initiated in May 2008, held at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International in Los Angeles, at which law enforcement and government officials, clergy and educators examined the growing problem of Internet hate crime and ways to improve Internet safety and security.

For more information on Scientology programs that counter violence and intolerance, visit the Scientology web site at www.scientology.org

Scientology Volunteer Ministers were commended in a ceremony October 17 for their part in helping Taiwan recover from the deadliest typhoon to hit the country in 50 years.  Ms. Mei Tsu Lee, representing the Church of Scientology in Taiwan, accepted the award presented by the Youth Volunteer Association and the Kaohsiung City Council.  Many other groups and individuals were also acknowledged at the event.

Typhoon Morakot slammed into southern Taiwan last August, killing more than 600 and causing an estimated $1.5 billion in damage.  More than nine feet of rain inundated the island causing record flooding and mudslides buried entire villages.

Despite more than 20,000 troops pressed into service for disaster relief, without the volunteer community the country could not have coped with the needs of some 7,000 who lost their homes and the enormous cleanup operation needed to restore the island to any semblance of normality.

The bright yellow shirts of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers fast became a welcome sight in the days following the typhoon.  The Scientologists helped distribute food, water and supplies and rolled up their sleeves to help villages clean up mountains of mud that were everywhere.

But it was Scientology Assists—spiritual first-aid—that were the most valuable contribution of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers.  Assists are procedures developed by L. Ron Hubbard that provide relief by addressing the emotional and spiritual factors in stress, trauma, illness and injury.

“I could not close my eyes to sleep,” said one woman who lived through the storm.  The Assist brought her immediate relief. “The feeling of numbness is gone and now I can sleep.”

“Thank you for helping me put the smile back on my face,” said one person aided with an Assist. “The pressure in gone.” She asked to be taught techniques herself so she could help her family and neighbors.

To the 64-year-old woman whose banana farm was literally washed away, it seemed the typhoon had destroyed everything.  She was desperate with worry about how she and her daughter could carry on.  But after her Assist it all looked different:  she was relaxed, even optimistic, as she started to plan for the future.

The Volunteer Ministers were not there only for the Morakot victims, they also gave Assists to the military who were carrying out disaster response.   One solder was so impressed by the change he experienced from his Assist that he asked the Volunteer Ministers to teach him how to give them.   “I really felt lucky to have helped in this disaster,” he said. “I have never been involved in a more meaningful activity.  Now I want to do more.”

For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers, visit their web site at www.volunteerministers.org or the Scientology web site at www.scientology.org.

By Stephanie Green and Elizabeth Glover (Washington Times, 3 November 2009)

The Church of Scientology hosted a “blessing and opening ceremony” of its new building at 1424 16th St. NW. over the weekend, causing traffic delays and scores of curious passers-by to stop and gawk. Many of those curious Georges may have been hoping for a glimpse of one of the church’s many celebrity members, such as Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren, but were deterred thanks to a large plastic barricade.

According to Sylvia Stanard, a public-affairs director for the church, Academy Award-nominated actress Anne Archer (for “Fatal Attraction”) was the only Hollywood-type church member in attendance. However, Miss Stanard says, it’s “very possible” Mr. Cruise and Mr. Travolta may stop by the new 50,000-square-foot structure, which cost the church more than $18 million to purchase and renovate.

Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center David Miscavige, a close friend of Mr. Cruise’s, officiated at the ceremony, which was attended by about 3,000 invitation-only guests, including Rep. Brad Sherman, California Democrat, who is not a church member “but supports the human rights work the church is doing all over the world,” Miss Stanard says.

She further explains that the building at 1701 20th St. NW, known to Scientologists as the “founding church” because it was the original church opened by the late L. Ron Hubbard in 1955, will remain open for some services but will be used mainly for administrative purposes.

The new church had to be built, she says, “because of our growing membership. We were literally busting at the seams.”

(Washington Times, 3 November 2009)

More than 6,000 people gathered in Rome’s Casalotti de Boccea district Saturday, October 24, to celebrate the grand opening of the new Church of Scientology Rome.

The 6,400-square-meter Church, situated on 28 acres of parkland, marks the largest expansion to date for Scientology in its 30-year history in Italy. The new Church will serve parishioners of Central Italy and other regions of the Mediterranean.

