Difference between revisions of "Scientology" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
(importing from wikipedia, categroy tags, and credit version)
 
 
(69 intermediate revisions by 11 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
'''''{{ScientologySeries}}'''''
+
{{Copyedited}}{{Paid}}{{Approved}}{{Submitted}} {{Images OK}} {{Status}}
 +
[[File:Church of Scientology building in Los Angeles, Fountain Avenue.jpg|thumb|250px|Church of Scientology "Big Blue" building in Los Angeles, California]]
 +
'''Scientology''' is a [[new religious movement]] based on the writings of [[L. Ron Hubbard]] (1911 – 1986), a [[science fiction]] author, who founded the Church of Scientology in 1953. As with many new religious movements, Scientology has attracted much controversy and criticism, and it has been described as a "cult" by its critics. Ironically, the critical media attention that Scientology has received has helped to fuel the publicity of the movement.
 +
{{toc}}
 +
The organization presents itself as a fully integrated system of religious technology dedicated to the rehabilitation of the human spirit. Its teachings have allegedly saved followers from various afflictions including addictions, arthritis, [[clinical depression]], learning disabilities, and [[mental illness]]es.
  
−
'''Scientology''' is a [[new religious movement]] based on a system of [[belief]]s, teachings, practices, and [[ritual]]s that originated as [[philosophy]] in 1952 by author [[L. Ron Hubbard]], and characterized by the [[Church of Scientology]] in 1953 as an "applied [[religious]] philosophy". Hubbard defined Scientology as "knowing how to know" [http://www.aboutlronhubbard.org/], although he first introduced it with the words, "Scientology would be a study of knowledge."<ref>''Scientology: Milestone One'' a public lecture given at Wichita, Kansas on 3 March, 1952.</ref>
+
==Origins==
  
−
The Church of Scientology has attracted much controversy and criticism. Scientology's principles have been characterized as [[pseudoscience|pseudoscientific]] by scientists and by medical and psychotherapeutic practitioners. Critics &mdash; including government bodies of several countries &mdash; have characterized the Church as an unscrupulous [[commercial|commercial organization]], citing harassment of critics and exploitation of its members.  Because of these factors, the Church has frequently been called a [[cult]].
+
===The Founder: L. Ron Hubbard===
 +
The Church of Scientology was founded by Lafayette Ron Hubbard in 1953. Hubbard is a controversial figure and many details of his life are subjects of debate. The Church of Scientology has produced numerous official biographies that present Hubbard's character and his multi-faceted accomplishments in an exalted light.<ref> [http://www.lronhubbard.org L. Ron Hubbard: A Profile] Retrieved May 6, 2019.</ref> Conversely, biographies of Hubbard by independent journalists, and accounts by former Scientologists, paint a much darker picture of Hubbard and in many cases contradict the material presented by the church.<ref name=bare-faced> Russell Miller, ''Bare-faced Messiah, The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard'' (Henry Holt & Co., 1987, ISBN 0805006540).</ref>
 +
{{readout||right|250px|Before establishing the Church of Scientology, founder [[L. Ron Hubbard]] was a [[science fiction]] author}}
 +
Born in Nebraska in 1911, Hubbard was raised in a military family and traveled extensively throughout his youth, making two trips to [[Asia]] where he came into contact with the religious traditions of the East. After graduating from Woodward School for Boys in 1930, he enrolled at George Washington University, where he took a course in civil engineering. However, his university records show that he attended for only two years and dropped out in 1931.  
  
−
The term ''Scientology'' is a [[trademark]] of the ''[[Religious Technology Center]]'', which [[license]]s its use and use of the [[copyright|copyrighted]] works of Hubbard to the Church of Scientology. The Church presents itself as a religious [[non-profit organization]] dedicated to the rehabilitation of the human spirit and providing counseling and rehabilitation programs. Church spokespeople claim that Hubbard's teachings (called "technology" or "tech" in [[Scientology terminology]]) have saved them from [[addiction]]s, [[arthritis]], [[clinical depression|depression]], [[learning disabilities]], [[mental illness]] and other problems.
+
Hubbard next pursued a writing career, publishing many stories in pulp magazines during the 1930s. He became a well-known author in the science fiction and fantasy genres, and also published westerns and adventure stories. His 1938 manuscript "Excalibur" contained many concepts and ideas that later turned up in Scientology.<ref> [http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Cults/scientol.htm Scientology: Science or New Age Cult?] Retrieved May 6, 2019.</ref>
  
−
==Beliefs and practices==
+
His writing career was temporarily interrupted in June 1941 when, with [[World War II]] looming, Hubbard joined the [[United States Navy]]. He stayed in the Navy working in several posts until 1950 when he resigned his commission.
−
{{main|Scientology beliefs and practices}}
+
[[File:L. Ron Hubbard in 1950.jpg|thumb|225px|Founder L. Ron Hubbard in 1950]]
−
[[Image:L Ron Hubbard.jpg|frame|right|[[L. Ron Hubbard]], circa 1970.]]
+
Beginning in the 1950s, Hubbard began publishing literature concerning the practices and doctrines of Scientology. His most famous work was ''Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health'' (1950), a system of self-improvement techniques. According to Dianetics, incidents involving pain and loss were recorded on what he called the subconscious or "reactive mind," which manifest themselves as fear, irrational emotion, addiction, and illness. Dianetics was the process by which the reactive mind is uncovered and erased, leaving only the "analytical mind." In Dianetics literature the analytical mind is the portion of the mind that is logical and problem-solving. By the mid-1950s, Dianetics was considered a system of therapy within the context of the religion of Scientology.
−
Scientology's doctrines were established by Hubbard over a period of about 34 years, beginning in 1952 and continuing until his death in January 1986. Most of the basic principles of the Church were set out during the 1950s and 1960s.  
 
−
Scientology followed on the heels of [[Dianetics]], an earlier system of [[personal development|self-improvement techniques]] laid out by Hubbard in his 1950 book, ''[[Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health]]''. By the mid-1950s, Hubbard had relegated Dianetics to a subfield of Scientology. A chief difference between Dianetics and Scientology is that Dianetics focuses on rehabilitating an individual's mind, giving him/her full conscious recall of his experiences while Scientology is more concerned with rehabilitating the human spirit. [http://www.scientology.org/en_US/religion/presentation/pg006.html] Scientology also covers topics such as ethics and morality ([[The Way to Happiness]]), drug and chemical residues as they relate to spiritual wellbeing (the [[Purification Rundown]]), communication, marriage, raising children, dealing with work-related problems, educational matters ([[Study Tech|study technology]]), and the very nature of life ([[Scientology beliefs and practices#The Dynamics|The Dynamics]]).  
 
  
−
Scientology practices are structured in a certain form of series or levels, because Hubbard believed that rehabilitation takes place on a step-by-step basis. For example, the bad effects of drugs should be addressed before other issues can be addressed. The steps lead to the more advanced strata of Scientology's more [[esotericism|esoteric]] knowledge. This is described as a passage along "the Bridge to Total Freedom", or simply "the Bridge," in which each step of the Bridge promises a little more personal freedom in the area specified by the Bridge's definition.
+
In mid-1952, Hubbard expanded Dianetics into a secular philosophy that he called Scientology. Hubbard also married his third wife that year, Mary Sue Whipp, to whom he remained married for the rest of his life.  
  
−
Some central beliefs of Scientology:
+
In December 1953, Hubbard founded the first Church of Scientology in Camden, [[New Jersey]]. He moved to [[England]] at about the same time and during the remainder of the 1950s he supervised the growing organization from an office in [[London]]. In 1959, he bought Saint Hill Manor near the Sussex town of East Grinstead, a Georgian manor house owned by the Maharajah of Jaipur. This became the world headquarters of Scientology.
−
* A person is an immortal [[spiritual being]] (termed a ''[[thetan]]'') who possesses a [[mind]] and a [[body]].
 
−
* The thetan has lived through many [[reincarnation|past lives]] and will continue to live beyond the death of the body.
 
−
* A person is basically good, but becomes "aberrated" by moments of pain and unconsciousness in his life.
 
−
* What is true for you is what you have observed yourself.  No beliefs should be forced as "true" on anyone. Thus, the tenets of Scientology are expected to be tested and seen to either be true or not by Scientology practitioners.
 
  
−
Scientology claims to offer an exact methodology to help a person achieve awareness of his or her spiritual existence and better effectiveness in the physical world. Exact methods of spiritual counseling are taught and practiced which are designed to enable this change. According to the Church, the ultimate goal is to get the [[soul]] (thetan) back to its native state of total freedom, thus gaining control over matter, energy, space, time, thoughts, form, and life. This freed state is called [[Operating Thetan]], or OT for short.
+
Hubbard died on January 24, 1986. In May 1987, David Miscavige, one of L. Ron Hubbard’s former personal assistants, assumed the position of Chairman of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), a corporation that owns the trademarked names and symbols of Dianetics and Scientology. Although Religious Technology Center is a separate corporation from the Church of Scientology International, Miscavige became the effective leader of the religion.
  
−
===Auditing===
+
===''Dianetics''===
−
[[Image:Scientology_Recruiter.jpg|thumb|left|225px|A Scientology recruiter introduces an [[E-meter]] to a potential [[religious conversion|convert]]. Such introductory audits are typically presented as "free [[stress (medicine)|stress]] tests".]]
+
In May 1950, Hubbard published a book titled ''Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health.'' With ''Dianetics,'' Hubbard introduced the concept of "auditing," a two-person question-and-answer therapy that focused on painful memories. According to Hubbard, dianetic auditing could eliminate emotional problems, cure physical illnesses, and increase intelligence. In his introduction to ''Dianetics,'' Hubbard declared that "the creation of dianetics is a milestone for man comparable to his discovery of fire and superior to his inventions of the wheel and arch."
−
{{main|Auditing (Scientology)}}
 
−
The central practice of Scientology is "[[auditing (Scientology)|auditing]]" (from the [[Latin]] word ''audire,''"to listen"), which is one-on-one communication with a trained Scientology counselor or "auditor". The auditor follows an exact procedure toward rehabilitating the human spirit. Most auditing uses an [[E-meter]], a device that measures [[galvanic skin response]].
 
  
−
The auditing process is intended to help the practitioner (referred to as a preclear or PC) to unburden himself of specific traumatic incidents, prior ethical transgressions and bad decisions, which are said to collectively restrict the preclear from achieving his goals and lead to the development of a "reactive mind". The auditor asks the preclear to respond to a list of questions which are designed for specific purposes and given to the preclear in a strictly regulated way. Auditing requires that the preclear be a willing and interested participant who understands the questions, and the process goes more smoothly when he or she understands what is going on. Per Church policy, auditors are trained not to "evaluate for" their preclears; i.e., they are forbidden from suggesting, interpreting, degrading or invalidating the preclear's answers. The E-meter is used to help locate an area of concern.
+
Unable to elicit interest from mainstream publishers or medical professionals, Hubbard turned to the legendary science fiction editor John W. Campbell, who had for years published Hubbard's science fiction stories. Beginning in late 1949, Campbell publicized ''Dianetics'' in the pages of Astounding Science Fiction. The science fiction community was divided about the merits of Hubbard's claims. Campbell's star author Isaac Asimov criticized ''Dianetics''' unscientific aspects, and veteran author Jack Williamson described ''Dianetics'' as "a lunatic revision of [[Sigmund Freud|Freudian]] psychology" that "had the look of a wonderfully rewarding scam." But Campbell and novelist A. E. van Vogt enthusiastically embraced ''Dianetics'': Campbell became Hubbard's treasurer and van Vogt, convinced his wife's health had been transformed for the better by auditing, interrupted his writing career to run the first Los Angeles Dianetics center.
  
−
Scientologists have claimed benefits from auditing including improved [[IQ]], improved ability to communicate, enhanced memory, alleviated [[dyslexia]] and [[attention deficit disorder|attention deficit]] problems, and improved relaxation; however, no scientific studies have verified these claims. Indeed, an Australian report stated that auditing involved a kind of [[hypnosis|command hypnosis]] that could lead to potentially damaging delusional dissociative states. Licensed psychotherapists have alleged that the Church's auditing sessions amount to mental health treatment without a license, but the Church vehemently disputes these allegations, and claims to have established in courts of law that its practice leads to spiritual relief. So, according to the Church, the psychotherapist treats mental health and the Church treats the spiritual being.  A 1971 ruling of the United States District Court, District of Columbia (333 F. Supp. 357), specifically stated, "the [[E-meter]] has no proven usefulness in the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of any disease, nor is it medically or scientifically capable of improving any bodily function." [http://www.lermanet.com/case2.htm] As a result of this ruling, Scientology now publishes disclaimers in its books and publications declaring that the [[E-meter]] "does nothing," {{fact}} and that it is used specifically for spiritual purposes.
+
''Dianetics'' was a hit, selling 150,000 copies within a year of publication. With success, ''Dianetics'' became an object of critical scrutiny by the press and the medical establishment. In September 1950, the the American Psychological Association published a cautionary statement on the topic that read in part, "the association calls attention to the fact that these claims are not supported by empirical evidence," and went on to recommend against use of "the techniques peculiar to Dianetics" until such time it had been validated by scientific testing.<ref>American Psychological Association, [https://www.apa.org/about/policy/chapter-11 APA response to Dianetics] ''Council Policy Manual'' Chapter XI: Scientific Affairs. Retrieved May 6, 2019.</ref>
  
−
During the auditing process, the auditor may collect personal information from the person being audited in a manner similar to a psychotherapy session or confessional. The Church maintains that its auditing records are kept confidential, after the manner of confession in Catholic churches.  Auditing records are referred to within Scientology as "confessional formulary" and stored under lock and key when not being added to during auditing sessions. In some instances, former members have claimed the Church used information obtained in auditing sessions against them.  While such a claim would be actionable as extortion, blackmail or harassment within most legal jurisdictions, no such claim has to date been legally confirmed against Scientology based upon use or revelation of auditing records.
+
On the heels of the book's first wave of popularity, the Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation was incorporated in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Branch offices were opened in five other U.S. cities before the end of 1950 (though most folded within a year). Hubbard soon abandoned the foundation, denouncing a number of his former associates as communists.
  
