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In ] a box of pamphlets was delivered to the mayor's office with the official City of Winnipeg logo and the image of mayor ]. No legal action was taken: "This is obviously a sample sent to our office and it was not approved or paid for by our office... If material was being distributed on our behalf with a false endorsement, it would be a different story."<ref>{{cite web | first = Bartley | last = Kives | title = Katz finds religion... or vice versa | url = http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/story/4067336p-4669828c.html | work = | publisher = ] | date = ] | accessdate = 2008-01-28 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Booklet sent to Winnipeg Mayor's office insinuates politician endorses Scientology | work = ] | date = ]}}</ref> In ] a box of pamphlets was delivered to the mayor's office with the official City of Winnipeg logo and the image of mayor ]. No legal action was taken: "This is obviously a sample sent to our office and it was not approved or paid for by our office... If material was being distributed on our behalf with a false endorsement, it would be a different story."<ref>{{cite web | first = Bartley | last = Kives | title = Katz finds religion... or vice versa | url = http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/story/4067336p-4669828c.html | work = | publisher = ] | date = ] | accessdate = 2008-01-28 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Booklet sent to Winnipeg Mayor's office insinuates politician endorses Scientology | work = ] | date = ]}}</ref>

In March 2008, The Way to Happiness Foundation agreed to stop sending copies of the booklet to certain cities in ], after hundreds of elected officials complained.<ref name="hatzipanagos ">{{cite news | last =Hatzipanagos | first =Rachel | title =Scientology group stops guidebook mailings: Officials received unsolicited copies | work =] | date =2008-03-11 }}</ref> The organization had sent thousands of unsolicited copies of the booklet to Florida cities including ] and ].<ref name="hatzipanagos" /> Each booklet had the name of the mayor on the front, and the town's address on the back, asking the reader to contact town hall with any questions.<ref name="hatzipanagos" /> The cover also contained an image of the ].<ref name="hatzipanagos" /> Commissioner Doris Trinley of Highland Beach said "I was dumbfounded ... I don't begrudge anyone their religion. However, I do take serious umbrage with saying on the back of the book to contact the town of Highland Beach."<ref name="hatzipanagos" /> Karin Pouw, spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology, told the '']'' "The foundation is definitely something that the church is supporting. We encourage their activities".<ref name="hatzipanagos" />


==Unauthorized claims of affiliation== ==Unauthorized claims of affiliation==

Revision as of 11:25, 25 April 2008

The Way to Happiness is a 1980 booklet written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard listing 21 moral precepts, and distributed by The Way to Happiness Foundation International, a Scientology-related non-profit organization founded in 1984. Even though The Way to Happiness makes no reference to Scientology, and it is intended to provide a non religious moral code, the Foundation is manned by Scientology volunteers that labor to infuse the book in troubled areas as a means to instill peace and tolerance.

Foundation

"The Way to Happiness Foundation International is a non-profit 501 ( c ) 3, non-religious social betterment corporation. The International Headquarters is located in Glendale, Ca. It was written by author and humanitarian L Ron. Hubbard as an individual work and is not part of any religious doctrine.It is a modern, common sense guide to better living. It has had amazing success in helping both children and adults in the areas of honesty, integrity, tolerance and competence through it’s 21 easy to read principles. The Way to Happiness book has been used in 2035 prisons worldwide and has been used in over 1200 US schools reaching 10 million students as part of their Set a Good Example contest. There are MTV style Public Service Announcements of all 21 principles found in the book that air on televisions worldwide . There are many celebrities who are Ambassadors of this common sense book on morals such as Kelly Preston, Kirstie Alley, Issac Hayes and their International Spokersperson: Nancy Cartwright (Voice of Bart Simpson)"

Headquartered at 201 East Broadway, Glendale, California, the foundation coordinates the activities of the Way to Happiness international network, including continental and national officies, associates and local groups. The Way to Happiness Foundation International is a division of the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE), and is a "Scientology-related entity" under the 1993 IRS Closing Agreement.

Booklet

The Way to Happiness booklet contains a set of 21 precepts, which were written by author, and founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard is described as a humanitarian on a Church of Scientology website.

It was first published in 1981 by Regent House, Los Angeles as a 48-page paper-covered booklet (ISBN 0-9605930-0-4).

This book is frequently given out by Scientologists. A campaign in the early 1990s to distribute the book in United States schools was described in Church of Scientology publications as "the largest dissemination project in Scientology history" and "the bridge between broad society and Scientology." A reprint licensing fee of seven cents per booklet for printing a minimum of 20,000 copies is paid to The Way to Happiness Foundation International.

