Scientology and the 2020 Pandemic documents the response spearheaded by Mr. David Miscavige—the ecclesiastical leader of the Church by Scientology.
Danish Scientology Volunteer Ministers respond to the 2020 pandemic.
Rosita Šorytė is a Lithuanian diplomat. She is president of the International Observatory of Religious Liberty of Refugees. The booklet was originally published as a paper in the July/August edition of the Journal of CESNUR (Center for Studies on New Religions). Its full title is We Can Lift This World While Quarantined”: Scientology and the 2020 Pandemic.
Church of Scientology Response to the Pandemic
The book describes the response of the Church of Scientology to the COVID-19 pandemic. It draws its title from the lyrics of a viral music video, “Spread a Smile,” produced by the global media center of the Church of Scientology in Hollywood: Scientology Media Productions.
“Scientologists rapidly adopted state-of-the-art precautions and distributed millions of booklets teaching how to effectively protect hygiene and use masks, gloves, and disinfectants,” writes Šorytė. “Scientology’s Volunteer Ministers organized massive humanitarian activities…[to move] decisively towards a better, ‘restored’ planet.”
Bulletin by Mr. David Miscavige
The book includes sections of a bulletin issued by Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige in which he quotes the religion’s Founder L. Ron Hubbard who directed that the way to address an infestation like this is to apply the maxim, “an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure.” Mr. Miscavige then added, “Well, how about a ton of prevention so as not to require an ounce of cure?”
The bulletin contains practical, common-sense directions to Scientologists:
1. First, real information for you and your immediate environment. Booklets containing this information have been provided for all staff and public—and in any quantity (free of charge) for dissemination to friends, family, and associates.
2. Second, preventing and/or killing whatever this virus is. We have researched and are utilizing the most effective products and applications for eradicating this virus and any virus, bacteria, or germ infestation.
This includes massive infusions of airborne ozone, as well as nebulized peroxide and Decon7. (If you haven’t seen these applications, that’s because the operation occurs in unoccupied spaces before you arrive.)
3. Third, medical checks and isolation. It has been longstanding LRH Sea Org policy that ill persons are isolated (segregated in separate quarters and not in contact with the general population). This IS how to prevent the spread of illness. Therefore, as a preventative measure, all staff and public have their temperature taken each day before services. This extends to the requirement that all staff and public report any feeling of illness before entering Org spaces.
4. Finally, masks and gloves are available for all public when they are out and about (gas station, supermarket, etc.) and wish to insulate themselves.
Response by Scienology Volunteer Ministers in Their Communities
“Scientology and the 2020 Pandemic”—Scientology Volunteer Ministers of Denmark handed out copies of educational booklets to stores, restaurants and households to help people understand the best practices of prevention.
Once lockdowns began easing, “Scientology started devising ways to help the communities where its Volunteer Ministers were present,” wrote Šorytė. She quotes Bernadette Rigal-Cellard, faculty member of Bourdeax-Montaigne University, who describes the Volunteer Ministers as “the best-known charity of the Church because of its ministers with their bright yellow jackets highly visible in disaster zones”
On the cover of Šorytė’s new book is a photo of a team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers wearing these bright yellow jackets over protective jumpsuits as they began distributing educational booklets in Copenhagen, the city that hosts the European headquarters of the Scientology religion.
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