Religion and Churches News

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Nov. 7, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Recent reports show San Francisco’s fatal drug overdose rate surpasses that of other California districts and is worse than the nation’s average. Last year was the city’s most devastating year on record for drug overdose deaths, and 2024 is threatening to surpass even that. The Church of Scientology of San Francisco and its local chapter of Foundation for a Drug-Free World are promoting a program anyone can take part in to save lives and help bring this crisis under control.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Nov. 7, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Each year, Copenhagen organizes an evening when young and old may expand their horizons. Locals and visitors learn more about what the city has to offer. They ask and find answers to questions, and experience the tremendous diversity Copenhagen has to offer. Museums, churches, shops, businesses, public offices and nonprofits open their doors to the community. And, in the heart of the city, thousands visited the Church of Scientology of Denmark this year to satisfy their curiosity and learn for themselves the answer to “What is Scientology?”

MEXICO CITY, Mexico, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Nov 7, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — In a ceremony at the new Ideal Church of Scientology in Del Valle, Mexico, the National Indigenous Governor and the president of the National Council of Indigenous People and Afro-Americans recognized Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard for inspiring unity among the leaders of Mexico’s Indigenous people.

ROME, Italy, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Nov. 7, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — A trawler carrying 500 asylum seekers from Eritrea and Somalia capsized on October 3, 2013, within sight of Lampedusa, an Italian resort island off the coast of Libya; 368 people drowned. Eight days later, a boat carrying Syrian refugees capsized between Lampedusa and Libya. Of the 268 victims who died, 60 were children. These were but two of the many violations of human rights that prompted a religious freedom conference hosted by the Church of Scientology in Rome.

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Nov. 2, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — According to the European Center for the Development of Vocational Training, an agency focused on EU policy on vocational education and training, in 2018, one in ten 12-year-olds and one in six 5-year-olds in the Netherlands struggled with reading and writing in Dutch. Furthermore, the European Union’s Court of Audit’s 2016 report highlighted that around 2.5 million Dutch people face literacy problems or lack basic numeracy skills needed for everyday tasks.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Nov. 1, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Hundreds gathered on L. Ron Hubbard Way for a traditional celebration of the Day of the Dead to honor the lives of the departed with music, traditional dances and food. The festival was hosted by the Church of Scientology Los Angeles. The Day of the Dead is an ancient tradition in Mexico, now popular worldwide and celebrated from October 31 through November 2.

CLEARWATER, Fla., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 31, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — It had been more than a century since Florida’s Pinellas County sustained a direct hit from a hurricane, but that changed on September 26, when Hurricane Helene tore through the area. Two weeks later, Hurricane Milton slammed through the county. Scientology Volunteer Ministers responded to help their community cope and recover from the impact of these unprecedented storms.

NOVARA, Italy, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 28, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — With Novara hosting the 2024 World Rink Hockey Championships at the World Skate Games this September, Drug-Free World volunteers organized an outreach campaign to promote drug-free living. Using Foundation for a Drug-Free World’s Truth About Drugs materials, the campaign raised awareness about the dangers of commonly abused drugs and encouraged athletes, fans, and local residents to commit to a drug-free lifestyle. The volunteers also invited them to join the drug education and prevention movement.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 26, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Patriotic Mexican Civic Committee held its annual Mexican Independence Parade in East Los Angeles, commemorating the historic speech delivered by Father Miguel Hidalgo in 1810. His words ignited the movement for Mexico’s independence, ending three centuries of Spanish rule. The Way to Happiness Foundation’s participation in the parade complemented the event’s message of freedom and a better life for all.

MILAN, Italy, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 24, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Citizens Commission on Human Rights Italy (CCHR) demands an end to involuntary commitment and other human rights violations. Hundreds marched through the streets of Milan last month to the Milan Fiera City Convention Center, demanding that the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) annual congress implement the UN’s October 2023 mental health guidelines.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 5, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — In observance of World Mental Health Day, on Thursday, October 10, Scientology Network will present a marathon television event featuring the work of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights and its partners to expose psychiatric abuse.

SEATTLE, Wash., and LOS ANGELES, Calif. Oct. 3, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — A one-of-a-kind exhibit just completed the Seattle leg of its American tour in September. Displays and films of Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Exhibit document the results of 40 years of investigation into the psychiatric industry and its human rights abuses. They expose the devastating results of psychiatric drugging of children and the stark relationship between psychiatric drugs and mass shootings.

