AUTHOR
Leland Thoburn
Leland has been a Scientologist for 45 years. His writings have been published in numerous magazines and literary journals, including Foliate Oak Review, Writers’ Journal, Feathertale Review, Calliope, Vocabula Review and others. Formerly an executive at EarthLink Inc., he works as a business consultant.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
As Freedom Forum’s David Callaway relates in his article, the Sikhs’ defense of others has never ceased.
INCLUSION & RESPECT
Hatred, misinformation and stupidity roam in a pack. They are often harbingers of violence.
RELIGIOUS LITERACY
This spirit of kindness, goodwill and love is found in all religions.
EQUALITY & HUMAN RIGHTS
Freedom does not come by declaration alone. It has to be demanded, fought for, and won.
INCLUSION & RESPECT
I hope we can join in making this world a better place. That is my “Hopesgiving.”
EQUALITY & HUMAN RIGHTS
Imagine the condition of the world today if that principle had been universally adhered to when it was written. That would be a world worth celebrating.
EQUALITY & HUMAN RIGHTS
On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln gave what is arguably the most important speech in American history.
INCLUSION & RESPECT
Celebrate, in whatever way you can. The world is turning a corner. There is an incredible amount of work to be done, but good people everywhere are doing it.
COMBATING BIGOTRY & HATE
“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. The opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.” - Elie Wiesel
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Politics is a zero-sum game. It is a game of power and control, and for one party to win, another party has to lose. (There has never been an election where both parties won.) Religion, on the other hand, is a win-win game. When a Hindu worshipper strives for freedom from the endless cycle of life, death and rebirth, he does not impinge on a Muslim’s relationship with Allah, or a Christian’s worship of Christ, or any of the other myriad ways that believers manifest their beliefs.
