Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Human Rights Day 2011: Church of Scientology Spearheading Human Rights Education

On the 63rd anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Church of Scientology urges mandatory human rights education as the key to its full implementation of the Declaration.

Human rights are the rights that belong to everyone without exception—to people of any color, creed, age, ethnicity or gender. But as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon pointed out in his Human Rights Day message this year, “…unless we know them, unless we demand they be respected, and unless we defend our rights — and the right of others — to exercise them, they will be just words in a decades-old document.”

To make the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights known to all, the Church of Scientology has undertaken a massive human rights education initiative, reaching more than 180 million people in 2011 with the information on human rights in 17 languages.

The United Nations estimates that 2.45 million people are trafficked each year, nearly a billion live in hunger, and almost half the world’s population subsists on less than $2.50 a day, making it clear any momentum generated this year must continue and that education and insistence on human rights has never been more vital.

In a global demonstration of support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its 30 rights, Scientology Churches and Missions marked Human Rights Day with seminars, rallies, concerts, round tables, forums and festivals, and helped organize more than 80 human rights walks in 26 countries to raise awareness of the Declaration and the need for its full implementation.

In 1969, L. Ron Hubbard wrote, “The United Nations came up with the answer. An absence of human rights stained the hands of governments and threatened their rules. Very few governments have implemented any part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. These governments have not grasped that their very survival depends utterly upon adopting such reforms and thus giving their peoples a cause, a civilization worth supporting, worth their patriotism.”

For more than four decades, the Church has worked to make the Universal Declaration of Human Rights broadly known. The Declaration appeared in the first edition of Freedom Magazine, the Church’s human rights journal, in 1968. In 1998, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Declaration, the Church carried out the first of five annual cross-European marathons, reaching an estimated 33 million with its message in support of human rights.

Ten years ago, the Church began publishing materials that present the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in terms anyone can understand. These booklets, award-winning public service announcements and human rights documentary videos are available free of charge to any individual or group.

“There are many examples in history of what individuals can accomplish by demanding their rights and insisting on the rights of others,” says Rev. Robert Adams, Vice President of the Church of Scientology International. “But a knowledge of these rights comes first. The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, yet in many ways, despite advances, the violations of its articles are as abhorrent today as they were six decades ago. We work with many dedicated groups, organizations, agencies and government bodies to make human rights a reality. To achieve this goal, education in human rights must be mandatory, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights must be given the force of law.”

Since Human Rights Day 2010, through direct action and sponsorship of activities and materials, the Church of Scientology has reached hundreds of millions of people with humans rights information, distributing more than 2 million publications and providing educational materials to more than 45,000 human rights organizations and 4,500 educators and educational institutions.

________

The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in the United States in 1954 and has grown to more than 9,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups and millions of members in 165 countries.



Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Friday, November 11, 2011

Church of Scientology Celebrates the Opening of an Entirely New Church in Inglewood and Community Center in South Los Angeles

5,000 Scientologists, guests and city officials gathered Saturday November 5, for the dedication of an entirely new Church of Scientology and Church of Scientology Community Center. The Church stands in the heart of downtown, at 315 South Market Street, and reflects the growth of a new Scientology congregation amongst these communities. The neighboring Community Center stands just a few minutes away in South Los Angeles, at 8039 South Vermont Avenue. Together this Church and Community Center provide for all Scientology religious services as well as its many humanitarian initiatives and social betterment programs for the benefit of Inglewood and South Los Angeles.

The new Inglewood Church of Scientology on South Market Street houses a Public Information Center presenting the beliefs and practices of the Scientology religion as well as the life and legacy of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. The Information Center further provides an overview of the many Church-sponsored humanitarian programs. These programs include a worldwide human rights initiative, an equally far-ranging drug education and prevention campaign, global networks of literacy and learning centers and the Scientology Volunteer Minister program now comprising the largest independent relief force on Earth. The Information Center’s multimedia displays include nearly 500 documentary films.

The new Community Center on Vermont Avenue is housed in an historic art deco landmark that dates from the early 1930s and which the Church has meticulously restored. It features a 380-seat event hall, the L. Ron Hubbard Community Auditorium, designed for community events and as a meeting ground for residents of all denominations. In that respect, it is a venue dedicated to community-wide initiatives in the spirit of the Founder’s vision of all church denominations working together to achieve the common dream of all religions. The Center further features numerous classrooms and seminar facilities for a full range of civic programs, including a complete literacy and tutoring center.

