materials are dependent upon having fully attained the
earlier states of awareness and abilities per the
Classification, Gradation and Awareness Chart. Thus,
these materials are released on a gradient, only to those
who have honestly attained all earlier states.
15. A SCIENTOLOGY CAREER
15.1 Can one audit as a career?
Yes. There are many Scientology ministers who audit full
time as their life's work. Auditing provides a rewarding
career as it is one in which you are always helping
people and constantly seeing miraculous results on your
preclears. It is very satisfying to know that you are
making people's lives happier and saner. Auditors are
very valuable and in great demand. L. Ron Hubbard's
opinion of auditors is well known: "I think of an auditor
as a person with enough guts to *do something about it*.
This quality is rare and this quality is courageous in
the extreme. It is my opinion and knowledge that auditors
are amongst the upper tenth of the upper twentieth of
intelligent human beings. Their will to do, their
motives, their ability to grasp and to use are superior
to that of any other profession."
15.2 Of what value would it be to have my child trained as an
auditor?
First of all, it would provide a young person with
certainty and knowledge in dealing with every possible
type of human problem, be it interpersonal, familial,
organizational, ethical, moral or religious.
Secondly, it would provide a career of fulfillment in
aiding people from all walks of life to gain greater
awareness and respect for themselves and others.
Auditors are in demand in every church of Scientology and
mission throughout the world. Therefore, your child would
be fulfilling a great demand and contributing greatly to
making this world a saner place by getting trained as an
auditor.
15.3 Can one make Scientology a career in some other way than
by being a minister?
Yes, there are thousands of professional Scientologists
who work full time in churches and missions throughout
the world as executives or administrative staff. There
are also those who further the dissemination of
Scientology on a one-to-one basis or through the
dissemination of Scientology materials and books, those
who hold jobs in the Church's social reform groups and
those who work in the Office of Special Affairs involved
in community betterment or legal work. All of these
provide rewarding careers as each forwards the expansion
of Scientology and thereby makes it possible for more and
more people to benefit from its technology.
16. SCIENTOLOGY IN SOCIETY
16.1 I've heard that Scientologists are doing good things for
society? What are some specific examples?
These activities would fill a book in themselves, and are
covered in more detail in Part 5 of [_What is
Scientology?_], but here are just a few examples that are
typical of the things that Scientologists are doing
around the world.
Scientologists regularly hold blood drives to get
donations of blood for hospitals, the Red Cross and other
similar organizations. As Scientologists do not use
harmful drugs, these donations of drug-free blood are
welcomed by those in charge of health care.
Scientologists regularly hold drives to get donations of
toys, food and clothing to make life happier for those in
need.
During the annual holiday season, Scientologists are
particularly active in this sphere. In downtown
Hollywood, California [USA], for example, Scientologists
build a "Winter Wonderland" scene each Christmas,
complete with a large Christmas tree, Santa Claus and
even "snow," creating a traditional Christmas setting for
children who otherwise might never see one.
In Canada, a group of Scientologists spends many weeks
each year raising funds to sponsor visits to summer camps
by underprivileged children.
Church members utilize their artistic talents to bring
new experiences and joy to children by performing puppet
shows in orphanages, schools and shopping malls, and
magic shows for children in foster homes.
Scientologists can also be found in many communities
contributing to the care of the elderly. They visit
old-age homes and provide entertainment, draw sketches or
just drop by and talk with senior citizens.
You will find Scientologists helping with "community
cleanup" campaigns and assistance to the injured at
Veteran's Administration hospitals.
Scientologists have taken a leading role fighting drug
abuse, actively educating community officials and groups
on the dangers of drugs and solutions to the problems.
There are many groups utilizing L. Ron Hubbard's
technology and freeing people from the detrimental
effects of drugs.
L. Ron Hubbard's technology on how to study has been used
by Scientologists around the world to help students and
teachers alike. One place where this technology has made
major inroads combating illiteracy is in South Africa,
where well over a million native Africans have improved
their ability to study.
