The new year began for the world\u2019s youngest major religion with the opening of three new \u201cIdeal Orgs\u201d\u2014facilities designed in keeping with Scientology founder L.\u00a0Ron Hubbard\u2019s vision of churches that would equally serve the needs of its parishioners and those of the community\u2014within the space of a few days. The Church\u2019s new organizations, located in Austin, Mexico City and Chicago, marked the occasion with festivities attended by thousands and featuring live musical performances, speeches by local dignitaries, and ribbon cuttings officiated by the Church\u2019s ecclesiastical leader David Miscavige.<\/p>\n
In line with the plan for scores of new Ideal Orgs that have opened worldwide in recent years, the three latest each reflect in design and ambiance something of the character and local color of the city each calls home. The Austin Church of Scientology\u2014serving the\u00a0<\/a>Austin and Central Texas community since 1967\u2014opened<\/a>\u00a0its new expanded facilities on the city\u2019s leading social corridor, The Drag, on February 24. David Miscavige reminded the assembled that Texas, as legendary frontiersman and Alamo hero Davy Crockett once\u00a0said<\/a>, \u201cwas the best land he had ever seen, and there was a world of country to settle. Well, so it is again today. Except your \u2018line of country\u2019 is the human spirit, and you settle it by restoring to people the happiness, love, sincerity and kindness with which they were created.\u201d<\/p>\n Joining Mr. Miscavige on the rostrum was drug education advocate Sam Price, who served nearly 25 years with the Austin Health Department. Recognizing the impact of the Church-sponsored drug awareness program, Drug-Free World, he thanked the Church for its support, saying, \u201cThe world would be a better place if more people had the care and commitment that your Church members do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Vice-President of the University Area Partners Association, Mike McHone told the congregation, \u201cEach and every one of you should take pride in knowing you have helped make our home what it is today. Your members form the backbone of an ongoing community effort. Which is another way of saying, you have shown an inherent understanding of what our residents need with a passion and care to create a thriving, active community.<\/p>\n Simone Talma Flowers, Executive Director of Interfaith Action of Central Texas, spoke on the international diversity of Austin\u2019s religious community. \u201cBridging division between different faiths is not simply a \u2018nice to do,\u2019 it\u2019s essential,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have been pillars of devotion and dependency. And upon those pillars, we have now built the largest interfaith movement in all of Central Texas.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Mr.\u00a0Sam Price, who served nearly 25 years with the Austin Health Department, acknowledged the work of local Scientology. \u201c\u201cThe world would be a better place if more people had the care and commitment that your Church members do. No doubt about it. And thanks to Drug-Free World [the drug education initiative supported by the church], you\u2019ve given this kid from the south of Austin the opportunity of a lifetime. So, I have one final request: keep doing your good work. You\u2019ll never know how many lives you\u2019ve saved.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The final guest speaker, President of the Austin NAACP, Nelson Linder, recalled that, as a child in Georgia in the late 1950s, he walked to school because there were no buses that served his segregated school. \u201cLike many others, my fight for civil rights is now decades long.\u201d Citing L. Ron Hubbard\u2019s outspoken support of civil rights at a time when many remained silent, he added, \u201cMr. Hubbard\u2019s ideas of forwarding the concept of true justice were both visionary and grand. And let\u2019s face it, they inspired you all to create a movement not only in Texas, but around the world. . .So on behalf of the Austin NAACP, thank you, Mr. Hubbard, for being a strong voice in the land.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Church](\"https:\/\/www.worldreligionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/church-of-scientology-of-del-valle-grand-opening_08c7458-1024x685.jpg\")
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