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The Church of Scientology is the largest organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. Church of Scientology International is the mother church of the Scientology religion, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and propagation of Scientology. Every Church of Scientology is separately incorporated and has its own local board of directors and executives responsible for its own activities and well-being, both corporate and ecclesiastical. The church has been the subject of much controversy.

History

The first Scientology church was established in December 1953 in Camden, New Jersey by American Science Fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, his wife Mary Sue Hubbard, John Galusha and a few other early Dianeticists, although the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International (HASI) had been operating already since 1952 and Hubbard had been selling Scientology books and other items. Soon after, he explained the religious nature of Scientology in a bulletin to all Scientologists, stressing its relation to the Dharma.

Hubbard's stated the "Aims of Scientology" to be "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."

Hubbard had official control of the organization only until 1966 when this function was transferred to a group of executives. Though Hubbard maintained no formal relationship to Scientology's management he remained firmly in control of the organization and its affiliated organizations.

In May 1987 David Miscavige, one of Hubbard’s former personal assistants, assumed the position of Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center (RTC), a non-profit corporation that administers the trademarked names and symbols of Dianetics and Scientology. Although RTC is a separate corporation from the Church of Scientology International, whose president and chief spokesperson is Heber Jentzsch, Miscavige is the effective leader of the movement.

Controversy

Though it has attained some credibility as a religion, the church has also been described as both a cult and a commercial enterprise. Some of the Church's actions also brought scrutiny from the press and law enforcement. For example, it has been noted to engage in harassment and abuse of civil courts to silence its critics.

Illegal activities

Under the Guardian's Office (now renamed the Office of Special Affairs or OSA), Church members organized and committed the largest penetration of federal agencies by an organization not affiliated with a foreign government, such as the KGB. In the trial which followed discovery of these activities the prosecution described their actions thusly:

The crime committed by these defendants is of a breadth and scope previously unheard of. No building, office, desk, or file was safe from their snooping and prying. No individual or organization was free from their despicable conspiratorial minds. The tools of their trade were miniature transmitters, lock picks, secret codes, forged credentials and any other device they found necessary to carry out their conspiratorial schemes.

Paulette Cooper was the target of a separate secret action, chosen because she authored The Scandal of Scientology, a 1970 exposé book about the Church and its founder. Using blank paper known to have been handled by Cooper, Scientologists forged bomb threats in her name. When fingerprints on them matched hers, the Justice Department began prosecution, which could have sent Cooper to prison for a lengthy term. The Church's plan was discovered at the same time as its Operation Snow White actions were revealed. All charges against Cooper were dismissed, though she had spent more than $20,000 on legal fees for her defense.

Member's health and safety

The death of some Scientologists has brought attention to the Church both due to the circumstances of their demise and relationship with Scientology possibly being a factor. In 1995, Lisa McPherson was involved in a minor automobile accident while driving on a Clearwater, Florida street. Following the collision, she exited her vehicle, stripped naked and showed further signs of mental instability for which the state of Florida wanted to evaluate possible treatment of. Representatives from the Church acting as her guardian had her removed from the state's facility against advice. They returned McPherson for what the Church calls an Introspection Rundown, which they believed would treat her symptoms. When she later died questions about whether she should have been released to the Church and its methods of treatment spurred Florida to pursue criminal charges against the Church which also gained press coverage and sparked lawsuits. Eight years later, Elli Perkins, another adherent to Scientology's beliefs regarding psychiatry was stabbed to death by her mentally disturbed son. Though he had begun to show symptoms of schizophrenia as early as 2001, the Perkins family chose not to seek psychiatric help and opted instead for remedies sanctioned by Scientology.