Marking the significance of the occasion, Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, officiated at the ceremony. In pointing to what this day represents, Mr. Miscavige stated:

“This new Church of Scientology is quite literally imbued with the contributions and global spirit of Scientologists from more than a hundred nations. In that respect, it reflects the greater shape of Scientology—both body and soul. Moreover, it reflects the attributes of greatness all religions traditionally sought to inspire, including decency, nobility, compassion and charity. And that's also the spirit in which we provide our new Community Center, open for use by one and all, for the benefit of all its residents.”

Welcoming the new Church were Inglewood City Councilmember, Ralph Franklin; Inglewood Chief of Police, Jacqueline Seabrooks; President of NAACP Los Angeles, Leon Jenkins; Executive Director of the gang intervention group 2nd Call, Skipp Townsend; and Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray, retired head of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles and now Professor of Religious Studies at USC.

City Councilmember Ralph Franklin welcomed the new Church: “I for one am very excited about your move to your new home. Thank you for being our anchor to Market Street. You are helping revitalize downtown and offering us a platform from which we can make a segue into our greater future. I have faith that your presence will be the catalyst for this city’s renaissance. And so it is with great pleasure that on behalf of all of us here in the City of Inglewood I say congratulations on your new home and welcome to the family.”

Chief of Police Jacqueline Seabrooks spoke of the solutions offered by the Church’s anti-drug initiative: “I have been aware of your Drug-Free World program and know that this program has been supported by various entities here in Inglewood and in the larger environment. I must say that I am impressed by your dedicated initiative to ensure ‘The Truth About Drugs’ message is made available to everyone. Your volunteers are an active force, distributing educational materials and holding drug education seminars. Your colorful, information booklets are popular and effective. Because I have a strong background in education, I admire what you've done and what you continue to do to bring the drug abuse issue into the educational arena.”

Los Angeles NAACP President Leon Jenkins recognized the effectiveness of the Church’s human rights programs: “The Church of Scientology is taking an instrumental role in the change we need because what your Church does is address the individual. You know that everybody is different. That’s why your human rights program speaks to every one of us. And one by one you are helping to bring about a just society that can live in harmony together. The Church sets a standard for others in religion and in human rights. I think there are quite some groups that could take a lesson or two from you all. My hat is off to you for that.”

Executive Director of 2nd Call, Skipp Townsend, acknowledged the empowerment that comes from the Church’s programs: “We are grateful that the Church of Scientology is here and provides a stream of resources to the City of Inglewood. Your church is an open door to those individuals who seek betterment in the community. The beauty of it is that the Church has both developed a community and opened the doors to the community. That’s not just development, that’s empowerment. You empower the people. And I am sure the Church will continue the empowerment process by leaving the door open, so they can come in and get the resources and benefits you have to offer.”

Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray, retired head of the First A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles and now Professor of Religious Studies at USC, expressed highest regard for Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology: “My friends, this new Church is an opportunity to make change. I encourage you, the community, to take full advantage. L. Ron Hubbard was a genius of a man who could say, ‘Here’s the problem, here’s the solution, and here are the details of how you achieve that solution.’ Well here is a mansion that has been constructed by L. Ron Hubbard, an architect of the soul and a designer of dreams. Our challenge is to make use of what we have been given. I am so very thankful for what you bring us today. God bless you all.”

_________________

Church of Scientology Ideal Orgs realize the fulfillment of Founder L. Ron Hubbard’s vision for the religion. Ideal Orgs not only provide the ideal facilities to service Scientologists on their spiritual ascent, but they are also designed to serve as a home for the entire community and a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift citizens of all denominations.

The Church of Scientology of Inglewood is the third Ideal Org to open in the Greater Los Angeles area since 2010. Other Ideal Churches of Scientology opened in 2011 include:

For a complete list of new Churches of Scientology, visit Scientology.org.

_________________

The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in Los Angeles in 1954 and the religion has expanded to more than 9,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 165 countries.



Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Church of Scientology Cuts Ribbon on Twin Cities Landmark Home in Minnesota’s Capital of St. Paul

Scientologists, guests, state and city officials assembled in downtown St. Paul, Saturday October 22, for the dedication of the new Church of Scientology Twin Cities. The Church stands at 505 Wabasha Street and was formerly home to the Science Museum of Minnesota. The acquisition of the 82,000-square-foot facility in the heart of St. Paul was necessitated by the meteoric growth of the resident Scientology community. The Church of Scientology Twin Cities is now the largest Scientology facility in the American Midwest and will serve parishioners from Wisconsin to the Dakotas.