Signifying the stature and prominence of this new Church, the ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, Mr. David Miscavige, welcomed parishioners to their new home in the historical crossroads of Western civilization.  Speaking of what inspired every Scientologist to make this new Church possible, he stated:

“How on earth can one possibly speak of history without a nod to Rome?  This City of God, this City of Man, this center of the Western world for at least a thousand years – if ever a place was destined for an Ideal Church of Scientology, it’s here.  For what better arena to show what Scientology can do than this age-old religious empire?”

Among those participating in the dedication of the new Scientology Church were Dino De Pasquale, Disaster Manager of the Civil Protection Agency; Professor Silvio Calzolari of the Theological Faculty at the Vatican University in Florence; Professor Luigi Berzano, Professor of Sociology of Religions at the University of Turin; and Ms. Laura Guercio, President of Legal Aid Worldwide.

The new home for the Church of Scientology of Rome is a contemporary building that has undergone extensive remodeling to accommodate all Scientology religious services, the many community activities of Church members, and introductory services for visitors.

An expansive Public Information Center houses a permanent interactive multimedia exhibit containing more than 230 films covering the Church’s beliefs, practices and activities. Along with descriptions of Scientology principles and information on the life and accomplishments of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, the displays also cover the Church-sponsored international social programs that effectively combat drug abuse, illiteracy, criminality, immorality and human rights violations. The Church’s doors are open to anyone to take self-guided tours through the Public Information Center to find out about Scientology for themselves.

The Church of Scientology of Rome will coordinate the social betterment programs of the Church in Central Italy. With two decades of experience in drug prevention, its “Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life” program provides proven solutions to one of the most pressing problems in Italian society.

In his dedication address,  Mr. Miscavige emphasized the importance of the Church’s social mission and stressed to the Scientologists in attendance the vital necessity of taking responsibility for the community in which they live:

“You owe [Rome] our salvage campaigns to eradicate drug abuse, instill a respect for human rights and provide basic technology for living through The Way to Happiness.
“You owe her our learning and literacy programs.
“You owe her a system of criminal reform based not on punishment, but the restoration of self-respect.
“You owe every addict a drug free life and every lost and hopeless soul the chance to discover something can be done about It.
“But most of all, you owe every Roman citizen an opportunity to discover Dianetics and Scientology…”

The new Church of Scientology in Rome represents a milestone for the Scientology religion, which comprises more than 8,000 Churches, Missions and groups in 165 nations.  As part of the continuing program to meet the increasing demand for Scientology services, new Churches have been established in Berlin, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, New York, San Francisco and elsewhere.  This year alone, new Churches have opened in Malmo, Sweden, Dallas, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee.
_______________

Video footage and additional photographs of the Church of Scientology of Rome dedication are available to media upon request. Please call Media Relations at (323) 960-3500 or email mediarelations@scientology.net.

(Found here: Scientologytoday.org)

Now, that is a wild one! Peaches Geldof – yes, that one! – says she is a member of the Church of Scientology and a few years so already.

Wow, who had known that. Good luck to you!

http://www.westender.com.au/news/693

The Paris Correctional Court has rejected the recommendations of prosecutors in a case against a Paris Scientology Church, a Scientology bookstore and six individual Church members.  The Court cited the absence of any complainants coming forward despite the intense media surrounding the trial and that the defendants had acted out of sincere religious conviction as reasons for refusing the draconian sanctions sought by the government.  The Court imposed no restrictions on the Church’s activities.

Throughout the month-long trial held in May and June 2009, the Church decried the case as a heresy trial and an example of the discriminatory treatment to which new religious movements are treated in France—treatment that has been condemned by international human rights bodies.  In its annual International Religious Freedom Report issued on October 26, 2009 the United States State Department said that “discriminatory treatment” of Scientologists in France “remained a concern.”

The case arose out of the five-month participation in Scientology religious practices in 1998 by the main civil party.  This included studying Scientology Scriptures and receiving spiritual counseling. The donations made by the plaintiffs were returned to them in full well before any case was heard.  In 2006, the prosecutor recommended the case be dismissed because there was no evidence of any wrongdoing and because all donations had been returned.

Instead, the court succumbed to pressure from anti-religious extremists in government and turned it into a heresy trial in violation of the rights of the Scientologists under French law and under the European Convention on Human Rights.