Another important area of activity for Scientologists is
raising moral standards in society. Scientologists all
around the world have distributed tens of millions of
copies of the nonreligious moral code called "The Way to
Happiness," now available in more than fifteen different
languages. Its use has led to a revitalization of purpose
for people of all ages who apply its simple truths to
their lives and to the environment around them.
The Church and many of its members are also engaged in
interfaith activities, the main thrust of which has been
to work with leaders of other faiths in the areas of
interreligious dialogue, religious freedom,
constitutional law and "religion in society" issues --
all aimed toward protecting and forwarding the freedom of
religion for everyone.
Another prevalent activity for Scientologists is to
expose and eradicate the violations of human rights
perpetrated by psychiatry. Many Scientologists do this as
members of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights
(CCHR), a reform group which was established by the
Church in 1969.
They actively investigate psychiatric abuses and bring
these to the attention of the media, legislators and
other groups concerned with protecting people from brutal
psychiatric techniques. Such practices as psychosurgery,
electroshock treatment and the administration of
dangerous psychiatric drugs have destroyed the minds and
lives of millions of individuals. Through the efforts of
Scientologists working for CCHR, public awareness of the
disastrous results of psychiatric methods has been raised
and major steps taken to outlaw such practices.
16.2 Is Scientology active in Black communities and countries?
Definitely. By the Creed of the Church, "All men of
whatever race, color or creed were created with equal
rights." Thus, there are no limitations placed on who can
receive and benefit from Scientology services.
There are Scientologists of all races, colors and
religious backgrounds. For example, there are Dianetics
and/or Scientology organizations in Ghana, Zaire,
Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone, among other
countries, and Black Scientologists are applying
Scientology technology in their communities wherever
possible. The Church maintains a Department of Ethnic
Affairs specifically to interact and work with
minorities.
16.3 Do doctors, schools, social workers, businessmen and other
professional people use Scientology?
Yes, they do. There are members of all of these
professions who use Scientology technology to improve the
results being obtained in their fields of endeavor.
Schools and universities in many countries apply L. Ron
Hubbard's study methods to improve literacy and teaching
success, drug rehabilitation groups use his drug
rehabilitation technology to successfully get people off
drugs, doctors observe basic Dianetics principles to
speed up the recovery of their patients, businessmen
apply L. Ron Hubbard's administrative procedures to
create thriving businesses.
Scientology applies to all spheres of life and uniformly
gets results when standardly used. Therefore, there is
hardly an area of social or community concern where you
will not find people using some aspect of L. Ron
Hubbard's technology.
16.4 Why has Scientology sometimes been considered
controversial?
Like all new ideas, Scientology has come under attack by
the uninformed and those who feel their vested interests
are threatened.
As Scientologists have openly and effectively advocated
social reform causes, they have become the target of
attacks.
For those vested interests who cling to a status quo that
is decimating society, Scientology's technology of making
the able more able poses a serious threat. Attacks follow
as an attempt to stop application of Scientology
technology.
When the Church steps in to handle the attack, the
conflict grabs the attention of the press, which lives on
controversy. Regardless of the unfounded nature of the
attackers' claims, reporters freely promote the
controversy. Those seeking to stop Scientology then join
the media in regurgitating and regenerating the created
controversy.
Scientology has always flourished and prospered in the
face of attacks. In every case where public disputes have
been manufactured, intentional and blatant false reports
about Scientology and its founder have been discovered to
be the common denominator. As the falsehoods are proven
lies, the controversy quickly fades, and the truth about
Scientology, what the Church really is and what its
members do replaces it. The source of these attacks and
the controversy they have generated is detailed in
Chapter 31 of [_What is Scientology?_].
16.5 Why has Scientology been to court a lot of times?
The Church has gone to court in many countries to uphold
the right to freedom of religion. In Australia, as one
example, legal actions by the Church brought about a
landmark victory which greatly expanded religious freedom
