In his editorial on August 10th Ed Iverson of the Lohontan Valley news makes the distinction between religious liberty and religious tolerance as follows:

For those who advocate tolerance, religion is a purely private matter and therefore it should never intrude upon public affairs. The tolerance crowd also tends to assume that all religions are in reality the same thing. They are merely different paths to the same god. If this be true, adherents of one religion should never attempt to convert others. Anything other than religious indifference is in bad form and considered intolerant by the tolerance police.

Quite different from religious tolerance is religious liberty. The United States constitution has nothing to say about tolerance but instead guarantees religious liberty. Notice that the constitution does not presume to grant religious liberty. Rather it acknowledges that religious liberty properly belongs to the human condition

This view  is very wide of the mark.  Relgious liberty is simply the right to practice ones own religion without restraint or restriction.  How that could preclude religious tolerance is beyond me. 

I believe that the Creed of the Church of Scientology states it perfectly: That all men have inalienable rights to their own religious practices and their performance.

It also states: That no agency less than God has the power to suspend or set aside these rights.

The problem some people have embracing tolerance has a lot less to do with religious belief than it does to their emotional tone level.

There are several Scientology books where L. Ron Hubbard goes into detail on the emotional levels mankind experiences, the characteristics in behavior and attitude at the different emotional tones, and techniques by which one can elevate one's done from such lower level ones as grief, fear and resentment to happiness or enthusasm.

At higher tone levels like enthusiasm it is just natural that one would grant others the right to chose their own way, and this would certainly include permitting others to adopt and practice their own beliefs.  Lower tone levels tend to enforce what is real to the person on all others around him or her.  And that reality is an agry or resentful reality.

So really what intolerance is, in any form, whether religious, cultural, racial or sexual is simply an acting out of these lower tone level attitudes, and it does no one any good for people to do so.

I recommend to anyone who wishes to improve this condition that they get and read a Scientology book called Science of Survival by L. Ron Hubbard.  It's a book I personally have re-read at least 5 times because there is just so much vital information in it that helps you cope with people.

I want to share this really clear and insightful piece on religious tolerace by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, as presented on the web site of the Baha'i International Community.

My own religion, Scientology, which is an all-denominational religion, holds religious tolerance as vital human right.  It is even part of the Creed of the Church of Scientology.

Among the basic human rights, the right to follow one's conscience in matters of religion and belief is undoubtedly one of the most cherished, so much so that people have been willing to endure the severest trials and even to lay down their lives rather than to surrender this fundamental right. And yet throughout history this human right has been frequently and openly violated. Strange indeed that the violators are most often those who consider themselves faithful followers of a religion. Their willingness to trample on the rights of those who believe differently than they do may be best understood as the consequence of two fundamental misconceptions widely perpetrated in the name of religion. The first is that the various religions are separate and competing entities, and that for one religion to be true the others must be false. The second is that certain doctrines and practices held to be false are threatening and must, therefore, be attacked.

The Bahá'í International Community would like to suggest that a careful reconsideration of both notions is long overdue. Some fresh thinking on the subject would not only make religious tolerance more palatable to those with strongly held religious beliefs, but it could lead to a genuine appreciation of the various expressions of faith.

Monday, August 15, 2005

As a 60-year resident of Pittsburgh and a 20-year member of the Church of Scientology, I am compelled to set the record straight on your July 24 articles about Scientology.

The article missed the help the church and its members are extending to millions around the world, including residents of Pennsylvania.

The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, were a rude awakening for everyone. For many of us, these events served to remind us of our responsibilities to one another. My friends and fellow volunteer ministers from Pennsylvania spent weeks in New York City with the hundreds of other volunteer ministers helping victims and rescue workers. In my case, I decided to move to Philadelphia to coordinate the church's community programs statewide.

Since 1993, the church has sponsored a drug abuse prevention program called the Drug-Free Marshals. We work with police officers and civic leaders to help young people avoid the pitfalls of drugs. We provide students with factual information about drugs and their effects, run essay contests and other activities, all with the aim of getting students to keep themselves and their friends off drugs. It has been my pleasure to administer this program in Pennsylvania for the past three years. During that time I have spoken to thousands of students and it is a joy to see them helping each other remain drug-free.

We sponsor neighborhood street clean-ups, help the underprivileged during the holidays and many other community activities, all of which are part of the actions of Scientologists to take responsibility for the state of their neighborhoods, communities and nations.

The Scientology religion was founded by author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard. In 1950, Mr. Hubbard published "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health" in which he summarized his research into the human mind. This marked a watershed in man's quest for an understanding of himself. "Dianetics" is the No. 1 best-selling self-help book of all time, and still appears on best-seller lists 55 years after its publication with over 25 million copies sold.

After more than five decades, Scientology's global presence has increased to more than 5,200 churches, missions, and groups in more than 156 countries that work to achieve 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."

Scientology is a practical religion. We provide effective answers to society's most crucial problems -- among them drug abuse, crime, education and the decay of moral values.

Internationally, we sponsor Narconon, a drug-free rehabilitation program utilizing Mr. Hubbard's breakthroughs in handling addiction. Narconon's 151 centers in 37 nations have a documented success rate of nearly 80 percent of graduates never returning to lives of addiction -- the highest in the field. Narconon's drug-abuse prevention lecturers are active in schools all over the world providing young people with the facts they need to make informed decisions to live lives without drugs.