This is in marked contrast to the treatment of Scientology in other countries where Scientology is formally recognized as a religion. The European Court of Human Rights has on two recent occasions found that Churches of Scientology in Russia are entitled to the protection of religious freedom guaranteed by Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Today’s decision means that Scientologists remain free to practice their religion in France, despite the best efforts to the contrary by anti-religious extremists.  While the fines and suspended sentences issued by the Court will be appealed, they will have no effect on Church activities and the rapid expansion the Church is experiencing will continue.

The Church of Scientology has grown from one Church in 1954 to more than 8,000 Churches, Missions and groups in 165 countries today.  The Church sponsors an international human rights education initiative as well as the world’s largest non-governmental drug education program.  Four new Churches have opened in 2009, most recently the Church of Scientology of Rome on October 24, with a new Church opening in Washington, DC, on October 31. In April, three new Churches were dedicated: in Malmo, Sweden; Dallas, Texas; and Nashville, Tennessee. The Scientology religion has expanded more in the past year than in the past five years combined and more in the past five years than in the past five decades combined.

Scientology is recognized around the world as a bona fide religion. As the religion moves into its fifth decade, it continues to enjoy substantial growth with thousands of churches and missions and related organizations and millions of members on six continents in more than 100 countries.

The religion’s bona fides have been unequivocally and unambiguously recognized in a host of judicial and administrative decisions throughout the world. Hundreds upon hundreds of such decisions have been rendered over the past 40 years and a few of these have been highlighted on the following pages.

Tax Exemption

Wherever the issue of tax exemption has been examined closely, the conclusion has routinely been that Scientology is a bona fide religion, that its activities are exclusively charitable and that its churches are exempt from taxes.

On October 1, 1993, the United States Internal Revenue Service recognized the Mother Church of Scientology, the Church of Scientology International, and all of its subordinate churches and related charitable and educational institutions located in the United States as tax-exempt organizations.

The IRS determined that:

1. The religion of Scientology is a bona fide religion;
2. These churches of Scientology and their related organizations are operated exclusively for recognized religious purposes;
3. These churches and their related institutions benefit the public, not private interests.
4. No part of the net earnings of these churches inures for the benefit of any individual or noncharitable entity.

On October 27, 1983, the High Court of Australia, in Church of the New Faith v. the Commissioner for Payroll Tax, found: “The conclusion that it [the Church of Scientology] is a religious institution entitled to the tax exemption is irresistible.”

On February 27, 1984, the United States District Court, Central District of California, in Peterson v. Church of Scientology of California, ruled: “This court finds that the Church of Scientology is a religion within the meaning of the First Amendment. The beliefs and ideas of Scientology address ultimate concerns — the nature of the person and the individual’s relationship to the universe. The theories of Scientology involve a comprehensive belief system. Additional indicia of the religious status of Scientology include the following: a) Scientology has ordained ministers and ceremonial functions; b) it is incorporated as a tax-exempt religious organization; and c) it characterizes itself as a church.”

Religious Recognition

Scientology is treated as a religion with respect to all facets of its activities by courts and agencies at all levels of government.

The Assessment Appeal Board, province of British Columbia, ruled in 1990: “The Church of Scientology is a religious organization.”

On December 21, 1993, the Inspector General of Financial Institutions for the government of Quebec recognized the Church of Scientology of Montreal and the Church of Scientology of Quebec City as religious corporations.

After reviewing the judicial precedents concerning the religious nature of Scientology, the United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization v. City of Clearwater stated on September 30, 1993:

“The history, organization, doctrine and practices of Scientology have been thoroughly recounted in numerous judicial decisions. We need not reiterate this background because the district court found that no genuine factual issues existed to dispute Scientology’s claim of being a bona fide religion.”

On January 19, 1983, in Founding Church of Scientology of Washington, D.C. v. Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States District Court, District of Columbia, ruled: “The Church of Scientology must be treated the same as any established religion or denominational sect within the United States, Catholic, Protestant or other.”

On January 30, 1985, in In Re Karl-Friedrich Munz, the Stuttgart District Court ruled: “[The Church of Scientology's] purpose in this world is considered to help man in his striving for spiritual freedom and to completely free him from problems and burdens to reach total freedom in order to recognize himself as a spiritual being and experience the existence of a Supreme Being….”

