Scientology

Scientology
The Scientology Symbol is composed of the letter S that stands for Scientology and the ARC and KRC triangles, two important concepts in Scientology
Formation	1953
Type	Religious / Commercial
Headquarters	Church of Scientology International, Los Angeles, California, USA
Chairman of Religious Technology Center	David Miscavige
Website	www.scientology.org

Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by American science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard.¹ Hubbard developed Scientology teachings in 1952 as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics.² Hubbard later characterized Scientology as an "applied religious philosophy" and the basis for a new religion with the first Scientology church being established in New Jersey, December 1953.³⁴⁵ A commonly held belief among Scientologists is that psychiatry and psychology are destructive and abusive fields, which must be abolished.⁶⁷

Scientology advocates that people are immortal spiritual beings (or thetans) which have lived many lifetimes. Scientologists believe that the primary purpose of existence is survival.⁸ One controversial aspect of Scientology beliefs is the idea that thetans lived among extraterrestrial cultures before becoming trapped in bodies on Earth.⁹ It is believed that thetans were brainwashed by these extraterrestrial cultures as a means of population control. The belief of extraterrestrial origins is not taught to new members, but is only presented after members have advanced through the ranks of Scientology.

There are a large number of organizations overseeing the application of Scientology, many of which are separate legal entities.¹⁰ These organizations have remained highly controversial since their inception. Most notable of these organizations is the Church of Scientology, whose primary concern is to uphold the belief system of Scientology. Former members, journalists, courts, and authorities in multiple countries have described Scientology as a cult ¹¹¹²¹³¹⁴¹⁵¹⁶ and an unscrupulous commercial enterprise. Critics claim that the organization has a history of harassing its critics and abusing the trust of its members.¹⁴¹⁶¹⁷¹⁸¹⁵¹⁹ Time Magazine describes Scientology as "a hugely profitable global racket that survives by intimidating members and critics in a Mafia-like manner." ¹⁴ Scientology has consistently litigated most actions which it has perceived to be threatening. One major litigation point is that of copyright infringement.²⁰²¹

History

Hubbard first published his writings under the name "Dianetics" in the publication "Terra Incognita: The Mind", which appeared in the 1949 Winter/Spring issue of the Explorers Club Journal. Not too long after its release, Dianetics was met with scientific criticism. Newsweek was quoted as saying that "the dianetics concept is unscientific and unworthy of discussion or review."²⁴ Hubbard also offered his findings on the mind to both the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association, but both organizations rejected them.²⁵

In April 1950, Hubbard and several others established the Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation in Elizabeth, New Jersey to coordinate work related to Hubbard's forthcoming publication, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. The book became widely popular, and brought in a sizable revenue. However, in January 1951 the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners instituted proceedings against the Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation in Elizabeth for teaching medicine without a license, which eventually lead to the organization's bankruptcy.²⁶

Because of a sale of assets resulting from the bankruptcy of the research organization, Hubbard no longer owned the rights to the name "Dianetics".²⁷ In 1952, Hubbard built on the existing framework set forth in Dianetics, and published a new set of teachings as "Scientology, a religious philosophy."^{citation needed} In 1953, The Church of Scientology was incorporated in Elizabeth, New Jersey by L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard recorded his forthcoming doctrine in archived writings, audio tapes and films.²⁸

Scientology was recognized as a tax-exempt religion in the United States in 1957, but ten years later in 1967 the IRS removed its tax exempt status, asserting that its activities were commercial and operated for the benefit of Mr. Hubbard, rather than for charitable or religious reasons. Later in December of 1993, however, the IRS would grant full tax exemption to all Scientology Churches, missions and organizations. The tax exempt status emerged after a Scientology "campaign"²⁹ against the IRS. In 1991, Mr. Miscavige, the highest-ranking Scientology leader, walked in to see Fred T. Goldberg Jr., the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service at the time, without an appointment.²⁹ He was later seen and allegedly offered to halt the lawsuits Scientology had against the IRS in exchange for tax exempt status. To this end, Goldberg allegedly ordered tax analysts to ignore multiple court precedents and other substantive issues during the review of the decision.²⁹

On January 4th of 1963, the US FDA raided offices of the Church of Scientology and seized hundreds of the Church's E-meters as illegal medical devices. The devices have since been required to carry a disclaimer saying that they are a purely religious artifact.³⁰.

