I'm looking forward to this weekend, where all of the Scientology churches in the Los Angeles area will be co-hosting an event in Hollywood on L. Ron Hubbard Way . David Miscavige will be the master of ceremonies of the event.

The event will be a video of an event held last week aboard the Scientology: Freewinds Motor Vessel - an advanced Scientology religious retreat.

Here are some more interesting sites about Scientology

The Real Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology: Theology and Practice
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Scientology
Church of Scientology International European Public Affairs and Human Rights Office
Scientology and Religious Tolerance
Scientology A comparison with Religions of the East and West

Here's a terrific site for kids: KinderStart - Because Kids Don't Come With Instructions!

Here's what they say about their site:

"KinderStart is the largest (and most popular) indexed directory and search engine focused on children zero to seven on the 'net.

The mission of our small but dedicated staff is to provide parents, grandparents, foster parents and teachers with the most organized, and easiest to use index and search engine available."

One of the perils of the Internet comes from one of its greatest strengths - the instant availability of information of all kinds.

Where this has increased the speed and effectiveness of research 1000%, whether for professional or personal purposes, it opens the door to our kids being exposed to things they are not ready to cope with.

Hell, I don't like it when I get hit with porn pop-ups and I shudder to think of the effect of this on kids.

So this kind of portal is such a great idea.

Some of the categories I particularly recommend are:

KinderStart - Arts and Entertainment

KinderStart - Sports and Exercise

and of course:

KinderStart - Society/Culture/Environment : Religions : Scientology

One of my favorite essays is Personal Integrity by L. Ron Hubbard

I try to live up to this in all aspect of life.

I think it applies to so many areas - relationships, self-esteem, how hard you work on the job (are you punching the clock or are you trying to make a difference) and one's own spirituality and religion beliefs.

Here's an interesting discussion on the latter.

Beautiful Horizons: The Religion Discussion

I have several friends who are aboard the Freewinds right now in the Caribbean, attending a week of events that commemorate the release of one of the most advanced levels of our religion.

These events will be videoed and shown to Scientologists all over the world in the month of July. One thing I really love about Scientology is how active my friends and I are in working in our communities to improve conditions. There is usually a lot of information on the most effective community programs covered in these events.

It's also just fun to get together with other members of the Church of Scientology at events like this and just catch up on one another.

So I'm looking forward to July 3rd which will be the first such event this summer.

Scientology and Religious Tolerance

The Church of Scientology is very active in working to guarantee freedom of religion for all people. Religious tolerance is an essential aspect of any free society.

Odd as it might seem, religious intolerance is quite a problem in Western European countries, as shown in this article about a recent law passed in France.

There have been similar attempt to curtail the free practice and expression of religious faith in Germany, Belgium and other western European countries as well.

This disturbing trend lead to the establishment of the Church of Scientology International European Public Affairs and Human Rights Office in Brussels, the center of the new Europe.

Representatives of the Church of Scientology International work with other human rights and religious tolerance groups and governmental bodies to expose and eradicate abuses in this area.

As religious intolerance is spawned by false and alarming information, I recommend the following web sites on Scientology that provide accurate information, including material published by the church and information by scholars, ministers and other groups not affiliated with Scientology.

Information on Scientology

Religioustolerance.org - Scientology
Scientology - Austin Interreligious Ministries
Americanreligion.org The Church of Scientology
Scientology on Beliefnet.com
Scientology by Rev. J. Nation
Scientology (CESNUR)
Church of Scientology - The Foundation for Religious Freedom
What is Scientology? - the Book
Church of Scientology International - Scientology Huan Rights Director
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Scientology
Scientology Effective Solutions
Church of Scientology: The Bonafides of the Scientology Religion
Scientology Effective Solutions - Teaching Honesty and Self-Respect for Happiness and a Bright Future
Reviews for the book: The Church of Scientology
Scientology Volunteer Ministers
Scientology and Dianetics from an Indian Perspective
World Institute of Scientology Entreprises - WISE

Ethics and Morals

This article just showed up on Google news ( Affair was a terrible moral error: Clinton) and it once again brings up a point that affects all of us in America,whether we care to recognize it or not. This is the plummeting of moral standards in the US and most countries in the West.

