As reported on the official Scientology news site, Hubbard once remarked that there are only two tests of a life well-lived: “Did he do what he intended?” and “Were people glad he lived?”
The site also quotes Hubbard as stating that “wisdom is meant for anyone who wishes to reach for it. It is the servant of the commoner and king alike and should never be regarded with awe.”
Perhaps best known in America where he was born and founded the Scientology religion, his name and work have made a considerable impact across Europe.
Even today, he continues to garner awards and recognitions. One of the most recent: his birthday has now been included in the official calendar of religious celebrations of Spain. This calendar is published by the Fundacion Pluralismo y Convivencia, part of Spain’s Ministry of the Presidency.
In addition to including this date in the calendar, the Ministry’s Foundation also released a seven-minute podcast today on Mr Hubbard’s life. Available on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, it is part of a campaign called “Understanding Religious Diversity,[#ConociendoLaDiversidadReligiosa] ” aimed at generating unbiased knowledge of the beliefs that people find in Spain and abroad.
On March 13, Americans also mark National Good Samaritan Day. The European Times asked Ivan Arjona, president of the Scientology Public Affairs Office in Europe, to comment on this coincidence. “Mr Hubbard’s works and legacy surpass those expected of a Good Samaritan,” said Arjona, “because his are not simply an isolated act of kindness—they continue to influence people positively and do so in ever-increasing numbers.”
L. Ron Hubbard and history
Much has been said about L. Ron Hubbard. Smithsonian magazine listed him among the 11 most influential religious figures in American history and one of the 100 most significant Americans, placing him alongside such stellar personalities as Abraham Lincoln, Frank Lloyd Wright, Walt Disney, Oprah Winfrey, Thomas Edison and Eleanor Roosevelt.
Among other awards and recognitions, Hubbard earned the Publishers Weekly Century Award for the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. The magazine describes it as “perhaps the best-selling non-Christian book of all time in the West.”
Sharing his knowledge and discoveries in more than 10,000 authored works and 3,000 recorded lectures of Dianetics and Scientology, Hubbard also holds the Guinness World Record for most published author, most translated author, and author of the single most translated non-religious work.
Today, Scientologists the world over honour his legacy with celebrations in Scientology Churches and Missions, and millions more have benefitted from humanitarian initiatives derived from his work.