In 1979 as a result of FBI raids during Operation Snow White, eleven senior people in the church's Guardian's Office were convicted of obstructing justice, burglary of government offices, and theft of documents and government property. On January 24th, 1986, L. Ron Hubbard died at his ranch near San Luis Obispo, California and David Miscavige became the head of the organization.

An organization called the Cult Awareness Network who once provided assistance former cult victims received more complaints concerning Scientology than any other group.³¹ By December 1996, persons connected to the Church of Scientology had filed over 50 lawsuits against the Cult Awareness Network, which eventually forced it into bankruptcy.³² In 1997, the Church of Scientology consequently bought the Cult Awareness Network in bankruptcy court, and now operates it as a promotional arm for the Church of Scientology itself.³³³⁴³⁵³⁶³²

Etymology

The word, "Scientology" is a pairing of the Latin word scientia ("knowledge," "skill"), which comes from the verb scīre ("to know"), and the Greek λόγος lógos ("word" or "account [of]").

Although today associated almost exclusively to describe Hubbard's works, the word "Scientology" predates his usage by several decades. An early use of the word was as a neologism in an 1871 book by the American anarchist Stephen Pearl Andrews presenting "the newly discovered Science of the Universe".³⁷ Philologist Allen Upward used the word "scientology" in his 1901 book The New Word as a synonym for "pseudoscience,"³⁸ and this is sometimes cited as the first coining of the word.⁴ In 1934, the Argentine-German writer Anastasius Nordenholz published a book using the word positively: Scientologie, Wissenschaft von der Beschaffenheit und der Tauglichkeit des Wissens ("Scientologie, Science of the Constitution and Usefulness of Knowledge").³⁹ Nordenholz's book is a study of consciousness, and its usage of the word is not greatly different from Hubbard's definition, "knowing how to know".⁴ It is uncertain whether Hubbard was aware of prior usage of the word.^{citation needed}

Influences

Hubbard acknowledged the influence of Alfred Korzybski's General Semantics.⁴¹ Scientology also reflects the influence of the Hindu concept of karma and dharma as well as the psychological theories of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and William Sargant.⁴² Hubbard called the Vedas Scientology’s earliest ancestor: "And we find Scientology’s earliest, certainly known ancestor in the Veda."⁴³ Hubbard also gave recognition to the Tao Te Ching, the Dharma and Gautama Buddha as forerunners to Scientology.⁴³

Dispute of "religion" status

Scientology is officially recognized as a religion in the United States.⁴⁴⁴⁵ But opinions still differ around the world on whether it is to be recognized as a religion or not. Scientology organizations have often encountered opposition due to their strong-arm tactics directed against critics and members wishing to leave the organization. While a number of governments now view the Church as a religious organization entitled to protections and tax relief, others continue to view it as a pseudoreligion or a cult.⁴⁶⁴⁷ The differences between these classifications has become a major problem when discussing religions in general and Scientology specifically.⁴⁸

While acknowledging that a number of his colleagues accept Scientology as a religion, sociologist and professor Stephen A. Kent wrote: "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." [emphasis original]⁴⁹⁵⁰ Kent also holds that the US government sees Scientology not as a religion, but as a charitable organization due to their religious claims.⁵¹ The late Bryan R. Wilson Reader Emeritus in Sociology at the University of Oxford and President of the International Society for the Sociology of Religion, wrote of Scientology: "it is clear to me that Scientology is a bona fide religion and should be considered as such.".⁵² David G. Bromley of Virginia Commonwealth University characterizes Scientology as "a 'quasi-religious therapy' that resembles Freudian 'depth psychology' while also drawing upon Buddhism, Hinduism and the ancient, heretical offshoot of Christianity known as Gnosticism."⁵³ Dr. Frank K. Flinn, adjunct professor of religious studies at Washington University in St. Louis wrote, "it is abundantly clear that Scientology has both the typical forms of ceremonial and celebratory worship and its own unique form of spiritual life."⁵⁴ Flinn further states that religion requires "beliefs in something transcendental or ultimate, practices (rites and codes of behavior) that re-inforce those beliefs and, a community that is sustained by both the beliefs and practices," all of which are present within Scientology.⁴⁸ Using the synonym of alternative religions, Barrett (1998:237) and Hunt (2003:195) place Scientology in the sociological grouping of personal development movements together with the Neurolinguistic Programming, Emin, and Insight.