−
===The ARC Triangle===
+
==Other Scientology Writings==
−
Another basic tenet of Scientology are the three interrelated (and intrinsically spiritual) components that make up successful "livingness": '''affinity''' (emotional responses), '''reality''' (an agreement on what is real) and '''communication''' (the exchange of ideas). Hubbard called this the "[[ARC (Scientology)|ARC]] Triangle". Scientologists utilize ARC as a central organizing principle in their own lives, primarily based upon the belief that improving one aspect of the triangle increases the level of the other two.
+
The [[scripture]]s of the Church of Scientology were written exclusively by L. Ron Hubbard, beginning in the early 1950s and continuing until his death in 1986. Hubbard was an unusually prolific author and his total published works are more than 50 feet of shelf space. The canonical library of Scientology's scriptures includes hundreds of volumes, many being philosophical works or procedural guides for Scientologists. Important works are: ''Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health,'' ''Science of Survival,'' ''Scientology: a New Slant on Life,'' ''Scientology: the Fundamentals of Thought,'' and ''The Creation of Human Ability.'' Near the end of his life, Hubbard returned to writing fiction and published the science fiction works ''Battlefield Earth'' and ''Mission Earth.'' The Church of Scientology founded its own companies to publish his work, Bridge Publications<ref> [http://www.bridgepub.com/ Bridge Publications] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref> for the U.S. market and New Era Publications<ref> [https://www.newerapublications.com/about/ About New Era Publications] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref>based in [[Denmark]] for the rest of the world. A selection of Hubbard's best-known Scientology titles are below:
  
−
===The tone scale===
+
*''Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health,'' New York, 1950, ISBN 0884044165
−
The [[tone scale]] is a characterization of human mood and behavior by various positions on a scale.  The scale ranges from -40 or "Total Failure" to +40 or "Serenity of Beingness."  Positions on the tone scale are usually designated by an emotion, but Hubbard also described many other things that can be indicated by the tone scale levels, such as aspects of an individual's health, sexual behavior, survival potential, or ability to deal with truth. The tone scale is used by Scientologists in everyday life to evaluate people. According to Scientology, the lower the person is on the tone scale, the more complex and convoluted his or her day-to-day problems tend to be, and the more care and judgment should be exercised regarding communication and interchange with the individual.
+
*''Child Dianetics: Dianetic Processing for Children,'' Wichita, Kansas, 1951, ISBN 0884044211
 +
*''Scientology 8–80,'' Phoenix, Arizona, 1952, ISBN 0884044289
 +
*''Dianetics 55!'' Phoenix, Arizona, 1954, ISBN 0884044173
 +
*''Dianetics: The Evolution of a Science,'' Phoenix, Arizona, 1955, ISBN 1403105383
 +
*''Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought,'' Washington, DC, 1956, ISBN 088404503X
 +
*''The Problems of Work,'' Washington, DC, 1956, ISBN 0884043770
 +
*''Have You Lived Before This Life?'' East Grinstead, Sussex, 1960, ISBN 0884044475
 +
*''Scientology: A New Slant on Life,'' East Grinstead, Sussex, 1965, ISBN 1573180378
 +
*''The Volunteer Minister's Handbook,'' Los Angeles, 1976, ISBN 0884040399
 +
*''Research and Discovery Series,'' a chronological series collecting Hubbard's lectures. Vol. 1, Copenhagen, 1980, ISBN 0884040739
 +
*''The Way to Happiness,'' Los Angeles, 1981, ISBN 0884044114
  
−
===Past lives===
+
During the 1980s, Hubbard returned to science fiction, publishing ''Battlefield Earth'' and ''Mission Earth,'' the latter being an enormous book published as a ten-volume series. He also wrote an unpublished screenplay called ''Revolt in the Stars,'' which dramatizes Scientology's "Advanced Level" teachings. Hubbard's later science fiction sold well and received mixed reviews. There were reports describing how sales of Hubbard's books were artificially inflated by Scientologists purchasing large numbers of copies in order to manipulate the bestseller charts<ref> Mike McIntyre, [http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/cosbookf.htm Financial Scam: L. Ron Hubbard `HOT-AUTHOR' Status Exposed As Illusion] ''San Diego Union'', April 15, 1990. Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref>
−
In [[Dianetics]], Hubbard proposed that the cause of "aberrations" in the human mind was an accumulation of pain and unconscious memories of traumatic incidents, some of which predated the life of the individual. He extended this view further in Scientology, declaring that thetans have existed for tens of trillions of years. During that time, Hubbard explains, they have been exposed to a vast number of traumatic incidents, and have made a great many decisions that influence their present state. According to an early lecture of Hubbard's, it is, as a practical matter, both impossible and undesirable to recall each and every such event from such vast stretches of time. As a result, Hubbard's 30-year development of Scientology focused on streamlining the process to address only key factors. Hubbard stated that Scientology materials as described in books, tapes, and research notes include a record of everything that was found in the course of his research. Not all things found have been experienced by all beings (for example, not everyone was Roman or Chinese).
 
  
−
According to Hubbard, some of the past traumas may have been deliberately inflicted in the form of "implants" used by extraterrestrial dictatorships to brainwash and control people. Scientology doctrine includes a wide variety of beliefs in extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in Earthly events, collectively described by Hubbard as "[[space opera in Scientology doctrine|space opera]]".
+
==Beliefs and Practices==
 +
The doctrines of Scientology are called "technology" (or "tech" in member's jargon). Followers believe that Hubbard's "technology" gives them access to their past lives, the traumas of which can lead to failures in the present life unless they are audited. Hubbard claimed to have conducted years of intensive research into the nature of human existence and he developed an elaborate vocabulary with many newly coined terms to describe his findings.  
  
−
===Operating Thetan levels and the Xenu incident===
+
===Doctrines===
−
[[Image:Xenu_BBC_Panorama.jpg|thumb|right|220px|[[Xenu]], as depicted by [[Panorama (British television series)|''BBC Panorama'']]]]
+
The [[creed|creeds]] of Scientology were formulated entirely by L. Ron Hubbard. The two major creed formulae are "The Factors" and "The Axioms."<ref> [http://www.whatisscientology.org/html/part14/Chp41/pg0765.html The Scientology Axioms] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref> They are similar in structure and message and comprise the basic beliefs of the Church of Scientology, condensed into short points. The Factors were first published in 1953 and the Axioms disseminated the following year.  
−
The "Hidden Truth" about the nature of the universe is taught to only the most advanced Scientologists, those who have achieved the level "clear", in a series of courses known as the Advanced Levels. The contents of these courses are held in strict confidence within Scientology. They have never been published by the church, except for use in highly secure areas. The most advanced of all are the eight [[Operating Thetan]] levels, which require the initiate to be thoroughly prepared. The highest level, OT VIII, is only disclosed at sea, on the Scientology cruise ship ''[[Freewinds]]''. Because Scientology is a [[mystery religion]], the more closely guarded and [[esotericism|esoteric]] teachings imparted at these higher levels may not always be entirely consistent with its entry-level teachings.
 
  
−
In the confidential OT levels, Hubbard describes a variety of traumas commonly experienced in past lives. <!--There must be a better way to say this, but I can't find it!-->  He also explains how to reverse the effects of such traumas. Among these advanced teachings, one episode revealed to those who reach OT level III has been widely remarked upon in the press: the story of [[Xenu]]
+
According to a theological reference work published by the Church of Scientology in 1998, "The Aims of Scientology" are stated clearly as follows:
  
−
Scientologists argue that published accounts of the Xenu story and other colorful teachings are presented out of context for the purpose of ridiculing their religion.  Journalists and critics of Scientology counter that Xenu is part of a much wider Scientology belief in past lives on other planets, some of which has been public knowledge for decades. For instance, Hubbard's 1958 book ''Have You Lived Before This Life'' documents past lives described by individual Scientologists during auditing sessions. These included memories of being "deceived into a [[robot fetishism|love affair with a robot]] decked out as a beautiful red-haired girl", being run over by a [[Martian]] [[bishop]] driving a [[steamroller]], being transformed into an intergalactic [[walrus]] that perished after falling out of a [[flying saucer]], and being "a very happy being who strayed to the planet Nostra 23,064,000,000 years ago".
+
<blockquote>A civilization without insanity, without criminals, and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights, are the aims of Scientology<ref>Church of Scientology International, ''Scientology: Theology & Practice of a Contemporary Religion'' (Bridge Publications, 1998, ISBN 978-1573181457), 98.</ref></blockquote>
  
−
Scientologists argue that most members of the organization have not attained a sufficiently high level to learn about Xenu. Therefore, while knowledge of Xenu and Body Thetans is said to be crucial to the highest level church teachings, it cannot be regarded as a core belief of rank and file Scientologists. Such information is not published in commonly available materials, and as such may not be part of what the vast majority of ordinary Scientologists believe.
+
===Auditing===
−
 
+
The central practice of Scientology is auditing (from the Latin word ''audire,'' "to listen"), which is one-on-one communication with a trained Scientology counselor or "auditor." Auditing first appeared in Hubbard's work on Dianetics. The practitioner undertaking the procedure is referred to as a "preclear." Most auditing uses an E-meter (Electropsychometer), a device that measures galvanic skin response. The E-meter has two terminals that are held in both hands of the preclear and a display with which the auditor can monitor the progress of the individual. Hubbard introduced a biofeedback device to the auditing process, which he called a "Hubbard Electropsychometer" or "E-meter." It was invented in the 1940s by a chiropractor and Dianetics enthusiast named Volney Mathison. This machine, related to the electronic lie detectors of the time, is used by Scientologists in auditing to evaluate "mental masses" surrounding the thetan. These "masses" are claimed to impede the thetan from realizing its full potential.  
−
Critics point out that Scientology [[literature]] does include many references to [[extraterrestrial]] past lives (even to low levels on the bridge), and that internal Scientology publications are often illustrated with pictures of spaceships and oblique references to catastrophic events that happened "75 million years ago" (e.g. the Xenu incident). This material ties in to the general purpose of Scientology, which is to learn about these "whole track" incidents on the OT Levels to confront the negativity the mind still holds from these incidents, and as a result to be free of the ill effects of these "whole track" incidents.  Thereby, it is believed by Scientologists that they will achieve greater freedom, happiness, and abilities in their present lives.
 
  
−
===Scientology and other religions===
+
The auditing process is intended to help the preclear unburden him- or herself of specific traumatic incidents, prior ethical transgressions, and bad decisions, which are said to collectively restrict the preclear from achieving his or her goals. The auditor asks the preclear to respond to a list of questions which are designed for specific purposes and given to the preclear in a strictly regulated way. Auditing requires that the preclear be a willing and interested participant who understands the questions, and the process goes more smoothly when he or she understands what is going on. The E-meter is used to help locate an area of concern.
−
<!--Some of this section belongs at the beginning of the "beliefs and practices" section, like the stuff about it being a mystery religion. Way too much digression in this section, the basics should all have been established near the start.-->
 
−
[[Image:ScientologyCenter1.jpg|thumb|A Scientology Center on [[Hollywood Boulevard]] in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]], [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]].]]
 
