Scientology has been called a cult, a religion, a pseudo-science and many other names. Scientology has fallen prey to more speculation when news of many celebrities in Hollywood, have been identified with associations to the said organization that many view with skepticism. Research reveals that Scientology is a body of practices and beliefs that are based on the works of American Speculative Fiction author L.Ron Hubbard who is the recognized father of the organization. The main regulatory organization for the previously unknown group is the Church of Scientology, a hierarchical organization founded by the author himself. Many other groups who work outside the main body use Hubbard’s works as basis for their own interpretation of the initial knowledgebase. During a time when people were deeply engrossed in a way of finding believable ideals that other religion can offer, scientology filled the gap. Their declarations as a church comes when Hubbard notices that there are many supporters who use his work in a myriad of ways, unifying them in the Church of Scientology which allowed him to standardize the interpretation of all his works. The ideals Hubbard interpreted are rooted in the works of many a famous philosophers like Bacon, Spencer, Freud and many others. His accumulated body of knowledge encompassed the whole philosophical theater from then till his time, incorporating some of the ideals of Hinduism and many other religions.
The combination of all those bodies of thought has resulted in a group that revolves around eight fundamental ideals that have to maintained and kept in balance. In Scientology, there is no absolute right or wrong but rather a body of ideals or events that lead to such. The scientology cross has eight corners, each representing eight ideals or dynamics on which they base their teachings. Self, Creativity (procreation family and Sex), Society (group and community), species Survival, life forms in general, matter, spirit and Infinity (Supreme Being) are the eight basic fundamentals areas they focus on. All decisions a practitioner of Scientology makes is said to need to impact all equally weighing them against these basic ideals.
Summing up all the information, they can be seen as an organization that has been derived from the many bodies of thought that is based on the acquired knowledge of many philosophers all combined into one body of knowledge. May you see it as a pseudo-science a religion or anything else, as long as it does not endanger the lives of their following then they should be left to do their own business.

Schools have been getting a bad rap, the recent shootings of students who fail to realize that there is more to life than success. Schools should be the place where futures are made, not destroyed and lives cut short. Students plotting to kill other students, drugs and all the other news we get to hear is not good at all for us and the so-called future of the human race. Our children should be allowed to use the bible as away of looking back at history and seeing the modern adaptations for themselves. The virtues and examples written may have been set in the time of the Romans and sometimes even older but the ideals stay the same, even in today’s computer driven world. “The Bible was Made for Man, Not Man for the Bible”, one of my high school professors once said, and I took that to heart. Truly man was around way before the bible was compiled and read as one solid literary piece. Man was given by the Supreme Being a brain with which to think and see everything around him as a situational scenario. How one acts, is purely based on his beliefs and ideals that he manifests from memories he has compiled through the life that has passed through and the teachings of those around him. If the Bible was supposed to be the supreme Manual for everyday life, why would we need big brains for? So, I do agree that the bible should be brought into our schools, they might make an impact or they might not, but being able to entice some to partake in the virtues and stories of old would be a wonderful endeavor that they might just accept it as the truth.

Some say it’s a romanticized version of life in the time of the Romans some say its the depiction of a man’s life as he was made man by the Father to walk against men to show them the ills of their ways. Many refute the validity of the documents and events that are contained within the pages of the document whom many consider to be the best guides to life as we know it.
All religions have their own god’s and supreme beings and with those beings come teachings that are written on paper by scholars and writers who were there to document their lives, to pass on their works down to the next generation. Many say that the events documented on the bible are highly fictional; some say they are historic accounts. Well, they are both, part romanticized views of daily life back then and part historical documentation of how the Romans interacted with everyone else. Scholars have even accepted the fact that the Bible was the blueprint of the Declaration of Independence, the basis for everything that makes America, All-American. From the 1760’s to 1805, all documents had direct relation to the scriptures within the bible along with the famous American Constitution. The Bible is relevant in today’s world as it was during the days when the Christians were being persecuted by the Romans. The term Christian has been twisted turned and stepped on but one thing’s sure, we’re all brothers in Christ and nobody can take that away from us.

Economics has forced the Bible out of schools for they are just another cost for the state to shoulder and they need to trim their budgets. Little do they know that they may be taking away something that has been in place since time immemorial that has managed to keep people thinking of the ways and life of the true Christians. Many sad incidents involving kids and youth have been constantly on the news; Recent school/University shootings, the involvement of kids in drugs and crime; all these because society has managed to produce a whole generation that knows no virtue of brotherhood to all mankind, replacing it with race and color (or drug preference) as the ultimate survival tool. The Bible is the ultimate survival guide for it embodies the knowledge of generations of people from the time the earliest civilizations were budding till they fell. The Bible should remain in the shelves and classrooms of schools for it may encourage people to read it and see the true vision and knowledge that is locked within.
It has long been accepted that the world has in a way or another evolved around some form of blueprint that has persisted through millennia of human existence. The Bible, the book is recognized by many a religions as the ultimate guidebook to life which might explain why the American Declaration of Independence was rooted deeply in the virtues and verses of the bible. The bible is a document that has been passed down from generation to generation and has suffered all types of attacks from all sides, left and right.

