All of the hubub about Tom Cruise en Deutschland with his making of the movie Valkyrie has generated waves of people trying to find out what Scientology is.  Odd, seeing as though the film has nothing whatever to do with Scientology, but it doesn’t matter — Mr. Cruise and the religion are inextricably related, and as such people will have questions whenever his name is mentioned.

In Berlin, to meet the demand for knowledge of Scientology, the massive Church of Scientology which was opened in January of this year is now selling German Scientology books on the Internet.  These are the new Scientology Basics by L. Ron Hubbard, released by Mr. David Miscavige in July of this year.

For a beginners’s introduction to Scientology, the best book to start with is Problems of Work (Die Probleme der Arbeit, en Deutsch).  Other titles are available as well, including Dianetics (Dianetik),  and Scientology: Fundamentals of Thought (Scientology: Die Grundlagen des Denkens). 

Each are also available with Extension Courses  you can do in that Church.

These are also avaliable in other German Churches as well, such as the Church of Scientology in Munich.

Blogged with Flock

Tags: scientology, deutchland, germany, tom cruise, book, david miscavige

Parishioners and staff have been working hand in hand to create the new Church of Scientology of Quebec .  The new church building is in old town in the center of town, with two faces – one on the traditional old town, walking street side, and the other on a more contemporary city street. 

• Scientology in Canada
• Scientology Quebec
• Ideal Scientology Orgs
• This is Scientology – by Mr. David Miscavige

technorati tags:scientology, quebec, canada, ideal, org

Blogged with Flock

Yet another one from the parade of stunning new Churches of Scientology being constructed around the world, is this one in Sunderland, England.  The Scientology Church in Sunderland, which is now relocating to nearby Newcastle, is expanding is community responsibilities and its size and scope is increasing commensurately. 

With the Church of Scientology London recently being built up as an Ideal Church of Scientology for the UK, other Scientology Churches around the UK are following suit.   Sunderland in particular, as per an answers.com article on such, was once famously hailed as the “Greatest Shipbuilding Town in the World”^[40] , ships were built on the Wear from at least 1346 onwards and by the mid-eighteenth century
Sunderland was one of the chief ship-building towns in the country.

However, the city definitely needs a pick-up and an infusion of administrative technology, as the heavy industry has not kept pace with population, and unemployment has garnered the city with the distinction of being the most “deprived city in northern England”.  This is something any Church of Scientology is well-equipped to handle, and with administrative know-how and management by statistics, as well as the simple Scientology lessons of Communication, this city can turn right around.

technorati tags:scientology, england, sunderland, ideal, org

Blogged with Flock

An absolutely stunning new Church of Scientology is soon to grace Valencia, Venezuela, where the largest Scientology Church in South America has been experiencing such continuous expansion that they need a new space.

The Valencia Church was proclaimed in 2004 as having achieved what’s known as “Saint Hill Size”, which is where a Scientology church reaches the size and scope of influence of the Scientology Church in England where founder L. Ron Hubbard directly managed the organization in the mid-1960’s.

This distinction was explained in importance by the Mayor of Buffalo, when an Ideal Church of Scientology opened in his city – a grand opening also attended by Scientology leader, Mr. David Miscavige.

Through dedicated work with the community, including groundbreaking campaigns with The Way to Happiness to quell local violence, the Church in Venezuela has more than deserved a new building and will shortly have even that filled to capacity.

References:

• Church of Scientology of Buffalo
• Mayor Anthony Masiello’s speech at the Buffalo Grand Opening, explaining “Saint Hill Size”
  
• Buffalo’s Grand Opening Spech by Mr. David Miscavige
• Ideal Scientology Org Photos
  

technorati tags:scientology, church, saint, hill size, david miscavige, valencia, venezuela

Blogged with Flock

New Churches of Scientology are now coming up left, right and centre, with new and rather impressive buildings being planned and built in cities around the world.  An example of this is the new Church of Scientology in Pasadena, California. 

