Here's a directory I'd never seen before. It has sites from 28 languages: http://www.mavicanet.com/

They also have a very good selection of information about Dianetics and Scientology (my favorite).

Speaking of foreign languages, I get such a kick out of seeing Dianetics in other languages. Here are a few of my favorites (because they are so unlike English).

Macedonian Dianetics
Vietnamese Dianetics
Georgian Dianetics
Bulagrian Dianetics
and even Sinhalese Dianetics.

There is something very exciting to me to know that people all around the world are reading this book and getting help, as we (I) speak!

Nice description of Scientology here:

"Scientology is an applied religious philosophy. It holds in common many of the beliefs of other religions and philosophies, and considers man to be a spiritual being, with more to him than flesh and blood. This, of course, is a very different view to that espoused by prevailing scientific thought which views man as but a material object, a complex combination of chemical compounds and stimulus-response mechanisms.

Scientology believes man to be basically good, not evil. It is his experiences that have led him to commit evil deeds, not his nature. Often, he mistakenly solves his problems by considering only his own interests, which then causes trouble for both himself and others."

The rest of the article can be found here: Scientology

Here's a great article I found in the Boston People's Voice

"A New Ministry Reaches Out"

The Scientology Volunteer Ministry of Codman Square is running free after-school study skiils training as well as hosting routine community meetings, all in an effort to get involved in Dorchester, an area of Boston that one would not expect the Church of Scientology to set up shop in.

"These are some of the many initiatives that we are working on to help out the community," states the ministry's director Rev. Robert W. Castagna, a Cambridge resident and photographer who has worked within the community setting for years. "I started off teaching photography to senior citizens , kids and the homeless all on a volunteer basis. Then I decided to make my impact greater and get involved as a minister. I also run a Scientology prison ministry."

Robert's wife, Ksenia, a musicial who has opened for the likes of Willie Nelson, Robert Cray and the Indicgo Girls, has started to wrok along side her husband and is the supervisor of the after-school iitiative. Her vision is to not just help people with their homework, but to instill positive study habits into student sand adults alike, that will last them a lifetime and truly make a difference for the long haul.

While Rev. Catagna states that he is an outsider, living in Cambridge, growing up in the Berkshires and opening up a ministry in Dorchester, he feels it is just another challenge to overcome. "To me it is not a matter of black and white. It is a matter of hey, I see there is a need over there, let's do something about it."

"I read in the paper that gangs are organizing and that there is senseless violence. From this I say Scientology has some solutions that can help," says Rev. Castagna. "So I get busy doing something."

The Scientology philosophy is founded on the works of L. Ron Hubbard. The Scientology Volunteer Ministry provides free booklets and service tot he community and can be reached at (617) 82504280. The ministry is located at 628 Washington Street in Codman Square. The after school initiative is available free of charge and is ehld Wednesdays from 2:00 to 7:00. Parents are encouraged to get involved and volunteers are provided free training.


By the way, Robert is a terrific photographer, as aluded to in the article. Here's an example of his work:

Tom Cruise y La Nueva Iglesia de Cienciología de España

I am thrilled to hear that Tom Cruise is attending the grand opening of the new Church of Scientology of Spain in Madrid.

For the past couple of years I've know that this beautiful new church is being renovated and that it is located in the most beautiful part of Madrid in a classic building. But this adds even more to the mix!

Here's the invitation I received. I SO wish I could go. Anyone in Spain, or Europe for the matter, should make it over there. This is an opportunity of a lifetime (and I personally think it will be a turning point for Scientology, not just in Spain but throughout Europe and a major step in accomplishing 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, are the aims of Scientology."

Here are some useful links and information on the subject:

Los cienci&oacutr;logos no están dispuestos a castigar a los drogadictos o a reformar una sociedad entera en este tema. Pero s&iacure; que están dispuestos y activos para ayudar a cualquiera o a cualquier gobierno a resolver el problema.
La Nueva Iglesia de Cienciología de Madrid y os cienciólogos están dedicados a resolver el problema en todos sus aspectos.
Cienciología en Español
Cienciología: Cómo Liberar a la Sociedad de las Drogas

One of the first places that Dianetics caught on, after the US, was Australia.

I have met some of the founding Dianeticists and Scientologist from Australia and they are pretty incredible people. Getting on in years now - all of them at least in their 70's - they forged the way to making Dianetics and Scientology a reality in that country.

Of course we now have Bulgarian Dianetics, Arabic Dianetics, Macedonian Dianetics not to mention Vietnamese and Sinhalese Dianetics with plans to translate it into every language on earth - but in 1950 it was only in English and so English speaking countries were the first to have the opportunity to study and practice Dianetics at least in the early 50's.

I have some very good friends from Australia. I really like their temperment and sense of humor - there's such a cheeful and outgoing attitude among the Aussies I know.

We have quite a few Scientology churches in Australia, and they have some very interesting Scientolgy web sites too, such as this one about Dianetics..

I read Dianetics again recently. I've read it several times, but each time I get more out of it. I remember the first time I ever read it. It was quite a life-changing experience because I finally understood why people (myself included) act the way they do. I was determined right then and there to be a Dianetics Auditor (counselor) and sure enough, the things I've done to help others as an auditor are some of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had.

For example, there was a friend who had been in Viet Nam. He'd never been able to come to grips with why he survived and so many of his friends did not. He was stuck back there in time and so much of what he was going through in life was colored by his decisions from more than 30 years ago. Then when he came back home, he was so introverted and out of it he missed spotting that one of his best friends was really depressed. This friend committed suicide and he could never forgive himself for neglecting him what he needed help.

