Church of Scientology Nashville Launches The Way to Happiness Campaign

Scientologists bring The Way to Happiness Campaign to Nashville, Tennessee.

Staff and parishioners of the Nashville Church of Scientology kicked off the New Year by launching a campaign for better living centered around The Way to Happiness, a nonreligious moral code that is based wholly on common sense. Nashville Church President Rev. Brian Fesler announced plans to distribute copies of the book in neighborhoods throughout the community.

Written by L. Ron Hubbard, The Way to Happiness is comprised of 21 precepts that point out that one’s survival depends on the survival of others—without the survival of others, neither joy nor happiness is attainable. In the two decades since it was authored, the book has inspired an international movement with some 95 million copies passed hand to hand in 180 countries in more than 100 languages.

Now, Nashville Scientologists are bringing that movement to their city, with a plan to distribute the book broadly in Tennessee.

“We feel it is our responsibility to pass it along,” says Fesler. “This book can uplift whole societies, reduce crime and encourage cooperation.”

Chris Hays, a Nashville Scientologist, oversees the book’s local distribution. She plans to spread its positive message to all 95 five counties of Tennessee.

“The book is so simple and easy that all we have to do is pass it along to people,” says Hays. “Everyone gets something out of it. It is a book about morals and doing what’s right, and people of all faiths want to do what’s right.”

The Way to Happiness does not promote a religious belief. Rather, it encourages tolerance and diversity with the precept, “Respect the Religious Beliefs of Others.”

“That is important in a state where religion is highly valued and highly personal,” says Hays.

There are also public service announcements (PSAs) illustrating each of the precepts of the book and the award-winning The Way to Happiness book on film. The Church of Scientology sponsors the airing of the PSAs and film on TV stations throughout the country, and these will also be available in Nashville. “2012 is an important year for our country,” says Fesler. “Teaching positive spiritual values and a moral way of life has been out of vogue. It is time to bring back the higher standards of our grandparents, and our staff and parishioners are working to do so.”

The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in the United States in 1954 and has today expanded to more than 10,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 nations.