In Hernandez v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, on June 5, 1989, the United States Supreme Court found as follows: “Scientology was founded in the 1950s by L. Ron Hubbard. It is propagated today by a mother church in California and by numerous branch churches around the world. The mother church instructs laity, trains and ordains ministers, and creates new congregations…. Scientologists believe that an immortal spiritual being exists in every person. A person becomes aware of this spiritual dimension through a process known as auditing…. The Church also offers members doctrinal courses known as training. Participants in these sessions study the tenets of Scientology and seek to attain the qualifications necessary to serve as auditors…. Scientologists are taught that spiritual gains result from participation in such courses.”

And in Italy, in the case of State v. Eight Defendants, the Trento Court of Appeals made the following finding: “Scientology … has the target to achieve an inner and outer freedom, one that transcends the human, one that belongs to the field of spiritual things, and that moves up to infinity; indeed, the progress toward realization of the eighth dynamic force — concerning Infinity and God — actually is the characteristic that describes Scientology as a religion and as a church.”

The Courts’ Final Word

All new religions in history have been attacked, usually by bigoted and prejudiced individuals. But even in these instances, the courts have upheld the rights of Scientologists, the Church of Scientology and its religious foundation in recognizing the framework in which these services are offered.

In a decision by the Oregon Court of Appeals on May 3, 1982, in Christofferson v. Church of Scientology of Portland, the court stated: “We have found that it is established in this case that the mission is a religious organization and that Scientology is a religion…. These facts may be highly persuasive evidence of the contention that the courses and auditing plaintiff received were religious in nature and that the statements regarding their nature and efficacy were religious statements.”

In the Supreme Court of the State of New York, on January 31, 1994, in the case of Jo Ann Scrivano v. The Hubbard Dianetics Research Foundation Inc., et al., the court ruled: “Assuming the church to be a religion, the adjudication of the tortious conduct alleged in the complaint necessarily involves an adjudication regarding the merits of the practice of auditing, a spiritual precept of the religion. Accordingly, the Court finds that the complaint must be dismissed as defendant enjoys a First Amendment immunity.”

Court decisions in Germany dealing with taxes, dissemination practices and other issues have all found that Scientology is a religion. In Canada, the United States, Australia, and other countries, Scientology ministers are officially recognized as ministers of religion allowing them to perform marriages. Churches of Scientology are registered in countries throughout the world as religious organizations, including former communist countries such as Hungary and Russia. Churches of Scientology are recognized as exempt from value added tax in a number of European countries, including Holland, Belgium and Denmark.

The above are only a handful of the scores of decisions recognizing Scientology’s religious bona fides around the world. And while it is gratifying to achieve such recognition, the unalterable truth remains that — with or without such official acknowledgement — Scientology would still be a religion.

Its traditions are as old as Man, even though its practice and applications are as new as the technology which brought us to the surface of the moon. And which will ultimately take us to the stars and beyond.

Just in from the 25th Anniversary event of the International Association of Scientologists:

The Way to Happiness Foundation just released a new DVD comprising the entire book The Way to Happiness written by L. Ron Hubbard, Founder of the Scientology religion. Rather than a “book on tape” it’s a “book on DVD”—a clever audiovisual item produced by the Church of Scientology.

The Way to Happiness consists of life morals such as “Do Not Be Promiscuous” which encourage people to have honest and committed sexual relations. Other morals include “Don’t Do Anything Illegal” which teach readers that criminality is not the way to happiness. Others such as “Do Not Murder” and “Do Not Steal” may seem obvious but are included nonetheless. While some may not agree with these morals and would prefer to live less ethical life, The Way to Happiness explains in a rather intelligent way why these things lead to human misery—namely, STDs, prison, having to live in hiding and losing friends.

This new audiovisual version of the book uses characters like a beautiful ballet dancer who strives to achieve her goals as a dancer but fails until she learns to “Be Competent”. Also a young boy who strives to be a painter learns to “Flourish and Prosper” after his art teacher repeatedly destroys his paintings. These characters depict the individual morals or precepts given in the book.

The new DVD is a part of a global campaign by The Way to Happiness Foundation and the Church of Scientology to reduce criminality and bring about a more peaceful environment in countries around the world. You can even make your own custom cover to the booklet as many companies and professionals have opted to do.

More information about the new DVD orThe Way to Happiness can be found at www.thewaytohappiness.org.