In the early Scientology publication, The Creation of Human Ability: A Handbook for Scientologists, Hubbard says that "It [Scientology] is not a psycho-therapy nor a religion." Since its initial publication, however, the text has been altered to remove this statement.^{citation needed} The Church of Scientology now pursues an extensive public relations campaign for the recognition of Scientology as a religion. An argument often used by the church is that all doubts of whether Scientology is a religion were put to rest when it was given tax exemption in the United States. The IRS is quoted as saying that "[Scientology is] operated exclusively for religious and charitable purposes."⁵⁵⁵⁶ However, it is important to note the circumstances under which the tax-exempt agreement was made; it was reported by the New York Times that multiple intimidation tactics were used in an attempt to influence the IRS into granting tax exemption. Tactics used included hiring private investigators to look into the private lives of IRS officials, as well as funding a whistle-blower organization to gather incriminating information against the IRS.²⁹

Scientology as a commercial venture

During his lifetime, Hubbard was accused of using religion as a façade for Scientology to maintain tax-exempt status and avoid prosecution for false medical claims.⁵⁷ There have been numerous accounts from Hubbard's fellow science-fiction authors and researchers, notably Harlan Ellison, Neison Himmel, Sam Merwin, Sam Moskowitz, Theodore Sturgeon, Lloyd Arthur Eshbach, and Lyle Stuart,⁵⁸ of Hubbard stating on several occasions that the way to get rich was to start a religion.⁵⁹ This is referenced, among other places, in a May 1980 Reader's Digest article, which quotes Hubbard, "If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion."¹⁵

The Church of Scientology denounces the idea of Hubbard starting a religion for personal gain as an "unfounded rumor."^{citation needed} The Church also suggests that the origin of the "rumor" was a quote by George Orwell which had been "misattributed" to Hubbard.^{citation needed} Robert Vaughn Young, who left the Church in 1989, suggested that reports of Hubbard making such a statement could be explained as a misattribution of Orwell, despite having encountered three of Hubbard's associates from his science fiction days who remembered Hubbard making statements of that sort in person.⁶⁰

Scientology maintains strict control over the use of its symbols, icons, and names. It claims copyright and trademark over its "Scientology cross", and its lawyers have threatened lawsuits against individuals and organizations who have published the image in books and on Web sites. Because of this, it is very difficult for individual groups to attempt to publicly practice Scientology on their own, independent of the official Church of Scientology. Scientology has filed suit against a number of individuals who have attempted to set up their own "auditing" practices, using copyright and trademark law to shut these groups down.^{citation needed}

One The Church of Scientology and its many related organizations have amassed considerable real estate holdings worldwide, likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars.¹⁴ Scientology encourages existing members to "sell" Scientology to others by paying a commission to those who recruit new members.¹⁴ Scientology franchises, or missions, must pay the Church of Scientology roughly 10% of their gross income.⁶¹ On that basis, it is likened to a pyramid selling scheme.⁶² Charges for auditing and other Church-related courses run to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.⁶³⁶⁴

In conjunction with the Church of Scientology's request to be officially recognized as a religion in Germany, around 1996 the German state Baden-Württemberg conducted a thorough investigation regarding the group's activities within Germany.⁶⁵ The results of this investigation indicated that at the time of publication, Scientology's main sources of revenue ("Haupteinnahmequellen der SO") were from course offerings and sales of their various publications. Course offerings ranged from (German Marks) DM 182.50 to about DM 30,000—the equivalent today of approximately $119 to $19,560 USD. Revenue from monthly, bi-monthly, and other membership offerings could not be estimated in the report, but was nevertheless placed in the millions.

In June 2006, it was announced at the Book Expo America a dianetics Racing Team had joined NASCAR. The Number 27 Ford Taurus driven by Kenton Gray displays a large dianetics logo.⁶⁶⁶⁷

Compatibility with other religions

Scientology states that it is compatible with all major world religions.^{citation needed} However, due to major differences in the beliefs and practices between Scientology and especially the largest monotheistic religions, a simultaneous membership in Scientology is not always seen as compatible. Furthermore, Scientology only allows a passive formal membership in a second religion. Members are not allowed to engage in other religious activities or ceremonies.⁶⁸ The highest level of Scientology writings released portray religious figures such as Jesus as fictitious.^{citation needed}

Recognition in other countries

The level of recognition Scientology has been able to obtain in other nations varies significantly from country to country. Scientology is considered a legitimate religion in such countries as Australia, Italy,⁴⁴ Kyrgyzstan,⁶⁹ New Zealand,⁷⁰ Portugal,⁷¹ South Africa,⁷² Spain,⁷³⁷⁴ Sweden,⁷⁵ Taiwan.⁷⁶ Scientology therefore enjoys and regularly cites the legal protections afforded in these nations to religious practice.

