Article 236218 of alt.religion.scientology: Path: casaba.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!cam-news-feed3.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!EU.net!news2.EUnet.fr!soprox.bull.fr!Pjust From: green@interconnect.net (terry green) Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology Subject: Future Predictions of Scientology 1/5 Date: 19 Dec 1996 02:47:50 GMT Lines: 197 Message-ID: <59aacm$273o@soprox.bull.fr> NNTP-Posting-Host: pm001-23.netroplex.com X-Newsreader: News Xpress Version 1.0 Beta #4 Many falsehoods and inaccurate statements regarding several aspects of the religion of Scientology have been observed on ars. The purpose of this message is to give you a sample of the true data from the book 'What is Scientology?' and show you where you can look to get the full contents of this book. ------------- If a founding Scientologist had been asked in 1952 to predict the impact of Scientology on the world forty years later, would he have been able to imagine the extent to which it has grown today? Would he have been able to envision from a stucco building in Phoenix, Arizona, the more than one thousand churches, missions and groups that exist today? Would he have been able to envision the hundreds of thousands who have been helped to rid themselves of the curse of drugs, or the millions who have been placed on the road to literacy through the use of L. Ron Hubbard's technologies? Surely, these pioneer Scientologists had some idea of what potential L. Ron Hubbard's discoveries held for mankind, just as today Scientologists envision even greater expansion in the future. Today, Scientology is the fastest growing religion on the planet - and so long as Mr. Hubbard's technologies are available to all who wish to reach for them, and so long as they are applied standardly, Scientology will continue to grow. To understand what this growth might mean to a troubled world, religious leaders, professionals, educators and others have offered the following predictions on the future of the Scientology religion. For in-depth studies and analyses of the Scientology religion by leading international scholars, see How Religious Experts View Scientology. "The movement founded by L. Ron Hubbard will engage itself increasingly in the design of a new world following the collapse of the Soviet Union and Communism. A new awakening of spiritual powers is taking place and his vision will help shape events." HANS JANITSCHEK PRESIDENT SOCIETY OF WRITERS UNITED NATIONS "Scientology has come a long way, and has grown in numbers. "There are so many people of different types - and into different activities - art, human rights, rehabilitation and more. "Obviously, it will last. It can be geared to individual interests, and even if the interests change, people can use the basic technology to adapt to new ones." LORETTA NEEDLE, B.A. UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO "Scientology is a practical religious theology which embodies the technology of helping people discover themselves and at the same time to become aware of the evils that plague our society, such as the prevalent use of dangerous psychiatric drugs. "The pastoral counseling program of Scientology puts man in touch with reality and enhances and strengthens his relationship with God and his fellow man. "The beauty of Scientology is you don't have to give up your religious upbringing to become a Scientologist. You can still remain in your original church. "Scientology has a great future because it helps those who are in frustration and despair to shift their position to a helpful and useful one." REV. DR. LEO CHAMPION PASTOR FELLOWSHIP MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN "In looking at the future of Scientology, as a sociologist I am cautious about predicting long-range futures. But I may say this, if it is a futile undertaking it will not last, but if it has a providential function this will manifest itself in time. So it would be wise for us to let it be lest we be opposing providence in the age of religious freedom. This was Gamaliel's advice on the Christians to his fellow Jews. If it had continued to be taken (as it was by his immediate listeners) thousands of years of conflict between the great religions of the Book might have been saved. (Acts 5:3439)" NOEL RYAN SOCIOLOGIST AUSTRALIA "Like so many relatively new religions, the Church of Scientology has been forced to spend much of its time and resources fighting religious prejudice and prosecution. Despite those pressures, the Church has been a real force for good in the lives of many of its adherents and a champion of religious freedom." ROBIN JOHANSEN ATTORNEY AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FIGHTER "Your Church's noble principles of high ideals and ethical living along with the beliefs of accepting so many aspects of knowledge meets very close to the ideals of the American Institute of Islamic Studies. I find it a pleasure and privilege to reach out for common thoughts. The future looks so optimistic that we shall convey our common principles to the world side by side." AMIR GILLANI PRESIDENT AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ISLAMIC STUDIES TORONTO, CANADA "There are many Bible-believing Evangelicals and others in the established Christian community who have not yet accepted the Church of Scientology. Nevertheless, they should thank the Lord for them, because the Scientologists have fought a lot of battles that have helped protect and safeguard freedom for us all. "Because of these efforts, Scientology is continuing to gain more and more acceptability among leaders in the religious community, and the Church has won most of its battles. However, while they are enjoying a breathing period, be assured there are a lot more battles to be fought, and won, down the road." REV. JIM NICHOLLS PRODUCER OF "VOICE OF AMERICA" RADIO AND TV SHOW "I have traveled far and wide throughout my professional life and see the peoples of Earth as incredibly diverse in character as well as needs. Oftentimes our efforts to understand and help them have been too narrow. In the many years I have worked with the Church of Scientology the one thing which has impressed me the most and which will characterize the Church far into future centuries is its ability to deal with humankind as a whole. "At the heart of Scientology's activities is the betterment of all people no matter what creed, what race, what socioeconomic status to develop themselves spiritually and mentally so that each individual can improve his own life. Scientology's far-reaching goals are designed to tend to each individual uniquely with compassionate concern and commitment. These rare attributes are essential in these times of trouble and uncertainty and most assuredly provide the Church with a platform for growth and strength in the years to come." L. FLETCHER PROUTY COL. US AIR FORCE (RET.) "As American society becomes more diverse in the years ahead, we will be looking for leadership from those organizations that represent the moral tenets which united us as a country: personal responsibility, compassion, tolerance, respect and a commitment to community. The Church of Scientology is one of those organizations-as its commitment to the Hollywood community so clearly demonstrates." MARK A. ROBBINS 1992 REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS 29TH DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA "The Church of Scientology is an important force in our society seeking to enhance the people's ability to know what our government is doing, is not doing and why, and otherwise striving to enable citizens to make the government more accountable for its actions. I believe that in the future, when the need for such efforts will be more necessary, the Church's role will be even stronger and more effective." QUINLAN J. SHEA, JR. FORMER SENIOR JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL DIRECTOR CENTER FOR CITIZEN ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT INFORMATION For more information go to the following URLs: http://www.scientology.org http://www.lronhubbard.org http://www.dianetics.org (c) 1993 Church of Scientology International. All Rights Reserved.