Located just blocks from the State Capitol and St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Church is additionally adjacent to the famed Fitzgerald Theater and so forms an “historic square” of buildings in downtown St. Paul. The premises were carefully renovated to preserve its most memorable features, including the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Wabasha Street and the three-story atrium. Also faithfully preserved was the original 300-seat IMAX Theater, now to serve as the Scientology Chapel and community meeting ground for citizens of all denominations.

Just off the expansive reception is a Public Information Center presenting the beliefs and practices of the Scientology religion as well as the life and legacy of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. The Information Center further provides an overview of the many Church-sponsored humanitarian programs. These programs include a worldwide human rights initiative, an equally far-ranging drug education and prevention campaign, global networks of literacy and learning centers and the Scientology Volunteer Minister program now comprising the largest independent relief force on Earth. The multimedia displays include nearly 500 documentary films.

In tribute to the import of the occasion, Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center and ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, officiated at the ceremony. In pointing to the significance of the day, Mr. Miscavige cited all that new Ideal Churches of Scientology traditionally bring to their surrounding communities, pledging the Church's resources and support across a broad range of civic programs for the benefit of all citizens. Thus, by dedicating a new Church for Minneapolis and St. Paul comes the inauguration of a new partnership in Twin Cities.

Welcoming the new Church were St. Paul City Councilmember Dave Thune; Minnesota State Senator Sandra Pappas; Minnesota State Representative Rena Moran; and President of the Minneapolis Chapter of MAD DADS (Men Against Destruction Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder), Mr. V.J. Smith.

In his salutary address, City Councilmember Dave Thune said: “I’m so happy to see that the Church of Scientology has moved into this landmark building. I always hate to see buildings go unused and sit vacant, especially in my Ward! So let me say this: thank you for moving across the river to the best side of Twin Cities.”

President of the Minneapolis Chapter of MAD DADS, Mr. V.J. Smith, addressed the Church’s anti-drug initiative: “I want to thank you, because we’ve already given out thousands of your Truth About Drugs booklets that show the impact drugs have on a person. The Church of Scientology and the Foundation for a Drug-Free World provided those to make it easier for us to do our job. You gave us a resource... and we’re really excited to see this beautiful Church open up in our community.”

Minnesota State Representative Rena Moran spoke of the Church’s pervasive volunteerism: “I believe very strongly in community engagement. And that is why I’m especially excited about your Volunteer Ministers and so impressed by the work that they do. It takes a certain kind of heart to give unconditional help to people you don’t even know and may never meet again. Your volunteers seem to specialize in that. They’re reaching out, they’re engaged, they’re facing the needs in our communities—and proving that something really can be done about it.”

Minnesota State Senator and leading proponent for human rights and human trafficking legislation, Sandra Pappas spoke to the Church’s award-winning Human Rights education materials and its longstanding support of human rights in general: “At the core of this support is an educational campaign that delivers a clear and impactful presentation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That is certainly a credible endeavor that I think you should be acknowledged for, so thank you. …I am proud of my work and you should be proud of your work to educate others on what are human rights. Please continue.”

_________________

The Church of Scientology of Twin Cities is the newest of dozens of Ideal Scientology Church Organizations (“Ideal Orgs”) opened in the past five years. Ideal Orgs realize the fulfillment of Founder L. Ron Hubbard’s vision for the religion and its Churches. Ideal Orgs not only provide the ideal facilities to service Scientologists on their spiritual ascent, but they are also designed to serve as a home for the entire community and a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift citizens of all denominations.

The Church of Scientology of Twin Cities is the fourth Ideal Org to open in 2011, joining these new Churches:

  • Other new churches opened in the past two years include Dallas; Nashville; Washington, D.C.; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Pasadena; Seattle; as well as Malmo, Sweden; Rome, Italy; Brussels, Belgium; Quebec City, Canada and Mexico City, Mexico.

For a complete list of new Churches of Scientology, visit Scientology.org.

_________________

The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in Los Angeles in 1954 and the religion has expanded to more than 9,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 165 countries.



Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Scientology News

The Scientology Media website at www.scientologynews.org is an excellent way to learn what Scientologists are doing in their churches and communities.

There is also an excellent biographical section on David Miscavige, the ecclesiastical leader of the religion.