Churches, missions and major Scientology centers

Scientology organizations and missions exist in many communities around the world. Scientologists call their larger centers orgs, short for "organizations." The major Scientology organization of a region is known as a central org. The legal address of the Church of Scientology International is in Los Angeles, California, 6331 Hollywood Blvd, in the Hollywood Guaranty Building. The Church of Scientology also has several major headquarters, including:

Saint Hill, Sussex, England

L. Ron Hubbard moved to England shortly after founding Scientology, where he oversaw the worldwide development of Scientology from an office in London for most of the 1950s. In 1959, he bought Saint Hill Manor near the Sussex town of East Grinstead, a Georgian manor house formerly owned by the Maharajah of Jaipur. This became the worldwide headquarters of Scientology through the 1960s and 1970s. Hubbard declared Saint Hill to be the organization by which all other organizations would be measured, and he issued a general order (still followed today) for all organizations around the world to expand and reach "Saint Hill size". The Church of Scientology has announced that the next two levels of Scientology teaching, OT 9 and OT 10, will be released and made available to church members when all the major orgs in the world have reached Saint Hill size.

Flag Land Base, Fort Harrison Hotel, Clearwater, Florida

The "worldwide spiritual headquarters" of the Church of Scientology is known as "Flag Land Base," located in Clearwater, Florida. It was founded in the late 1970s when an anonymous Scientology-founded group called "Southern Land Development and Leasing Corp" purchased the Fort Harrison Hotel for $2.3 million. Because the reported tenant was the "United Churches of Florida" the citizens and City Council of Clearwater did not realize that the building's owners were actually the Church of Scientology until after the building's purchase. Clearwater citizens' groups, headed by Mayor Gabriel Cazares, rallied strongly against Scientology establishing a base in the city (repeatedly referring to the organization as a cult), but Flag Base was established nonetheless.

In the years since its foundation, Flag Base has expanded as the Church of Scientology has gradually purchased large amounts of additional property in the downtown and waterfront Clearwater area. Scientology's relationship with the city government has repeatedly moved between friendly and hostile, but the organization has worked with the city in attempts to establish better relations. At the same time, it opposed the local St. Petersburg Times and protested actions of the Clearwater police department. Scientology's largest project in Clearwater has been the construction of a high-rise complex called the "Super Power Building," an enormous structure whose highest point, when completed, will be a Scientology cross that will tower over the city.

PAC Base, Hollywood, California

Los Angeles, California has the largest concentration of Scientologists and Scientology-related enterprises in the world. Scientology has established a highly visible presence in the Hollywood district of the city. The organization owns a large complex on Fountain Avenue which was formerly Cedars of Lebanon hospital. It contains Scientology's West Coast headquarters, "Pacific Area Command Base," often referred to as "PAC Base". Adjacent buildings include headquarters of many of Scientology's internal divisions, including the American Saint Hill Organization; the Advanced Organization of Los Angeles; Los Angeles Organization, founded February 18, 1954; and the offices of Bridge Publications, Scientology's publishing arm for the Americas. The Church of Scientology successfully campaigned to have the city of Los Angeles rename one block of a street running through this complex "L. Ron Hubbard Way." The street has been paved in brick.

Also in Hollywood is Scientology's main Celebrity Centre, which caters to arts professionals. On Hollywood Boulevard a multi-story building houses the executive offices of the Church of Scientology International and an open-to-the-public exhibition devoted to the life of L. Ron Hubbard. Also in the area are the headquarters of Author Services, Inc. (Hubbard's Literary agency), the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE), which administers social programs based on Hubbard's writings, (including Narconon and Applied Scholastics), the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE), which promotes Hubbard's business management techniques and facilitates a network of Scientology-related businesses, and the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a Scientology-affiliated group that focuses on alleged abuses of psychiatry, and includes a "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" museum.

Today, the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles is one of the largest Scientology facilities of its kind in the world. Executives-in-training from every international Scientology organization now apprentice at the LA church before assuming their executive positions.

Gold Base, Gilman Hot Springs, California

Another headquarters for Scientology is Gold Base, located near Hemet, California, about 80 miles (130 km) southeast of Los Angeles. It is also known as "INT Base." The facility is owned by Golden Era Productions and is the home of Scientology's media production studio, Golden Era Studios

According to many accounts by journalists and former scientologists, Gold Base is the central headquarters for the entire network of Scientology-related enterprises. Gold Base reportedly contains the headquarters of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), which owns the trademarks and copyrights connected with Scientology and Dianetics.