An essay on Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, by L. Ron Hubbard really puts this in perspective. He wrote this in the late 1970's, and I think anyone could agree that there has been a tremendous deterioration in morals in the 25 years since.

I remember how a friend of mine in College, whom I really looked up to at the time, convinced me that morality was just another way the Establishment controls you - that by breaking free of all contstraints including morality one would be more enlightened, self-determined and free.

And I believed her at the time.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

My church (Scientology) recognizes the importance of its role as a religion in helping people improve their moral standards. Simply put, if you are living in a criminal society where you can't trust your friends and family, let alone the people you interact with at work and in your community, how happy can you be? So if only from the selfish point of view of your own happiness, improving moral values promotes greater survival.

There is a great new site from the Church of Scientology which is part of its mission to help offer workable solutions to this social dilemma.

Dianetics

It wasn't long after I started following my college friend's advice that my life fell apart. Fortunately for me another friend, who really was a friend, told me about Dianetics, and I read the book .

On-Line Dianetics Book

If you can't get to a bookstore or library (unlikely), or borrow a Dianetics book from a friend (there are so many in circulation I bet if you asked around, someone you know has a copy of it), you can still read a book on Dianetics if you are reading this page, because it is on line here: Evolution of a Science

More information about Ethics and Morality

Basics of Ethics and Morals
Moral Development Education for Young People
The Way to Happiness - Ethics & Morals
Ethics & Moral Values
The Way to Happiness

More information on Dianetics

Church of Scientology - Dianetics Answers and Authentic Information
Scientology Training/Dianetics Training
Dianetics and Scientology Stories From Founding Scientologists
About Scientology: Dianetics and a New Era for Mankind
Scientology Missions offer basic Dianetics and Scientology services

A Great Scientology Directory

Zeal.com is a volunteer-based directory. It supplies the non-profit sites for LookSmart

Looking through their Scientology category I found they have a lot of information. In fact it is a very complete source of good web sites about the Church of Scientology.

Here are some of the best categories:

Zeal.com - Scientology - Beliefs & Practices
Zeal.com - Scientology - Guides & Directories
Zeal.com - Texts & Teachings
Zeal.com - United States Scientology - Prominent Figures

Scientology Volunteer Ministers in Harlem

I'm originally from New York, and I am thrilled about what's happening in Harlem - a brand new Church of Scientology of Harlem and the launch of a Scientology Volunteer Ministers exhibit, bringing real and practical solutions.

Isaac Hayes Kicks Off National Tour In Harlem
Showing Potent Tools For Improving Life And Restoring Respect

Mr. Hayes Helps Launch Scientology Drive

The Church of Scientology Volunteer Ministers launched a national campaign
with a three week exhibit in Harlem, teaching L. Ron Hubbard’s practical
techniques which people of all faiths can use to be more successful,
improve family life, get better jobs, handle study and drug problems
and restore respect in the individual and the community.

"The methods used by the Volunteer Ministers got wide media
coverage for their effectiveness at the World Trade Center
Disaster," said Reverend Willie E. Frink Jr. Pastor for the Harlem
Church of Scientology. "But shock, trauma, fatigue and injury are
not the only problems people have in life. Many of the problems
people encounter—drug dependency, the decay of personal integrity, a
disintegrating marriage, can seem overwhelming."

"What people see on this tour," said Rev. Frink, "is that no
matter what the problem, something can be done about it. You
just have to know what to do, and the methods on display here,
developed by author L. Ron Hubbard for use by people of all faiths,
are actual, practical tools for dealing with those difficulties."

Visual aids, lots of personal attention, and individual
demonstrations by guides throughout the display are used throughout
to ensure everyone who visits gets a clear idea how to handle
problems which they thought were hopeless.

