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Church of Scientology

Scientology building in Los Angeles, California
Formation	1954
Headquarters	Church of Scientology International
Location	Riverside County, California
Chairman of Religious Technology Center	David Miscavige
Website	www.scientology.org

The Church of Scientology is the largest organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, 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 first Scientology church was incorporated in December 1953 in Camden, New Jersey by American science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard. The church has been the subject of much controversy. The church's world headquarters are located in the Gold Base, unincorporated Riverside County, California.

History

The first Scientology church was incorporated in December 1953 in Camden, New Jersey by L. Ron Hubbard, his wife Mary Sue Hubbard, and John Galusha, although the Hubbard Association of Scientologists International (HASI) had already been operating 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. The first Church of Scientology opened in 1954 in Los Angeles.

Hubbard stated, "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 until 1966 when this function was transferred to a group of executives. Though Hubbard maintained no formal relationship with 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.

Beliefs

The Church of Scientology promotes Scientology, a body of beliefs and related practices created by L. Ron Hubbard, starting in 1952 as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics.

Scientology teaches that people are immortal spiritual beings who have forgotten their true nature. The story of Xenu is part of Scientologist teachings about extraterrestrial civilizations and alien interventions in Earthly events, collectively described as space opera by Hubbard. Its method of spiritual rehabilitation is a type of counseling known as "auditing", in which practitioners aim to re-experience consciously painful or traumatic events in their past, in order to free themselves of their limiting effects. Study materials and auditing courses are made available to members in return for specified donations. Scientology is legally recognized as a tax-exempt religion in the United States and other countries, and the Church of Scientology emphasizes this as proof that it is a bona fide religion.

Scientology describes itself as the study and handling of the spirit in relationship to itself, others, and all of life. One purpose of Scientology, as stated by the Church of Scientology, is to become certain of one's spiritual existence and one's relationship to God, or the "Supreme Being."

One of the major tenets of Scientology is that a human is an immortal alien spiritual being, termed a thetan, that is presently trapped on planet Earth in a physical "meat body." Hubbard described these thetans in "The Space Opera" cosmogony. The thetan has had innumerable past lives and it is accepted in Scientology that lives preceding the thetan's arrival on Earth lived in extraterrestrial cultures. Descriptions of space opera incidents are seen as true events by Scientologists.

Scientology claims that its practices provide methods by which a person can achieve greater spiritual awareness. Within Scientology, progression from level to level is often called The Bridge to Total Freedom. Scientologists progress from "Preclear", to "Clear", and ultimately "Operating Thetan".

Scientologists are taught that a series of events, or incidents, occurred before life on earth. Scientologists also believe that humans have hidden abilities which can be unlocked.

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Membership statistics

It is difficult to obtain reliable membership statistics. The International Association of Scientologists (IAS), the official Church membership system since 1984, has never released figures. Church spokespersons either give numbers for their countries or a worldwide figure. Some national censuses have recently included questions about religious affiliations, though the United States Census Bureau states that it is not the source for information on religion.

In 2007, the German national magazine Der Spiegel reported about 8 million members worldwide, about 6000 of them in Germany, with only 150-200 members in Berlin. In 1993, a spokesperson of Scientology Frankfurt had mentioned slightly more than 30,000 members nationwide.

The organization has said that it has anywhere from eight million to fifteen million members worldwide. Derek Davis stated in 2004 that the Church organization has around 15 million members worldwide. Religious scholar J. Gordon Melton has said that the church's estimates of its membership numbers are exaggerated.

The "Scientologists Online" website presents "over 16,000 Scientologists On-Line".

Statistics from other sources:

• In 2001, the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) reported that there were 55,000 adults in the United States who consider themselves Scientologists. In 2008, the same survey team estimated there to be 25,000 Americans identifying as Scientologists.
• The 2001 United Kingdom census contained a voluntary question on religion, to which approximately 48,000,000 chose to respond. Of those living in England and Wales who responded, a total of 1,781 said they were Scientologists.
• In 2001, Statistics Canada, the national census agency, reported a total of 1,525 Scientologists nationwide, up from 1,220 in 1991.
• In 2005, the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution estimated a total of 5,000 – 6,000 Scientologists in that country, and mentioned a count of 12,000 according to Scientology Germany.
• In the 2006 New Zealand census, 357 people identified themselves as Scientologists, although a Church spokesperson estimated there were between 5,000 and 6,000 Scientologists in the country. Earlier census figures were 207 in the 1991 census, 219 in 1996, and 282 in 2001.
• In 2006, Australia's national census recorded 2,507 Scientologists nationwide, up from 1,488 in 1996, and 2,032 in 2001.