Other countries, mostly in Europe, have regarded Scientology as a potentially dangerous cult, or at least have not considered local branches to meet the legal criteria for being considered religion-supporting organizations. The German government takes the view that Scientology is a commercial, rather than religious organization, and has even gone so far as to consider a ban on Scientology.⁷⁷The German government ordered in 1997 that the activities of Scientology be monitored on the grounds that they come in conflict with freedom and democracy.⁷⁸ As of 12 February 2008 the German government in a new ruling continues the same policy. France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Israel, Mexico the United Kingdom, and Belgium have not recognized Scientology as a religion. The Belgian State Prosecution Service has recommended that various individuals and organizations associated with Scientology should be prosecuted.⁷⁹⁸⁰ An administrative court is to decide if charges will be pressed.⁷⁹⁸⁰

Organization

Scientology is composed of a complex network of corporations, churches, and organizations all geared towards promoting the use and dissemination of Scientology and related materials.

Although "Scientology" is most often used as shorthand for the Church of Scientology, a number of groups practice Scientology and Dianetics outside of the official Church. These groups consist of both former members of the official Church of Scientology, as well as entirely new members. These groups are collectively known as the Free Zone. Capt. Bill Robertson, a former Sea Org member, was a primary instigator in the movement. ⁸¹ The Church labels these groups as "squirrels" in Scientology jargon, and often subjects them to considerable legal and social pressure.

Distinct legal entities

Beliefs and practices

Scientology materials (called "Technology" or "Tech" in Scientology jargon) are structured in sequential levels (or "gradients"), so that easier steps are taken first and greater complexities are handled at the appropriate time. Progression in the study of Scientology materials is often marketed as moving along "the Bridge to Total Freedom," or simply "the Bridge." Scientologists believe that every step on the "bridge" works towards more personal freedom. Hubbard is quoted as saying, "One might here use an analogy of bridge engineering".⁸³ French sociologist Regis Dericquebourg describes Scientology as a belief system of "regressive utopia," in which the person seeks to return to a once-perfect state by using a variety of highly controlled, meticulous and rigorous processes.⁸⁴

Scientologists believe that people are composed of three distinguishable parts: mind, spirit, and body.^{citation needed} Some of these beliefs were first formulated in Dianetics--Hubbard's earlier writings which precede Scientology. Scientology and Dianetics state that the basic principle of existence is to survive.⁸⁵ Scientology states that humans survive within a classification which it refers to as "the eight dynamics": "Self", "Family and Sex", "Group", "Humanity", "Life", the "Universe", "Spirituality", and the "Supreme Being" or "Infinity".⁸⁶ Actions are considered "good" if they promote survival across all eight dynamics or realms of action.⁸⁷

Scientology defines ethics as "the actions an individual takes on himself to ensure his continued survival across the dynamics."⁸⁸ According to Scientology, various ethical states (or "conditions") represent one's degree of success and a sequence of steps can improve an individual's "condition".^{citation needed} Scientologists use statistical measurement to assess "survival potential", where a downward trend could identify negative effects and an upward trend could identify positive effects.^{citation needed} Professor Stephen A. Kent quotes Hubbard as pronouncing that "the purpose of ethics is to remove counter-intentions from the environment. Having accomplished that, the purpose becomes to remove other intentionedness from the environment." Kent interprets this as "a peculiar brand of morality that uniquely benefited [the Church of Scientology]… In plain English, the purpose of Scientology ethics is to eliminate opponents, then eliminate people's interests in things other than Scientology."⁸⁹

Ceremonies

The Church of Scientology provides Sunday services as well as social ceremonies for marriage, birth, and death that are performed by an ordained Scientology minister. Most, if not all, of the actual ceremonies used were written by L. Ron Hubbard and are collected in the book, Ceremonies of the Church of Scientology. At a funeral service, the minister speaks directly to the departing spirit and grants forgiveness for anything the deceased has done so he can begin life anew.⁹⁰

