Scientology front: The Way to Happiness

 
201 E. Broadway
Glendale, CA 91205
(818) 254-0600

Founded: 1980

Scientology PR: “A stunning two-thirds of the world’s governments are riddled with serious corruption. Almost a quarter of today’s emerging leaders are convinced they need to behave unethically to get ahead. To reverse this decline and restore fundamental morals and values, L. Ron Hubbard wrote The Way to Happiness: A Common Sense Guide to Better Living. Entirely nonreligious, its 21 precepts may be used by anyone regardless of race, culture or creed to foster kindness, honesty and the basic skills of living.”

The year was 1980, and the Church of Scientology was in a world of hurt. A 1977 FBI raid and the prosecution of 11 top Scientology officials had revealed just how underhanded and vicious the organization really was, with its spy wing conducting a yearslong infiltration of the US government. A shocked public wondered, just what do those Scientologists believe, anyway? And so L. Ron Hubbard hastily threw together a short pamphlet with statements about morality ripped off from other traditions — murder is bad, cleanliness is good — and called it “The Way to Happiness.”

Hubbard was so happy with his creation, he established a foundation that does nothing but denude whole forests putting out millions of copies of the booklet, and claiming that its distribution ends wars, solves homelessness, and a dozen other outlandish claims based on no evidence at all. Mostly harmless, the foundation is simply proof that Scientologists will do whatever Hubbard demands, even decades after his 1986 death.

 

LINKS:

September 11, 2016: The Way To Happiness — Really?

December 12, 2018: Group linked to Scientology holds seminar

 
——————–

E-mail tips and story ideas to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We post behind-the-scenes updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page. Background on this website and its proprietor can be found at our About page.

Our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. Our collaboration with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’, is also available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle versions.

The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2017 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2017), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)

Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…

BLOGGING DIANETICS: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of L.A. attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts

Other links: Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