Finances

The Church of Scientology and its large network of corporations, non-profits and other legal entities are estimated to make around 500 million US dollars in annual revenue. This money is raised in a variety of ways.

Scientologists are expected to attend classes, exercises or counseling sessions, for a set range of fees (or "fixed donations"). Charges for auditing and other church-related courses run from hundreds to thousands of dollars. A wide variety of entry-level courses, representing 8 to 16 hours study, cost under $100 (US). More advanced courses require membership in the International Association of Scientologists (IAS), have to be taken at higher level Orgs, and have higher fees. Membership without courses or auditing is possible, but the higher levels cannot be reached this way. According to a sociological report entitled "Scientology: To Be Perfectly Clear", progression between levels above "clear" status cost $15,760.03 in 1980 (without including additional special treatments). Scientologists can choose to be audited by a fellow Scientologist rather than by a staff member.

Scientologists are frequently encouraged to become Professional Auditors as a way of earning their way up the Bridge. As a Field Auditor, auditors can receive commissions on people referred to Organizations and a 15% commission on completed services.

Critics say it is improper to fix a donation for religious service; therefore the activity is non-religious. Scientology points out many classes, exercises and counseling may also be traded for "in kind" or performed cooperatively by students for no cost, and members of its most devoted orders can make use of services without any donations bar that of their time. A central tenet of Scientology is its Doctrine of Exchange, which dictates that each time a person receives something, he or she must give something back. By doing so, a Scientologist maintains "inflow" and "outflow", avoiding spiritual decline.

Government opinions of Scientology

While a number of governments now give the Church of Scientology protections and tax relief as an officially recognized religion, other sources describe the Church as a pseudoreligion or a cult. Sociologist Stephen Kent published at a Lutheran convention in Germany that he likes to call it a transnational corporation.

Early official reports in countries such as the United Kingdom (1971), South Africa (1972), Australia (1965) and New Zealand (1969) have yielded unfavorable observations and conclusions.

Australia

In the 1960s Scientology was banned in three states in Australia as a result of the Anderson Report published in 1965. Specific legislation was made to counter it in South Australia. However, legislated bans in all three States were either repealed or amended to remove references to Scientology during the 1970s and there is currently no legal restriction in Australia on the practice of Scientology.

In 1983 the High Court of Australia dealt with the question whether the Church of Scientology is a religious institution and as such not subject to payroll tax. The Court unanimously confirmed the Church of Scientology to be a religious institution.

On 18 November 2009 the Church came under fire from an Independent senator in the Commonwealth Parliament, Nick Xenophon. Xenophon declared that the Church of Scientology is a criminal organisation.

Belgium

In September 2007, a Belgian prosecutor announced that they had finished an investigation of Scientology and said they would probably bring charges. The church said the prosecutor's public announcement falsely suggested guilt even before a court could hear any of the charges. An administrative court has yet to decide whether to press charges against the Scientologists.

France

In France, a parliamentary report classified Scientology as a dangerous cult. On November 22, 1996, the leader of the Lyons Church of Scientology, Jean-Jacques Mazier, was convicted of fraud and involuntary homicide and sentenced to eighteen months in prison for his role in the death of a member who committed suicide after going deeply into debt to pay for Scientology auditing sessions. Fourteen others were convicted of fraud as well. In 2009, members of the church were sued for fraud and practicing pharmacology without a license, and the Church was convicted of fraud in October 2009, being fined €600,000, with additional fines and suspended prison sentences for four officers.

In an interview on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation current affairs radio program The Current with Hana Gartner, former high-ranking Scientology official Mark Rathbun commented that the decision to convict the Church of Scientology of fraud in France would not have a significant impact on the organization. "On the France thing I don't think that's going to have any lasting impact, simply because they got a nine hundred thousand dollar fine I think - which is like chump change to them. They've got literally nearly a billion dollars set aside in a war chest," said Rathbun.