Scientologists call these buildings “Ideal Orgs” or Ideal Scientology Organizations.  This is from an essay L. Ron Hubbard wrote called “The Ideal Org” (which anyone can read from the Scientology Management Series volumes) - an essay outlining all of the functions and actions an Ideal Church of Scientology would be doing, and the responsibility that Church would be taking for its general area.   

These Churches of Scientology (like the Church of Scientology of London, picture above) have many features that enable them to take on such a responsibility.  The first of which are a massive set of displays that explain in audiovisual presentations what exactly Scientology is, and what it is that Scientologists learn and do.   It’s probably the most key thing there is in such a church, as most people know exactly what Christianity is — so such a display isn’t needed at a standard cathedral.  However, just from people I’ve talked to, there are a ton of people with basic question on what Scientology is — something that is answered terribly by random searches on the Internet at this time. 

So, if you want a straight, full answer on what Scientology is, one should definitely step into one of these new Churches.  A list of where they now are is on the Scientology Today website, and in my references section below. 

Additionally, Ideal Scientology churches provide space and facilities for groups to meet, for training sessions to occur on how to be a Scientology Volunteer Minister or to deliver Scientology Marriage Counseling, and so forth.  With ideal premises comes the ability to help the community in the ways that the community needs most — drug education programs, morality programs, etc. 

So, if you have the opportunity, stop in to one of these Churches and see for yourself what Scientology is about. 

References:

Scientology Personality Test London

Originally uploaded by jetteroheller.

Personality Tests are now available on-line at the Church of Scientology in London. They’re available from other individual organizations, but the London church was the first one to have them available on their website.

The Scientology Oxford Capacity Analysis test, otherwise known as a Personality test, is a rather comprehensive test that measures what you think of yourself, and provides areas where you can improve.

I figured I’d start a new little series on this blog, and show you some Churches of Scientology as taken from the new, terribly nifty feature of Google Earth, where it also shows 3D buildings as well as the satillite images.

This one is of the Church of Scientology of Boston, which was where I did some of my first Scientology courses. It’s in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay, a short walk from the Prudential Building and John Hancock building, and with a rocking view of the fireworks on the 4th of July.

I’ve earlier posted on the Church of Scientology of Buffalo, and its newly-renovated building that I was priviliged to be at the grand opening of.

Just in trolling around the web recenty, I found an article on the architectural history of Buffalo specifically mentioning the Church of Scientology’s building on Main Street. Having been there, I definitely thought it quite interesting as there is a ton of absolutely stunning architecture in the area, and I thought it very fitting indeed that the Church was mentioned in this.

It was an immense team of Scientologists from all around the world that made this happen, with people flying in from all parts of the Eastern and Western united states, and as far afield as Hungary.  It was really a test to show that an ideal, perfect Scientology organization could be put together anywhere – and which has inspired many other organizations to do similarly.

Other Grand Openings:

• Church of Scientology of London
• Church of Scientology of Madrid
• Church of Scientology of New York
• Church of Scientology of San Francisco
• Church of Scientology of Johannesburg

Due to the recent popularity of Scientology in the Pacific Northwest, the Church of Scientology of Washington State, in Seattle, Washington, has purchased larger quarters overlooking Puget Sound.

The organization is dramatically larger than their current premises, so as to properly be able to service the Scientologists in the Seattle area. The Church of Scientology of Seattle is also responsible for many Scientology missions around the Pacific Northwest, from Bellingham, WA, all the way out to Kalispell in Montana.

Scientologists, spurred on by the recent opening of the new Church of Scientology of London by Mr. David Miscavige, are gearing up on renovations to get this Church completed by the beginning of 2007.

[note: this post has been updated with newer data and a newer photo - see this article on the Church of Scientology Seattle.

I mentioned the Church of Scientology of New York once before, but due to the amount of work put into this particular building by Scientology volunteers, and people throughout the community, it bears some further detail that could be given.

After the new building was opened, in a large grand opening celebration with community leaders, dignitaries, as well as Keynote Speaker Mr. David Miscavige, the organization reached out into the community with well-known Stress Test tables – getting people information on the monumental L. Ron Hubbard text on the mind, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.

