| Free Zone (scientology) |
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The Free Zone comprises a variety of groups and individuals who practice Scientology Beliefs And Techniques free from the control of the official Church Of Scientology (CoS). Such practitioners range from those who closely adhere to the original teachings of L. Ron Hubbard to those who have adapted their practices to be unrecognizable as Scientology. In spite of the controversy surrounding the teachings of Hubbard, the Free Zone believes the Auditing process and other techniques used in Dianetics and Scientology offer genuine therapeutic benefits. Originally, ''Free Zone'' was only used by the organization founded by "Captain" Bill Robertson in 1982 (now known as ''Freie Zone e.V'' or the ''Free Zone Association''), but the term is now commonly applied to all non-CoS Scientologists, although many dispute the application of the term to themselves. Now it is becoming more popularly known as the Scientology Freezone. THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY AND THE FREE ZONE The Church lumps all practitioners and believers of unsanctioned Scientology as " Squirrel s" — a term Hubbard coined to describe those who alter Scientology "technology" or practice it in a nonstandard fashion. Among Scientologists, the term is pejorative, and comparable in meaning to '' Heretic ''. In practice, orthodox Scientologists use it to describe all of those who practice Scientology outside the Church, regardless of their degree of adherence to the tech. This usage is at odds with the meaning Hubbard originally attributed to the term. A lot of "squirrels" are former Church members who left the Church for various reasons -- the Church frequently states they were dismissed for "unethical activities", but many observers say that because of the different meaning Ethics has in Scientology, this merely translates to a general accusation they did something the Church viewed as detrimental to the Sect . The Church has taken steps to Suppress Free Zone, and shut down dissenters when possible. CoS has used Copyright and Trademark laws to attack various Free Zone groups. Because of this, the Free Zone avoids the use of officially trademarked Scientology words, including 'Scientology' itself. Many Free Zone advocates claim everyone has the right to freely practice the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, whether sanctioned by the Church or not. In support of their thinking, they cite Hubbard himself: :'') Other Free Zoners assert basic Human Rights protections in order to freely follow their chosen religion. Some Scientologists who are former or inactive CoS members consider the CoS itself to be a 'squirrel group' because, in their opinion, the Church does not strictly apply the writings of L. Ron Hubbard. Controversy over the origins of the word ''Scientology'' has given Free Zone a way to contest ), which they use as the basis of their challenge to Scientology's trademark claims. Because ''Scientologie'' was not written by Hubbard, they argue, the Church is exerting unfair control over its practice, and attempting to enforce a monopoly. So far, legal efforts to challenge Scientology have failed. EXTERNAL LINKS International Organizations
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Criticism of the Free Zone |
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