Editor’s note: This letter to the editor was submitted to the Texan by a member of the UT community in response to a story The Daily Texan published February 29, regarding the Church of Scientology reopening on the Drag. 

I am a University of Texas graduate, and I am also a Scientologist. Before enrolling in UT, during my time there and since graduating, I have been a member of my Church and a member of the West Campus community. I have grown up here and I call this area my home.

As you have probably heard (or read about here in the Daily Texan) my Church just had its Grand Opening of our newly renovated building that we have occupied for decades on the Drag. For Scientologists from all over, this was a massive celebration. What you may have also heard about (or read about here in the Daily Texan) is a handful of hateful protestors around our Church. This is simply religious intolerance.

While minoring in religious studies, I got to have discussions about the realities of religious discrimination with Muslim, Jewish, Christian and Atheist students, to name a few. Unfortunately, in my lifetime I have seen increased religious hate especially against Jewish and Muslim people. This is nothing new and my Church is no stranger to it.

I know that the students of the University, in the main, do not support this type of intolerance. When I was a student in 2016, I stood in front the UT tower with hundreds of fellow students, protesting this same brand of intolerance. In 2017, Jewish UT students stood up against Anti-Semitism (as Catherine Marfin wrote about here in the Daily Texan  https://thedailytexan.com/2017/03/01/jewish-community-center-in-west-campus-vandalized/). Also in 2017, the UT student government gave its support to Muslim students amid burgeoning Islamophobia (as Kayla Meyertons wrote about here too  https://thedailytexan.com/2017/02/01/student-government-passes-resolution-in-support-of-muslim-students/).

I am writing today to tell you that the Church of Scientology stands for what I firmly believe the students of the University of Texas and all Austinites stand for: tolerance. From my conversations with members of my Church, UT students, professors and members of other religious organizations, I know that a handful of haters is not reflective of how most of us feel. I believe all of us want to live in a world where people are free to practice their religions (or not).

My Church, much like the University of Texas, is a diverse group of people from a variety of backgrounds. We are Scientologists because it has helped us. If you want to know what Scientology is all about, you are always free to come inside to see. If you do not want to, that is totally fine too. I know that I speak for all Austin Scientologists when I say that we are very happy to be a part of this community and we will do everything we can to help make it a happy place to live.

Scientology.org is our website for anyone to see for themselves.

Springer, BA Hons. in American Studies, Class of 2018 from Austin, Texas.