JESENÍK, Czech Republic, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 2, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Storm Boris rampaged through Eastern Europe beginning 13 September, leaving unprecedented disaster in its wake. With 500 mm (20 inches) of rain in the Czech Republic’s Northern Moravia region, it surpassed previous flood records. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala described the disaster as a “once-in-a-century flood.” Rivers overflowed their banks, submerging entire villages.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 1, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Scientology Network’s DOCUMENTARY SHOWCASE, the weekly series providing a platform for independent filmmakers to air films on important social, cultural and environmental issues, presents the award-winning documentary “Finding Home,” on Friday October 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., and WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 28, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Scientology Network’s VOICES FOR HUMANITY, the weekly series presenting heroic change makers from a variety of faiths, cultures and nations, working to uplift their communities, features community activist Dr. Warees Majeed.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 25, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Thousands lined both sides of Hollywood Blvd. At the head of the parade was a 30-foot Salvadoran flag, proudly carried by volunteers who beckoned all to join them at the end of the parade route for a Salvadoran festival on L. Ron Hubbard Way. This was the first of several events planned by the Church of Scientology Los Angeles.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 25, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Scientology was in its youth in 1964, when a young Danish man visited the home of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard in the town of East Grinstead in Southern England. After reading some of Mr. Hubbard’s writings on the subject, the young man was so enthusiastic that he filled up his car with Scientology and Dianetics books and drove and ferried them home to Copenhagen, where he set up the first Scientology Center in the country that year.

ATHENS, Greece, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 25, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Citizens Commission on Human Rights Greece brought the Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Exhibit to Athens in September 2024. The exhibit exposed the truth about psychiatry, the dangers of so-called psychiatric treatments, the harmful medications they promote, and the threat to the human rights of those trapped in the system. The passage of a new mental health bill increased the urgency of educating the people of Greece to protect them from abuse.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 19, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — With more than 31,000 South Africans trained on the 19 Scientology Tools for Life courses, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers are well on the way to achieving their purpose: to empower the people of South Africa.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 19, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Police, nonprofits and community leaders gathered at the Church of Scientology community hall in Nashville, Tennessee, to mark Drug Overdose Awareness Day with a united effort to raise awareness and combat the overdose epidemic.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 14, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Scientology Network’s INSIDE SCIENTOLOGY, the exclusive series that provides unprecedented access to the facilities and behind-the-scenes operations of the Church of Scientology, presents Bridge Publications Monday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 12, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Church of Scientology Los Angeles hosted a World Humanitarian Day celebration and awards ceremony to honor men and women whose work empowers the county’s Latinx community. Some 200 languages are spoken in Los Angeles County, and more than a third of county residents were born outside the United States.

SEATTLE, Wash., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 12, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Volunteers with the Seattle chapter of The Way to Happiness Foundation and the Church of Scientology celebrated this year’s International Day of Friendship with a community open house. They showcased Seattle programs and resources that bring neighbors together to enhance the beauty and sustainability of the community.

NEW YORK, N.Y., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 11, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — “Man in Red Bandana” retraces the final hours of a mysterious American hero who gave his life in the South Tower on 9/11 to save others. Firsthand accounts from those he rescued speak of a man wearing a red bandana, the only clue that would lead to the reveal of his true identity: Welles Remy Crowther.

TORONTO, Canada, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 11, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The 75th anniversary of the Canadian Air Show at the Canadian National Exhibition was a perfect opportunity to showcase the humanitarian activities of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers. Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, who developed the Volunteer Ministers program, was himself a pioneer at the dawn of American aviation, known as “Flash Hubbard” for his aerial achievements.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 11, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — L. Ron Hubbard Way was transformed into a cultural festival last week, bringing the rich heritage of Hildago to life in East Hollywood. The celebration showcased the vibrant crafts, traditional music, colorful costumes, dancing and authentic cuisine of the magical villages in the green mountains of Hidalgo, the state named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, known as the father of Mexican independence.

EAST GRINSTEAD, U.K., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 7, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Scientology Network’s INSIDE SCIENTOLOGY, the exclusive series that provides unprecedented access to the facilities and behind-the-scenes operation of the Church of Scientology, brings viewers inside Saint Hill-the first worldwide headquarters of Scientology.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 3, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Young members of Inner-City Shakespeare Ensemble took a break from the Bard to perform a whimsical children’s play. The production, organized by the Church of Scientology Los Angeles, was part of the family-friendly summer festival held on L. Ron Hubbard Way.

