Discussion hosted at the Church of Scientology in Budapest explored online hate, moral responsibility and how faith communities can regain credibility through conduct, with themes that echo principles found in The Way to Happiness
Brussels, Belgium, 20th Mar 2026 — In a period marked by online hostility, polarized debate and growing concern over the social effects of digital communication, a March 11 interfaith roundtable hosted at the Church of Scientology Budapest examined whether people of faith can be expected to uphold a higher moral standard in the digital sphere and how religion can once again become meaningful, credible and even attractive in the 21st century.
Held as the 11th Interfaith Dialogue under the title “A Vision in an Age of Hate: How Can We Make Faith Cool Again?”, the event brought together theologians, clergy, church leaders and religious thinkers for a discussion that moved beyond formal doctrine and focused on something more immediate: conduct. In particular, participants considered how believers respond to anger, provocation and division in an environment where social media algorithms often amplify extremes rather than reflection.
One of the opening references was to a recent online initiative by a Catholic professor who called on believers to stand against hate speech and offer a better example in public discourse. That reference set the tone for the evening’s central question: whether faith should be visible not only in ritual or identity, but in the way people communicate, disagree and exercise restraint in difficult public conversations.
Participants agreed that social media has created moral pressures and behavioral temptations that previous generations did not have to navigate in the same way. One Catholic theologian noted that modern societies do not always share a common moral foundation, even though freedom of expression remains a fundamental value. In that context, he used the image of “gardening” to describe personal responsibility online: individuals should moderate their own digital space, remove what is destructive and refuse to cultivate environments where contempt and aggression flourish unchecked.
A religious scholar and philosopher added that the architecture of social media often works against consensus, since algorithms tend to reward emotional intensity and reinforce echo chambers. In such an environment, he suggested, religion could still play a constructive role as a moral community capable of countering radicalization, reducing hostility and encouraging a more human response to disagreement.
The Scientology minister participating in the discussion reportedly stressed that not all hatred should be understood as proof of an inherently bad person. In many cases, he suggested, bitterness, disappointment and accumulated painful experiences are what speak through hostile behavior. From that perspective, he argued, spiritual understanding should help people rise above immediate reaction and take responsibility for the tone and consequences of their actions, especially in digital environments where harmful language can spread rapidly and widely.
While the Budapest event was not specifically centered on The Way to Happiness, the concepts discussed during the evening closely reflect several of the ethical principles set out in that text, written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Described on its official website as a nonreligious moral code made up of 21 precepts for better living, The Way to Happiness includes such principles as “Set a Good Example,” “Seek To Live With The Truth,” and “Respect the Religious Beliefs of Others.” These ideas resonate clearly with the concerns raised in Budapest: truthfulness in public speech, restraint in conflict, and respect across religious and ideological lines.
This distinction is important. The significance of the Budapest dialogue lies not in presenting The Way to Happiness as the formal theme of the event, but in showing how the ethical concerns voiced by participants can be understood through a framework long promoted by Scientology in its moral and social outreach. In that sense, the discussion illustrated a broader interfaith reality in Europe today: communities with different beliefs can still find common ground in practical ethics, peaceful coexistence and the importance of example.
The second major theme of the evening concerned the changing role of religion in contemporary society. Participants reportedly observed that although formal religiosity has declined in parts of Western Europe, individual spiritual searching remains strong. The issue, then, is not simply whether religion can become fashionable again, but whether it can show itself to be morally serious, socially useful and capable of speaking in language people recognize as authentic.
One theologian reportedly argued that religious communities must learn to communicate differently depending on the audience, using forms of language that can reach both intellectual circles and ordinary readers. Another participant emphasized common ground, universal love and practical cooperation among churches, rather than mutual condemnation. The Scientology contribution to the discussion reportedly aligned with that view, stressing that the most persuasive witness religion can offer today is not argument alone, but visible action: demonstrating that people of different faiths are capable of working together in peace while respecting one another.
That emphasis also corresponds with how the Church of Scientology Budapest presents itself locally: not only as a place where Scientologists gather for worship and religious services, but as a community space intended to foster dialogue and cooperation. Situated at Váci út 169 in Budapest, the church has served as a venue for events and encounters involving broader civic and interfaith participation.
Ivan Arjona, representative of the Church of Scientology to the EU, OSCE, Council of Europe and UN, said: “The Budapest dialogue reflects a challenge facing all European societies: how to preserve dignity, truth and mutual respect in spaces that often reward the opposite. What emerged from the discussion is that ethical conduct still matters deeply. When people choose responsibility over reaction, and respect over contempt, they strengthen not only their own communities but the civic culture on which peaceful coexistence depends.”
What emerged from the March 11 roundtable was a message extending well beyond one denomination. If faith is to regain credibility in a digital age, participants suggested, it will do so not through slogans or confrontation, but through conduct: through honesty, self-restraint, respectful dialogue and what several speakers described, in different ways, as love expressed in action. In that respect, the Budapest event offered a practical reminder that religion remains socially relevant when it helps people live together more decently, even amid disagreement.
The Church of Scientology, its churches, missions, groups and members are present across Europe with a continent-wide presence through more than 140 churches, missions and affiliated groups in at least 27 European nations, alongside thousands of community-based social betterment and reform initiatives focused on education, prevention and neighbourhood-level support, inspired by the work of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
Within Europe’s diverse national frameworks for religion, the Church’s recognitions continue to expand, with administrative and judicial authorities in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany Slovakia and others, as well as the European Court of Human Rights, having addressed and acknowledged Scientology communities as protected by the national and international provisions of Freedom of Religion or belief.
Media Contact
Organization: European Office Church of Scientology for Public Affairs and Human Rights
Contact Person: Ivan Arjona
Website: https://www.scientologyeurope.org
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