The hypocrisy indeed does continue as the Olympic torch continues to wind its way through the planned route it was to take till the opening of the Beijing games. Protesters held at bay by throngs of Police and even banned from some countries. Where is the freedom of expression and the true vision of the games in this type of display? It is only for show with no actual virtue of the Olympics being upheld. China has suffered blow after blow in what they hope would be their breaking out as one of the world’s best countries to visit. Their crackdown on Tibetan Protesters, their extravagant spending whilst their people suffer from food shortages, no wonder even the athletes themselves are expressing non-participation. The games is supposed to bring about change and unity among man whatever color or flag they may belong to yet they oppose the move for freedom by their own people. The areas around the main venues in Beijing are swarming with police and military units ready to pounce at any form of activist behavior. The move of the government to make the torch-re-lighting ceremony a private one with only the authorized reporters and invited guests (mostly high officials of the Communist Party and Government) shows the mistrust they have in the people.
Their crackdown on computer hackers, who were convicted not of crimes towards other men but of crimes of larceny towards the motherland whom they hid profits from. Where is their sense of freedom they are showcasing in their billion dollar venues that have taxed the Chinese people leaving most of them without food and access to basic necessities? They even plan to control the weather on the opening day to prevent Beijing’s much criticized polluted air from marring the games. These are the socialist ways China must learn to part with if they are to partake in the move to become a global leader in all aspects of business. Their crackdown on the illegal toy factories that have caused much dismay in the rest of the world has done little to end the criticism they are being subject to. Much has to be opened as the games near and they are more than doors. Their entry into the global scene as an economic power means more than just plain ability to produce but the willingness to follow the norm of behavior the rest of us take for granted!

Greek and Armenian Priests slug it out in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, what’s gotte into these guys? There seems to be an in-born psychological factor that tells people who belong to religious groups that the other side is always the enemy and that they should never be allowed to interrupt each other’s activities or even partake in them as a matter of fact. The site is hailed by all Christians as one of the holiest of the holiest sites in the world, where Jesus is said to have been crucifiedyet they seem to forget the significance of the place. This is the state of religions today who once sprung from the same roots as they were in their early days. They worship the same saints and religious icons yet they opt to forego the solemnity of their activity to get a chance to be first in line for a visit. There seems to be no end to the battle between all sides when it comes to religion. Us troops fight Islamic fundamentalists, most of the Western world targeting the Islamic state of Iran, Jews against the Muslims of GAZA and as in this case, Christians after Christians when will it end?
The depth of hate in religion may have become too deep for them to forego differences and just show respect for the places they may be in. Where is their respect for common man who they are fighting against, where is the sense of one earth one man? These people would rather brawl on the streets than worship their faith for these types of incidents do show the ugly side of man, plain and simplehatred.
Last year during preparations for the same festival, they got at each other with brooms and stones which could be a good time to remind them that this is the preferred method of persecution of outcasts in the Roman times when Christians were so persecuted they were treated as criminals. Treat each others as criminals and you are like Mary Magdalene and the Romans with Jesus saying, “He who has not sinned throws the first stone!” Brand each other as criminals and both end up as plain thugs after each other and not for your beliefs. With these types of events, unity on this earth may be too far off and too much to promote. Imagine, Christians after fellow Christians who should have been united as one in the blood of Christ!!!!

These old ways that forms our cultural heritage have been slowly going extinct except for the Hindu’s of India and the Chinese who stick and apply to their beliefs in all aspects of life. Too bad for I see no wrong in their beliefs for they are the embodiment of the way my ancestors have lived for millennia on the same land where their house still stands to this day. Make this face there, place this stuff over there, avoid pointed objects here, shift the door from the street with anything obstructing the free flow of energy into and out of the house, they never end. The old folk always seem to have an explanation for all the nuances of life and as I have seen and experienced it, they have served me well. Just hope the people of the world could hold onto a little of their heritage and ancestry so the world would be a better place to live in. No greed just common sense and common good. I miss those days when all things grew out of the ground and came from livestock we had in our backyard (now you get them picked, cleaned and neatly wrapped on steel shelves).
Saddening how the old ways have come and gone, forgotten by iPod wielding kids and teens who have no idea of the beauty and need for nature. People who grew up in the concrete jungle have no idea of the old ways, the do’s and don’ts, the times of harvest, the times to enjoy life as simply as the bird who soars above. Those were the days….