The existence of Gold Base is not broadly publicized as is the case of the other headquarters mentioned here: the RTC lists a Los Angeles address on their publications and web site. The existence of Gold Base was kept secret, even within Scientology, in the pre-Internet era. The facilities at Gold Base are surrounded by razor wire, floodlights and video observation cameras.

Trementina Base

The Church of Scientology maintains a large base on the outskirts of Trementina, New Mexico for the purpose of storing their archiving project: engraving Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's writings on stainless steel tablets and encasing them in titanium capsules underground. An aerial photograph showing the base's enormous Church of Spiritual Technology symbols on the ground caused media interest and a local TV station broke the story in November 2005. According to a Washington Post report, the organization unsuccessfully attempted to coerce the station not to air the story.

Flag ship, Freewinds

The cruise ship Freewinds is the only place the current highest level of Scientology training (OT VIII) is offered. It cruises the Caribbean Sea, under the auspices of the Flag Ship Service Organization. The Freewinds is also used for other courses and auditing for those willing to spend extra money to get services on the ship.

Plant City, Florida

Located in "The Winter Strawberry Capital of the World", this church opened in 2007.

Harlem, New York

In 2007 the church purchased the former site of the Saint Samuel Church of God in Harlem, New York for $10,200,000.

Other locations

Smaller Scientology centers can be found worldwide, some examples are included below:

• Church of Scientology in Hollywood
• Scientology Centre on Tottenham Court Road in London as it looked in 2004
• Church of Scientology of Hamburg
• Church of Scientology of Toronto

Sea Org

The Sea Organization (often shortened to "Sea Org") was founded in 1967 by L. Ron Hubbard, as he embarked on a series of voyages around the Mediterranean Sea in a small fleet of Scientology-crewed cruise ships. Hubbard—formerly a lieutenant junior grade in the US Navy—bestowed the rank of "Commodore" of the vessels upon himself. The crew who accompanied him on these voyages became the foundation of the Sea Org.

"Orgs", such as "Los Angeles Org", are semi-autonomous organizations which staff themselves as they see fit. The Sea Org is a more dedicated, more elite group within Scientology which exclusively staffs the higher Orgs. The Advanced Organization of Los Angeles, for example, is staffed by Sea Org members. While every Org enforces rules and administers disciplinary procedures within its own portion of the larger organization which is the CoS, Sea Org members hold the highest jobs. The Sea Org is frequently characterized as the "elite" of Scientology, both in terms of power within the organization and dedication to the cause. Scientologists seeking to advance within the organization are encouraged to join the Sea Org, which involves devoting their full time to Scientology projects in exchange for meals, berthing and a nominal honorarium. Members sign a contract pledging their loyalty to Scientology for "the next billion years," committing their future lifetimes to the Sea Org. The Sea Org's motto is "Revenimus" (or "We Come Back").

Disciplinary procedures and policies within the Sea Org have been a focus of critics who argue that Scientology is an abusive cult. During the original Sea Org's Mediterranean tour, Hubbard applied a variety of physical punishments, including the practice of "overboarding," or throwing offenders over the side of the ship. Former Sea Org members have stated that punishments in the late 1960's and early 1970's included confinement in hazardous conditions such as the ship's chain locker. The Rehabilitation Project Force or RPF was established in 1974 to provide a "second chance" to Sea Org members whose offensive against the Church were such that they would otherwise have been fired. In laymen’s terms, they could be said to be experiencing burnout, or to have severely violated the rules of the Sea Organization. RPF members are paired up and help one another for five hours each day with spiritual counseling to resolve the issues for which they were assigned to the program. The also spend 8 per day doing physical labor that will benefit the Church facility where they are located. On verification of their having completed the program they are then given a Sea Org job again.