Unauthorized use of city logos

In 2007, "The Way to Happiness Foundation" produced and distributed pamphlets with sample endorsements from the mayors of Dallas, Texas and San Francisco, California. The mayor of Dallas did not appreciate this unauthorized usage of the mayor's logo and the official seal of the city of Dallas, stating: "Clearly we were not very comfortable and did not think it was appropriate to use the seal of the city of Dallas, the mayor's logo or my name on something we were not aware of." According to a report in The Dallas Morning News, the city attorney's office of Dallas is looking into possible options in this matter.

Similarly, in San Francisco, California, the office of the mayor was also not pleased with this unauthorized usage of the mayor's image, logo, and the seal of the city. According to a report by the Associated Press, the city ordered the Scientology group to stop using an unauthorized picture of Mayor Gavin Newsom on its promotional pamphlets. An official spokesman for the mayor of San Francisco released a statement, saying: "The mayor does not support the unauthorized use of his image or the city seal on this booklet." The city attorney for San Francisco wrote a letter to "The Way to Happiness Foundation", citing California state law, which prohibits deceptive and misleading advertising that could create an appearance that the pamphlets are from a government agency. The city attorney also cited San Francisco law, writing that the Board of Supervisors must approve any commercial use of the city's official seal.

In Winnipeg, Manitoba a box of pamphlets was delivered to the mayor's office with the official City of Winnipeg logo and the image of mayor Sam Katz. No legal action was taken: "This is obviously a sample sent to our office and it was not approved or paid for by our office... If material was being distributed on our behalf with a false endorsement, it would be a different story."

In March 2008, The Way to Happiness Foundation agreed to stop sending copies of the booklet to certain cities in Florida, after hundreds of elected officials complained. The organization had sent thousands of unsolicited copies of the booklet to Florida cities including Highland Beach and Boca Raton. Each booklet had the name of the mayor on the front, and the town's address on the back, asking the reader to contact town hall with any questions. The cover also contained an image of the Florida state flag. Commissioner Doris Trinley of Highland Beach said "I was dumbfounded ... I don't begrudge anyone their religion. However, I do take serious umbrage with saying on the back of the book to contact the town of Highland Beach." Karin Pouw, spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel "The foundation is definitely something that the church is supporting. We encourage their activities".

Unauthorized claims of affiliation

In a speech given on a New Year's event in 2007, David Miscavige claimed that the distribution of the booklet is aided by "corporate tie ins", mentioning 7/11 Coca-Cola, Philips Electronics, and Dell by name as companies who use this outreach to augment their "Third World image problems". A video of the speech was released to YouTube in February 2008. A spokesman for Dell told the Los Angeles Times: "We've got no affiliation with the Church of Scientology ... it's not our practice to disseminate religious materials of any kind", and representatives from Philips Electronics and 7/11 also told the Los Angeles Times that their companies do not disseminate religious materials.

See also

References

  1. President, The Way to Happiness Foundation
  2. ED TWTH International (2006-03-28). "TWTH INT POLICY ISSUE # 209" (PDF). The Way to Happiness Foundation International. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. III. Service Determinations Regarding Scientology-Related Entities., CoS / IRS Closing Agreement, Operation Clambake.
  4. The list of 21 precepts in the Way To Happiness booklet
  5. http://humanitarian.lronhubbard.org/human/index.htm | title = L. Ron Hubbard the Humanitarian | author = Golden Era Productions | date = 1997-03-13 | publisher = Golden Era Productions (ISBN 1-57318-134-x)
  6. Sappell, Joel (1990-06-27). "Church Seeks Influence in Schools, Business, Science". Los Angeles Times. p. A1:1. Retrieved 2006-08-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Additional convenience link at .
  7. "How to obtain permission to reprint The Way to Happiness booklets" (PDF). The Way to Happiness Foundation International. Retrieved 2006-12-02.
  8. ^ Bogus Scientology pamphlets irk Dallas mayor, Rudolph Bush, October 12, 2007, The Dallas Morning News
  9. S.F. orders Scientology group to stop using Mayor Newsom pic, Associated Press, October 13, 2007
  10. ^ Group censured for using Newsom's image in pro-Scientology booklet, October 13, 2007, San Francisco Chronicle
  11. Kives, Bartley (2007-10-30). "Katz finds religion... or vice versa". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2008-01-28. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. "Booklet sent to Winnipeg Mayor's office insinuates politician endorses Scientology". National Post. 2007-10-31. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ Hatzipanagos, Rachel (2008-03-11). "Scientology group stops guidebook mailings: Officials received unsolicited copies". South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
  14. ^ Staff (2008-02-11). "Companies deny Scientology links". NEWS.com.au. News Limited. Retrieved 2008-04-25.

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