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Monday, September 12, 2011

CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY ACQUIRES HOLLYWOOD STUDIO FACILITY



The Church of Scientology is pleased to have acquired the historic KCET studio lot in Hollywood. At nearly 5 acres, this studio includes two sound stages, extensive post production resources and state-of-the-art TV, satellite and Internet broadcasting capabilities. It is a perfect fit, in both size and location, for the expansion of the Church of Scientology's production of religious and social betterment audiovisual properties, and we welcomed the unexpected opportunity to acquire it. >>

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Church of Scientology of Pasadena—A Year of Contribution to the Community

Scientology Church celebrates its first year in Old Pasadena with community involvement and contribution high on its list of priorities.

On Saturday, July 30, 2011, the Church of Scientology of Pasadena hosted “Reversing Hunger—A Forum on the Most Basic Human Right.” The event was the latest in a series of community services and activities the Church has initiated, supported or sponsored over the past year since its July 2010 grand opening.

Pasadena Scientologists manned a drug-education and prevention booth at Villa Park last August to help make the city’s annual “National Night Out” a success.

In September, members of the Pasadena Church were key players in organizing and staging the 10th annual “Say No to Drugs” Race at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, held in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Agency’s “Take-Back” initiative, which focuses on curbing prescription drug abuse. Runners and fans alike returned home with copies of the Truth About Drugs series of drug-education booklets, distributed by volunteers from the Church’s “Say No to Drugs” group.

The environmentally conscious Church made news on Earth Day in April when local media reported, “It seemed fitting indeed that an Earth Day bicycle tour of Pasadena should end at the Church of Scientology of Pasadena’s 58,084-square-foot, newly certified LEEDS [Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design] energy efficient headquarters building on South Raymond Avenue.”

In May, the City of Pasadena’s Historic Preservation Commission, the California State Assembly and the California State Senate recognized the Church for its achievements in historical preservation.

Over the past 12 months, hundreds of local residents have enrolled on Life Improvement Courses offered by the Church, short courses that help the individual address everyday life issues such as relationship difficulties, coping with work or financial stress, raising children, and dealing with drug abuse, study problems and challenges to personal integrity.

The Church of Scientology of Pasadena is open to the public Monday through Friday 9 a.m.—10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m.—6 p.m. Visitors are welcome to tour the Church’s extensive first-floor Public Information Center containing multimedia displays illustrating Scientology beliefs, the life and legacy of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard and the full array of Church-sponsored social betterment and community outreach programs.

For more information:

Rev. Eden Stein
(626) 792-7532
edenms004@gmail.com.



Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Friday, June 24, 2011

GOLDEN ERA PRODUCTIONS RECEIVES TELLY AWARD FOR HOW TO USE DIANETICS


How to Use Dianetics
was honored Monday, June 13, with a Bronze Telly Award for Film or Video in the category of Religion and Spirituality. The film is a four-and-a-half-hour book on film of L. Ron Hubbard’s seminal work, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, the all-time best-selling book on the human mind.


This is the second coveted industry award received this month by the film, produced by Golden Era Productions, worldwide dissemination center for the entire Scientology religion, responsible for all film, video, television, Internet and international event production.

For more information about Golden Era Productions and the How to Use Dianetics DVD, visit www.Scientology.org.

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

The source and Founder of the Scientology religion is L. Ron Hubbard who devoted his life to finding answers to questions that have troubled Mankind for millennia. Mr. Hubbard’s intellectual rigor, his curiosity and boundless spirit of adventure inspired his search, even as a young man.

The first widely released results of Mr. Hubbard’s researches did not lie in Scientology, however, but in another field of endeavor: “Dianetics.” The word Dianetics comes from the Greek words dia, meaning “through” and nous, meaning “mind or soul,” and is defined as “what the mind (or soul) is doing to the body.”

Dianetics constituted L. Ron Hubbard’s first breakthrough. And it was his initial discoveries in this area that led to further researches and the exact isolation of the source of life itself.

Man does not have a spirit. He is a spirit. He has a mind and he has a body. Dianetics addresses and handles the effects of the spirit on the body. Dianetics thus helps provide relief from unwanted sensations and emotions, accidents and psychosomatic illnesses (ailments caused or aggravated by mental stress).

The word Scientology is taken from the Latin scio, which means “knowing, in the fullest sense of the word,” and the Greek word logos, meaning “study of.” It literally means knowing how to know. Scientology itself is defined as “the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, universes and other life.”