Mr. Hubbard researched and discovered a technology of study that is successfully applied by millions today in thousands of schools in countries across the globe. Just in the past year, 12 governments have adopted new programs using these breakthroughs.

Mr. Hubbard also wrote an immensely popular nonreligious moral code: "The Way to Happiness." Its 21 precepts for living are based entirely on common sense. Wherever it appears, this publication acts like calming oil on troubled waters -- reducing crime, restoring understanding and fostering peace. Hundreds of organizations and governments have adopted official programs utilizing the book, which is further in use in more than 1,600 prisons worldwide.

Our most embracing effort to provide help to the world at large is our volunteer minister program. Since the 9/11 tragedy, we have expanded this program internationally -- from leading salvage and rescue efforts in response to Florida hurricanes, to being appointed an official "civil defense force" by the Italian federal government, called upon to help manage crowd control teams in Rome for the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

Most recently, in the aftermath of the Southeast Asian tsunami, close to 500 volunteer ministers from 11 nations helped more than a third of a million people in the regions affected.

Our volunteer ministers have been commended for their services by national leaders of Indonesia, India and Thailand, and their work was covered in media reaching hundreds of millions, through international outlets including CNN, The Economist, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. In all, our ministers have helped more than 4.7 million people since 9/11.

This is the broad picture. Our South Side Scientology office is open to everyone and I encourage people to take the opportunity to find out about Scientology for themselves.

-- Helen Campbell, Church of Scientology of Pennsylvania

I just found an interestingposting on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers blog.  I really like the fact that the Boston Scientology Volunteer Ministers are taking responsibility for their neighbors and doing something that is really needed, helping with a serious literacy problem there.

I know that there are Scientology churches in Italy that have tutoring programs too.  I think Scientology churches in the UK do too.

L. Ron Hubbard had to develop techniques to help people learn how to study in order to correctly impart Scientology techniques to people training to be auditors (the Scientology word for "spritual counselors") and I think it's great that our churches are making this available to their communities at large.

There are two excellent letters showing up in Google news today, from two peaceful religions that are too frequently maligned.

I'm reprinting them both in full.

Islam A Perfect Religion That Is Not Violent
 

This is a response is in regard to Stephen Woodruff's letter entitled "Editorial fell short on dealing with Muslims," published July 25. I would like to comment, as a Muslim and an American.

Mr. Woodruff, as well as the terrorists, has not been reading the Koran. First, anyone who commits an act of terror in the name of Islam is not a Muslim — the Koran does not condone it anywhere.

Second, there is nothing sexually repressive about Islam, unless you consider not having premarital relations repressive. I call it good sense. Also, I'd be interested if he could point out the place in the Koran that states you will receive 72 virgins for martyrdom. Or how about where it says to treat women as second-class citizens. Or where it preaches hate, intolerance or violence. It does not exist.

Don't confuse culture with religion. True Islam is found in the Koran, not in what is common practice or rhetoric in certain societies who call themselves Islamic.

Mr. Woodruff says that "Islam must be turned into a true religion of peace." There is no need — Islam is a religion of peace. It is blasphemous that there is a tiny minority of people who twist and turn Islam to support their political ideals.

Mr. Woodruff says Muslims should "reform your religion or risk losing it." I take offense. Islam is a perfect religion and there is no way I or any other Muslim would consider reforming it. I am frightened and sickened by the acts committed in the name of Islam, yet please tell me what you expect everyday Muslims to do to stop this? Do you have Osama bin Laden's cell phone number? I didn't think so.

Amber Acosta
Lisbon

Scientology deserves respect as religion

Everyday statements are made that denigrate others' beliefs. Being a transplant to Utah, I have had many things said to me about the LDS religion by the uniformed.

One distinct portrayal, is that Mormons have many wives. Since people don't understand the religion, or parts of the history of the LDS faith, many misconceptions can be strewn about like chicken feed.

Being a practicing Scientologist, I noted that your paper carried an article regarding my religion. The article was not factual to my faith. I believe that people should have the truth from a more accurate source.

The Church of Scientology, realized its own spiritual nature in 1954, and individuals established the church, and L. Ron Hubbard as founder. He was a philosopher, writer, humanitarian, explorer and lived life fully. He loved mankind and wanted to help individuals realize their own abilities.

In trying to explain what Scientology is, many try to compare it to other religions. It is not like any other religion you have ever encountered. It is a religion that can be applied to life.

Contained in the material of Scientology there are answers to questions such as: Who are we? What is the purpose of all of this? What happens when I die?

In brief, the answers to those questions are as follows: You are a spiritual being, distinct and separate from a body. You are seeking survival for yourself, your family, mankind, life, the physical universe and to survive as a spirit. Only when you have attained that level of spiritual enlightenment, will you come to truly understand the Creator of the Universe or infinite.

You have lived lifetime after lifetime, and will live again.

This may sound familiar to those with some background in the Eastern religious traditions. What is different in Scientology is the ways and means of achieving those goals.

Scientology is a modern religion, born in the technical age of the 20th century. Scientologists will tell you that they have found tools to use in their day to day life. That help them achieve their purposes and greater happiness.

There is virtually no part of existence Scientology cannot be applied to.

Lora Mengucci is the Director of Special Affairs, Church of Scientology, Utah and is a parishioner for 29 years.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A5.