Volunteer Ministers

The Church of Scientology began its "Volunteer Ministers" program as a way to participate in community outreach projects. Over the past several years, it has become a common practice for Volunteer Ministers to travel to the scenes of major disasters in order to provide assistance with relief efforts. According to critics, these relief efforts consist of passing out copies of a pamphlet authored by L. Ron Hubbard entitled The Way to Happiness, and engaging in a method said to calm panicked or injured individuals known in Scientology as a "touch assist." Over the past few years Volunteer Ministers have provided help in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia after the 2004 tsunamis, in Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake, throughout the Gulf Coast, Florida and the Caribbean after during the 2005 hurricane season (including over 900 VMs who traveled to Louisiana and Mississippi to help with the Hurricane Katrina and Rita relief effort). Volunteer Minister teams also helped after the 2006 Yogyakarta Earthquake, Typhoon Durian in the Philippines, bush fires in Australia and South Africa, the 2007 Solomon Islands tsunami, and Indonesia floods.

Religious Technology Center (RTC)

Around 1982 all of the Hubbard's intellectual property was transferred to a newly formed entity called the Church of Spiritual Technology (CST) and then licensed to the Religious Technology Center (RTC) which, according to its own publicity, exists to safeguard and control the use of the Church of Scientology's copyrights and trademarks.

The RTC employs lawyers and has pursued individuals and groups who have legally attacked Scientology or who are deemed to be a legal threat to Scientology. This has included breakaway Scientologists who practice Scientology outside the central church and critics, as well as numerous government and media organizations. This has helped to maintain Scientology's reputation for litigiousness (see Scientology and the legal system).

Missionary activities

Members of the public entering a Scientology center or mission are offered a "free personality test" called the Oxford Capacity Analysis by Scientology literature. The test, despite its name and the claims of Scientology literature, has no connection to Oxford University or any other research body. Scientific research into three test results came to the conclusion that "we are forced to a position of skepticism about the test's status as a reliable psychometric device" and called its "scientific value," "negligible".

Further proselytization practices - commonly called "dissemination" of Scientology - include information booths, fliers and advertisement for free seminars, Sunday Services in regular newspapers and magazines, personal contacts and sales of books

Legal waivers

Recent legal actions involving Scientology's relationship with its members (see Scientology controversy) have caused the organization to publish extensive legal documents that cover the rights granted to followers. It has become standard practice within the organization for members to sign lengthy legal contracts and waivers before engaging in Scientology services, a practice that contrasts greatly with almost every mainstream religious organization. In 2003, a series of media reports examined the legal contracts required by Scientology, which state, among other things, that followers deny any psychiatric care their doctors may prescribe to them.

I do not believe in or subscribe to psychiatric labels for individuals. It is my strongly held religious belief that all mental problems are spiritual in nature and that there is no such thing as a mentally incompetent person — only those suffering from spiritual upset of one kind or another dramatized by an individual. I reject all psychiatric labels and intend for this Contract to clearly memorialize my desire to be helped exclusively through religious, spiritual means and not through any form of psychiatric treatment, specifically including involuntary commitment based on so-called lack of competence. Under no circumstances, at any time, do I wish to be denied my right to care from members of my religion to the exclusion of psychiatric care or psychiatric directed care, regardless of what any psychiatrist, medical person, designated member of the state or family member may assert supposedly on my behalf.

Government opinion of Scientology

SCIENTOLOGY IS A LIE

Finances

SCIENTOLOGY IS A LIE

Membership statistics

SCIENTOLOGY IS A LIE

Scientology splinter groups

The Church denies the legitimacy of any splinter groups and factions outside the official organization, and has actively sought out these "rogue" Scientologists and tried to prevent them from using officially trademarked Scientology materials. These independent Scientologists are known as squirrels within the Church, and are classified as suppressive persons ("SPs") — opponents or enemies of Scientology. Many groups refer to themselves under the umbrella term of "Free Zone".