SEATTLE, Wash., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Sept. 3, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Church of Scientology hosted its annual block party to celebrate National Night Out. The party featured a live band, a professional balloon artist, and a face painter for the kids. Guests age 2 to 94 were treated to hamburgers and hot dogs cooked on a mobile barbecue grill in a converted classic 1924 Model-T Ford-an annual block party tradition.

DUBLIN, Ireland, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 31, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Church of Scientology Dublin marked Nelson Mandela Day with a human rights open house and celebration of the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela and his special connection to Ireland. Honored guests included Dr. David Nyaluke, Vice Chairperson of the African Scholars Association of Ireland and Dr. Ebun A. Joseph, Founder of the Institution of Antiracism and Black Studies.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 29, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Danish chapter of Foundation for a Drug-Free World set up their new mobile drug education and prevention exhibit on Nytorv Square in the heart of Copenhagen. Volunteers from the Church of Scientology Denmark, which sponsors the program, welcomed a nonstop flow of visitors throughout the afternoon. As exhibit guests shared their experiences with the volunteers, their sobering stories confirmed the importance of the Truth About Drugs campaign.

QUERETARO, Mexico, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 27, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Narconon Mexico, the first Narconon ever established in the country, proudly celebrated its 26th anniversary with a special ceremony marking completion of expansive and newly renovated facilities in the heart of Pedro Escobedo Municipality where it all began.

PARIS, France, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 24, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — With the eyes of the world on Paris, and some 6 million gathered in the city and other host venues for the 2024 Olympics, Foundation for a Drug-Free World organized a massive distribution of drug education booklets. Hundreds of volunteers from Non à la Drogue, Oui à la Vie (No to Drugs, Yes to Life Association) were delighted to find broad-based support from individuals and groups eager to contribute to the cause.

HARLEM, N.Y., Aug. 23, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Harlem is a crossroads of culture and innovation, a trend-setting community of global influence. This is one reason the Church of Scientology Community Center of Harlem is an ideal location for the final day of the 18th annual Human Rights Summit. Organized by United for Human Rights and its program for young people, Youth for Human Rights International, the annual summit provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to young advocates from around the world.

OSAKA, Japan, Aug. 22, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — A dramatic increase in the prescription of dangerous psychotropic drugs to Japanese children prompted Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) Japan and a group of concerned holistic professionals to organize a daylong call to action at the Osaka International Convention Center. More than 1,000 attended the sessions and toured the “Psychiatry: An Industry of Death Exhibit” to learn the cold, hard facts about psychiatry, its history, plans, practitioners, and the threat the industry poses to the country’s children and future.

CALGARY, Alberta, Aug. 20, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Author John S. Benjamin has released his latest book, “Who Is This Jesus Christ?” (ISBN: 978-0228837046; July 2024). A timely and thought-provoking publication, pointing therein world events that are rapidly changing / unfolding, and are adversely affecting humans all around the globe. When we look around us, we witness global changes in the atmosphere, signs and wonders in the sky, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, sickness, human suffering, wars, pestilence, etc. that are on the rapid increase.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 14, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Purépecha people of the state of Michoacán, Mexico, are famous for their unique culture, food, crafts, pottery and textiles. Award-winning chefs from the region, flown to Los Angeles for the Flavor of Michoacán Festival, proved that their cuisine is beyond compare. The festival, hosted by the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles on L. Ron Hubbard Way, began with a Mayan ceremony that invoked the spirits of Earth to bless the occasion

NEW YORK, N.Y., and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 10, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — As 52 bright young delegates filed into Conference Room 4 at UN Headquarters in New York for the 18th International Human Rights Summit, hundreds attending rose to their feet for a standing ovation. United for Human Rights organizes the annual summit and selected the delegates from among hundreds of applicants based on their stellar record of human rights advocacy.

LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 7, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Each month, Hollywood Village volunteers hold a neighborhood cleanup to keep Hollywood beautiful, safe, and clean. With visitors pouring into the city over the summer from around the world, this was not the season for the volunteers to take a vacation from their monthly initiative. Setting out from the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre, where they pick up their trash bags, shovels and brooms, volunteers took off to clean up the neighborhood.

CITY OF MARKHAM, Ontario, and LOS ANGELES, Calif., Aug. 7, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Each summer, thousands of visitors pour into the City of Markham, Ontario, for the Taste of Asia Festival. The vibrant event features performances, art, crafts and food representing dozens of nations from China to Japan and India to Indonesia-each unique and special. And every year since 2004, the Toronto chapter of Foundation for a Drug-Free World has reached out at the festival with its drug education and prevention campaign.