We took this up in an auditing session. And when we were done he felt truly cheerful for the first time in years.

He no longer felt he couldn't live his own life because others he could have helped had died.

To be able to help someone like that is about the most precious gift I can imagine.

When you think about it, the fact that L. Ron Hubbard not only figured out what was going on with people and the mind, and not only did he work out a therapy that will handle these things, but that he wrote it up in books, and recorded lectures on the subject and kept at it until he had worked out how he could train anyone on the subject - that is truly incredible.

Here are some sites for anyone who'd like to know more about Scientology, Dianetics and L. Ron Hubbard.

MavicaNet Scientology and Dianetics Directory
Dianetics: The Evolution of a Science
Dianetics Tone Scale Test
L. Ron Hubbard on Epolitix.org

I am very excited about the grand opening of the new Church of Scientology of New York, which is going to happen later this month.

The church right in the theater district on West 43rd street, and it has been completely refurbished.

One of my favorite Scientology quotes is "You are a spirit. You are your own soul. You are not mortal. You can be free" and the purpose of Scientology is to put you into the position where you can and have actually accomplished personal spiritual freedom.

L. Ron Hubbard's legacy is a technology that can be applied to accomplish this goal. But since it is a technology of life it applies to every facet of living, and can help the individual overcome problems, help others, excel in his or her chosen field. It helps you to study, it increases IQ and reaction time. It helps improve relationships. In short it touches and can improve any aspect of life because it contains the basic truths about life.

Consequently, all our churches, missions and Scientology groups have simple courses and auditing (spiritual counseling) that will address what the individual most wants to improve in his or her life.

There are many such services, and from what I've heard there will be many many more soon.

Most of these services cost less than a night out at a club or dinner and a movie, but where the enjoyment of such diversion lasts an evening and may bring some pleasure contemplating it for a couple of days, what you gain from one of these Scientology courses or counseling services actually actually handles things, actually improving your life.

And I can think of no city that deserves Scientology more than New York. After all, New York is the best city on earth. Isn't it?

All kidding aside, New York has always been a special place to me, and September 11th only strenghthened my care for and loyalty toward it.

There are three New York Scientology Chuches:

The Church of Scientology of New York
The Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre New York
and
The Church of Scientology of Harlem.

Harlem is a brand new church and primarily concentrates on delivering Dianetics spiritual healing technology through the Harlem Dianetics foundation. Dianetics was the first breakthrough of L. Ron Hubbard in his research that culminated a few years later in the Scientology religion.

Although it is a very new Scientology church it is working with the community on many projects while renovations are ongoing for the new building that will soon be its home.

A Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre is a special church in its own rite. The New York Scientology Celebrity Centre is located, appropriately, just down the block from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this church is dedicated to advancing the culture through caring for the artists and leaders of the society. Of course anyone is welcome to come and receive Scientology training and counseling at Celebrity Centre New York, but this church provides special training workshops and consultation for artists in every kind.

With all the differences and hostilities we see in the world between different ethnic groups, those things we hold in common could use some emphasis.

In Scientology we have a principle called ARC. This principle is covered fully in the Scientology Handbook which says, in part :"There are three factors in Scientology which are of the utmost importance in handling life....These three factors in Scientology are called the ARC triangle. The abbreviation ARC (pronounced A-R-C rather than arc) is one of the most useful terms yet devised.

The ARC triangle is called a triangle because it has three related points. The first of these points is affinity. The second of these points is reality. The third of these points and the most important is communication.

These three factors are related. By affinity we mean emotional response. We mean the feeling of affection or lack of it, of emotion or misemotion (irrational or inappropriate emotion) connected with life. By reality we mean the solid objects, the real things of life. By communication we mean an interchange of ideas between two terminals (persons who can receive, relay or send a communication). Without affinity there is no reality or communication. Without reality there is no affinity or communication. Without communication there is neither affinity nor reality.>>"

In our church we are working to bridge the gap between waring cultures by working with people on a one-to-one basis.



One way we doing this is by helping people find and read Dianetics and start up Dianetics groups in their neighborhoods. For example Dianetics is published in Arabic and Hebrew; in Urdu in Pakistan and in India in
Hindi

We believe that by helping people overcome their personal areas of irrationality we can build a real peace - one that will continue because people of good will enforce it and see to it.

Interesting article by Scott Shane of the Baltimore Sun
with the title "Deadly craft of biowarfare nothing new to U.S. government" refers to an expose done by Freedom Magazine in 1980.
Here's a link to the Freedom page on this expose: http://www.freedommag.org/english/vol2704/unlock.htm

They designed deadly, silent biological dart guns and hid them in fountain pens and walking sticks. They crunched lethal bacteria into suit buttons that could be worn unnoticed across borders. They rigged light fixtures and car tailpipes to loose an invisible spray of anthrax.

They practiced germ attacks in airports and on the New York subway, tracking air currents and calculating the potential death toll.

But they weren't a band of al-Qaida fanatics -- or enemies of any kind. They were biowarriors in the U.S. Army's Special Operations Division at Fort Detrick.

From 1949 to 1969, at the jittery height of the Cold War, the division tested the nation's vulnerability to covert germ warfare and devised weapons for secret biological attacks if the United States chose to mount them.

****

I have no reason to believe that they've suddenly changed their ways over the past 15 years.