Church or Business

From 1952 until 1966, the Scientology was administered by an organization called the Hubbard Association of Scientologists (HAS), established in Arizona on 10 September 1952. In 1954, the HAS became the HASI (HAS International). The first Church of Scientology was incorporated on 18 December, 1953 in Camden, New Jersey. This, along with two other groups incorporated by Hubbard at the same time—the Church of American Science and the Church of Spiritual Engineering—were soon abandoned by Hubbard. The Church of Scientology was incorporated on 18 February 1954 in California, changing its name to "The Church of Scientology of California" (CSC) in 1956. In 1966, Hubbard transferred all HASI assets to CSC, thus gathering Scientology under one tax-exempt roof. In 1967, the IRS stripped all US-based Scientology entities of their tax exemption, declaring Scientology's activities were commercial and operated for the benefit of Hubbard. The church sued and lost repeatedly for 26 years trying to regain its tax-exempt status. The case was eventually settled in 1993, after the church paid over $12 million to the IRS and the IRS once again recognized the church as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, and the church paid $12.5 million, a fraction what the IRS had been claiming to cover more than 30 years of church operation including interest. In addition, Scientology also dropped more than fifty lawsuits against the IRS when this settlement was reached. Scientology cites its tax exemption as proof the United States government accepts it as a religion. Additionally, the U.S. State Department has taken a vocal stand on its religious status by its criticism of Western European nations and others for discrimination against Scientologists in its published annual International Religious Freedom report, based on the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

In other countries, though, Scientology is not acknowledged as a bona fide religion or charitable organization, but is regarded as a commercial enterprise. In early 2003, in Germany, The Church of Scientology was granted a tax-exemption for 10% license fees sent to the US. This exemption, however, is related to a German-American double-taxation agreement, and is unrelated to tax-exemption in the context of charities law. In several countries, public proselytizing undergoes the same restrictions as commercial advertising, which is interpreted as persecution by Scientology.

In Israel, Scientology does not use "Church" as part of its name, possibly because of the Christian connotation of the term in Jewish culture.

Like many other cults and unlike many well-established religious organizations, Scientology maintains strict control over its names, symbols, religious works and other writings. The word Scientology (and many related terms, including L. Ron Hubbard) is a registered trademark. Religious Technology Center, the owner of the trademarks and copyrights, takes a hard line on people and groups who attempt to use it in organizations unaffiliated with the official Church (see Scientology and the legal system).

Affiliated organizations

SCIENTOLOGY IS A LIE

See also

• List of groups referred to as cults
• List of religious organizations
• List of Scientologists
• Scientology beliefs and practices
• Scientology controversy
• Timeline of Scientology
• Scientology In Australia

