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Church of Scientology recruiting Irish translators

The Church of Scientology are hoping to recruit Irish translators
The Church of Scientology are hoping to recruit Irish translators The Church of Scientology are hoping to recruit Irish translators

THE Church of Scientology is recruiting Irish language translators due to a "steadily rising" interest in the organisation in Ireland.

The church said it had already translated its religious works into more than 50 languages and Irish was "one of our newest projects, which we are very excited about".

Around 10 million words are to be translated into Irish and the church has advertised for those who are fluent in the language to help.

Graeme Wilson from the Church of Scientology said the move to hire translators was being driven by an increase in demand.

"Until last year our presence in Ireland was quite small, in the hundreds, but this is now steadily rising," he said.

Widely associated with celebrities such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, the Church of Scientology was founded by L Ron Hubbard in 1953.

It is a religion that "offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one’s true spiritual nature and one’s relationship to self, family, groups, mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the supreme being".

It states that the "ultimate goal of scientology is true spiritual enlightenment and freedom for all".

Mr Wilson said 18 books that describe the basic philosophy of the Scientology religion are being translated, as well as 20 life improvement courses on topics "helpful to people in all walks of life" and the study technology developed by Mr Hubbard.

He said the church, which has a base in Dublin, said it was an "honour" for them to see its religious works made available to Irish speakers.

"Our founder, L Ron Hubbard, had a special love for the Irish, from when he visited Dublin in 1956," he said.

"He specifically went to Dublin to pilot seminars on the subject of personal efficiency, with people from all walks of life. This resulted in the church's 'Personal Efficiency Course' being adopted internationally as an introductory course in scientology.

"This is a course that teaches the underlying rules of life and how to apply these principles, so that the student can achieve security in their job, relationships, and other areas of living.

"We also recognise the historical and cultural importance of the Irish language and the measures being taken to preserve its use.

"It is an honour for us to contribute to this resurgence by translating around 10 million words into Irish and have it available for study for the generations to come."

For further information email Barbara Levine on blevine@scntranslations.net