This week, members of STAND’s Los Angeles chapter gathered at the Church of Scientology of the Valley for their annual holiday reception, to connect, share ideas, and celebrate another year of success in the fight for religious freedom.
“With countless others around the world, we mourn the loss of this great leader and statesman who valued freedom and promoted a spirit of tolerance amongst all,” said Edward Parkin, STAND’s International Director.
On Monday July 30th at the Department of Justice’s Religious Liberty Summit, U.S. Attorney Jeff Sessions announced the formation of a new Religious Liberty Task Force to defend the rights of citizens to freely practice their chosen faiths.
On June 28 at the landmark Solvay Library, situated near the European Parliament, a large group of faith and government representatives met in what has been termed the first Faith and Freedom Summit.
Freedom of Religion or Belief (#FORB) has just launched a campaign that says, “Believe it or not, it’s my right!” The effort aims at bringing together believers and non-believers to protect and defend every person’s right to freedom of religion or belief.
The most senior medical authority to arrive on the scene, for example, Dr. C. Leslie Mootoo, chief medical examiner of Guyana, reported that the bodies he examined had not died by “drinking the Kool-Aid,” but by murder.
Edward Parkin, the International Director of Scientologists Taking Action Against Discrimination (STAND), will soon be headed for this year’s Religion Communicators Council (RCC) convention in Atlanta, Georgia.
“This is a very important victory for the Church. We feel that justice has prevailed,” said Attila Miklovicz, spokesperson for the Church of Scientology of Budapest.
Sam Brownback was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom by Vice President Mike Pence on February 1, filling an important position that has been vacant since Rabbi David Saperstein left the office in January 2017.
As 2018 launches and 2017 fades in the rear-view mirrors of our minds, STAND looks forward to a year of great strides in the fields of tolerance, mutual respect and religious freedom.