  
−
Scientology teaches that it is fully compatible with all existing [[major world religions|major religions]]. The Church of Scientology has publicly stated:
+
Scientologists have claimed benefits from auditing such as improved I.Q., improved ability to communicate, enhanced memory, alleviated dyslexia and attention deficit problems, and improved relaxation; however, no scientific studies have verified these claims. The Church of Scientology now publishes disclaimers in its books and publications declaring that the E-meter is used specifically for spiritual purposes.<ref>[https://www.scientology.org/faq/scientology-and-dianetics-auditing/what-is-the-emeter-and-how-does-it-work.html What is the E-meter and How Does it Work?] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref>
−
:"Scientology respects all religions. Scientology does not conflict with other religions or other religious practices." (''What is Scientology?'' 1992, p.544)
 
  
−
However, the Church of Scientology has been questioned by other religious groups, including the [[Church of England]]<ref>[http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/non_broadcast/Adjudication+Details.htm?adjudication_id=35676 Advertising Standards Authority record] of successful Church of England complaint about Narconon advertisement</ref> who complained in March 2003 to the Advertising Standards Authority about the Church's advertising poster promoting Narconon—the drug rehabilitation program based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard. The poster claimed "250,000 people salvaged from drugs." The Church of England Diocese of Birmingham challenged the claim. Upholding the complaint, the ASA considered that, "without clarification, readers were likely to interpret the claim '250,000 people salvaged from drugs' to mean that 250,000 people had stopped being dependent on street or prescription drugs because of Scientology. The Authority "accepted that more than 250,000 people had undertaken the Church's Drug Purification and Drug Rundown programmes, which were designed to free people from the effects of taking drugs," but "the Authority understood that, within Scientology, the concept of 'drug use' referred to a variety of behaviours that ranged from heavy use of street drugs to occasional ingestion of alcohol or prescription medicines and exposure to chemical toxins." In May 2001, the [[Russian Orthodox Church]]<ref>[http://zenit.org/english/archive/0105/ZE010503.htm#5134 "Russian Orthodox Targets 'Totalitarian Sects'"] at Zenit</ref> criticized Scientology along with Jehovah's Witnesses, Moonies and Mormons. The [[Lutheranism|Lutheran Church]]<ref>[http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41683.htm "2004 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Germany"] at [[United States Department of State]]</ref> in Germany has at times criticized Scientology's activities and doctrines. Many members of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] reject Scientology, because of the CoS's views on Jesus, and believe Scientology to be a form of [[gnosticism]], which many Christians regard as a [[heresy]]. Other Roman Catholics can be found at high levels (OT VII) in the C of S.
+
===Thetan===
 +
The concept of the Thetan grew out of L. Ron Hubbard's observation of the results of Dianetics practice. Participation in Dianetics resolved the mental anguish of practitioners in the present, but also allegedly uncovered anguish from preceding lives. Hubbard postulated the existence of an eternal element, separate from the mind and body of the human being. Wary of the connotative baggage associated with the word "soul" he called this element the "thetan" (adapted from the Greek letter "theta"). The Church of Scientology affirms that each individual is at the most basic level a ''thetan,'' possessing a mind and body. Thetans are believed to have existed since the beginning of time, formed at the moment of creation. These spiritual essences were entangled with matter, energy, space, and time (MEST) to produce beings that are both spiritual and physical. The bulk of Scientology focuses on the "rehabilitation" of the thetan.  
  
−
Scientology's claim of religious compatibility to entry-level Scientologists is soon modified by the additional teaching that the various levels of spiritual prowess which can be reached through Scientology are more advanced than those attainable in other religions. Critics maintain that, within Scientology, "spiritual abilities" tends to be synonymous with "mystical powers" rather than with "inner peace". Hubbard himself cautioned against the unwise or improper use of powers in his book ''History of Man''.
+
The progression of the individual in the Church of Scientology is measured against a church document entitled "The Bridge to Total Freedom."<ref>[http://www.whatisscientology.org/html/part02/chp06/pg0181_1.html "The Bridge to Total Freedom"] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref> This includes levels from preclear through to "Operating Thetan" or OT. The Operating Thetan in Scientology is one who through dedication and practice in the church has relieved his or herself of the aberrations in the reactive mind gained in this life and others, and begun to operate independently of the reactive mind.  
  
−
In its application for [[tax exemption|tax exempt]] status in the United States, the Church of Scientology International states:
+
As one progresses along the Bridge to Total Freedom, one delves deeper into the teachings of Scientology, and accordingly the information revealed at these levels is kept under stricter confidence. Though very little information about these teachings are published for the public at large through official channels, it is believed that those initiated into higher OT levels learn of the arrival of Thetans on Earth and an epic history of the universe, described by L. Ron Hubbard as a "space opera." Though official church literature makes frequent allusions to extraterrestrial life–often with reference to the lives of thetans and alien civilizations on other planets outside our solar system—Scientologists do not officially confirm or deny the existence of an elaborate "space opera" history told only in the highest echelons of the church hierarchy. These histories have been put forth by non-Scientologists as a secret belief system of the Church of Scientology, picked from a variety of sources, including court testimony of ex-Scientologists and the more esoteric writings of L. Ron Hubbard. Regardless of their authenticity, the space opera doctrines of Scientology do not have any immediate impact on the day to day activities of lay Scientologists.
  
−
:"Although there is no policy or Scriptural mandate expressly requiring Scientologists to renounce other religious beliefs or membership in other churches, as a practical matter Scientologists are expected to and do become fully devoted to Scientology to the exclusion of other faiths. As Scientologists, they are required to look only to Scientology Scriptures for the answers to the fundamental questions of their existence and to seek enlightenment only from Scientology." (Response to Final Series of IRS Questions Prior to Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) As a Church, [[October 1]], [[1993]])
+
Hubbard claimed a good deal of physical disease was psychosomatic, and one who, like himself, had attained the enlightened state of "clear" and became an "Operating Thetan" would be relatively disease free. Hubbard insisted humanity was imperiled by forces, which were the results of negative memories (or "engrams") stored in the unconscious or "reactive" mind, some carried by the immortal thetans for billions of years. Hubbard claimed the only possibility for spiritual salvation was a concerted effort to "clear the planet," that is, to bring the benefits of Scientology to all people everywhere, and attack all forces, social and spiritual, hostile to the interests of the movement.
  
−
Critics claim that a select group of advanced practitioners eventually discovered that Hubbard had left little doubt in his writings and lectures about the dim view he took toward existing major religions. In some of the teachings Hubbard had intended only for this select group, he claimed that [[Jesus]] had never existed, but was implanted in humanity's [[collective memory]] by Xenu 75 million years ago, and that [[Christianity]] was an "entheta [evil] operation" mounted by beings called Targs (Hubbard, "Electropsychometric Scouting: Battle of the Universes", April 1952). Some critics have claimed that one of the highest levels, OT VIII, tells initiates that Jesus was a [[pederast]] (it is decidedly unclear whether the version of OT VIII in the [[Fishman Affidavit]], where this claim originates, is genuine). Thus, critics claim, Hubbard makes clear his belief that advanced Scientologists are to identify Jesus and Christianity more as a force of evil than as a force for good.
+
===The Eight Dynamics and the ARC Triangle===
 +
According to Scientology, the concept of the Eight Dynamics is a graduated way of understanding the universe and one's relation to it. These dynamics are the basis for the [[cosmology]] of the Church of Scientology. A set of concentric circles radiating outward from the Self (the first dynamic) to the [[Infinite]] (the eighth dynamic), perhaps identified with a [[supreme being]]. The complete list of dynamics is as follows:
  
−
Hubbard claimed that [[Islam]] was also the result of an extraterrestrial memory implant, called the Emanator, of which the [[Kaaba]] is supposedly an artifact. Mainstream religions, in his view, had failed to realize their objectives: "It is all very well to idealize poverty and associate wisdom with begging bowls, or virtue with low estate. However, those who have done this (Buddhists, Christians, Communists and other fanatics) have dead ended or are dead ending." (Hubbard, HCOPL of [[January 21]], [[1965]])
+
# the Self
 +
# the Family
 +
# the Group (including community, state, etc.)
 +
# the Species
 +
# the Life Form (life in all its varieties)
 +
# the Physical Universe (MEST)
 +
# the Spirits (the Thetan)
 +
# the Infinite (the deity or ground of being) (''Scientology: Theology and Practice of a Contemporary Religion,'' 1998)
  
−
Based on an interpretation of [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] writings which described, among other things, a man from the west with hair like flames around his head who was said to be due to return some 2,500 years after the first [[Buddha]], the red-haired Hubbard sometimes identified himself with [[Maitreya]], the Buddha of the future. (Hubbard, ''Hymn of Asia'', 1952).
+
Another basic tenet of Scientology is the three interrelated components that lead to perfect understanding: '''affinity''' (emotional responses), '''reality''' (an agreement on what is real), and '''communication''' (the exchange of ideas). Hubbard called this the "ARC Triangle," and the triangle is one of the many symbols adopted by the Church of Scientology. Communication is recognized as the paramount amongst the three points of the ARC Triangle, though all three points must be practiced across the Eight Dynamics.
  
−
In addition to the clergy of the religions not getting along, beliefs in Scientology as one progresses into higher levels become increasingly contradictory with other religions.  Most notably is the concept of past lives which most western religions reject, although some Scientologists believe that Christianity at one time believed in reincarnation but the idea was taken out by the early Catholic Church.  Whether this comes from Hubbard's theories as presented in the highest levels of Scientology or is just the belief of some Scientologists to create a way for the religion to better mesh, no proof of the claim has ever been presented.  Other ideas such as the origins and age of the Earth, the root of evil, and the nature of man make it impossible to hold literal beliefs in most other religions while being a Scientologist.
+
==Scientology and Society==
  
−
==Origins==
+
===Scientology Organizations===
−
Immediately prior to his first [[Dianetics]] publications, Hubbard was involved with occultist [[Jack Parsons]] in performing rites developed by [[Aleister Crowley]].  Some investigators have noted similarities in Hubbard's writings to the doctrines of Crowley,[http://www.xenu.net/archive/lrhbare/lrhbare08.html] though the Church of Scientology denies any such connection. An influence that Hubbard did acknowledge is the system of [[General Semantics]] developed by [[Alfred Korzybski]] in the 1930s. [http://home.snafu.de/tilman/j/origins6.html] Scientology also reflects the influence of the Hindu concept of [[karma]], as well as the less metaphysical theories of [[Sigmund Freud]], [[Carl Jung]] and [[William Sargant]].
+
A Church of Scientology was first incorporated in Camden, New Jersey as a non-profit organization in 1953. [[Ceremony]] in the Church of Scientology serves to foster a sense of community and mark important events in the lives of adherents. Important ceremonies are the naming ceremony for newborn children, weddings, and funerary services. These ceremonies include readings from the works of Hubbard, and in their liturgical formulae make much reference to Scientologist principles such as the ARC Triangle and centrality of the thetan in the thetan-mind-body construction. L. Ron Hubbard's teachings evolved into a complex worldwide network of corporations dedicated to the promotion of Scientology in all areas of life. Such corporations include:
  
−
The word ''scientology'' has a history of its own. Although today associated almost exclusively with Hubbard's work, it was originally coined by [[philology|philologist]] [[Allen Upward]] in 1907 as a synonym for "[[pseudoscience]]". [http://www.instinct.org/texts/bluesky/bs3-4.htm] In 1934, the Argentine-German writer Anastasius Nordenholz published a book using the word positively: ''Scientologie,  Wissenschaft von der Beschaffenheit und der Tauglichkeit des Wissens'' ("''Scientology, Science  of the Constitution and Usefulness of Knowledge''"). [http://www.scientologie.de/scientologie/index.htm] Nordenholz's book is a study of consciousness, and its usage of the word is not greatly different from Hubbard's definition, "knowing how to know".  However, it is not clear to what extent Hubbard was aware of these earlier uses. The word itself is a pairing of the [[Latin]] word ''scientia'' ("knowledge", "skill"), which comes from the verb ''scire'' ("to know"), and the [[Greek language|Greek]] &#x03bb;&#x03bf;&#x03b3;&#x03bf;&#x03c2; ''l&#x00f3;gos'' ("reason" or "inward thought" or "logic"). In a lecture given on [[July 19]], [[1962]] entitled "The E-meter", Hubbard said:
+
* Drug treatment centers (Narconon)<ref> [http://www.narconon.org Narconon] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref>
−
:"So Suzie and I went down to the library, and we started hauling books out and looking for words. And we finally found 'scio' and we find 'ology'. And there was the founding of that word. Now, that word had been used to some degree before. There had been some thought of this. Actually the earliest studies on these didn't have any name to them until a little bit along the line and then I called it anything you could think of. But we found that this word Scientology, you see&mdash;and it could have been any other word that had also been used&mdash;was the best-fitted word for exactly what we wanted."
+
* Criminal rehab programs (Criminon)<ref> [http://www.criminon.org Criminon International] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref>
−
 
+
* Activities to reform the field of mental health (Citizens Commission on Human Rights)
−
==The Church of Scientology==
+
* Projects to implement Hubbard's educational methods in schools (Applied Scholastics)<ref> [http://www.appliedscholastics.org Applied Scholastics] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref>
−
{{main|Church of Scientology}}
+
* A "moral values" campaign (The Way to Happiness)<ref> [http://www.thewaytohappiness.org/ The Way to Happiness] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref>
−
[[Image:Scientologycross.jpg|thumb|right|130px|The official [[symbols of Scientology|symbol]] of the [[Church of Scientology]].]]
+
* World Institute of Scientology Enterprises, or WISE, which licenses Hubbard's management techniques for use in businesses<ref> [http://www.wise.org/en_US/index.html WISE] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref>
−
<!--A lot of this section seems like it should be merged into "Controversy and criticism". Since we have a whole huge other section for that, shouldn't this section deal a bit more with the Church of Scientology's specific history, organization, etc.?—>
 
−
 
 
−
A Church of Scientology was first [[corporation|incorporated]] in [[Camden, New Jersey]] as a [[non-profit organization]] in 1953. Today's Church of Scientology was established in 1954.  It forms the center of a complex worldwide network of corporations dedicated to the promotion of L. Ron Hubbard's philosophies in all areas of life. This includes:
 
−
 
 
−
* Drug treatment centers ([[Narconon]]);
 
−
* Criminal rehab programs ([[Criminon]]);
 
−
* Activities to reform the field of mental health ([[Citizens Commission on Human Rights]]);
 
−
* Projects to implement Hubbard's educational methods in schools ([[Applied Scholastics]]);
 
−
* A "moral values" campaign ([[The Way to Happiness]]);
 
−
* [[World Institute of Scientology Enterprises]], or WISE, which licenses Hubbard's management techniques for use in businesses;
 
−
* A consulting firm based on Hubbard's management techniques ([[Sterling Management Systems]]);
 
−
* A publishing company, e-Republic, which publishes ''Government Technology'' and ''Converge'' magazines and coordinates the ''Center for Digital Government'';
 
 
* A campaign directed to world leaders, as well as the general public, to implement the 1948 United Nations document "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (with particular emphasis on the religious freedom elements).
 
