Why I am Proud to Support the International Association of Scientologists

“What is the IAS?”

There’s a question I get asked quite often when I’m wearing my shirts that state I’m a member of the International Association of Scientologists, one I’m bound to get asked all the more often now that my family are all Patrons of the Association.

“What’s that?”

One fellow that I did web engineering with saw me wearing a shirt with a torch on it that said, “Crusader” and said, “Crusader – I think I’ve heard of those guys.”  – thinking it was a vendor we worked with.

No, folks, I proudly sport those shirts because I’m a contributing member of the International Association of Scientologists – something I’m extremely proud of.

The IAS is the official membership organization of the Scientology religion, being made up of individual Scientologists who truly want to change conditions on this planet for the better.  The purpose of the International Association of Scientologists is:

To unite, advance, support and protect the Scientology religion and Scientologists in all parts of the world, so as to achieve the aims of Scientology as originated by L. Ron Hubbard.

Now, in practical terms, here’s what IAS members do, and what the IAS as a whole accomplishes, which I’m very much a supporter of:

The Volunteer Minister Program:

Scientology Volunteer Ministers

One program that the IAS supports that I’ve been intimately involved in is the Scientology Volunteer Minister program.  I’ve worked personally to get volunteers out to disaster sites like after the earthquakes in Haiti, the Indian Ocean Tsunami, Chinese earthquakes, Hurricane Katrina, and others.   Volunteer Ministers are known for their ability to calm down & bring order to disorderly surroundings, and to also thereby work hand in hand with disaster response forces to clean up these major disaster sites.  But also, those same principles that make Scientology Volunteer Ministers effective in major upheavals also make them effective in smaller disasters – like kids with bonked heads, parents with upsets, or children needing to study better.  It’s such an effective program that gets such excellent results, that I love supporting it.

This is Why I Love Being a Scientologist

This video sums up a lot of why I love being a Scientologist.

 

The anniversary celebration of the International Association of Scientologists was just held in my city this past weekend, and once again I get to mentally review all of the many reasons why I love being active as a Scientologist.  Luckily for me, as well, one of the new videos released at this year’s event (above) sums up a lot of it.

Everyone who’s involved in Scientology is involved for their own reasons. I have mine, as I went through some time noting down for y’all.  But one part I get a huge kick out of – especially around the time of the IAS Anniversary, is to rub elbows with and be reminded of all of the awesome things my Scientologist friends are doing in their day to day lives that just make the place around us a bit better – things that stem from the fact that they, themselves, are drug-free, literate, empowered people who are individually pursuing their goals in life.

Examples?  There’s so many.  But just take people that I’ve had contact with in the last 24 hours: 

One of my friends is just a fantastic example of a Scientology Parent.  She’s got a bunch of wonderful kids, and always is ready to go out of her way to help anyone who needs it.  She also happens to be a Scientology auditor, and you can see in the comments section on this post on Scientology pregnancy assists what some of the people she’s touched have to say.   

I have another bunch of friends who work with our city’s Truth About Drugs campaign.  They’ve been working with our local police to get effective drug education done with area youth to keep them off drugs.  Why are they doing it? Personal gain? Absolutely not – they just simply want to make a safer place for all us to grow up in.

Another of my friends works at The Delphian School, a school which uses L. Ron Hubbard’s study technology to make competent students who can care for their own future lives and future education.   A really fantastic school I must say, and a bunch of really dedicated, good people who work there.

The list really goes on and on. 

Which is why I do really and factually feel privileged to have friends like this, and to be a part of a group like this where, by and large, there are just a ton of people around me who get a real kick out of helping others and making the world around them a better place to live.