Germany

In Germany, official views of Scientology are particularly skeptical. In Germany it is seen as a totalitarian anti-democratic organization and is under observation by national security organizations due, among other reasons, to suspicion of violating the human rights of its members granted by the German Constitution, including Hubbard's pessimistic views on democracy vis-à-vis psychiatry and other such features. In December 2007, Germany's interior ministers said that they considered the goals of Church of Scientology to be in conflict with the principles of the nation's constitution and would seek to ban the organization. The plans were quickly criticised as ill-advised. The plans to ban Scientology were finally dropped in November 2008, after preliminary investigations failed to unearth evidence of illegal or unconstitutional activity.

The legal status of the Church of Scientology in Germany is still awaiting resolution; some courts have ruled that it is a business, others have affirmed its religious nature. The German government has affirmed that it does not consider the Church of Scientology to be a religious community.

Ireland

As in most European countries, the Church of Scientology is not officially recognized in Ireland as a charitable organization, but it is free to promote Scientology beliefs. The Irish government has not invited the Church of Scientology to national discussions on secularization by the Religious Council of Ireland. The meetings were attended by Catholic bishops, representatives of the Church of Ireland, Ireland's Chief Rabbi, and Muslim leaders.

Israel

In Israel, according to Israeli professor of psychology Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi, "in various organizational forms, Scientology has been active among Israelis for more than thirty years, but those in charge not only never claimed the religion label, but resisted any such suggestion or implication. It has always presented itself as a secular, self-improvement, tax-paying business." Those "organizational forms" include a Scientology Organization in Tel Aviv. Another Israeli Scientology group called "The Way to Happiness" (or "Association for Prosperity and Security in the Middle East") works through local Scientologist members to promote The Way to Happiness. An Israeli CCHR chapter runs campaigns against perceived abuses in psychiatry. Other Scientology campaigns, such as "Youth for Human Rights International" are active as well. There is also an ultra-Orthodox Jewish group that opposes Scientology and other cults or missionary organizations in Israel, Lev L'Achim, whose anti-missionary department in 2001 provided a hotline and other services to warn citizens of Scientology's "many types of front organizations".

Russia

The European Court of Human Rights ruled in April 2007 that Russia's denial to register the Church of Scientology as a religious community was a violation of Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (freedom of assembly and association) read in the light of Article 9 (freedom of thought, conscience and religion)". In July 2007, the St. Petersburg City Court closed down that city's Scientology center for violating its charter.

Spain

On 31 October 2007, the National Court in Madrid issued a decision recognizing that the National Church of Scientology of Spain should be entered in the Registry of Religious Entities. The administrative tribunal of Madrid's High Court ruled that a 2005 justice ministry decision to scrap the church from the register was "against the law." Responding to a petition filed by the church, the ruling said that no documents had been presented in court to demonstrate it was anything other than a religious entity.

United Kingdom

Foreign Scientologists were banned from entering the United Kingdom between 1968–1980 but were allowed later on. In 1999, an application by Scientology for charitable status was rejected after the authorities decided its activities were not of general public benefit. The Charity Commission for England and Wales does not class Scientology as a religion on financial grounds.

United States

In 1979 Hubbard's wife, Mary Sue Hubbard, along with ten other highly placed Scientology executives were convicted in United States federal court regarding Operation Snow White, and served time in an American federal prison. Operation Snow White involved infiltration, wiretapping and theft of documents in government offices, most notably those of the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

In 1993, however, the United States IRS recognized Scientology as a "non-profit charitable organization," and gave it the same legal protections and favorable tax treatment extended to other non-profit charitable organizations. A New York Times article says that Scientologists paid private investigators to obtain compromising material on the IRS commissioner and blackmailed the IRS into submission.

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 unless the Service has issued previously or issues contemporaneously a similar pronouncement that provides for consistent and uniform principles for determining the deductibility of fixed donations for all churches including the Church of Scientology.

In a 2001 legal case involving a married couple attempting to obtain the same deduction for charity to a Jewish school, it was stated by Judge Silverman:

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—allowing them a special right to claim deductions that are contrary to law and rightly disallowed to everybody else—then the proper course of action is a lawsuit to put a stop to that policy.