* A campaign directed to world leaders, as well as the general public, to implement the 1948 United Nations document "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (with particular emphasis on the religious freedom elements).
−
* An organization dedicated to bettering plant and animal life on Earth that applies Scientology tools, such as "The Dynamics" ([[Earth Organization]])
 
  
−
==Independent Scientology groups==
+
===Independent Scientology Groups===
−
{{main|Free Zone (Scientology)}}
+
Although "Scientology" is most often used as shorthand for the Church of Scientology, a number of groups practice Scientology and Dianetics outside of the official church. Such groups are invariably breakaways from the original movement, and usually argue that it has corrupted L. Ron Hubbard's principles or become overly domineering. The church takes an extremely hard line on breakaway groups, labeling them "[[apostasy|apostates]]" (or "squirrels" in Scientology jargon), and often subjecting them to considerable legal and social pressure. Breakaway groups avoid the name "Scientology" so as to keep from infringing that copyright, instead referring to themselves collectively as the "Free Zone."
−
Although "Scientology" is most often used as shorthand for the [[Church of Scientology]], a number of groups practice Scientology and Dianetics outside of the official Church. Such groups are invariably breakaways from the original Church, and usually argue that it has corrupted L. Ron Hubbard's principles or otherwise become overly domineering. The Church takes an extremely hard line on breakaway groups, labeling them "[[apostasy|apostates]]" (or "squirrels" in Scientology jargon) and often subjecting them to considerable legal and social pressure. Breakaway groups avoid the name "Scientology" so as to keep from being [[lawsuit|sued]], instead referring to themselves collectively as the Free Zone.
 
  
−
==Controversy and criticism==
+
===Scientology and the Media===
−
{{main|Scientology controversy}}
+
Since its inception, the Church of Scientology has made use of mass media to spread its message. Originally this was done through printed materials, primarily books, but eventually a collection of periodicals was brought into circulation, such as ''Freedom Mag''<ref>[http://www.freedommag.org/ ''Freedom Mag''] Retrieved May 25, 2019. </ref> Videos were also made available to those interested. As the Internet became more popular and accessible, the Church of Scientology expanded its presence there, maintaining over a dozen different domains by 2006.
−
[[Image:CoSTorontoFeb0105.jpg|thumb|Church of Scientology on [[Yonge Street]] in [[Toronto, Ontario, Canada|Toronto, Canada]].]]
 
−
Of the many [[new religious movement]]s to appear during the 20th century, Scientology has from its inception been one of the most controversial.  The Church has come into conflict with the governments and police forces of several countries (including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany) numerous times over the years, though supporters note that many major world religions have found themselves in conflict with civil government in their early years.  
 
  
−
The Church pursues an extensive [[public relations]] campaign supporting Scientology as a [[bona fide]] religion.  The organization cites numerous scholarly sources supporting its position, many of which can be found on a website the Church has established for this purpose. [http://www.bonafidescientology.org/bonafide-scientology.htm]
+
From its beginnings, the Church of Scientology has been associated (both officially and in the popular consciousness) with celebrities, especially in the fields of [[film]] and [[music]]. High profile members of the faith have brought much attention to the church. The church recognizes the potential for growth due to its celebrity members, and maintains an elaborate "Celebrity Center" in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], in addition to its many other church buildings throughout the world.
−
 
 
−
Different countries have taken markedly different approaches to Scientology.  Scientology is considered a [[religion]] in the United States, Thailand, Taiwan, Spain, and [[Australia]], and thus enjoys and regularly cites the constitutional protections afforded in both nations to religious practice (First Amendment to the United States Constitution; [[Australian Constitution]], s 116). In [[Canada]], the Church of Scientology is considered a religious non-profit organization. In 1992, Scientology became the only<ref>McGregor, Glen: [http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=a8fe6bd0-c284-47f4-95b0-072b9209ff96 Liberal MP stars in video promoting: Scientology Controversial religion not a cult, Lee insists], ''The Ottawa Citizen'', October 26, 2005, p.A1.</ref> religious organization [[R. v. Church of Scientology of Toronto|convicted in criminal court on two counts of breach of the public trust]] (for an organized conspiracy to infiltrate government offices) following a trial by jury. In the United States, the church obtained "public charity" status ([[IRS]] Code [[501(c)(3)]]) and the associated preferential tax treatment after extended litigation. Applications for charity status in the [http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/Library/registration/pdfs/cosfulldoc.pdf UK] and Canada were rejected in 1999. Some European governments (including notably, Germany, Belgium, France, and Austria) do not consider the Church to be a bona fide [[religion-supporting organization|religious organization]], but instead a commercial enterprise or a so-called [[list of purported cults|cult]].
 
−
 
 
−
Other countries, mostly in [[Europe]], have regarded Scientology as a potentially dangerous [[cult]], or at least have not considered local branches of the Church of Scientology to meet the legal criteria for being considered [[religion-supporting organization]]s. In [[Germany]], for instance, Scientology is not considered a religion by the government, but a commercial business. Fifteen of the sixteen German states, positing that Scientology had potentially anti-democratic tendencies, have to a greater or lesser degree and for varying periods subjected Scientology and Scientologists to state surveillance since the early 1970's. No criminal or civil charges have been brought as a result of this surveillance. Two German states and the political party, the CDU (Christian Democratic Union) have passed rules or regulations limiting the participation of Scientologists in politics, business and public life. In several court cases Scientology lost filed complaints against continued surveillance because the courts held the opinion that Scientology still pursues anticonstitutional activities. In Berlin surveillance ceased because the court prohibited the use of paid undercover agents, in Saarland surveillance was stopped by the court because there was/is no current danger recognizable. The [[United Kingdom]] government does not recognize Scientology as a bona fide religion. The Church has been subjected to considerable pressure from the state in [[Russia]]. In Belgium, the minister of justice refused Scientology as a candidate for the status of recognized religion. [http://www.lalibre.be/article.phtml?id=10&subid=90&art_id=231058]
 
−
 
 
−
Scientology has also been the focus of criticism by [[opposition to cults and new religious movements|anti-cult campaigners]] and has aroused controversy for its high-profile [[#Opposition to psychiatry|campaigns against psychiatry]] and psychiatric medication. The religious ''bona fides'' of Scientology have been repeatedly questioned. Hubbard was accused of adopting a religious façade for Scientology to allow the organization to maintain [[tax exemption|tax-exempt]] status and to avoid prosecution for false medical claims. These accusations continue to the present day, bolstered by numerous accounts from Hubbard's fellow science-fiction authors and researchers, the most notable being [[Harlan Ellison]], Neison Himmel, Sam Merwin, Sam Moskowitz, Theodore Sturgeon, and Lloyd Arthur Eshbach, who reported to have witnessed Hubbard stating on various occasions that the way to get rich was to start a religion. [http://www.don-lindsay-archive.org/scientology/start.a.religion.html]
 
−
 
 
−
The many [[Scientology and the legal system|legal battles fought by the Church of Scientology]] since its inception have given it a reputation as an extremely litigious organization, characterized by forcing litigants to enter into a lengthy and costly legal process using a number of highly trained lawyers, expert at prolonging cases.
 
−
 
 
−
However, a notable number of countries around the world have apparently embraced Scientology, including [[Italy]], [[Spain]] and [[Thailand]].  Also, the number of legal battles in which the Church has engaged seems to have peaked in the early-to-mid-1990s, and has been declining since then.  Since that time, many Scientologists have adopted a more relaxed view toward minor criticism.  The overall attitude in the Scientology community has partially shifted to spreading Scientology through direct application to communities, rather than combating those who attempt to stop or belittle it.
 
−
 
 
−
The ongoing controversies involving the Church and its critics include:
 
−
 
 
−
* Scientology's harassment and litigious actions against its critics and enemies.
 
−
* Some critics charge Scientology with being a [[cult of personality]], with much emphasis placed on the alleged accomplishments of its founder. 
 
−
* Scientologists claim that government files, such as those from the [[FBI]], are loaded with forgeries and other false documents detrimental to Scientology, but have never substantiated this accusation.
 
−
* Unexplained deaths of Scientologists, most notably [[Lisa McPherson]], allegedly due to mistreatment by other members.
 
−
* Scientology's [[disconnection]] policy, in which members are encouraged to cut off all contact with friends or family members critical of the Church.
 
−
* Criminal activities by Scientologists, both those committed for personal benefit ([[Reed Slatkin]], [[Gabriel Williams]], and others) and those committed on behalf of the Church and directed by Church officials ([[Operation Snow White]], [[Operation Freakout]], [[Fair Game (Scientology)|Fair Game]], and others).
 
−
* Claims of [[brainwashing]] and [[mind control]].
 
−
* Use of high-pressure sales tactics to obtain money from members.
 
−
* Lobbying search engines such as Google and Yahoo to omit any webpages that are critical of Scientology from their search engines (and in Google's case, AdSense), or at least the first few search pages (now however, a search for Scientology on Google and Yahoo brings up this page, with both critical and official Scientology websites). 
 
−
* Differing accounts of L. Ron Hubbard's life, in particular accounts of Hubbard discussing his intent to start a religion for profit.  [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.answers/msg/f3716ab6b331c0d1]
 
−
 
 
−
This last criticism is referenced, among other places, in a May 1980 ''[[Reader's Digest]]'' article, which quotes Hubbard, "If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion."
 
  
 
=== Official Status as a Religion ===
 
=== Official Status as a Religion ===
−
<!--This section was 'Scientology Critics', but other than a short paragraph that essentially just said that a bunch of different types of people criticize Scientology, the section was solely about Tax Exemption and official recognition issues.  Thus the change in heading. !-->
+
The church pursues an extensive public relations campaign supporting Scientology as a bona fide religion. The organization cites numerous scholarly sources supporting its position, many of which can be found on a website the church has established for this purpose.<ref> [http://www.scientologyreligion.org/ A Comprehensive Overview of the Background, Theology and Religious Practice of The Scientology Religion] Retrieved May 25, 2019</ref> This public relations campaign was in response to the charge made by critics that Scientology incorporated as a church to avoid litigation of practicing medicine without proper accreditation and for tax exempt status.  
−
The Church pursues an extensive [[public relations]] campaign supporting Scientology as a ''bona fide'' religion. The organization cites numerous scholarly sources supporting its position, many of which can be found on a website the Church has established for this purpose. [http://www.bonafidescientology.org/bonafide-scientology.htm]
 
−
 
 
−
Journalists proved that, in order to obtain its tax-exempt status in the United States, Scientologists paid private investigators to obtain compromising material on the IRS commissioner and blackmailed the IRS into submission, [http://www.lermanet.com/scientologynews/nytimes/nyt-irs-030997.htm NYT article] costing taxpayers 1-2 billion dollars. [http://groups.google.ca/group/alt.religion.scientology/msg/90eb915a3a789fe9?hl=en&amp;] Six levels of indents down in the eventually leaked "closing agreement", [http://www.xenu.net/archive/IRS/] the IRS is contractually required to discriminate in their treatment of Scientology to the exclusion of all other groups:
 
−
 
 
−
:"The following actions will be considered to be a material breach by the Service: ... The issuance of a Regulation, Revenue Ruling or other pronouncement of general applicability providing that fixed donations to a religious organization other than a Church of Scientology are fully deductible."
 
−
 
 
−
The Sklars, in the case MICHAEL SKLAR; MARLA SKLAR v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL No. 00-70753, attempted to obtain the same deduction for their payments to a Jewish school.  On [[January 29]] [[2002]] the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the IRS's opposition.  Judge Silverman concurred, [http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/27B565D1754D4E5E88256B50005F20C.E./$file/0070753.pdf?openelement] saying:
 
−
 
 
−
:"An IRS closing agreement cannot overrule Congress and the Supreme Court.
 
−
:If the IRS does, in fact, give preferential treatment to members of the Church of Scientology&mdash;allowing them a special right to claim deductions that are contrary to law and rightly disallowed to everybody else&mdash;then the proper course of action is a lawsuit to put a stop to ''that'' policy."
 
