Religious Leaders Gather in Los Angeles for World Interfaith Harmony Week Celebration

Religious leaders gathered at the Church of Scientology Los Angeles to celebrate World Interfaith Harmony Week, sharing personal perspectives on their faith to build understanding and promote unity in diversity. World Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual global observance established by the United Nations to promote peace and understanding among people of all faiths, with events held worldwide to strengthen ideals of peace within and among all religions, nations, and peoples. The Scientology Volunteer Ministers chapter of Los Angeles hosted an event on February 11 that opened with a prayer from Chief Joseph Tasunka Okuna Jr. of the Lakota Nation, who performed a ceremonial chant to offer protection to those in attendance.

Following this ceremony, representatives of diverse faiths shared the stage, speaking about their personal journeys and desire to collaborate with one another. Those speaking represented Christianity, Islam, Falun Gong, and Scientology. Pastor Oliver E. Buie from the Bel-Vue United Presbyterian Church highlighted the importance of unity, stating that the message and vision of unity rings loud and clear and that it is essential the spirit of oneness continues as people work together to spread peace, unity, and love for all of humanity. In forming the Scientology Volunteer Ministers program, humanitarian and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard highlighted the vital importance of religion in society as stated in his 1976 essay Religious Influence in Society, noting that when a culture has fallen totally away from spiritual pursuits into materialism, one must begin by demonstrating individuals are each a soul, not a material animal, and from this realization of their own religious nature individuals can again come to an awareness of God and become more themselves.

The Church of Scientology of Los Angeles serves as a home for the Los Angeles community and as a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift people of all denominations. To find out more about the programs and initiatives headed by the Church of Scientology, visit the website at https://www.scientology-losangeles.org or watch Inside a Church of Scientology on the Scientology Network. Additional information about the Scientology Volunteer Ministers initiative is available at https://www.volunteerministers.org. The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard, with the first Church of Scientology formed in Los Angeles in 1954, and the religion has since expanded to more than 11,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 countries.