In a recent article, someone with an axe to grind against my religion made a big thing out of Scientology “holding sway” in Venezuela’s politics. First of all, the Church of Scientology is a religious, non-profit organization. While some ...
Published: Friday, March 03, 2006
Scientology: Venezuela is going through times of deep change and evolution
Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 23:28:44 -0300
Subject: Venezuela, moral values, and my religion
In a recent article, someone with an axe to grind against my religion made
a big thing out of Scientology “holding sway” in Venezuela’s politics.
First of all, the Church of Scientology is a religious, non-profit organization.
While some individuals (usually disgruntled apostates, lawsuit-happy cry-babies, and special interest drones) may object, the fact is that the Church of Scientology is considered a bonafide religious body by the US Supreme Court, by many other Nations, and as far as I know by the government of Venezuela as well.
As a Scientologist for over two decades, I’ve witnessed first-hand the prejudice society can dish out against a philosophy they don’t understand.
Also as a Scientologist for 20+ years I have witnessed first-hand the positive effects my understanding of Scientology principles has had on my family, my friends, my children. As a Scientologist I’ve donated my time, money and effort to help the relief effort at the World Trade Center in September 2001, I’ve traveled to Indonesia where I’ve distributed food and water and brought spiritual counseling to tsunami survivors, I’ve spent three weeks in hurricane-torn Mississippi distributing food to Katrina survivors.
- Scientology is a new religion, and thus prone to controversy. Most new religions went through same -- Christians in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Mormons in the 19th, even Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Baha’i experienced gross persecution in the 20th century.
Scientology is no friend of the George W. Bush posse. Let us not forget that George Bush senior sits on the board of directors of Elli Lilly, one of the drug companies poisoning Americans with addictive psychiatric drugs. Scientology activism threatens the trillion-dollar psychiatric-drug empire. So of course these ruthless drug companies spend their money smearing our Church in the media.
Most of what you read about us Scientologists in the “news” is complete fabrication.
In terms of Venezuela specifically, the actual organization that “holds sway” (if such an __expression can be used) is not the Church of Scientology, but a separate organization created by Scientology’s Founder L. Ron Hubbard called The Way To Happiness Foundation.
This organization simple promotes morals and values in society, primarily by distributing a booklet of 21 precepts based on common sense, including such principles as doing to others what one wants done to oneself, respecting one’s elders, being kind to children and setting a good example.
- I find it remarkable that the writer of the VHeadline article in question would object to such principles as being kind to children.
Venezuela -- and Latin America in general -- is going through times of deep change and evolution. Any help that Venezuela can get steering its youth toward good values and a moral life, any help making the people of Venezuela a stronger, more self-reliant nation should be welcome, not derided and cynically questioned. Someone’s got their priorities mixed up.
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Scientology apologist sounds like Jehovah's Witnesses apologist