After seeing the various displays on Scientology integrated into the new building, people have been bringing their friends in in droves to find out what Scientology is all about.

3,000-plus members of the Church of Scientology of London, as well as guests from around the community packed Queen Victoria Street in the heart of London for the sensational grand opening of the new home of the UK’s oldest Scientology church.

The new church is a short distance away from the Tate Gallery and St. Paul’s Cathedral, and now serves the growing membership of London-area Scientologists. Its opening marks the largest expansion for Scientology in the Church’s 50-year history in London.

Guest of honor, Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center and leader of the Scientology religion, stressed the historical importance of London. “This is the city L. Ron Hubbard himself [founder of the Scientology religion] selected as home to the first Scientology organization. This is also the city wherein he first defined the human spirit as an immortal being possessed of capabilities beyond anything predicted, and so arrived at the axiomatic truths on which the whole of Scientology is founded. Your early London organizations were also the original proving ground for the bulk of Mr. Hubbard’s social betterment programs which are used to uplift neighborhoods just like this one.”

Recently opened in the Toronto metro area was the East Toronto Mission. Toronto has had a steadily expanding field of Scientologists in the area over the past several years, and is the center of Scientology activities in Canada. The Church of Scientology of Toronto, which is the center of this activity, is renovating its Yongue St. location, to better provide Scientology services to the many people in the area who are reaching for it. The Church of Scientology of Buffalo, only a hundred or so miles to the south, did a similar cycle of renovations in 2003. After their Grand Opening (with Mayor Anthony Masielo and Mr. David Miscavige Speaking), they over doubled their outreach efforts – an activity Toronto could use as well.

This Scientology mission in East Toronto recently held its grand opening, which was attended by civic leaders and dignitaries from the area, who welcomed the church and the programs it will bring to the area in terms of drug rehabilitation, education programs, and Scientology services.

Go to the Scientology East Toronto website for more information on how to contact them and get involved!

The Founding Church of Scientology of Washington D.C. was established on the 4th of July, 1955, and was the first Church of Scientology established by L. Ron Hubbard. It was in this church that Mr. Hubbard developed many of the administrative basics which comprise what Scientology organizations are today. The first publications organization was here in Washington D.C., as well as the first Hubbard Guidance Centre providing Scientology Auditing.

When you go through the Church, you’ll see items which bespeak Mr. Hubbard’s history in D.C. and the history of the Scientology Religion – exemplefied in the Office of L. Ron Hubbard which contains many of his original works, books, and artifacts.

This character was articulated in Mr. David Miscavige’s  speech  which he made at the Grand Opening of this church.

I had the opportunity to be a part of this, as I lived in D.C. for some time – taking Scientology services in this organization. It was a period of my life that always sticks out, as the staff of the Church of Scientology in D.C. are an extremely intense, extremely dedicated, but still very enthusiastic team. If you’re ever in DuPont Circle, ensure you visit!

References for this article:
- David Miscavige Official Resources
- David Miscavige Biography and Speeches

The Church of Scientology of London was one of the very first Churches of Scientology, first opening its doors in 1955 — mere months after the Founding Church of Scientology in Washington, D.C. However, with Scientology more popular than ever before in England, it’s come high time for Scientology in London to get larger quarters. The grand opening for the new Church of Scientology of London will be held on the 22nd of October, with thousands expected to attend.

Situated on Queen Victoria Street, the new Church is but a short walk from the world-famous Tate Gallery, Shakespeare’s Globe theatre, St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge. Standing six stories tall, this building – the historic “D’Arcy House” – will have been fully renovated and restored from top to bottom, including the grand reception.

The grand opening of the new London church will follow this year’s anniversary celebration of the International Association of Scientologists, which will take place at L. Ron Hubbard’s Saint Hill Manor home in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England.

This Church Grand Opening follows other major Churches of Scientology being established around the world, including ones in New York, Johannesburg and San Francisco (see grand opening speeches by Mr. David Miscavige here) .