−
 
 
−
To date, such a suit is not known to have been filed.
 
−
 
 
−
Another source of controversy in 1979 was Scientology's infiltration of the United States [[Internal Revenue Service]] in what Scientology termed "[[Operation Snow White]]".  Eleven high-ranking Scientologists, including Hubbard's wife [[Mary Sue Hubbard]], served time in federal prison for their involvement in this infiltration.
 
  
−
In Australia, critics point to a certain passage in a 1982 ruling by the [[High Court of Australia]]. They claim that in the course of litigation between the Church and the government of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], even though the government of the [[States and territories of Australia|state]] found that the Church practiced [[charlatan|charlatanism]], (''[[Church of the New Faith]] v. Commissioner Of Pay-roll Tax'' [http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/high_ct/154clr120.html]) nevertheless the government of Victoria, due to certain legal technicalities, could not deny the Church the right to operate in Victoria under the legal status of "religion".
+
The church is recognized in some countries that uphold religious freedom as an official [[religion]] under the law, including the [[United States]], [[Australia]], [[Taiwan]], [[Thailand]], and [[Spain]]. Other nations, which have state churches, including [[Belgium]], [[Germany]], [[France]], and [[Austria]], do not recognize the Church of Scientology as an official religion. An intermediate approach is taken in some countries, such as [[Canada]], where Scientology is recognized as a non-profit charity organization. Despite the lack of legal recognition in some countries, the Church of Scientology is present in 175 countries worldwide, including nations where it is not recognized as a bona fide religious tradition.
  
−
===Scientology and psychiatry===
+
===Scientology and Psychiatry===
 
[[Image:Scientology psychiatry kills.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Scientologists regularly hold anti-[[psychiatry]] demonstrations they call "Psychbusts"]]
 
[[Image:Scientology psychiatry kills.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Scientologists regularly hold anti-[[psychiatry]] demonstrations they call "Psychbusts"]]
−
{{main|Scientology and psychiatry}}
 
−
 
−
Scientology is publicly and vehemently opposed to [[psychiatry]] and [[psychology]].
 
−
 
−
This theme appears in some of Hubbard's literary works. In Hubbard's ''[[Mission Earth]]'' series, various characters praise and criticize these methods, and the antagonists in his novel ''[[Battlefield Earth]]'' are called ''Psychlos'', a similar allusion.
 
−
 
−
From the Church of Scientology FAQ on Psychiatry:
 
−
:''What the Church opposes are brutal, inhumane psychiatric treatments. It does so for three principal reasons: 1) procedures such as [[electroshock therapy|electro-shock]], [[psychopharmacology|drugs]] and [[lobotomy]] injure, maim and destroy people in the guise of help; 2) psychiatry is not a [[science]] and has no proven methods to justify the billions of dollars of government funds that are poured into it; and 3) psychiatric theories that man is a mere animal have been used to rationalize, for example, the wholesale slaughter of human beings in [[World War I|World Wars I]] and [[World War II|II]].'' [http://faq.scientology.org/psychtry.htm]
 
−
     
 
−
L. Ron Hubbard was bitterly critical of psychiatry's citation of physical causes for mental disorders, such as [[Chemical imbalance theory|chemical imbalances]] in the brain. Although there are many questions remaining, the statements by Hubbard deny that psychiatry, through the [[scientific method]], has shown some psychiatric disorders are related to anatomical and chemical cerebral anomalies. Furthermore, it is evident much of his criticism is based upon old and flawed information regarding psychiatry [http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/279/14/1100?maxtoshow=&amp;HITS=10&amp;hits=10&amp;RESULTFORMAT=&amp;fulltext=scientology&amp;searchid=1126399221675_4821&amp;stored_search=&amp;FIRSTINDEX=0&amp;journalcode=jama]. He regarded psychiatrists as denying human spirituality and peddling fake cures. He was also convinced psychiatrists were themselves deeply unethical individuals, committing "extortion, mayhem and murder. Our files are full of evidence on them." [http://freedom.lronhubbard.org/page080.htm] The Church claims that psychiatry was responsible for World War I [http://freedom.lronhubbard.org/page104a.htm], the rise of Hitler and Stalin [http://www.freedommag.org/english/vol30I1/page40.htm], the decline in education standards in the United States [http://www.cchr.org/educate/e_sr.htm], the wars in [[Bosnian War|Bosnia]] and [[Kosovo War|Kosovo]] [http://www.cchr.org/index.cfm/8130], and even the [[September 11th attacks]] [http://www.freedommag.org/English/vol34i1/page02.htm]. However, for all these statements, the Church has failed to present any evidence supporting this view of psychiatry.       
 
−
Scientology's opposition to psychiatry has also undoubtedly been influenced by the fact that a number of psychiatrists have strongly spoken out against the Church, resulting in pressure from the [[media]] and governments. Additionally, after Hubbard's book on [[Dianetics]] was published, in which he tried to present a new form of [[psychotherapy]], the [[American Psychological Association]] advised its members against using Hubbard's techniques with their patients until its effectiveness could be proven. Because of this critique Hubbard came to believe psychiatrists were behind a worldwide conspiracy to attack Scientology and create a "world government" run by psychiatrists on behalf of [[Soviet]] [[Russia]]: 
 
−
 
 
−
:''Our enemies are less than twelve men. They are members of the [[Bank of England]] and other higher financial circles. They own and control newspaper chains and they, oddly enough, run all the mental health groups in the world that had sprung up ...''     
 
−
:''Their apparent programme was to use mental health, which is to say psychiatric electric shock and pre-frontal lobotomy, to remove from their path any political dissenters ... These fellows have gotten nearly every government in the world to owe them considerable quantities of money through various chicaneries and they control, of course, income tax, government finance — [[Harold Wilson|(Harold) Wilson]], for instance, the current Premier of England, is totally involved with these fellows and talks about nothing else actually.'' (Hubbard, ''Ron's Journal 67'' [http://www.solitarytrees.net/cowen/misc/psywar.htm])     
 
−
     
 
−
In 1966, Hubbard declared war on psychiatry, telling Scientologists "We want at least one bad mark on every psychiatrist in England, a murder, an assault, or a rape or more than one." He committed the Church to eradicating psychiatry in 1969, announcing "Our war has been forced to become 'To take over absolutely the field of mental healing on this planet in all forms.'" [http://www.solitarytrees.net/cowen/misc/psywar.htm] Not coincidentally, the Church founded the [[Citizens Commission on Human Rights]] that same year as its primary vehicle for attacking psychiatry.   
 
  
−
Around the same time, Hubbard decided that psychiatrists were an ancient evil that had been a problem for billions of years. He cast them in the role of assisting Xenu's genocide of 75 million years ago. In a 1982 bulletin entitled "Pain and Sex", Hubbard declares that "pain and sex were the INVENTED TOOLS of degradation", having been devised eons ago by psychiatrists "who have been on the [time] track a long time and are the sole cause of decline in this universe." (Hubbard, HCO Bulletin of [[August 26]], [[1982]])
+
Scientology is publicly and vehemently opposed to [[psychiatry]] and [[psychology]]. This theme appears in some of Hubbard's literary works. In Hubbard's satiric ''Mission Earth'' series, various characters praise and criticize these methods, and the antagonists in his novel ''Battlefield Earth'' are called ''Psychlos.'' According to its website, the Church of Scientology adopts the following view on Psychiatry:
 +
<blockquote>The Scientology objection to psychiatry does not stem from any desire to deny the insane treatment. Rather, the Church objects to the mistreatment of the insane, which is psychiatry’s historical hallmark. ... Through its long and tragic history psychiatry has invented numerous “cures” which eventually proved destructive in the extreme. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, mentally troubled patients were literally subjected to torture devices. Next it was ice baths and insulin shock. Then electroconvulsive therapy that caused broken teeth and bones as well as loss of memory and regression into comatose states. Next, it was prefrontal lobotomies with an ice pick through the eye socket. Today it is drugs.<ref> [https://www.scientology.org/faq/scientology-in-society/why-is-scientology-opposed-to-psychiatric-abuses.html Why is Scientology Opposed to Psychiatric Abuses?] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref></blockquote>
 +
 +
L. Ron Hubbard was bitterly critical of psychiatry's citation of physical causes for mental disorders, such as chemical imbalances in the brain. He regarded psychiatrists as denying human spirituality and peddling fake cures. He was also convinced psychiatrists were themselves deeply unethical individuals, committing "extortion, mayhem and murder. Our files are full of evidence on them."<ref> [http://freedom.lronhubbard.org/page080.htm Crime and Psychiatry] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref> The church claims that psychiatry was responsible for World War I<ref> [http://freedom.lronhubbard.org/page104a.htm Criminals and Psychiatry] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref>, the rise of [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] and [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] <ref>[http://www.freedommag.org/english/vol30I1/page40.htm Psychiatrists: The Men Behind Hitler] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref>, and even the September 11 attacks.<ref>Thomas G. Whittle & Linda Amato,  [http://www.freedommag.org/English/vol34i1/page02.htm Behind the Terror] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref> Scientology's opposition to psychiatry has also undoubtedly been influenced by the fact that a number of psychiatrists have strongly spoken out against the church, resulting in pressure from the [[media]] and governments. Additionally, after Hubbard's book on Dianetics was published, in which he tried to present a new form of "psychotherapy," the American Psychological Association advised its members against using Hubbard's techniques with their patients until its effectiveness could be proven.
  
−
Celebrity Scientologists, notably [[Tom Cruise]], have been extremely vocal in attacking the use of psychiatric medication. [http://xenutv.bogie.nl/cruise/index.html] Their position has attracted considerable criticism from psychiatrists, physicians, and mental health patients and advocates who cite numerous scientific studies showing benefit from psychiatry. On top of that, there is evidence Scientology adherents destroyed scientific data in a lengthy campaign to discredit research. [http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/extract/329/7457/72] Nevertheless, this position is still defended and promoted by Scientologists. [http://www.cchr.org/pseudoscience/index.htm]
+
===Scientology and Other Religions===
 +
Scientology teaches that it is fully compatible with all existing [[major world religions|major religions]], often being described by followers as a system of religious technology. The Church of Scientology has publicly stated:
 +
<blockquote>Scientology respects all religions. It shares with other religions the dreams of peace and salvation.<ref>[https://www.scientology.org/faq/scientology-beliefs-and-practices/scientology-and-other-religions.html What is the Scientology View Regarding Other Religions?] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref> </blockquote>
  
−
===Scientology versus the Internet===
+
Yet, Scientology claims to have as its most valuable asset "an actual technology for achieving greater spiritual awareness," and "Scientology offers certainty of salvation now" while making it "possible for any religion to attain its goals and is therefore a religion of religions."<ref>[https://www.scientology.org/faq/scientology-and-other-practices/what-way-does-scientology-differ-from-other-religions.html In What Way Does Scientology Differ from other Religions?] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref>
−
{{main|Scientology versus the Internet}}
 
−
Scientology leaders have undertaken extensive operations on the Internet to deal with growing allegations of fraud and exposure of unscrupulousness within Scientology. The organization states that it is taking actions to prevent distribution of [[copyright|copyrighted]] Scientology documents and publications online by people whom it has called "copyright terrorists". Critics claim the organization's true motive is an attempt to suppress free speech and criticism.
 
  
−
In January 1995, Church lawyer [[Helena Kobrin]] attempted to shut down the [[Usenet]] [[newsgroup|discussion group]] ''[[alt.religion.scientology]]'' by sending a control message instructing Usenet servers to delete the group on the grounds that
+
==Controversy==
 +
Both Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard's life are embroiled in controversy. Hubbard has been interpreted as both a "Friend of Mankind" and a con-artist. These sharply contrasting views have been a source of hostility between Hubbard's supporters and critics.
  
−
:''(1) It was started with a forged message; (2) not discussed on [[alt.config]]; (3) it has the name "scientology" in its title which is a trademark and is misleading, as a.r.s. is mainly used for flamers to attack the Scientology religion; (4) it has been and continues to be heavily abused with copyright and trade secret violations and serves no purpose other than condoning these illegal practices.'' [http://www.xs4all.nl/~kspaink/cos/rnewman/usenet/rmgroup]
+
Some documents written by Hubbard himself suggest he regarded Scientology as a business, not a religion. A ''Reader's Digest'' article in May 1980 quoted Hubbard as saying in the 1940s, "Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion."<ref>Eugene H. Methvin, [http://www.skeptictank.org/readdig.htm Scientology: Anatomy of a Frightening Cult] ''Reader's Digest'', May 1980. Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref>
  
−
In practice, this [[rmgroup]] message had little effect, since most Usenet servers are configured to disregard such messages when applied to groups that receive substantial traffic, and [[newgroup]] messages were quickly issued to recreate the group on those servers that did not do so. However, the issuance of the message led to a great deal of public criticism by free-speech advocates.
+
Scientology became a focus of controversy across the English-speaking world during the mid-1960s. In 1967, L. Ron Hubbard distanced himself from the controversy attached to Scientology by resigning as executive director of the church and appointing himself "Commodore" of a small fleet of Scientologist-crewed ships that spent the next eight years cruising the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. Here, Hubbard formed the religious order known as the "Sea Organization," or "Sea Org," with titles and uniforms. The Sea Org subsequently became the management group within Hubbard's Scientology empire. He returned to the United States in the mid-1970s and lived for a while in [[Florida]].
  
