| Church Of Scientology |
Article Index for Church Of |
Shopping Scientology |
Website Links For Church |
Information AboutChurch Of Scientology |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY | |
| 1953 establishments | |
| scientology | |
| scientology organizations | |
|
The Church of Scientology is a Religious Organization , often controversial, that is devoted to the practice and the promotion of Scientology Belief System . HISTORY AND CONTROVERSIES The first Scientology church was established in December 1953 in New Jersey by American , 22 December , 1952 and Hubbard had been selling Scientology books and technology. Soon after, he explained the religious nature of Scientology in a bulletin to all Scientologists Hubbard, L. Ron (1954) Why Doctor of Divinity? ''Professional Auditor's Bulletin'' no. 32, 7 August 1954, stressing its relation to the Dharma . Hubbard's 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.''" "Aims of Scientology by L. Ron Hubbard" at official site The organization, however, has faced allegations of being a commercial enterprise that harasses its critics and exploits its members3.4 and harsh criticism has come from the media since the 1960s.http://www.xenu.net/archive/media/Vault/ 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. The nature and legal status of Scientology and Canada the organization is not regarded as meeting the legal standards for being considered a '' Bona Fide '' Religion or Charity . Decision of the Charity Commissioners (PDF) In 1993, however, the United States "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: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. "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 (2007) 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." UNITED STATES TAX COURT, MICHAEL AND MARLA SKLAR, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE , Respondent. Docket No. 395-01. Filed December 21, 2005. Hubbard had official control of the organization only until .6 (archived at rickross.com) In May 1987 David Miscavige , one of Hubbard’s former personal assistants, assumed the position of Chairman of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), a non-profit corporation that owns 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. CHURCHES, MISSIONS AND MAJOR SCIENTOLOGY CENTERS in London ]] ]] Scientology centers and Mission Franchises exist in many communities around the world. Scientology calls its larger centers ''orgs'', short for "organizations." The major Scientology center of a region is known as the local org, e.g., "the New York org," or "the Washington, D.C. 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 See Also: Saint Hill Manor 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 See Also: Fort Harrison Hotel The "worldwide spiritual headquarters" of the Church of Scientology is known as "Flag Land Base," located in , rallied strongly against Scientology establishing a base in the city (repeatedly referring to the organization as a cult), but Flag Base was established nonetheless.7 Original (18M) 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. 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 " 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 See Also: Gold Base 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 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 See Also: Trementina Base The Church of Scientology maintains a large base on the outskirts of 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. ''A Place in the Desert for New Mexico's Most Exclusive Circles,'' By Richard Leiby Washington Post Staff Writer Date: Sunday, November 27, 2005 Flag ship, Freewinds See Also: 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 recently. St. Petersburg Times, Scientology's town, By ROBERT FARLEY Published: July 18, 2004 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. {Link without Title} SEA ORG See Also: 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 's Carnegie Mellon site. 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. 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) VOLUNTEER MINISTERS See Also: 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 Hurrican 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. http://www.scientologytoday.org RELIGIOUS TECHNOLOGY CENTER (RTC) See Also: Religious Technology Center 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 scepticism about the test's status as a reliable psychometric device" and called its "scientific value", "negligible".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 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." Further proselytization practices - commonly called "dissemination" of Scientology Dissemination Division in Churches of Scientology - include information booths, fliers and advertisement for free seminars, Sunday Services in regular newspapers and magazines, personal contacts Dissemination by Churches of Scientology through "Field Staff Members" , "Field Staff Member: a Scientology parishioner who introduces others to Scientology through personal contact."] 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." and sales of books "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." 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 many mainstream religious organizations. 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. Reproduced version of Introspection Rundown Release Contract 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. See Also: Introspection Rundown WORLD OPINION OF SCIENTOLOGY Early official reports in countries such as Britain (1971), South Africa (1972), Australia (1965) and New Zealand (1969) have yielded unfavorable observations and conclusions.891011 Australia See Also: Scientology In Australia 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. Scientology has threatened and taken legal action against it critics. It has a relatively small membership, 2000, and there are a number of active critics with websites. Europe 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. Decisions of the UK Charity Commission In the United Kingdom the Charity Commission does not class Scientology as a religion on financial grounds. BBC Report of May 14th 2007 In Germany and Russia , official views of Scientology are particularly skeptical. In Germany it is seen as a totalitarian organization and is, or has been, under observation by police and national security organizations due, among other reasons, to Hubbard's pessimistic view on Democracy vis-à-vis psychiatry and other such features.12 The . In September 2007 a Belgian prosecutor said that the Church of Scientology should stand trial for fraud and extortion, following a 10-year investigation that concluded the group should be labelled a criminal organization. Prosecutor Jean-Claude Van Espen's probe also concluded that Scientology's Brussels-based Europe office and its Belgian missions conducted unlawful practices in medicine, violated privacy laws and used illegal business contracts. They may also face charges of being a criminal organization. An administrative court has yet to decide whether to press charges against the Scientologists. 