Scientology Volunteer Ministers Links

Scientology Effective Solutions - Volunteer Ministers Bringing effective help to the community
The Church of Scientology - Volunteer Minister Program - Freedom Magazine Published by Church of Scientology
Abbas Zawawi & JoJo Zawawi - Volunteer Ministers
Clearwater's Volunteer Ministers - Providing a Helping Hand - Freedom Magazine
Clergy Corner: Scientology Volunteers

Check out this new blog from a friend of mine, Marci Murray: Cranpup's Bog Blog Such a cute name (it's about a Cranberry bog).

They also have a great site about their cranberry business here: Cranberries --- Royal Ruby Cranberries. Not just a berry... It's a Ruby! -- Cranberry Health. Cranberry Recipes. Cranberry Facts.


And they have a Scientology resource directory here: Scientology Resource Directory

I had some information about cranberries being a very healthy food, but reading through their site I learned a lot more about the subject!

I just found a fascinating article about a family of Behuoins living in Israel. They are also Scientologists, as it happens, which is what initially caught my eye. But reading the article I found yet another piece of the complex puzzle of how involved the situation is in Israel.

You can read the article here: Haaretz - Israel News - Family Affair / The Abu Zaids

As it says in the article: "The problem: There are 146,000 Bedouin in Israel, of whom 70,000 live in recognized villages; 76,000 reside in 1,600 unrecognized settlements.

"The solution (Sleiman's): To establish 45 new settlements for all the 'unrecognized' Bedouin and to recognize their rights to their farmlands. "

Scientology Study Tech

The Church of Scientology International European Public Affairs and Human Rights Office in Brussels is doing excellent work to make Scientology Study Tech known and available to the countries of Europe and Africa.

In a recent booklet, published by the Church of Scientology, the following information on literacy is discussed:

Nearly 1 thousand million people in the world are illiterate or functionally illiterate, with between 113 million and 125 million children not attending school at risk of joining them. In Europe an estimated 10 to 20% of the population do not have the basic literacy skills vital for survival in today's world.

Statistics show the problem to be as devastating as ever, a situation which portends a constantly precarious economic scene. Internationally, the impact of illiteracy in the workplace is an estimated 1183 thousand million annually due to lowered productivity and resultant unemployment and crime. Businesses are forced to develop their own remedial programmes to teach employees the basic reading, writing and computational skills necessary to function on the job.

The full text of this article can be read here: Scientology Effective Solutions - Advancing literacy and education

Additional Information on Scientology Study Tech

Scientology Study Tech: Learning is fun.

About Effective Education and Training: Scientology Study Tech

Scientology Handbook: Chapter on Scientology Study Tech

Scientology Volunteer Ministers use Scientology Study Tech

Study Tech Services from the Church of Scientology International

Here are some sites with good information about Scientology training and counseling, and the history and activities of Scientology churches.

Church of Scientology International Answers Questions About the Scientology Religion

Scientology Principles. How to Learn about Scientology.

Dianetics

Dianeticsis such a big part of my life, I like to speak about it from time to time.

The book Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health was written in 1950, which was only 5 years after the end of World War II and the deployment of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in warfare.

The world was still pulling out of the shock created by the immense damage wreaked by these bombs.

Anyone see the parallel to the year 2004? Two and a half years after 9/11 and suffering not only from the specacle of the destruction of the World Trade Center, but from two years of war, and now having to confront the depths to which our own troops can fall, with the clear evidence of human rights violations to Afghan and Iraqui soldiers.

How to make sense out of what we see on CNN and read in the "Times"?

Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health explains what lies behind such acts of inhumanity.

I can't recommend it highly enough to anyone who walks away from incidents like these wondering about our fellow citizens of Earth, no matter the nationality.

More on Dianetics and Scientology

De Hulpgids - Dianetics en Scientology Portal

Dianetics: the Evolution of a Science

Jag's Catherine Bell Signs L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics Book Packages For Troops At The Book Expo America

Understanding the Scientology Religious Doctrine