It might sound crazy yet many people abide by some form of philosophy in the way stuff and structures are built. The Chinese use Feng Shui, and the Hindu’s consult the Gods whose knowledge is revealed by priests and priestesses, who after accumulating the knowledge of hundreds of years of religion and philosophical views give instructions. The way a structure faces the rising sun and has it’s back towards its exit has basis and is seen by many as the ideal location for the frontage of a house. The rising sun is seen by many cultures to be the sign of re-birth (though it happens everyday) which can translate to a new beginning. The exit is said to have the spirits take away the worries of the day with them to the underworld.
Philosophy, religion and technology all have their say in this area and some say it’s all a lot of crap. For me, who was born into a culture that is rich in fables and lore (mythical creatures both good and bad the denizens of the unseen) what’s to loose in believing. There are many who see such beliefs as a waste of time yet we all have some innate fears and techniques we abide by that no one taught us. The way we learn from our parents and see how everyday life evolves gives us the ability to face the world on our own.
My grandparent’s house is made of nipa (palm leaves that are picked, dried and tied into ceiling panels much like roof tiles) and the way they have the house made, never seems to amaze me. The kitchen is connected to the dining area and the smoke from the wood fired stoves still leaves the hole in the roof that looks somewhat like a window we open up as we rise in the morning. We never get to see smoke enter the house even on stormy windy days and my grandmother says that’s because the orientation, design and height (all the aspects of the house) have been approved by a wise man who knew the old ways.

Bummers galore for all the candidates, from equipment failures that sent Senator McCain not getting his speech on queue to Hillary’s delaying the releasing the financial statements of the family and now Barack’s calling of jobless Americans as “bitter” which he cites their primary reason for owning guns and turning to religion. They just keep rolling in and they will surely be the talk of many years to come in the political arena. The latest bummer by Obama has him saying that Americans (Pennsylvanians) turn to religion and guns due to bitterness that was not something you would want to say if you’d want to become president. The miss-spoken words were acknowledged by the charismatic speaker as being wrongly said and that he could have done better and many political analysts say it’s a campaign killer that might be enough to give Hillary the edge.
An attack on the right of Americans to bear arms and to practice religion is an attack on the Constitution of the United States therefore the country itself. The USA has been and is founded on the basic principles embodied on that piece of parchment from which all American laws are based. Attacking the fundamental body of ideals not only upsets those who were criticized but America as the Country. Owning guns can be simply for sporting reasons and religion may be the way people tend to find answers to problems no other material matter can solve. There are many reasons Americans are going through the economic crunch and turning his sights on religion and gun ownership may not be the best way to promote your political platform.
The philosophy of attacking the weaknesses of an opponent is hardwired in all of us and it is responsible for bringing out the best and worst in all of us. Let us just hope that whoever wins the race would have the political strategy to bring the faltering US economy that is very much in dire straights.

The troubles for Asia’s rising economy that has just begun entering the era of globalization and opening door’s China doesn’t seem to stop. Rumors of grave economic problems due to lavish expenditures in preparation for the Olympics this August 2008, the threat of boycotts from athletes and even the countries they represent and the problems associated with the current world food crisis that is being brought in by severe droughts and economic woes are not helping to boost their credibility as a capable Olympic Host. The preparations have been rushed so much that the fate of the people hangs in the balance. China, one of the world’s largest countries and the most populous one has been known to have local food shortages of their own in the past and dwindling supplies of rice are not doing the people any good. Civil liberties are strictly controlled like the internet and other forms of mass communication which are constantly patrolled and taken off the net or air if a hint of anti-government sentiment is sniffed. The recent crackdown on monks who cry for independence which they strictly controlled in terms of media reporting banning them form the hot-spots only letting them in after worldwide public outcry.
The problem of China as a liberated country that has outgrown its communist roots is far from over in fact it’s just beginning. The venues of the games have strict police control to suppress citizens from voicing out their opinions. Ceremonies have strict attendance for press and officials only due to threats of demonstrations. True the games gave millions new jobs but maybe for all the wrong reasons. The people suffer yet they construct lavish structures further draining the country’s lacking finances. China may be forced to open up more to allow more freedom and expression of views if they are to make the Olympics a successful one. The boycott movement is aimed to raise awareness of the hypocrisy that is manifested in their hosting the games which should be a sign of freedom and friendship among nations. Some nations have already voiced concern that their athletes are moving to boycott the games, not attending or representing their countries to signify their defiance to condone the atrocities that are still going on right outside the Olympic venue’s grounds.