To date (2008) such a suit is not known to have been filed. In further appeal in 2006, the US Tax Court again rejected couple's deduction, stating:

We conclude that the agreement reached between the Internal Revenue Service and the Church of Scientology in 1993 does not affect the result in this case.

However, this matter is still ongoing. On February 8, 2008, three judges in the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals "expressed deep skepticism" over the IRS's position that treatment of Scientology is "irrelevant to the deductions the Orthodox Jews, Michael and Marla Sklar, took for part of their children's day school tuition and for after-school classes in Jewish law".

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, Clearwater, Florida

The "worldwide spiritual headquarters" of the Church of Scientology is known as "Flag Land Base," located in Clearwater, Florida. It is operated by the Floridian corporation Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization, Inc..

The organization was founded in the late 1970s when a 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. 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" and the "Church of Scientology of Los Angeles", founded February 18, 1954. All these organizations are integrated within the corporation Church of Scientology Western United States. Also in this area are the offices of Bridge Publications, Scientology's publishing arm for the United States and Canada.

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, Riverside County, California

The headquarters of the Religious Technology Center, the entity that oversees Scientology operations worldwide, is located in unincorporated Riverside County, California, near Gilman Hot Springs and north of Hemet. The facility, known as Gold Base or "Int", is owned by Golden Era Productions and is the home of Scientology's media production studio, Golden Era Studios. Several Scientology executives, including David Miscavige, live and work at the base. Therefore Gold Base is Scientology's international administrative headquarters.

The Church of Scientology bought a former resort, which had been popular with Hollywood figures, in 1978; the resort became Gold Base. The facilities at Gold Base have been toured by journalists several times. They are surrounded by floodlights and video observation cameras, and the compound is protected by razor wire. Gold Base also has recreational facilities, including basketball, volleyball, and soccer facilities, an exercise building, a waterslide, a small lake with two beaches, and a golf course.

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.

Other locations

The Church of Scientology is continuing to purchase properties, in 2007 a church opened in "The Winter Strawberry Capital of the World", Plant City, Florida. and purchased the former site of the Saint Samuel Church of God in Harlem, New York for $10,200,000. 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
• Founding Church of Scientology, Washington, D.C.
• Church of Scientology in New York City
• Church of Scientology Malmö in Arlöv, Sweden, a so called "Ideal org", opened in 2009
• Advanced Org Saint Hill Europe, Copenhagen, headquarters for Europe (excl UK) and Africa
• Church of Scientology, Boston

Affiliated organizations

There are many independently chartered organizations and groups which are staffed by Scientologists, and pay license fees for the use of Scientology technology and trademarks under the control of Scientology management. In some cases, these organizations do not publicize their affiliation with Scientology.

The Church of Scientology denies the legitimacy of any splinter groups and factions outside the official organization, and has tried to prevent independent Scientologists from using officially trademarked Scientology materials. Independent Scientologists, also known collectively as the "Free Zone" are referred to as squirrels within the Church. They are also classified by the Church of Scientology as suppressive persons ("SPs") — opponents or enemies of Scientology.

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 1960s and early 1970s 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 offenses against Church rules were such that they would otherwise have been expelled from membership. 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 hours 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."

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).

ABLE

Founded in 1989, the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE) is an umbrella organization that administers six of Scientology's social programs:

• Applied Scholastics, educational programs based on Hubbard's "Study Tech."
• Criminon prisoner rehabilitation programs.
• International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance, which has a particular interest in religious freedom.
• Narconon drug rehabilitation centers.
• The Way to Happiness Foundation, dedicated to disseminating Hubbard's non-religious moral code.
• Youth for Human Rights International, the youth branch of the above.

CCHR

The Citizens' Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), co-founded with Thomas Szasz in 1969, is an activist group dedicated to classifying psychiatric treatments as human rights violations and furthering the Scientology doctrinal opposition to mainstream psychiatric therapies.

WISE

Many other Scientologist-run businesses and organizations belong to the umbrella organization World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE), which licenses the use of Hubbard's management doctrines, and circulates directories of WISE-affiliated businesses. WISE requires those who wish to become Hubbard management consults to complete training in Hubbard's administrative systems; this training can be undertaken at any Church of Scientology, or at one of the campuses of the Hubbard College of Administration, which offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree.

