The special Clearwater, Florida, edition of Freedom Magazine shows a community aligned to tackle its issues, working together in the spirit of cooperation.
The editorial sets the tone by beginning:
IF SOMEONE WERE TO DRAW A DIAGRAM OF what a day looks like at Flag—the Scientology religion’s spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida—it would show a lot of arrows indicating people. Arrows flowing into Flag, arrows heading out. If you color-coded arrows for Scientologists or non-Scientologists, there would be a multi-hued mix. If the drawing encompassed days, weeks and months, the number of arrows heading in both directions would become indistinguishable in a blur of activity.
Much of the issue concerns the public benefit activities Scientologists engage in, and how the Church is the hub of these activities–providing the space and resources that enable Scientologist and non-Scientologist alike the ability to accomplish their goals.
The article continues:
Tens of thousands of people came to Flag over 2016. For each, the answers to those questions are as varied as the people themselves. For Scientologists, their journey involves their own spiritual development as they ascend what’s known in Scientology as the “Bridge to Total Freedom.”
However, in recent years, Flag has assumed an additional role. People of all faiths come to Church facilities, seeking solutions to problems that are causing the ruination of society. The issues include drugs, human rights abuses, psychiatric harm, prison recidivism, immorality and unethical behavior, illiteracy and the inability of many communities to cope with disasters.
Here is a terrific graphic form the magazine that really illustrates the story:
- 12,624 Visitors to the Scientology Information Center
- 75,097 Number of visitors to the Church’s humanitarian centers since they opened in July 2015
- 1,014 Community events & functions hosted by Flag through 2016—in the Fort Harrison retreat, the Scientology Information Center and humanitarian center
And the list goes on.
Well worth a read.
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