Scientology addresses the spiritual being. It directly raises his awareness and ability. And by so doing, he also becomes increasingly able to overcome the negative factors that impair him.



Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Friday, March 04, 2011

KARLA JO HELMS, A PORTRAIT OF A SUCCESSFUL PR


Everything in Karla Jo Helms’ life was just fine—on the surface. But appearances were deceiving, she soon found out. Her profile is one of 200 “Meet a Scientologist” videos available on the Scientology website at www.Scientology.org.



Growing up in a high-end suburb of Houston, Texas, Karla Jo Helms lived in a “perfect” world where everything had its place and life was fine. Then she started to realize everything was not what it appeared to be, but no one could tell her why.

“I was 10 years old when I had my first inkling that something might be wrong. Despite the fancy cars and beautiful homes, people really weren’t happy,” says Helms.

Nonetheless, she carried on as expected.

With her sights on a career in dance from the time she was five, Helms attended private schools, college, did everything according to plan—until a back injury when she was 21 slammed the door shut on the one thing she’d always wanted to do in life.

“I was devastated,” says Helms. “And I suddenly realized I had no idea how to put my life back on track.”

Having heard about Scientology, and hoping it might have some answers, Helms walked into the Church of Scientology Mission in Houston. She went in looking for help, not sympathy—and what she found was herself.

“They encouraged me to think for myself and decide based on what was true for me,” says Helms. “In his essay called ‘Personal Integrity,’ L. Ron Hubbard wrote, ‘Personal integrity is knowing what you know. What you know is what you know and to have the courage to know and say what you have observed.’ So I started looking for things that were true for me. That was tremendously empowering. It was a turning point in my life.”

Studying administrative technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, Helms learned basic skills that contributed to her success in the business world. She gravitated toward public relations, which matched perfectly with her inherent abilities.

After managing the PR for a Florida-based Inc 500 company for several years, Helms decided to open her own PR firm in the first quarter of 2009. It was the height of the economic downturn, and friends were advising caution, but although she understood the risks, Helms assessed her skills and the local scene and went forward with her plans. Her judgment proved sound and her business is thriving.

“I love the Tampa Bay area and I like to give back,” says Helms. “We do quite a bit of pro bono work on community events and activities, including the local Boys and Girls Club. We took on the Clearwater Super Boat National Championship Festival, helping make it a total success. A project like that takes a lot of work, but it’s interesting that the more work we do for the community, the more we expand.”

What she has learned in Scientology has helped Helms pull together a team of very talented people, including the perfect business partner. They all love working hard and helping their clients succeed.

Helms approaches life with energy, self-assurance and the knowledge that whatever comes next, she’s ready.

“Scientology is a big part of me,” says Helms. “It taught me the basics of how to operate in life, how to improve my abilities and reach my goals. It gave me the certainty of who I am and the confidence to be myself, and that’s the best of all.”

View the Karla Jo Helms video at Scientology.org.

###

The popular “Meet a Scientologist” profiles on the Church of Scientology International Video Channel at Scientology.org now total 200 broadcast-quality documentary videos featuring Scientologists from diverse locations and walks of life. The personal stories are told by Scientologists who are educators, teenagers, skydivers, a golf instructor, a hip-hop dancer, IT manager, stunt pilot, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, engineers, students, business owners and more.

A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, in April 2008 the Church of Scientology became the first major religion to launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, which has now been viewed by millions of visitors.



Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Monday, February 07, 2011

What the New Yorker Missed--What Scientology Really Is

THEY ALWAYS KNEW HER BY HER LAUGH

Scientology restored Heidi Wolfaardt’s happiness and love of life. Her profile is one of 200“Meet a Scientologist” videos available on the Scientology website atwww.Scientology.org.

Scientology is the workable technology developed my L. Ron Hubbard--an incomparable genius who battled the power elite and status quo and never quit when it came to finding the truth and making it known.

It is the Church of Scientology whose ecclesiastical leader, David Miscavige, is tireless in making Scientology available to anyone who seeks to help himself or his friends, family or fellow man.

Scientology is the millions who have benefited from Scientology like this Scientologist:

In her “Meet a Scientologist” video on Scientology.org, Heidi Wolfaardt of South Africa tells how Scientology restored her belief in herself.

“It gave me data about personal integrity, to observe something and really see it for what it is for you, not what somebody else says,” she says. “At a point in my life I felt I lost that. Through Scientology I became my own best friend again.”