• One of the best-known WISE-affiliated businesses is Sterling Management Systems, which offers Hubbard's management "technology" to professionals such as dentists and chiropractors.
• Another well-known WISE-affiliated business is e-Republic, a publishing company based in Folsom, California. e-Republic publications include Government Technology and Converge magazines. The Center for Digital Government is a division of e. Republic that was founded in 1999.
• Internet ISP EarthLink was founded by Scientologist Sky Dayton as a Scientology enterprise. The company now distances itself from the views of its founder, who has moved on to become CEO of Helio (wireless carrier), formerly known as SK-EarthLink.

Celebrities

In order to facilitate the continued expansion of Scientology, the Church has made efforts to win allies in the form of powerful or respected people.

See also

• alt.religion.scientology
• List of groups referred to as cults in government documents
• List of religious organizations
• List of Scientologists
• List of Scientology organizations
• Original Founding Church of Scientology
• Project Chanology
• Scientology and the legal system
• Scientology and the Internet
• Scientology beliefs and practices
• Scientology controversies
• Scientology in popular culture
• Timeline of Scientology
• Foundation for a Drug-Free World

References

1. "ABC News: Scientology 101". Abcnews.go.com. 1950-05-09. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
2. Melton, J. Gordon (Sept. 2000). The Church of Scientology (Studies in Contemporary Religions, 1). Signature Books in cooperation with CESNUR. 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. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
3. "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 978-1-57318-122-8 http://www.whatisscientology.org
4. description of the Scientology ecclesiastical structure on www.rtc.org
5. The Church of Scientology (Studies in Contemporary Religions, 1) By J. Gordon Melton Publisher: Signature Books in cooperation with CESNUR published September 2000 ISBN 978-1-56085-139-4 "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."
6. "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 978-1-57318-122-8 http://www.whatisscientology.org
7. description of the individual Scientology churches on www.rtc.org
8. ^ Atack, Jon (1990). A Piece of Blue Sky. New York, NY: Carol Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-8184-0499-3. {{cite book}}: External link in |title= (help)
9. ^ Hubbard, L. Ron. "Pulpateer". Church of Scientology International. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
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. ABC News Scientology 101
14. "Aims of Scientology by L. Ron Hubbard" at official site
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16. Marshall, John (1980-01-24). "Hubbard still gave orders, records show". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2006-09-14. (archived at rickross.com)
17. Tapper, James (2008-01-07). "Diana author names Tom Cruise as 'World Number Two in Scientology'". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2008-02-25. Elliot Abelson, general counsel for the Church of Scientology, said ... 'The only person who runs the Church and makes policy decisions is David Miscavige.'
18. "Remember Venus?". Time Magazine. 1952-12-22. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
19. Neusner 2003, p. 227 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFNeusner2003 (help)
20. Melton 2000, pp. 28
21. Melton 2000, pp. 59–60
22. Finkelman, Paul (2006). Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties. CRC Press. p. 287. ISBN 978-0-415-94342-0. "Scientology has achieved full legal recognition as a religious denomination in the United States."
23. Davis, Derek H. (2004). "The Church of Scientology: In Pursuit of Legal Recognition" (PDF). Zeitdiagnosen: Religion and Conformity. Münster, Germany: Lit Verlag. Retrieved 2008-05-10. Many countries, including the United States, now give official recognition to Scientology as a religion {{cite conference}}: Unknown parameter |booktitle= ignored (|book-title= suggested) (help)
24. Lucy Morgan (29 March 1999). "Abroad: Critics public and private keep pressure on Scientology". St. Petersburg Times. In the United States, Scientology gained status as a tax-exempt religion in 1993 when the Internal Revenue Service agreed to end a long legal battle over the group's right to the exemption.
25. Toomey, Shamus (2005-06-26). "'TomKat' casts spotlight back on Scientology.", Chicago Sun-Times
26. Black, Alan W. (24 January 1996). "Is Scientology A Religion?". Church of Scientology.
27. ^ "Scientology: L. Ron Hubbard's "space opera" material, l ron hubbard, marcab confederacy". En.allexperts.com. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
28. "Scientology.org - Introduction to Scientology". Church of Scientology.
29. "Road To Total Freedom". Panorama. BBC. 1987-04-27.
30. Farley, Robert (2006-05-06). "Scientology nearly ready to unveil Super Power". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
