Ultramarathoner John Radich is running down Route 66 for a Scientology-based charity, according to a story in the Redlands (Calif.) Daily Facts.
Radich is taking the path of Route 66 from Santa Monica to Chicago, then heading east to the ocean in Atlantic City, N.J. If he’s got the energy, he’ll also run to New York City and to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington (he’s an Army veteran).
He’s supposed to be accompanied by two runners up Cajon Pass today.
This part of the story bothered me, however:
The purpose of the run is to help kids and keep them out of gangs, Radich said. His run is under the auspices of The Way to Happiness Foundation, which is based on a book by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology.
Although he is a Scientologist, Radich said “the run has nothing to do with Scientology.”
That sounds disingenuous. If you’re a Scientologist running under the auspices of a Scientologist group, it stands to reason that Radich’s run will have plenty to do with Scientology.
Trying to claim otherwise flies against the face of the evidence. It’s that same sort of double-talk that’s gotten the Church of Scientology in trouble, repeatedly.
Getting kids out of gangs is a worthy cause but all the way to happiness group does is expand the coffers of the church of scientology; all the money goes towards paying lots of money for pamphlets and other consumables produced by the church of scientology in house using very cheap (slave) labor. The only other thing they do is introduce children to scientology so they can join it.
Way To Happiness is really all about scientology. Radich like many scientologists is probably well meaning but sadly he’s just another chump whose desires the church has twisted so he puts all his efforts in the promoting scientology and scientology related programs that serve only to fatten the cults already bloated banks; they have over $6000million in cash reserves, they didn’t do that by being a charity.
Just to make it clear, I have no objection to anyone who wants to join or advocate the Church of Scientology. One of the big things our country was founded on was freedom of religion, and anything written into the Bill of Rights is fine by me.
But if Mr. Radich (who is a Scientologist) is taking part in an event to benefit a Scientology-backed charity, it is dishonest at worst and naive at best for him to claim that his cross-country quest has “nothing” to do with the Church of Scientology. Don’t claim something when abundant evidence says otherwise.