References

1. The Church of Scientology (Studies in Contemporary Religions, 1) By J. Gordon Melton Publisher: Signature Books in cooperation with CESNUR published September 2000 ISBN 1560851392 "Since 1981, all of the churches and organizations of the church have been brought together under the Church of Scientology International. CSI provides a visible point of unity and guides the individual churches, especially in the area of applying Hubbard's teaching and technology in a uniform fashion."
2. "At the top of the ecclesiastical structure is the Church of Scientology International (CSI), the mother church for all Scientology. Located in Los Angeles, CSI provides overall direction, planning and guidance for the network of churches, missions, field auditors and volunteer ministers which comprise the Scientology hierarchy it spans, and ensures these various organizations are all working effectively together." What is Scientology? Published 1998 Bridge Publications ISBN 1573181226 http://www.whatisscientology.org
3. description of the Scientology ecclesiastical structure on www.rtc.org
4. The Church of Scientology (Studies in Contemporary Religions, 1) By J. Gordon Melton Publisher: Signature Books in cooperation with CESNUR published September 2000 ISBN 1560851392 "The various missions, churches, and organizations, all autonomous corporations which fellowship with the larger movement, receive licenses to use the church's trademarks, service marks, and copyrights of Hubbard's published and unpublished works from RTC."
5. "Each church corporation is organized on a nonprofit basis with its own board of directors and executives responsible for its activities. What is Scientology? Published 1998 Bridge Publications ISBN 1573181226 http://www.whatisscientology.org
6. description of the individual Scientology churches on www.rtc.org
7. Atack, Jon (1990). A Piece of Blue Sky. New York, NY: Carol Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8184-0499-X. {{cite book}}: External link in |title= (help)
8. Hubbard, L. Ron. "Pulpateer". Church of Scientology International. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
9. 'Church of American Science' (incorporation papers); 'Church of Scientology' (incorporation papers); 'Church of Spiritual Engineering', (incorporation papers); 18 December, 1953
10. Scientology Chronicle 1952-1955
11. Remember Venus?, Time, 22 December, 1952
12. Hubbard, L. Ron (1954) Why Doctor of Divinity? Professional Auditor's Bulletin no. 32, 7 August 1954
13. "Aims of Scientology by L. Ron Hubbard" at official site
14. Official "Scientology's Founder" FAQ
15. Marshall, John (1980-01-24). "Hubbard still gave orders, records show". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2006-09-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) (archived at rickross.com)
16. Weird, Sure. A Cult, No. Washington Post By Mark Oppenheimer, August 5, 2007
17. The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power TIME magazine, May. 06, 1991 By RICHARD BEHAR. The investigation paints a picture of a depraved yet thriving enterprise.
18. Leiby, Richard (1994-12-25). "Scientology Fiction: The Church's War Against Its Critics — and Truth". The Washington Post. p. C1. Retrieved 2006-06-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
19. Goodin, Dan (1999-06-03). "Scientology subpoenas Worldnet". CNET News.com. Retrieved 2006-05-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
20. ^ Burglaries and Lies Paved a Path to Prison The LA Times, By Robert W. Welkos and Joel Sappell, June 24, 1990
21. The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power TIME magazine, May. 06, 1991 By RICHARD BEHAR. By all appearances, Noah Lottick of Kingston, Pa., had been a normal, happy 24-year-old who was looking for his place in the world... his fingers were still clutching $171 in cash, virtually the only money he hadn't yet turned over to the Church of Scientology, the self-help "philosophy" group he had discovered just seven months earlier.
22. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E7D81231F937A25752C1A96E958260 Florida Charges Scientology In Church Member's Death] The New York Times, By DOUGLAS FRANTZ Published: November 14, 1998
23. Scientology Missions International Homepage
24. CoS/Clearwater timeline, 1975-78
25. Charles L. Stafford (1980-01-09). "Scientology: An in-depth profile of a new force in Clearwater" (PDF, 905K). St. Petersburg Times. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Original (18M)
26. Jesse Prince Affidavit at Operation Clambake
27. 1994 article on N Mexico vault
28. A Place in the Desert for New Mexico's Most Exclusive Circles, By Richard Leiby Washington Post Staff Writer Date: Sunday, November 27, 2005
29. St. Petersburg Times, Southpinellas: Scientology superstar draws crowds at opening
30. The New York Observer, 6 August 2007
31. Wakefield, Margery. Understanding Scientology, Chapter 9. Reproduced at David S. Touretzky's Carnegie Mellon site.
32. The Church of Scientology’s Rehabilitation Project Force A Study by Juha Pentikäinen (Chair of the Department of the Study of Religions, University of Helsinki, Finland), Jurgen F.K. Redhardt, and Michael York (Bath Spa University College)
33. Scientology Media Information - Church of Scientology International
34. The Foster Report. Chapter 5, "The Practices of Scientology;" section (a), "Recruitment;" pages 75-76. "... a systematic approach to answering the questions should yield systematic variations in the conclusions derived from an analysis of the test scores ... these two methods [for answering the questions of the test] would be expected to produce different, if not complementary, profiles ... These variations in answering the questions did not seem to affect the Oxford Capacity Analysis as the three methods produced remarkably similar profiles ... when each of two diametrically opposed methods of response produces the same extreme deviant scores as the other and as a third "random" response style, we are forced to a position of scepticism about the test's status as a reliable psychometric device."
35. Dissemination Division in Churches of Scientology
36. Dissemination by Churches of Scientology through "Field Staff Members", "Field Staff Member: a Scientology parishioner who introduces others to Scientology through personal contact."]
37. Official Scientology FAQ: "There are thousands of Scientologists who work full time in churches and missions throughout the world as executives or administrative staff. There are also those who further the dissemination of Scientology on a one-to-one basis or through the dissemination of Scientology materials and books, those who hold jobs in the Church’s social reform groups and those who work in the Office of Special Affairs involved in community betterment or legal work. All of these provide rewarding careers as each forwards the expansion of Scientology and thereby makes it possible for more and more people to benefit from its technology."
38. "A Short Study of the Scientology Religion," by J. Gordon Melton: " The Church regularly propagates its beliefs through the traditional channels of liturgy, dissemination of its religious publications and in its community programs."
39. Reproduced version of Introspection Rundown Release Contract
40. " The Wall Street Journal. December 30 1997. Reproduced at Dave Touretzky's Carnegie Mellon site
41. "Official Recognition of Scientology as a Religion". "... the United States Internal Revenue Service in granting full religious recognition and tax exemption to all Churches of Scientology located in the United States ..."
42. 2001 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom
43. 2001 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom
44. 2002 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom
45. 2003 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom
46. 2004 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom
47. 2005 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom
48. 2006 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom