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 , and another Israeli Scientology group called "The Way to Happiness" (HaDerekh LeOsher] or (to play on Israeli's perpetual security concerns) "The Organization for Security and Thriving in the Middle East" (HaAmuta leSigsug veBitachon beMizrakh haTikhon) which works through local Scientologist members to promote The Way To Happiness , anti-psychiatry agenda for instance regarding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and the use of Ritalin , or other Scientology campaigns, such as " Youth For Human Rights International ". The choice of Scientology to avoid "the religion label" in this country may be due to Israeli anti-missionary laws. There also is a Jewish religious organization that opposes Scientology, Lev L'Achim , which in 2001 provided a hotline and other services to warn citizens of the many Scientology front groups.April 18, 2001. Lev L'Achim Launches Campaign to Fight Scientology by Moshe Schapiro East Asia The Church of Scientology says that in 1994 a joint council of Shinto Buddhist (Yu-itsu Shinto) sects in Japan not only extended official recognition of Scientology, but also undertook to train a number of their monks in its beliefs and practices as an adjunct to their own Meditation s and Worship . This continues, according to Scientology, a long tradition of Eastern faiths of assimilating or adopting elements of other faiths which they find harmonious with their own. This may be a reflection of Hubbard's acknowledgment of a strong Buddhist influence in forming his personal philosophy. However, Scientology researcher Stephen A. Kent says that Hubbard's grasp of eastern religions was shallow and often inaccurate.Prof. Stephen A. Kent , ''Scientology's Relationship With Eastern Religious Traditions'' FINANCES 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 , a website critical of scientology, estimated the cost of reaching "OT 9 readiness", one of the highest levels, is US $365,000 – $380,000. Estimate of Scientology costs at Operation Clambake Updated prices for 2006 at Operation Clambake 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 Orgs and a 15% FSM commission on completed services. Auditing as a Career , American Saint Hill Organization. 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 pay something back. By doing so, a Scientologist maintains "inflow" and "outflow", avoiding spiritual decline. ''Hernandez v. Commissioner'', U.S. Supreme Court MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS The International Association of Scientologists (IAS) maintains a list of Scientologists world-wide. However, not every active Scientologist is a member of the International Association of Scientologists. It is difficult to obtain reliable membership statistics for Scientology. The organization itself issues only vague figures (without breaking them down by region or country), and public Census es have only recently included questions about religious affiliations though the United States Census Bureau states that it is not the source for information on religion {Link without Title} . Most recently, the German national magazine '', a spokesperson of Scientology Frankfurt had mentioned ''slighty more than 30,000 members'' nationwide.Interview with Barbara Lieser, SPIRITA 1/93, Page 22 The organization has said that it has anywhere from eight million to fifteen million members world-wide,Statement of Scientology Media Relations Director Linda Simmons Hight, May 11, 2002 of Celebrity Centre Vice President Greg LaClaire, 7 August 2004 [http://www.scientology.org/en_US/news-media/news/2004/040807.html Spokesperson Beth Akiyama in: Scientology comes to town , Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 24, 20051314 and has stated that Scientology is "the has said that the church's estimates of its membership numbers are exaggerated.15 The "Scientologists Online" website presents "over 16,000 Scientologists On-Line".on-line.scientology.org homepage, viewed February 2007 Statistics from other sources:
SCIENTOLOGY SPLINTER GROUPS See Also: Free Zone (Scientology) 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 Person s ("SPs") — in other words, opponents and 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 a secular organization called the . 2001 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom 2001 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2002/ 2002 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom] [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/ 2003 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom] 2004 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/ 2005 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom] 2006 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom 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 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. 1718 ABLE See Also: Association for Better Living and Education Founded in 1989, the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE) is an umbrella organization that administers six of Scientology's social programs:
CCHR See Also: Citizens Commission on Human Rights The Citizens' Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), co-founded with . WISE See Also: World Institute of Scientology Enterprises 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.
STATE RECOGNITION See Also: Scientology as a state-recognized religion While a number of governments now give the Church of Scientology protections and tax relief as an officially recognized religion,19] Dispatch online - "New SA rights for Scientology" 20 other sources describe the Church as a acknowledged in '' Church Of Scientology Moscow Versus Russia '' that the Church of Scientology Moscow lawfully existed and operated in Moscow as an independent religious community,The court ruled that "the Church of Scientology of the city of Moscow is a religious association with the status of a legal entity."[http://www.coe.int/t/d/kommunikation_und_politische_forschung/presse_und_online_info/presseinfos/2007/20070405-208-GH-Ru.asp]. FREE ZONE Other organizations exist which say they practice the techniques developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard ; these groups are sometimes collectively called the " Free Zone ." The Church of Scientology asserts that such groups are not practicing true Scientology , but unauthorized variants, and regards itself as the only true source of Scientology. SEE ALSO
REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS Church of Scientology |
|
|