The Drug-Free Marshals chapter sponsored by the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles swore in hundreds of youth to live drug-free lives at a ceremony Saturday in honor of the 21st anniversary of Red Ribbon Week.

Red Ribbon Week honors the life of DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena whose death in 1985 was a wakeup call to the dangers of drugs and the drug trade.  Camarena, an 11-year DEA agent working undercover in Mexico, was on the way to breaking up a multibillion-dollar drug pipeline when he was kidnapped, tortured and murdered by Mexican drug traffickers.

In 1988, the National Family Partnership sponsored the first National Red Ribbon Week, with President and Mrs. Reagan its honorary chairpersons.  Community groups, schools and churches hold yearly events to commemorate Camarena’s work and rally support for drug education and prevention.

The Drug-Free Marshals takes its name from the U.S. marshals, a force for good popularized in novels and movies about the American West. The program was founded by the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles in 1993. Since then the program has helped more than 3 million youth worldwide pledge to be drug-free.

The Los Angeles Drug-Free Marshals and their parents “armed” themselves with booklets published by the Foundation for a Drug-Free World that provide information on the most commonly used drugs, such as marijuana, alcohol, heroin, crystal meth, prescription drugs, inhalants and painkillers.

“We need to educate our children about drug and alcohol abuse. Our children are constantly exposed to drugs at school, on television, and in movies, so if we don’t tell them the truth, you can be sure that the drug-dealers will tell them lies. By early intervention we can prevent drug abuse, which also leads to violence,” said Edie Reuveni, President of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles. “Studies show a direct link between youth involvement in drugs and gang violence. Humanitarian, L. Ron Hubbard said, ‘When children become unimportant to a society, that society has forfeited its future.’ Unless we educate our children and take responsibility for them, we all lose.”

For more information about the drug education and prevention programs sponsored by the Church of Scientology visit www.scientology.org.

Frankfurt, Germany, October 2009—Bridge Publications dominates its category at the Frankfurt Book Fair opening Oct. 14, as it releases eight popular non-fiction titles by L. Ron Hubbard in 50 languages.  Los Angeles-based Bridge Publications Inc. is the publishing arm of the Scientology religion and one of the world’s largest all-digital printers.  In the announcement to the trade, Nicole Shell, Director of Public Relations of Bridge Publications, said this means the most popular basic Scientology books are now available to 90 percent of the global book market.

The numbers are impressive: The translations took five years and consisted of 103,350 pages containing 21.1 million words. A corps of 928 translators and 84 staff supervisors put in 139,580 hours so readers in 188 countries now have these books in their native languages, many for the first time.

L. Ron Hubbard is named in the Guinness World Records as Most Translated Author (71 languages).    One of the most prolific writers of the 20th century, L. Ron Hubbard has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list with 19 separate titles.  His works have sold 230 million copies in 150 countries including 22 million copies of Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health alone.  The Guinness Book of Records recognized Mr. Hubbard for the most published works by one author (1,084) in Oct. 2006, and in April 2009 for the most published audio books (185).

The eight newly translated Hubbard works are: Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health; Dianetics: The Original Thesis; Dianetics: The Evolution of a Science; Self Analysis; Scientology The Fundamentals of Thought; The Problems of Work: Scientology Applied to the Workaday World; Scientology: A New Slant on Life; and The Way to Happiness.  They are now available in their original English and the following 50 languages: Afrikaans, Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Brazilian Portuguese, Bulgarian, Chinese (simplified), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Farsi, Filipino, Finnish, French, Georgian, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kazakh, Korean, Kyrgyz, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Nepali, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sinhalese, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin American), Swahili, Swedish, Taiwanese, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu and Vietnamese.

Those attending the Fair can find the Bridge Publications booth in Hall 8.0 at stand A978. (more about that here)

Russia’s ban on the Church of Scientology is illegal, the European Court of Human Rights said Thursday in a binding ruling.

The court said Russia cannot ban the Church of Scientology just because it has not been in the country for long and awarded each of the groups euro5,000 ($7,270) in damages. The groups together also received euro10,000 ($14,500) for costs, which they shared.

The case was brought to the Strasbourg-based court by two Russian Scientology branches that were refused listing as “religious organizations” because they have not existed for at least 15 years as required by Russia’s Religions Act.  (Source: Associated Press)