External links

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Church of Scientology

• "Welcome to Scientology". Church of Scientology official home page. Church of Scientology.
• "What is Scientology ?". Common questions answered about Scientology and its activities. Church of Scientology.
• "The ecclesiastical hierarchy". The ecclesiastical hierarchy of the religion. Church of Scientology.
• "Scientology Volunteer Ministers". News and activities of the Volunteer Ministers. Church of Scientology.
• "The Church of Scientology Master Index Page". Master Index Page. Church of Scientology.
• Scientology is News ; "Scientology Today". News about the Church of Scientology and Photographs ; media information on the Scientology religion. Church of Scientology.
• Related Scientology ; "ExactScientology.net". Scn. Web directories of links to information on the religion, its technology, people, and community projects, etc.. Church of Scientology.
• Theology & Practice of a Contemporary Religion. Church of Scientology.

Favorable sites

• "Beliefnet: Scientology". Description of Scientology. Beliefnet. Retrieved 2006-10-14.
• J. Gordon Melton. "Extract from the book "The Church of Scientology"". The Organization of Scientology; The Structure of the Church. ISAR: Institute for the Study of American Religion.
• Irving Hexham. "The religious status of Scientology". Is Scientology a religion?. University of Calgary.
• Juha Pentikainen, Ph.D.; Marja Pentikainen, MSC (Helsinki, Finland). "The Church of Scientology" (Personal site). Articles discussing how Scientology is a religion. Neuereligion.de.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Critical sites

• Operation Clambake, an archive of critical articles on Hubbard and Scientology
• The Secrets of Scientology (this web site is dedicated to exposing the various technical tricks behind Scientology)
• Exposing the Con (Website created by ex-member Arnie Lerma)
• An Introduction to Scientology from a critical perspective
• The Forbidden Side of Scientology (by Murray Luther, unauthorized correspondent for the Church of Scientology)
• Xenu TV (video footage library of various topics related to Scientology)
• BBC Panorama Programme May 2007 - 'Scientology and Me' John Sweeney

Other

• Satellite Image of the Gold Base
• Remote Viewing Timeline
• "Inside Scientology" by Janet Reitman. Rolling Stone, Issue 995. March 9, 2006. Pages 55 - 67.
• Church of American Science, incorporation papers, 18 December, 1953.
• Church of Scientology (New Jersey), incorporation papers, 18 December, 1953.
• Church of Spiritual Engineering, incorporation papers, 18 December, 1953.
• Church of Scientology (LA, California), incorporation papers, 18 February, 1954.
• About the Founding of the Church of Scientology
• '48 Hours' to examine WNY murder case from 2003 - Ellie Perkins news story.

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• Religion and society
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• Scientology organizations