On his arrival in the Vatican the new  Senagalese ambassador to the Holy See, Felix Oudiane, was acknowledged by the Pope for "Senegal's commitment to seeking and consolidating peace in Africa is well known and appreciated by the international community." He commended Senegal's leaders for those efforts, adding: "Violence will never be a satisfactory solution for resolving disagreements between human groups." >>

As a Scientologist I am very proud of certain leaders of our church who have always done so much to help people.

Scientology is unique in that it is a practical religion.  Anyone of any faith can be a Scientologist because it doesn't deal in faith -- it is a body of data that can be used to improve intelligence, awareness and spirituality.

One person who has done a tremendous amount to ensure Scientology is available to anyone who wishes to get its help is Mr. Marty Rathbun.

Here is an excerpt from his biographical profile:

"Marty Rathbun is a member of the Board and the Inspector General of Religious Technology Center, which exists to monitor and safeguard the orthodox practice of the Scientology religion. He has been a church staff member since 1978.

"RTC stands apart from the Church of Scientology hierarchy as an external body which protects the religion and acts as the final arbiter of orthodoxy. At the apex of this function is RTC’s Inspector General Network, operating from seven offices in four continents.

"The duties and authority of the Inspector General RTC are much like those traditionally associated with the “inspector general” title in other organizations—namely to investigate and correct departures from organizational standards and ethics, or anything else which might betray an organization’s service to its constituent public.">>

Gallop pole released today finds the vast majority of Americans are at least tolerant of other religious points of view, and the percentage of individuals who fall into the "integrated" category -- that is, they feel very positive toward other faith traditions -- has actually increased in the last year.>>

US hails Gambia’s religious tolerance

The US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour has released its annual International Religious Freedom Report on The Gambia stating that there was freedom of religion and worship in the country.

According to the report, Government has over the year ‘generally’ respected constitutional provision for freedom of religion and there was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom, and government policies continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion.>>

Senegal's population is 95 percent Muslim, and 4 percent Christian. But the Senegalese government makes a point of emphasizing its tolerance for religious minorities. >>

I've been a Scientologist for many years, but over the past few years I've noticed a phenomenon where when I tell people I'm a Scientologist they almost invariably say -- "Oh.  Tom Cruise."

Well to anyone who doesn't know me well my friends will confirm that I'm definitely not Tom Cruise, but I love him as much as his many other fans.

I also really respect what he is doing in the field of Human Rights, making Scientology solutions available to people.

Here are some links that tell what Tom Cruise thinks about Scientology and how he has used it to help others:

Tom Cruise: Scientology Helped Me

Cruise: Scientology Ambassador

Scientology News: Tom Cruise Surprises Drug-Free Ambassadors in Auckland

Tom Cruise Talks about Scientology and The Last Samurai

When he first got the call to go to India and help people affected by the tsunami, Randy Meyers wasn't even sure he would go, much less know what to expect.

"I wasn't too aware of what was going on because I'm not too involved in the news," he said.

When Meyers arrived in India, he found an eerie emptiness in the landscape as well as in the people.

"It was weird," Meyers said. "Like you go down the coast, and some places looked like nothing happened. But then you'd go a few miles farther, and it would be totally empty fields, maybe just one brick building surrounded by sand, but this was a village before." >>

  HOUSTON, March 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Is Albert Einstein's intelligence still
with us? As people around the world celebrate Einstein's birthday, a new book released today -- 'Absolute Intelligence' by Ilexa Yardley -- answers that question with an affirmative "yes." Available now through Amazon.com,
'Absolute Intelligence' integrates Einstein's theory of relativity (e=mc2),
with other well-known theories and concludes, with proof, there is a "higher
intelligence" guiding the universe.>>

Monday, March 14, 2005

BY DAVID EGGERT
ASSOCIATED PRESS

LANSING -- Gov. Jennifer Granholm on Monday created a state office of faith-based initiatives, aiming to partner with religious groups to provide social services to Michigan's most vulnerable.

Granholm said the new office will help recruit mentors for children in foster care, provide lower-cost prescription drugs and fight substance abuse. The goal is to have the state coordinate with churches, synagogues, mosques and social service groups so they can tap existing programs and government dollars.

President Bush has pushed a similar concept nationally, trying to give religious organizations equal footing with nonsectarian groups in competing for federal contracts. >>

I think this is a great idea.  People of faith have long been known to promote programs to help one another.  Why shouldn't they have access to funds to help them in their missions?

L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Scientology Religion, was born on March 13th, 1911.

It is hard to conceive the magnitude of Mr. Hubbard's work.  It is only now beginning to be acknowledged.

In the long run, I am sure the impact of Scientology on humankind will be greater than any other religious movement in history. I predict that in the next 10 years Scientology will be embraced in all aspects of society, and we will see a real resugence in our culture as a result.

Nobel laureate garners prize for spiritual quest

Los Angeles Times
Published March 10, 2005
Charles Townes, a University of California, Berkeley, professor who shared the Nobel Prize in physics in 1964 for his work in quantum electronics and then startled the scientific world by suggesting that religion and science were converging, was awarded the $1.5 million Templeton Prize for progress in spiritual knowledge Wednesday.

The co-inventor of the laser, Townes, 89, said no greater question faced humankind than discovering the purpose and meaning of life--and why there is something rather than nothing in the cosmos.

"If you look at what religion is all about, it's trying to understand the purpose and meaning of our universe. Science tries to understand function and structures. If there is any meaning, structure will have a lot to do with any meaning," he said from New York. "In the long run they must come together." >>

Most teens embrace traditional path to spirituality

A national study of teens' religious lives was released this week by scholars at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Their key finding is that American kids, far from being rebellious or anti-religion, are quite traditional in their faith.