International Day of
Friendship was created to inspire peace and bridge building. The Church of
Scientology recently brought together a diverse crowd to dialogue for the
occasion.
More than 100 pastors and community leaders were
called to participate in an interactive adventure in friendship for the
International Day of Friendship celebration in Nashville, Tenn., hosted by the
Church of Scientology.
Members of the Sikh, Jewish, Methodist, Baptist,
Catholic, Muslim and Scientologist communities joined together to learn about
one another and forge true friendships by taking part in guided dialogue.
The day, which is an annual observance dignified
in by the United Nations in 2011, was created with the idea that “friendship
between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts
and build bridges between communities,” according to un.org.
This is the second time the Church of
Scientology has hosted a celebration for the day, with many community leaders
coming together to participate. Pastor of the Church Rev. Brian Fesler says,
“We brought people together for the event, but it’s not going to end today.
Many of them plan to stay in touch and keep getting together over the next few
months to continue a journey to friendship.”
Fesler says events like this are vital to combat
racism and bigotry in today’s world. “There are so many problems in the world
today caused by a basic misunderstanding of each other. If we learn something
about other people we might end these problems, disputes and upsets
altogether,” he says.
The Church of Scientology partnered for this
effort with The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee (TWTH-TN). TWTH-TN provides a community betterment
program based on the book The Way to Happiness by L. Ron Hubbard. The program
is predicated on the fact that one’s survival depends on the survival of
others—and that without the survival of others, neither joy nor happiness are
attainable. Several concepts in the book promote dialogue and friendship, and
were used during the event to assist attendees to dialogue with one another.
Among them, “Respect the Religious Beliefs of Others,” “Seek to Live with the
Truth,” and “Try to Treat Others As You Would Want them to Treat You.”
For more information on the Church of Scientology,
its programs or upcoming events, visit scientology-ccnashville.org.
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