−
The Church also began filing lawsuits against those who posted copyrighted texts on the newsgroup and the [[World Wide Web]], and pressed for tighter restrictions on copyrights in general. The Church supported the controversial [[Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act]]. The even more controversial [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]] was also strongly promoted by the Church and some of its provisions (notably the [[Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act]]) were heavily influenced by Church litigation against US [[Internet service providers]] over copyrighted Scientology materials that had been posted or uploaded through their servers.
+
In 1977, Scientology offices on both coasts of the United States were raided by FBI agents seeking evidence of Operation Snow White, a church-run espionage network. Hubbard's wife Mary Sue and a dozen other senior Scientology officials were convicted in 1979 of conspiracy against the United States federal government, while Hubbard himself was named by federal prosecutors as an "unindicted co-conspirator." Facing intense media interest and many subpoenas, he secretly retired to a ranch in tiny Creston, [[California]], north of San Luis Obispo.
  
−
Beginning in the middle of 1996 and for several years after, the newsgroup was attacked by anonymous parties using a tactic dubbed "[[sporgery]]" by some, in the form of hundreds of thousands of forged spam messages posted on the group. Although the Church neither confirmed nor denied its involvement with the spam, some investigators claimed that some spam had been traced to Church members.  Former Scientologist [[Tory Christman]], after she left the church, confessed to having been part of the sporgery project, taking money supplied by the [[Office of Special Affairs]] to open up Internet accounts at various ISPs under false names, accounts from which she later saw forged and garbled communications going out.<ref>[http://www.lermanet.com/cos/toryonosa.htm "The Secret Project to Spam the Internet"]</ref>
+
Aside from his literary achievements, the Church of Scientology has lauded L. Ron Hubbard in a variety of other fields.<ref>[http://www.lronhubbard.org L. Ron Hubbard] Retrieved May 25, 2019.</ref> His abilities in music appreciation, performance, and composition are praised by the church, as well as his time spent as an "adventurer" traveling and sailing. His humanitarian efforts in drug rehabilitation and literacy are also commended by the church. However, many critics of the Church of Scientology have suggested that Hubbard's achievements are overstated and cannot be proven.<ref name=bare-faced/>
  
−
==Celebrity practitioners==
+
==Notes==
−
{{seealso|List of Scientologists}}
+
<references/>
−
 
 
−
The Church of Scientology has consistently attracted the interest of artists and entertainers, particularly [[Hollywood]] celebrities. The Church runs special recruitment facilities for public figures designated [[Celebrity Centre]]s. They can be found in [[Hollywood]], [[New York]], [[Nashville]], [[Las Vegas]], [[London]], [[Paris]], Dallas, and [[Vienna]], though Hollywood is the largest and most important.  Scientologists give this description: 
 
−
 
 
−
:''L. Ron Hubbard recognized the importance of the artist to society. Thus he created [http://celebritycentre.org/ Celebrity Centre International] — a Church of Scientology that specializes in delivering Dianetics and Scientology services to celebrities, professionals, leaders and promising new-comers in the fields of the arts, sports, management and government.''
 
−
 
 
−
These sites are not celebrity-exclusive. They offer Scientology courses to non-celebrities, and courses start at the most basic beginner levels. At the Celebrity Centre, or simply CC as most Scientologists refer to it, the odds of running into a celebrity are high, but it is mostly full of non-famous people.
 
−
 
 
−
Publicity has been generated by Scientologists in the entertainment industry such as [[John Travolta]], [[Kelly Preston]], [[Jenna Elfman]], [[Kirstie Alley]], [[Catherine Bell]], [[Leah Remini]], [[Beck|Beck Hansen]], [[Josh Pettersen]], [[Chick Corea]], [[Brandy (entertainer)|Brandy Norwood]], [[Isaac Hayes]], [[Jason Lee (actor)|Jason Lee]], [[James Packer]], [[Doug E. Fresh]], [[Greta Van Susteren]], [[Tom Cruise]], and Cruise's converted fiancée [[Katie Holmes]].
 
−
 
 
−
Critics say the attention and care given to celebrity practitioners is vastly different from that of noncelebrity practitioners. [http://dailyablution.blogs.com/the_daily_ablution/2004/03/religon_of_the_.html] [http://www.xs4all.nl/~fishman/fable.htm]  [[Diana Canova]], who experienced Scientology both before and during her period of TV stardom, expressed it in a September 1993 interview:  "When I started, I wasn't in television yet. I was a nobody - I'd done some TV, but I was not one of the elite, not by a long shot - until I did Soap. Then it became…I mean, you really are treated like royalty." [http://rickross.org/reference/scientology/Scien12.html]
 
−
 
 
−
=== Tom Cruise ===
 
−
 
 
−
Since [[2005]], [[Tom Cruise]] has been one of the best-recognized celebrity Scientologists, in many ways a public face for the religion. Cruise has widely advocated the Church's position against psychiatry and particularly against the use of [[antidepressant]]s. In [[May 2005]], Cruise excoriated [[Brooke Shields]] for both using and speaking in favor of the drug [[Paxil]]. Cruise also said, "Here is a woman, and I care about Brooke Shields because I think she is an incredibly talented woman, you look at [and think], where has her career gone?". Shields responded that Cruise's statements about anti-depressants were "irresponsible" and "dangerous."
 
−
 
 
−
On [[June 24]], [[2005]], Cruise spoke to [[Today Show]] host [[Matt Lauer]] on the supposed dangers of psychiatry and antidepressants during a promotional interview for his film ''[[War of the Worlds (2005 film)|War of the Worlds]]'' [http://firstdistributorsnz.com/scientomogy/tommatt.htm]. His intent may have backfired as late night comedians and morning radio programs frequently commented about Cruise's passionate frustration at Lauer's perceived lack of knowledge and respect for the topic's severity and mocked him as a radical celebrity.
 
−
 
 
−
=== Isaac Hayes and South Park ===
 
−
 
 
−
In November 2005, the television show ''South Park'' satirized the Church of Scientology and its celebrity followers, including Cruise and [[John Travolta]], in an episode called "[[Trapped in the Closet (South Park episode)|Trapped in the Closet]]." In the episode, Stan, one of the show's four mischievous fourth graders, is hailed as the reincarnation of [[L. Ron Hubbard]], while a cartoon Cruise locks himself in a closet and won't come out.
 
−
 
 
−
The episode also mocks the beliefs Scientologists accept. It portrays the story of Xenu and the creation of the Thetans by the hydrogen bombs, and other aspects of the religion, while the words "This Is What Scientologists Actually Believe" appear at the bottom of the screen.
 
−
 
 
−
In March 2006, a press release announced that [[Isaac Hayes]], a Scientologist, would be quitting his role on ''[[South Park]]'' due to "intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others". Dubbed "Closetgate" by the [[Los Angeles Times]], the controversy continued as [[Comedy Central]], the channel that broadcasts [[South Park]] in the [[United States|U.S.]], pulled the "Trapped in the Closet" episode at the last minute from a scheduled repeat on [[March 15]] [[2006]]. It was alleged that [[Tom Cruise]] threatened [[Paramount]] with withdrawal from promotion of his latest film [[Mission: Impossible III|Mission Impossible 3]] if the episode was broadcast. [[Viacom]] owns both Paramount and Comedy Central. Though Paramount and Cruise's representatives deny any threats, [[The Independent]] reports that "no one believes a word of it".
 
−
 
 
−
[[Trey Parker]] and [[Matt Stone]] claimed to be "servants of [[Xenu]]" and declared that the "million-year war for Earth" had only just begun.  Stone also told the [[Associated Press]] that he and Parker "never heard a peep out of Isaac in any way until we did Scientology. He wants a different standard for religions other than his own, and to me, that is where intolerance and bigotry begin." <ref>
 
−
[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/13/ap/entertainment/mainD8GAUQA8D.shtml]</ref> The [[LA Times]] reported that, "For Stone and Parker, Closetgate will be the gift that keeps on giving."  Using lines cut together from previous recordings, Hayes' character, Chef, was then portrayed in his [[The Return of Chef|final episode]] as a brain-washed, child-molesting cultist in a group called the "Super Adventure Club".
 
−
[http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-channel18mar18,0,2690713.story][http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article352197.ece]
 
−
 
 
−
==See also==
 
−
* [[Pseudoscience]]
 
−
* [[List of Scientologists]]
 
−
* [[List of Scientology references in popular culture]]
 
−
* [[Symbols of Scientology]]
 
−
* [[Scientology and psychiatry]]
 
−
* [[Space opera in Scientology doctrine]]
 
−
* [[Scientology controversy]]
 
−
* [[Homosexuality and Scientology]]
 
−
* [[Scientology versus the Internet]]
 
−
* [[Alt.religion.scientology]]
 
−
* [[Cult checklist]]
 
−
* [[List of purported cults]]
 
−
* [[List of religious organizations]]
 
−
* [[Scientomogy]]
 
−
* [[Subgenius]]
 
  
 
== References ==
 
== References ==
−
* {{cite book | author=Atack, Jon | title=A Piece of Blue Sky | publisher=Lyle Stuart | year=1990 | id=ISBN 081840499X | url=http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/apobs/ }} A critical history of Scientology, by a Scientology archivist and former Scientologist
+
* Atack, Jon. ''A Piece of Blue Sky.'' Lyle Stuart, 1990. ISBN 081840499X
−
* {{Citepaper | Author=Frenschkowski, Marco | Title= L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology: An annotated bibliographical survey of primary and selected secondary literature | PublishYear=1999| URL=http://www.uni-marburg.de/religionswissenschaft/journal/mjr/frenschkowski.html }}
+
* Church of Scientology International. ''Scientology: Theology & Practice of a Contemporary Religion.'' Bridge Publications, 1998. ISBN 978-1573181457
−
* {{Citepaper | Author=Kent, Stephen A. | Title= Scientology's Relationship With Eastern Religious Traditions | PublishYear=1996 | URL=http://www.ami.com.au/~bradw/cos/Theology/Theology/eastern.htm }}
+
* Corydon, Bent. ''Messiah or Madman?'' Barricade Books, 1992. ISBN 0942637577
−
* {{cite book | author=Miller, Russell  | title=[[Bare-faced Messiah]], The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard | publisher=Henry Holt &amp; Co | year=1987 | id=ISBN 0-8050-0654-0 |url=http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/bfm/bfmconte.htm }}
+
* Kent, Stephen A. [http://www.ami.com.au/~bradw/cos/Theology/Theology/eastern.htm Scientology's Relationship With Eastern Religious Traditions]. ''Journal of Contemporary Religion'' 11(1) 1996: 21. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
−
* {{cite web | author=Spaink, Karin | title=[[Fishman Affidavit]] | work=I write therefore I am | url=http://www.xs4all.nl/~kspaink/fishman/home.html | accessdate=August 12 | accessyear=2005 }} Includes details of some of Scientology's high-level "Operating Thetan" teachings.
+
* Kent, Stephen A. [https://skent.ualberta.ca/contributions/scientology/the-creation-of-religious-scientology/ The Creation of "Religious" Scientology]  ''Journal of Religious Studies and Theology'' 18(2) (1999): 97-126. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
−
===Footnotes===
+
* Lattin, Don. [https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Scientology-Founder-s-Family-Life-Far-From-What-2952900.php Scientology Founder's Family Life Far From What He Preached] ''San Francisco Chronicle,'' February 12, 2001. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
−
<references />
+
* Miller, Russell. ''Bare-faced Messiah, The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard.'' Henry Holt & Co., 1987. ISBN 0805006540
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
−
===Scientology sites===
+
All links retrieved January 25, 2023.
 +
===Church of Scientology-owned sites===
 
*[http://www.scientology.org/ Scientology.org] - The Church of Scientology's main page.
 
*[http://www.scientology.org/ Scientology.org] - The Church of Scientology's main page.
−
*[http://www.whatisscientology.org/ whatisscientology.org] - The [[Church of Scientology]]'s site promoting Scientology.
+
*[http://www.whatisscientology.org/ whatisscientology.org] - The Church of Scientology's site promoting Scientology.
−
*[http://www.lermanet.com/frontgroups.html Related Groups] - List of groups related to the Scientology organization.
+
*[http://www.lronhubbard.org/lrhhome.html L. Ron Hubbard Site]
 +
*[http://www.authorservicesinc.com/ Author Services Inc.], L. Ron Hubbard's literary agency
 +
*[http://www.writersofthefuture.com/ “Writers of the Future”] – A contest founded by L.Ron Hubbard to encourage upcoming sci-fi and fantasy writers
  
−
===Critical sites===
+
===Other===
−
*[http://www.whyaretheydead.net/ A list of Scientology-related deaths]
+
*[http://www.thesmokinggun.com/scientology/scientology.html U.S. Government FBI Files] from The Smoking Gun
−
*[http://www.xenu.net/ Operation Clambake] (see also [[Operation Clambake]])
+
*[http://www.xenu.net/ Operation Clambake] (critical material on Hubbard and Scientology)
−
*[http://www.scientologywatch.org/ Scientology Watch]
+
* [http://www.conspiracyarchive.com/NewAge/Hubbard_Occult.htm Factnet Report: Hubbard and the Occult]
−
*[http://www.scientology-kills.org/ Scientology Kills]
+
*[http://www.wiseoldgoat.com/papers-scientology/hubbard_fiction_of_lrh.html A complete resumé of L. Ron Hubbard’s works of fiction]
−
*[http://www.scientology-lies.com/ Scientology Lies]
+
*[http://lronhubbard-tribute.com L Ron Hubbard Tribute Site.] Stories and bio details about L Ron Hubbard not found elsewhere.
 +
*[http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/mom/Messiah_or_Madman.txt ''L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?''] by Bent Corydon and L. Ron Hubbard Jr.
 