31. Ortega, Tony (2008-06-30). "Scientology's Crushing Defeat". Village Voice. Village Voice Media. Retrieved 2008-09-17. Scientology president Heber Jentszch admitted several years ago that the six million number does not represent current membership but the total amount of people who have ever, since the founding in 1954, taken even a single Scientology course.
32. "Religion". Census.gov. 2008-10-31. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
33. "Berlin Concerned about Huge New Scientology Center". Der Spiegel. January 9, 2007. Retrieved 2008-10-11. "The Church of Scientology was founded in 1954 in the US by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard. It has around 8 million members worldwide, including several celebrities such as actors John Travolta and Tom Cruise. The organization has an estimated 6,000 members in Germany, but experts believe the church has only 150-200 members in Berlin."
34. Interview with Barbara Lieser, SPIRITA 1/93, Page 22
35. Statement of Scientology Media Relations Director Linda Simmons Hight, May 11, 2002
36. Statement of Celebrity Centre Vice President Greg LaClaire, 7 August 2004
37. Spokesperson Beth Akiyama in: Scientology comes to town, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 24, 2005
38. L. Ron Hubbard (1970). Final Blackout. Leisure Books. ISBN 978-0-8439-0003-3. HE IS ALSO renowned as the founder of Scientology and the creator of "Dianetics," with an estimated 15 million adherents around the world.
39. Jarvik, Elaine (2004-09-18). "Scientology: Church now claims more than 8 million members". Deseret Morning News. Retrieved 2007-02-21.
40. Religionsfreiheit und Konformismus. Über Minderheiten und die Macht der Mehrheit, Lit. Verlag, Münster, 2004, ISBN 978-3-8258-7654-8, page 113
41. Jarvik, Elaine (2004-09-18). "Scientology: Church now claims more than 8 million members". Deseret News. Archived from the original on 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2007-08-01. If the church indeed had 4 million members in the United States, he says, "they would be like the Lutherans and would show up on a national survey" such as the Harris poll.
42. on-line.scientology.org homepage, viewed February 2007
43. Self-Described Religious Identification Among American Adults at Infoplease
44. Eric Gorski Defections, court fights test Scientology Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
45. ^ Lewis, James R. (2004). "New Religion Adherents: An Overview of Anglophone Census and Survey Data" (PDF). Marburg Journal of Religion. 9 (1). Retrieved 2007-02-15. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
46. Boyle, Kevin; Sheen, Juliet (1997), Freedom of Religion and Belief, London, UK/New York, NY: Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-15978-4, p. 102
47. Verfassungsschutzbericht 2005, p. 292
48. 2008 Report on International Religious Freedom - New Zealand
49. Religion's rise in the stars, The Herald Sun, July 09, 2007
50. Smith, L. Christopher (December 2008). "Scientology's Money Trail: Celebrities! Tax shelters! Bart Simpson! A glimpse into the finances of the secretive church". Condé Nast Portfolio. 2008 Condé Nast Inc. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
51. ASHO - Registration Donation Rates, American Saint Hill Organization.
52. Bainbridge, William Sims (1980). "Scientology: To Be Perfectly Clear". Sociological Analysis: A Journal in the Sociology of Religion. 41 (2): 128–136. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
53. "Château Scientology", The New Yorker, 14 January 2008
54. Auditing as a Career, American Saint Hill Organization.
55. Hernandez v. Commissioner, U.S. Supreme Court
56. Hexham, Irving (1978, rev. 1997). "The Religious Status of Scientology: Is Scientology a Religion?". University of Calgary. Retrieved 2006-06-13. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help)]
57. Dispatch online - "New SA rights for Scientology"
58. Davis, Derek H. (2004). "The Church of Scientology: In Pursuit of Legal Recognition". CESNUR--Center for Studies on New Religions. Retrieved 2007-06-15. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
59. ^ Beit-Hallahmi, Benjamin (2003). "Scientology: Religion or racket?" (PDF). Marburg Journal of Religion. Retrieved 2007-02-13. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
60. Kent, Stephen (1999). "Scientology -- Is this a Religion?". Marburg Journal of Religion. Retrieved 2006-08-26. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help) Kent, while acknowledging that a number of his colleagues accept Scientology as a religion, argues that "Rather than struggling over whether or not to label Scientology as a religion, I find it far more helpful to view it as a multifaceted transnational corporation, only one element of which is religious." (Italics in original.)
61. Sir John Foster (1971-12). "Enquiry into the Practice and Effects of Scientology". Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. Retrieved 2007-03-05. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
