Kaimuki church to mark 100th year with service

The congregation of Epiphany Episcopal Church in Kaimuki will celebrate its 100th anniversary tomorrow at a 9 a.m. service.

Former parishioners and rectors are expected to join Episcopal Bishop Robert Fitzpatrick as guests at the centennial program and lunch following services.

The small Gothic stone church at 1041 10th Ave. was surrounded by farmland and considered a long distance from downtown Honolulu when it was completed in 1910.

The Rev. David Jackson is rector of the church, which has about 200 members, some of whom have worshiped there for up to 70 years, according to information from the centennial committee.

Scientology unveils 1,000 Hubbard lecture records

CLEARWATER, Fla. » The Church of Scientology has unveiled more than 1,000 unreleased recordings of lectures by L. Ron Hubbard and reams of corresponding writings.

They've been released in the culmination of a 25-year project to locate, restore and transcribe lost pieces of the Scientology founder's work. Though sure to be derided by the church's many critics, its followers say the materials are an opportunity to deepen understanding of their religion.

They were recovered through a painstaking hunt that led members to find tapes and papers in a basement in Wichita, Kan.; a storage trailer in Phoenix; and a garage in Oakland, Calif., among other places.

The new materials include Hubbard's lectures and writings from courses and other sessions with Scientology ministers from 1953 to 1961.

They include discussions of how Hubbard arrived at the principles of Dianetics and his research on everything from decision-making to personal responsibility.

All the materials—contained on 970 compact discs and corresponding booklets in 57 binders—are being shipped out of a Los Angeles warehouse to Scientology churches worldwide.

Unlike writings related to upper-level coursework, they are not considered confidential; they are available to those outside the church and members of all levels.

They're also available for sale to members for about $7,500, a price likely to raise some eyebrows, though the church insists no one will be denied access to the materials simply because they don't have the money.

Founded in the 1950s by Hubbard, a prolific science fiction writer, Scientology teaches followers they are immortal spiritual beings, or thetans, who live on after death. The church says there is a supreme being, but its practices do not include the worship of a god.

Massachusetts college amends head cloth policy

BOSTON » A Massachusetts college that banned students from wearing head coverings that obscure the face has announced a religious exemption following criticism from Muslim groups.

The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences bans students from wearing clothing such as burqas and face veils, as well as ski masks and scarves.

The school amended the policy Thursday, saying those exempted on religious grounds will be required to remove any covering to verify their identity for security purposes.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations had asked federal officials to investigate, saying the policy would have “;a disproportionate impact on the religious rights of Muslim employees.”;