*[http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Secrets/index.html The Secrets of Scientology]
 
*[http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Secrets/index.html The Secrets of Scientology]
−
 
−
===Other sites===
 
−
*[http://www.rotten.com/library/religion/scientology/ Scientology at The Rotten Library]
 
 
*[http://internationalfreezone.net InternationalFreeZone] - Association dedicated to the promotion of the original philosophy of Lafayette Ron Hubbard.
 
*[http://internationalfreezone.net InternationalFreeZone] - Association dedicated to the promotion of the original philosophy of Lafayette Ron Hubbard.
−
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eQKxV9Lh04& 'South Park "Trapped in the Closet" episode]
 
−
*[http://throwawayyourtv.com/2006/02/great-scientology-secret.html 'South Park' Xenu Story]
 
−
*[http://www.ronsorg.us Ron's Organisation and Network for Standard Tech] - Delivers auditing and training outside the Chuch of Scientology.
 
−
*[http://scientologysfreezone.com scientologists freezone] - A comparative study of the church and the freezone
 
−
*[http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/9363363/inside_scientology Inside Scientology] - in-depth Rolling Stone article on Scientology
 
−
*[http://www.xenutv.com/int/panorama.htm BBC Documentary on Scientology from 1987]
 
−
*[http://www.lermanet.com/scientologynews/penthouse-LRonHubbardJr-interview-1983.htm Interview with L. Ron Hubbard Jr., 1983, Penthouse Magazine] - Critical Insider Interview
 
−
 
−
[[Category:New religious movements]]
 
−
[[Category:Scientology|*]]
 
−
[[Category:Pseudoscience]]
 
−
[[Category:Cults]]
 
−
[[Category:2000s fads]]
 
  
 
[[category:Philosophy and religion]]
 
[[category:Philosophy and religion]]
−
 
+
{{credits|Scientology|47170088|L._Ron_Hubbard|51347625}}
−
{{credit|47170088}}
 

Latest revision as of 17:26, 25 January 2023

Church of Scientology "Big Blue" building in Los Angeles, California

Scientology is a new religious movement based on the writings of L. Ron Hubbard (1911 – 1986), a science fiction author, who founded the Church of Scientology in 1953. As with many new religious movements, Scientology has attracted much controversy and criticism, and it has been described as a "cult" by its critics. Ironically, the critical media attention that Scientology has received has helped to fuel the publicity of the movement.

The organization presents itself as a fully integrated system of religious technology dedicated to the rehabilitation of the human spirit. Its teachings have allegedly saved followers from various afflictions including addictions, arthritis, clinical depression, learning disabilities, and mental illnesses.

Origins

The Founder: L. Ron Hubbard

The Church of Scientology was founded by Lafayette Ron Hubbard in 1953. Hubbard is a controversial figure and many details of his life are subjects of debate. The Church of Scientology has produced numerous official biographies that present Hubbard's character and his multi-faceted accomplishments in an exalted light.[1] Conversely, biographies of Hubbard by independent journalists, and accounts by former Scientologists, paint a much darker picture of Hubbard and in many cases contradict the material presented by the church.[2]

Did you know?
Before establishing the Church of Scientology, founder L. Ron Hubbard was a science fiction author

Born in Nebraska in 1911, Hubbard was raised in a military family and traveled extensively throughout his youth, making two trips to Asia where he came into contact with the religious traditions of the East. After graduating from Woodward School for Boys in 1930, he enrolled at George Washington University, where he took a course in civil engineering. However, his university records show that he attended for only two years and dropped out in 1931.

Hubbard next pursued a writing career, publishing many stories in pulp magazines during the 1930s. He became a well-known author in the science fiction and fantasy genres, and also published westerns and adventure stories. His 1938 manuscript "Excalibur" contained many concepts and ideas that later turned up in Scientology.[3]

His writing career was temporarily interrupted in June 1941 when, with World War II looming, Hubbard joined the United States Navy. He stayed in the Navy working in several posts until 1950 when he resigned his commission.

Founder L. Ron Hubbard in 1950

Beginning in the 1950s, Hubbard began publishing literature concerning the practices and doctrines of Scientology. His most famous work was Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health (1950), a system of self-improvement techniques. According to Dianetics, incidents involving pain and loss were recorded on what he called the subconscious or "reactive mind," which manifest themselves as fear, irrational emotion, addiction, and illness. Dianetics was the process by which the reactive mind is uncovered and erased, leaving only the "analytical mind." In Dianetics literature the analytical mind is the portion of the mind that is logical and problem-solving. By the mid-1950s, Dianetics was considered a system of therapy within the context of the religion of Scientology.

In mid-1952, Hubbard expanded Dianetics into a secular philosophy that he called Scientology. Hubbard also married his third wife that year, Mary Sue Whipp, to whom he remained married for the rest of his life.

In December 1953, Hubbard founded the first Church of Scientology in Camden, New Jersey. He moved to England at about the same time and during the remainder of the 1950s he supervised the growing organization from an office in London. In 1959, he bought Saint Hill Manor near the Sussex town of East Grinstead, a Georgian manor house owned by the Maharajah of Jaipur. This became the world headquarters of Scientology.

Hubbard died on January 24, 1986. In May 1987, David Miscavige, one of L. Ron Hubbard’s former personal assistants, assumed the position of Chairman of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), a corporation that owns the trademarked names and symbols of Dianetics and Scientology. Although Religious Technology Center is a separate corporation from the Church of Scientology International, Miscavige became the effective leader of the religion.

Dianetics

In May 1950, Hubbard published a book titled Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. With Dianetics, Hubbard introduced the concept of "auditing," a two-person question-and-answer therapy that focused on painful memories. According to Hubbard, dianetic auditing could eliminate emotional problems, cure physical illnesses, and increase intelligence. In his introduction to Dianetics, Hubbard declared that "the creation of dianetics is a milestone for man comparable to his discovery of fire and superior to his inventions of the wheel and arch."

Unable to elicit interest from mainstream publishers or medical professionals, Hubbard turned to the legendary science fiction editor John W. Campbell, who had for years published Hubbard's science fiction stories. Beginning in late 1949, Campbell publicized Dianetics in the pages of Astounding Science Fiction. The science fiction community was divided about the merits of Hubbard's claims. Campbell's star author Isaac Asimov criticized Dianetics' unscientific aspects, and veteran author Jack Williamson described Dianetics as "a lunatic revision of Freudian psychology" that "had the look of a wonderfully rewarding scam." But Campbell and novelist A. E. van Vogt enthusiastically embraced Dianetics: Campbell became Hubbard's treasurer and van Vogt, convinced his wife's health had been transformed for the better by auditing, interrupted his writing career to run the first Los Angeles Dianetics center.

Dianetics was a hit, selling 150,000 copies within a year of publication. With success, Dianetics became an object of critical scrutiny by the press and the medical establishment. In September 1950, the the American Psychological Association published a cautionary statement on the topic that read in part, "the association calls attention to the fact that these claims are not supported by empirical evidence," and went on to recommend against use of "the techniques peculiar to Dianetics" until such time it had been validated by scientific testing.[4]

On the heels of the book's first wave of popularity, the Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation was incorporated in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Branch offices were opened in five other U.S. cities before the end of 1950 (though most folded within a year). Hubbard soon abandoned the foundation, denouncing a number of his former associates as communists.

Other Scientology Writings

The scriptures of the Church of Scientology were written exclusively by L. Ron Hubbard, beginning in the early 1950s and continuing until his death in 1986. Hubbard was an unusually prolific author and his total published works are more than 50 feet of shelf space. The canonical library of Scientology's scriptures includes hundreds of volumes, many being philosophical works or procedural guides for Scientologists. Important works are: Dianetics: the Modern Science of Mental Health, Science of Survival, Scientology: a New Slant on Life, Scientology: the Fundamentals of Thought, and The Creation of Human Ability. Near the end of his life, Hubbard returned to writing fiction and published the science fiction works Battlefield Earth and Mission Earth. The Church of Scientology founded its own companies to publish his work, Bridge Publications[5] for the U.S. market and New Era Publications[6]based in Denmark for the rest of the world. A selection of Hubbard's best-known Scientology titles are below:

  • Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, New York, 1950, ISBN 0884044165
  • Child Dianetics: Dianetic Processing for Children, Wichita, Kansas, 1951, ISBN 0884044211
  • Scientology 8–80, Phoenix, Arizona, 1952, ISBN 0884044289
  • Dianetics 55! Phoenix, Arizona, 1954, ISBN 0884044173
  • Dianetics: The Evolution of a Science, Phoenix, Arizona, 1955, ISBN 1403105383
  • Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought, Washington, DC, 1956, ISBN 088404503X
  • The Problems of Work, Washington, DC, 1956, ISBN 0884043770
  • Have You Lived Before This Life? East Grinstead, Sussex, 1960, ISBN 0884044475
  • Scientology: A New Slant on Life, East Grinstead, Sussex, 1965, ISBN 1573180378
  • The Volunteer Minister's Handbook, Los Angeles, 1976, ISBN 0884040399
  • Research and Discovery Series, a chronological series collecting Hubbard's lectures. Vol. 1, Copenhagen, 1980, ISBN 0884040739
  • The Way to Happiness, Los Angeles, 1981, ISBN 0884044114

During the 1980s, Hubbard returned to science fiction, publishing Battlefield Earth and Mission Earth, the latter being an enormous book published as a ten-volume series. He also wrote an unpublished screenplay called Revolt in the Stars, which dramatizes Scientology's "Advanced Level" teachings. Hubbard's later science fiction sold well and received mixed reviews. There were reports describing how sales of Hubbard's books were artificially inflated by Scientologists purchasing large numbers of copies in order to manipulate the bestseller charts[7]

Beliefs and Practices

The doctrines of Scientology are called "technology" (or "tech" in member's jargon). Followers believe that Hubbard's "technology" gives them access to their past lives, the traumas of which can lead to failures in the present life unless they are audited. Hubbard claimed to have conducted years of intensive research into the nature of human existence and he developed an elaborate vocabulary with many newly coined terms to describe his findings.

Doctrines

The creeds of Scientology were formulated entirely by L. Ron Hubbard. The two major creed formulae are "The Factors" and "The Axioms."[8] They are similar in structure and message and comprise the basic beliefs of the Church of Scientology, condensed into short points. The Factors were first published in 1953 and the Axioms disseminated the following year.

According to a theological reference work published by the Church of Scientology in 1998, "The Aims of Scientology" are stated clearly as follows:

A civilization without insanity, without criminals, and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights, and where man is free to rise to greater heights, are the aims of Scientology[9]

Auditing

The central practice of Scientology is auditing (from the Latin word audire, "to listen"), which is one-on-one communication with a trained Scientology counselor or "auditor." Auditing first appeared in Hubbard's work on Dianetics. The practitioner undertaking the procedure is referred to as a "preclear." Most auditing uses an E-meter (Electropsychometer), a device that measures galvanic skin response. The E-meter has two terminals that are held in both hands of the preclear and a display with which the auditor can monitor the progress of the individual. Hubbard introduced a biofeedback device to the auditing process, which he called a "Hubbard Electropsychometer" or "E-meter." It was invented in the 1940s by a chiropractor and Dianetics enthusiast named Volney Mathison. This machine, related to the electronic lie detectors of the time, is used by Scientologists in auditing to evaluate "mental masses" surrounding the thetan. These "masses" are claimed to impede the thetan from realizing its full potential.

The auditing process is intended to help the preclear unburden him- or herself of specific traumatic incidents, prior ethical transgressions, and bad decisions, which are said to collectively restrict the preclear from achieving his or her goals. The auditor asks the preclear to respond to a list of questions which are designed for specific purposes and given to the preclear in a strictly regulated way. Auditing requires that the preclear be a willing and interested participant who understands the questions, and the process goes more smoothly when he or she understands what is going on. The E-meter is used to help locate an area of concern.