62. G. P. C. Kotzé (1972). "Report of the Commission of Enquiry into Scientology for 1972". Republic of South Africa. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
63. Kevin Victor Anderson (1965). "Report of the Board of Enquiry into Scientology". State of Victoria, Australia. Retrieved 2007-03-05. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
64. Sir Guy Richardson Powles (1969). "The Commission of Inquiry into the Hubbard Scientology Organization in New Zealand". New Zealand. Retrieved 2007-03-05. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
65. Microsoft Word - 87-60a.011
66. The Statutes of Western Australia
68. (The Church of the New Faith v. The Commissioner for Payroll Tax, Australian Law Journal Reports 57 : p785)
69. "Senator Nick Xenophon brands Scientology a 'criminal organisation'". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
70. Dalton, Alastair (2007-09-05). "Scientology branded a 'criminal organisation' and may face charges". The Scotsman. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
71. Miviludes 2006 report (PDF)
72. Hendon, David W. (Spring 1997). "Notes on Church-State Affairs: France". Journal of Church and State. 39 (2): 382. ISSN 0021-969X. {{cite journal}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |laydate=, |laysummary=, |day=, |laysource=, and |month= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
73. Chrisafis, Angelique (2008-09-09). "Church of Scientology faces fraud trial in France". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
74. "French court fines Scientologists, allows operations", Reuters/Yahoo News, 27 October 2009
75. ^ Gartner, Hana (October 30, 2009). "Part Two: Scientology - Former Scientologist, Scientology - History". The Current. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
76. Lewis, James R. (ed.) (2009). Scientology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-533149-3. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help), p. 289
77. Scientology Crime Syndicate -- Is This A Religion? By Stephen A. Kent
78. "Scientology and Germany: Understanding the German View of Scientology". German Embassy in Washington. 2001-06. Retrieved 2007-03-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
79. "Scientology violates German constitution and could be banned, officials say". International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. 2007-12-07. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
80. Agencies Warn Scientology Ban Doomed to Fail Spiegel.de
81. Germany drops attempt to ban Scientology (AP)
82. ^ bundestag.de: Legal questions concerning religious and worldview communities, prepared by the Scientific Services staff of the German Parliament Template:Language icon
83. Tom Lyons: Troubled Scientology Church in Ireland is now €1m in red, The Irish Independent, 28 June 2006
84. Christmas gifts (2008-03-22). "Scientologists protest at Ahern talks 'snub' - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie". Independent.ie<!. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
85. Rada, Moran (2007-06-07). "Scientology infiltrates summer camps". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
86. CCHR Israel Homepage
87. Heruti-Sover, Tali (2007-01-19). "Youth group supported by Scientology". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
88. US State Department Report on International Religious Freedom, September 9, 1999 Quote: "Evangelical Christian and other religious groups also have complained that the police have been slow to investigate incidents of harassment, threats, and vandalism directed against their meetings, churches, and other facilities by two ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups, known as Yad L'achim and Lev L'achim."]
89. April 18, 2001. Lev L'Achim Launches Campaign to Fight Scientology by Moshe Schapiro
90. Judgment on Application no. 18147/02 by CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY OF MOSCOW against Russia (2007-04-05). Court press release here. Retrieved on 2007-05-15.
91. "St. Petersburg court shuts down Scientology Center". Interfax. 2007-07-13. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
92. "Russian court shuts down Scientology center in St. Petersburg: prosecutors". International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. 2007-07-12. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
93. "Spanish court rules Scientology can be listed as a religion". AFP. 2007-11-01. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
94. Lázaro, J. M. (2007-11-01). "La Audiencia Nacional reconoce a la Cienciología como iglesia" (in Spanish). El País. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
95. Decisions of the UK Charity Commission Summary
96. Sweeney, John (2007-05-14). "Row over Scientology video". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
97. Dahl, David (1993-10-24). "IRS examined Scientology dollars, not dogma". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on October 01, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |archivedate= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