Right after she completed university in 1994, Wolfaardt first heard about Scientology from the sister of a friend. She immediately enrolled in a three-day seminar at the Church of Scientology of Johannesburg.

“Everything in the lectures was absolutely real to me—it was how I've viewed things my whole life,” she says. “There’s not a thing that I’ve asked about life or relationships or problems that I haven’t found a solution for in Scientology.”

This statement was truly put to the test in 2006 when Wolfaardt’s mother died of leukemia.

“I experienced an enormous feeling of sorrow,” she says. “It was constantly with me.”

It was then that Wolfaardt moved to Clearwater, Florida—the spiritual headquarters of the religion. She was devastated and needed help, and that help arrived in the form of Scientology spiritual counseling.

“Had it not been for Scientology I would not have been able to feel relief or move on,” she says. “I no longer have those dark clouds about me. Now it’s sunny days ahead again.”

When growing up, Wolfaardt was famous for her laugh—so unique that her friends could pick her out in a crowd just from the sound of it.

Because of Scientology she is laughing again.

View the Heidi Wolfaardt video at Scientology.org.



Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Meet a Scientologist: Scientology New Yorker and Subway Engineer, Phil

Scientology helped Phil Hargrow, New Yorker and New York City subway engineer, come to terms with his grief and help others

His profile is one of over 200 “Meet a Scientologist” videos available on the Scientology website at www.Scientology.org

NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2011 /NEWS.GNOM.ES/ — If you are one of 5 million people who daily ride the New York City subway system, Scientologist and Scientology New Yorker Phil Hargrow may be more important to you than you know.

A subway engineer for the past 26 years, Hargrow drives the Q train from Coney Island to Prospect Park in Brooklyn, under the Empire State Building and Times Square in Manhattan and on to Astoria, Queens.

Hargrow, 53, says every day presents unique challenges, from slamming on the brakes to avoid hitting a schoolboy who fell on the tracks as he pulled into the station, to helping a blind man get into the train after several hundred strangers stampeded past him to catch their connection, not to mention being the one on the receiving end of frustrated and angry passenger complaints.

“Irate passengers tend to vent their upsets on the man in the uniform,” says Hargrow. “My Scientology communication skills make it easier not to take it personally. I understand where they’re coming from, let them know I got what they’re saying and that’s usually enough to chill them out.”

But it’s not just when they’re angry that people search Hargrow out.

“For some reason, I’m the type of person people come to — not only for questions on how to get around the subway, but they want to talk. And each and every one of them has a different situation in their life.”

Hargrow credits Scientology with his faster reaction time and helping him stay alert, vital when you’re responsible for the safety of as many as a thousand people at a time.

A personal tragedy prompted Hargrow to look into Scientology. Nine years ago, the death of a close

friend in a car accident shattered him.

“There have been a lot of deaths in my family but this topped everything. For two years, I felt like I was weighted down,” he says.

Never much of a reader before, Hargrow knew he had to heal himself and for two years he read every religious and self-help book he could find.

“One day, I told a friend what I was going through and he pulled out the Dianetics book,” he says. “I started reading it and got the Dianetics DVD. A couple of days later I found an ad for a Dianetics Seminar in a paper someone left on my train and decided to check it out. After just a few hours of Dianetics auditing (spiritual counseling — from the Latin audire, meaning ‘to hear or listen’) that unbearable weight was gone.”

“Dianetics brought me so much relief so fast, I thought about the people in the neighborhood who have lost loved ones, the mothers and fathers who have lost children, how much they need this technology now.”

Hargrow, who now serves as a staff member of the Church of Scientology of Harlem when he’s not driving trains says, “There’s no greater feeling in the universe than to help another person.”

View the Phil Hargrow video at http://www.Scientology.org.

The popular “Meet a Scientologist” profiles on the Church of Scientology International Video Channel at Scientology.org now total over 200 broadcast-quality documentary videos featuring Scientologists from diverse locations and walks of life. The personal stories are told by Scientologists who are educators, teenagers, skydivers, a golf instructor, a hip-hop dancer, IT manager, stunt pilot, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, engineers, students, business owners and more.

A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, in April 2008 the Church of Scientology became the first major religion to launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, which has now been viewed by millions of visitors.

SOURCE Church of Scientology International

http://www.Scientology.org

Official Scientology News: ScientologyNews.org