Scientologists have claimed benefits from auditing such as improved I.Q., improved ability to communicate, enhanced memory, alleviated dyslexia and attention deficit problems, and improved relaxation; however, no scientific studies have verified these claims. The Church of Scientology now publishes disclaimers in its books and publications declaring that the E-meter is used specifically for spiritual purposes.[10]

Thetan

The concept of the Thetan grew out of L. Ron Hubbard's observation of the results of Dianetics practice. Participation in Dianetics resolved the mental anguish of practitioners in the present, but also allegedly uncovered anguish from preceding lives. Hubbard postulated the existence of an eternal element, separate from the mind and body of the human being. Wary of the connotative baggage associated with the word "soul" he called this element the "thetan" (adapted from the Greek letter "theta"). The Church of Scientology affirms that each individual is at the most basic level a thetan, possessing a mind and body. Thetans are believed to have existed since the beginning of time, formed at the moment of creation. These spiritual essences were entangled with matter, energy, space, and time (MEST) to produce beings that are both spiritual and physical. The bulk of Scientology focuses on the "rehabilitation" of the thetan.

The progression of the individual in the Church of Scientology is measured against a church document entitled "The Bridge to Total Freedom."[11] This includes levels from preclear through to "Operating Thetan" or OT. The Operating Thetan in Scientology is one who through dedication and practice in the church has relieved his or herself of the aberrations in the reactive mind gained in this life and others, and begun to operate independently of the reactive mind.

As one progresses along the Bridge to Total Freedom, one delves deeper into the teachings of Scientology, and accordingly the information revealed at these levels is kept under stricter confidence. Though very little information about these teachings are published for the public at large through official channels, it is believed that those initiated into higher OT levels learn of the arrival of Thetans on Earth and an epic history of the universe, described by L. Ron Hubbard as a "space opera." Though official church literature makes frequent allusions to extraterrestrial life–often with reference to the lives of thetans and alien civilizations on other planets outside our solar system—Scientologists do not officially confirm or deny the existence of an elaborate "space opera" history told only in the highest echelons of the church hierarchy. These histories have been put forth by non-Scientologists as a secret belief system of the Church of Scientology, picked from a variety of sources, including court testimony of ex-Scientologists and the more esoteric writings of L. Ron Hubbard. Regardless of their authenticity, the space opera doctrines of Scientology do not have any immediate impact on the day to day activities of lay Scientologists.

Hubbard claimed a good deal of physical disease was psychosomatic, and one who, like himself, had attained the enlightened state of "clear" and became an "Operating Thetan" would be relatively disease free. Hubbard insisted humanity was imperiled by forces, which were the results of negative memories (or "engrams") stored in the unconscious or "reactive" mind, some carried by the immortal thetans for billions of years. Hubbard claimed the only possibility for spiritual salvation was a concerted effort to "clear the planet," that is, to bring the benefits of Scientology to all people everywhere, and attack all forces, social and spiritual, hostile to the interests of the movement.

The Eight Dynamics and the ARC Triangle

According to Scientology, the concept of the Eight Dynamics is a graduated way of understanding the universe and one's relation to it. These dynamics are the basis for the cosmology of the Church of Scientology. A set of concentric circles radiating outward from the Self (the first dynamic) to the Infinite (the eighth dynamic), perhaps identified with a supreme being. The complete list of dynamics is as follows:

  1. the Self
  2. the Family
  3. the Group (including community, state, etc.)
  4. the Species
  5. the Life Form (life in all its varieties)
  6. the Physical Universe (MEST)
  7. the Spirits (the Thetan)
  8. the Infinite (the deity or ground of being) (Scientology: Theology and Practice of a Contemporary Religion, 1998)

Another basic tenet of Scientology is the three interrelated components that lead to perfect understanding: affinity (emotional responses), reality (an agreement on what is real), and communication (the exchange of ideas). Hubbard called this the "ARC Triangle," and the triangle is one of the many symbols adopted by the Church of Scientology. Communication is recognized as the paramount amongst the three points of the ARC Triangle, though all three points must be practiced across the Eight Dynamics.

Scientology and Society

Scientology Organizations

A Church of Scientology was first incorporated in Camden, New Jersey as a non-profit organization in 1953. Ceremony in the Church of Scientology serves to foster a sense of community and mark important events in the lives of adherents. Important ceremonies are the naming ceremony for newborn children, weddings, and funerary services. These ceremonies include readings from the works of Hubbard, and in their liturgical formulae make much reference to Scientologist principles such as the ARC Triangle and centrality of the thetan in the thetan-mind-body construction. L. Ron Hubbard's teachings evolved into a complex worldwide network of corporations dedicated to the promotion of Scientology in all areas of life. Such corporations include:

  • Drug treatment centers (Narconon)[12]
  • Criminal rehab programs (Criminon)[13]
  • Activities to reform the field of mental health (Citizens Commission on Human Rights)
  • Projects to implement Hubbard's educational methods in schools (Applied Scholastics)[14]
  • A "moral values" campaign (The Way to Happiness)[15]
  • World Institute of Scientology Enterprises, or WISE, which licenses Hubbard's management techniques for use in businesses[16]
  • A campaign directed to world leaders, as well as the general public, to implement the 1948 United Nations document "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights" (with particular emphasis on the religious freedom elements).

Independent Scientology Groups

Although "Scientology" is most often used as shorthand for the Church of Scientology, a number of groups practice Scientology and Dianetics outside of the official church. Such groups are invariably breakaways from the original movement, and usually argue that it has corrupted L. Ron Hubbard's principles or become overly domineering. The church takes an extremely hard line on breakaway groups, labeling them "apostates" (or "squirrels" in Scientology jargon), and often subjecting them to considerable legal and social pressure. Breakaway groups avoid the name "Scientology" so as to keep from infringing that copyright, instead referring to themselves collectively as the "Free Zone."

Scientology and the Media

Since its inception, the Church of Scientology has made use of mass media to spread its message. Originally this was done through printed materials, primarily books, but eventually a collection of periodicals was brought into circulation, such as Freedom Mag[17] Videos were also made available to those interested. As the Internet became more popular and accessible, the Church of Scientology expanded its presence there, maintaining over a dozen different domains by 2006.

From its beginnings, the Church of Scientology has been associated (both officially and in the popular consciousness) with celebrities, especially in the fields of film and music. High profile members of the faith have brought much attention to the church. The church recognizes the potential for growth due to its celebrity members, and maintains an elaborate "Celebrity Center" in Los Angeles, California, in addition to its many other church buildings throughout the world.

Official Status as a Religion

The church pursues an extensive public relations campaign supporting Scientology as a bona fide religion. The organization cites numerous scholarly sources supporting its position, many of which can be found on a website the church has established for this purpose.[18] This public relations campaign was in response to the charge made by critics that Scientology incorporated as a church to avoid litigation of practicing medicine without proper accreditation and for tax exempt status.

The church is recognized in some countries that uphold religious freedom as an official religion under the law, including the United States, Australia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Spain. Other nations, which have state churches, including Belgium, Germany, France, and Austria, do not recognize the Church of Scientology as an official religion. An intermediate approach is taken in some countries, such as Canada, where Scientology is recognized as a non-profit charity organization. Despite the lack of legal recognition in some countries, the Church of Scientology is present in 175 countries worldwide, including nations where it is not recognized as a bona fide religious tradition.

Scientology and Psychiatry

Scientologists regularly hold anti-psychiatry demonstrations they call "Psychbusts"

Scientology is publicly and vehemently opposed to psychiatry and psychology. This theme appears in some of Hubbard's literary works. In Hubbard's satiric Mission Earth series, various characters praise and criticize these methods, and the antagonists in his novel Battlefield Earth are called Psychlos. According to its website, the Church of Scientology adopts the following view on Psychiatry:

The Scientology objection to psychiatry does not stem from any desire to deny the insane treatment. Rather, the Church objects to the mistreatment of the insane, which is psychiatry’s historical hallmark. ... Through its long and tragic history psychiatry has invented numerous “cures” which eventually proved destructive in the extreme. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, mentally troubled patients were literally subjected to torture devices. Next it was ice baths and insulin shock. Then electroconvulsive therapy that caused broken teeth and bones as well as loss of memory and regression into comatose states. Next, it was prefrontal lobotomies with an ice pick through the eye socket. Today it is drugs.[19]

L. Ron Hubbard was bitterly critical of psychiatry's citation of physical causes for mental disorders, such as chemical imbalances in the brain. He regarded psychiatrists as denying human spirituality and peddling fake cures. He was also convinced psychiatrists were themselves deeply unethical individuals, committing "extortion, mayhem and murder. Our files are full of evidence on them."[20] The church claims that psychiatry was responsible for World War I[21], the rise of Hitler and Stalin [22], and even the September 11 attacks.[23] Scientology's opposition to psychiatry has also undoubtedly been influenced by the fact that a number of psychiatrists have strongly spoken out against the church, resulting in pressure from the media and governments. Additionally, after Hubbard's book on Dianetics was published, in which he tried to present a new form of "psychotherapy," the American Psychological Association advised its members against using Hubbard's techniques with their patients until its effectiveness could be proven.

Scientology and Other Religions

Scientology teaches that it is fully compatible with all existing major religions, often being described by followers as a system of religious technology. The Church of Scientology has publicly stated:

Scientology respects all religions. It shares with other religions the dreams of peace and salvation.[24]

Yet, Scientology claims to have as its most valuable asset "an actual technology for achieving greater spiritual awareness," and "Scientology offers certainty of salvation now" while making it "possible for any religion to attain its goals and is therefore a religion of religions."[25]

Controversy

Both Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard's life are embroiled in controversy. Hubbard has been interpreted as both a "Friend of Mankind" and a con-artist. These sharply contrasting views have been a source of hostility between Hubbard's supporters and critics.

Some documents written by Hubbard himself suggest he regarded Scientology as a business, not a religion. A Reader's Digest article in May 1980 quoted Hubbard as saying in the 1940s, "Writing for a penny a word is ridiculous. If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion."[26]

Scientology became a focus of controversy across the English-speaking world during the mid-1960s. In 1967, L. Ron Hubbard distanced himself from the controversy attached to Scientology by resigning as executive director of the church and appointing himself "Commodore" of a small fleet of Scientologist-crewed ships that spent the next eight years cruising the Mediterranean Sea. Here, Hubbard formed the religious order known as the "Sea Organization," or "Sea Org," with titles and uniforms. The Sea Org subsequently became the management group within Hubbard's Scientology empire. He returned to the United States in the mid-1970s and lived for a while in Florida.

In 1977, Scientology offices on both coasts of the United States were raided by FBI agents seeking evidence of Operation Snow White, a church-run espionage network. Hubbard's wife Mary Sue and a dozen other senior Scientology officials were convicted in 1979 of conspiracy against the United States federal government, while Hubbard himself was named by federal prosecutors as an "unindicted co-conspirator." Facing intense media interest and many subpoenas, he secretly retired to a ranch in tiny Creston, California, north of San Luis Obispo.

Aside from his literary achievements, the Church of Scientology has lauded L. Ron Hubbard in a variety of other fields.[27] His abilities in music appreciation, performance, and composition are praised by the church, as well as his time spent as an "adventurer" traveling and sailing. His humanitarian efforts in drug rehabilitation and literacy are also commended by the church. However, many critics of the Church of Scientology have suggested that Hubbard's achievements are overstated and cannot be proven.[2]

Notes

  1. ↑ L. Ron Hubbard: A Profile Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Russell Miller, Bare-faced Messiah, The True Story of L. Ron Hubbard (Henry Holt & Co., 1987, ISBN 0805006540).
  3. ↑ Scientology: Science or New Age Cult? Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  4. ↑ American Psychological Association, APA response to Dianetics Council Policy Manual Chapter XI: Scientific Affairs. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  5. ↑ Bridge Publications Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  6. ↑ About New Era Publications Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  7. ↑ Mike McIntyre, Financial Scam: L. Ron Hubbard `HOT-AUTHOR' Status Exposed As Illusion San Diego Union, April 15, 1990. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  8. ↑ The Scientology Axioms Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  9. ↑ Church of Scientology International, Scientology: Theology & Practice of a Contemporary Religion (Bridge Publications, 1998, ISBN 978-1573181457), 98.
  10. ↑ What is the E-meter and How Does it Work? Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  11. ↑ "The Bridge to Total Freedom" Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  12. ↑ Narconon Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  13. ↑ Criminon International Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  14. ↑ Applied Scholastics Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  15. ↑ The Way to Happiness Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  16. ↑ WISE Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  17. ↑ Freedom Mag Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  18. ↑ A Comprehensive Overview of the Background, Theology and Religious Practice of The Scientology Religion Retrieved May 25, 2019
  19. ↑ Why is Scientology Opposed to Psychiatric Abuses? Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  20. ↑ Crime and Psychiatry Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  21. ↑ Criminals and Psychiatry Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  22. ↑ Psychiatrists: The Men Behind Hitler Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  23. ↑ Thomas G. Whittle & Linda Amato, Behind the Terror Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  24. ↑ What is the Scientology View Regarding Other Religions? Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  25. ↑ In What Way Does Scientology Differ from other Religions? Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  26. ↑ Eugene H. Methvin, Scientology: Anatomy of a Frightening Cult Reader's Digest, May 1980. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  27. ↑ L. Ron Hubbard Retrieved May 25, 2019.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

External links

All links retrieved January 25, 2023.

Church of Scientology-owned sites

Other

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.

Retrieved from https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Scientology&oldid=1097846

Content is available under Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details.
Copyright Logo
Powered by MediaWiki