98. Frantz, Douglas (1997-03-09). "Scientology's Puzzling Journey From Tax Rebel to Tax Exempt". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
99. Judge Barry Silverman MICHAEL SKLAR; MARLA SKLAR v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL No. 00-70753 (PDF format) United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Argued and Submitted September 7, 2001, Pasadena, California, Filed January 29, 2002.
100. UNITED STATES TAX COURT, MICHAEL AND MARLA SKLAR, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent. Docket No. 395-01. Filed December 21, 2005.
101. Gerstein, Josh (February 8, 2008). "Judges Press IRS on Church Tax Break". The New York Sun. The New York Sun, One SL, LLC. Retrieved 2008-02-08. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
102. Scientology Missions International Homepage
103. Charles L. Stafford (1980-01-09). "Scientology: An in-depth profile of a new force in Clearwater" (PDF, 905K). St. Petersburg Times. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Original (18M)
104. Jesse Prince Affidavit at Operation Clambake
105. ^ "Tom Cruise and Scientology", Los Angeles Times, December 18, 2005: "voter registration records list the Gilman Hot Springs complex as Miscavige's residence since the early 1990s and as recently as the 2004 general election"
106. "Rural Studio is Scientology Headquarters." San Jose Mercury News. August 13, 1991. 6B California News. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.
107. Kelly, David. "Scientology foes blast new Riverside County law." Los Angeles Times. January 10, 2009. 1. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.
108. Glick, Julia. "County ordinance raises questions about Scientology." The Press-Enterprise. Tuesday January 6, 2009. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.
109. McGavin, Gregor. "Scientologists' presence in Inland area dates back to 1960s." The Press-Enterprise. Tuesday January 15, 2008. Retrieved on October 21, 2009.
110. McGavin, Gregor. "Scientologists' presence in Inland area dates back to 1960s." The Press-Enterprise. Tuesday January 15, 2008. Retrieved on October 9, 2009.
111. "Inside Scientology" by Janet Reitman. Rolling Stone, Issue 995. March 9, 2006. Pages 55 - 67.
112. Tobin, Thomas C (1998-10-25). "A place called 'Gold'". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
113. Perry, Rebecca (2005-12-17). "Scientology's inland empire" (PDF). Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-08-25. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
114. holland, Gale (2001-06-20). "Unfair Game". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2008-02-24.
115. Hoffman, Claire (2005-12-18). "Tom Cruise and Scientology". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-01-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
116. A Place in the Desert for New Mexico's Most Exclusive Circles, By Richard Leiby Washington Post Staff Writer Date: Sunday, November 27, 2005
117. St. Petersburg Times, Southpinellas: Scientology superstar draws crowds at opening
118. The New York Observer, 6 August 2007
119. "Unwitting highschoolers lured to forum by Scientologists". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2007-03-27. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
120. McEwen, Alan (2004-03-18). "Scientology-link group is banned". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
121. Wakefield, Margery. Understanding Scientology, Chapter 9. Reproduced at David S. Touretzky's Carnegie Mellon site.
122. 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)
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124. Joel Sappell and Robert W. Welkos, Times Staff Writers, Courting the Power Brokers The Los Angeles Times, June 27, 1990

External links

Template:Wikinewshas

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.

Favorable sites

• Irving Hexham. "The religious status of Scientology". Is Scientology a religion?. University of Calgary.

Critical sites

• An Introduction to Scientology from a critical perspective
• Operation Clambake, an archive of critical articles on Hubbard and Scientology
• Xenu TV (video footage library of various topics related to Scientology)
• Critical comparison between the church and the independent Scientology Freezone.
• Comparison of past and current church statistics and philosophy and technology used and promoted

Independent Scientology sites

• Independent scientologists

Other

• "Anonymous vs Scientology - A Case Study". Anonymous vs. Scientology: A Case Study of Digital Media. Dan Schultz.
• Satellite Image of the Gold Base
• Misplaced Pages Bans Church of Scientology from Site by The Huffington Post, May 29, 2009

• Articles with dead external links from March 2008
• Scientology
• Scientology organizations
• Self religions
• Social movements
• Religious organizations established in 1953
• Religion in Riverside County, California