Auditing

Scientology asserts that people have hidden abilities which have not yet been fully realized.^{citation needed} The Church of Scientology claims its tenets are not a matter of faith but of testable practice.^{citation needed} It is believed that further spiritual awareness and physical benefits are accomplished through counseling sessions referred to as "auditing".^{citation needed} Through auditing, it is said that people can solve their problems and free themselves of ethical transgressions and bad decisions.⁸⁴ Those who study Scientology materials and receive auditing sessions advance from a status of "preclear" to "Operating Thetan".⁹¹⁹²

"Auditing" is a one-on-one session with a Scientology counselor or "auditor." Most auditing requires an E-meter, a device that measures minute changes in electrical resistance through the body when a person holds electrodes (metal "cans"), and a small current is passed through them; Scientology states that it helps locate an area of concern.⁹³ In the auditing process, the recipient (or "preclear") discloses specific traumatic incidents, prior transgressions and bad decisions to the person auditing. In one form of auditing, the auditor asks the recipient to respond to a list of questions in strict order.

A 1971 ruling of the United States District Court, District of Columbia (333 F. Supp. 357), specifically stated, "the E-meter has no proven usefulness in the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of any disease, nor is it medically or scientifically capable of improving any bodily function."⁹⁴ The following disclaimer or similar statements have appeared in Scientology publications in reference to the E-Meter: "By itself, the E-meter does nothing. It is an electronic instrument that measures mental state and change of state in individuals and assists the precision and speed of auditing. The E-Meter is not intended or effective for the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of any disease".⁹⁵ L Ron Hubbard stated that use of the E-meter should be limited to Scientology staff.⁹⁶

During the auditing process, the auditor may collect personal information from the person being audited. Auditing records are referred to within Scientology as "preclear folders". The Church of Scientology claims in a legal waiver that all auditing records are kept confidential.⁹⁷ However, in some instances former members have claimed the Church used information obtained in auditing sessions against them.⁹⁸⁹⁹¹⁰⁰¹⁰¹ On 16 December 1969 a Guardian's Office order by Mary Sue Hubbard authorized the use of auditing records for purposes of "internal security."¹⁰² Ken Hoden, the president of the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles, stated in a declaration that confessional information given by members is confidential.¹⁰³. However, a California court found that former members of the church knew that their confidential data might be used by the Church for "intimidation or other physical or psychological abuse" and noted: "The record is replete with evidence of such abuse."¹⁰⁴ The Church of Scientology of California responded by stating that the letter which gave Mary Sue Hubbard authority to cull confessional files was not official policy and had been previously canceled.¹⁰⁵

In Scientology it is considered a high crime to audit people who:^{citation needed}

Reincarnation and confidential materials

In the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, Hubbard proposed that emotional duress in an individual's life is caused by an accumulation of unpleasant memories and traumatic incidents, some of which predated the life of the human. In Scientology, he further stated that spirits (or "thetans") have existed for tens of trillions of years (several orders of magnitude greater than the scientifically accepted estimate of the age of the universe). During that time, Hubbard says that thetans have been exposed to a vast number of traumatic incidents and have made a great many decisions that influence their present state. According to Hubbard, thetans were conditioned by extraterrestrial dictatorships such as Helatrobus in an attempt to brainwash and control the population. Hubbard describes these early events collectively as "space opera."

Scientologists who have advanced to a state of "Clear" may continue onto the higher OT (or "Operating Thetan") Levels. In the previously confidential OT levels, Hubbard explains how to reverse the effects of past-life trauma patterns that supposedly extend millions of years into the past.¹⁰⁶ Among these advanced teachings is the story of Xenu (sometimes Xemu), introduced as an alien ruler of the "Galactic Confederacy." According to this story, 75 million years ago Xenu brought billions of people to Earth in spacecraft resembling Douglas DC-8 airliners, stacked them around volcanoes and detonated hydrogen bombs in the volcanoes. The thetans then clustered together, stuck to the bodies of the living, and continue to do this today. Scientologists at advanced levels place considerable emphasis on isolating thetans and neutralizing their ill effects.¹⁰⁷

The high-ranking OT levels are made available to Scientologists only by invitation, after a review of the candidate's character and contribution to the aims of Scientology.⁸⁴ Individuals who have read these materials may not disclose what they contain without jeopardizing their standing in the Church.⁸⁴ Excerpts and descriptions of OT materials were published online by a former member in 1995 and then circulated in mainstream media.⁸⁴ This occurred after the teachings were submitted as evidence in court cases involving Scientology, thus becoming a matter of public record.¹⁰⁶¹⁰⁸ There are eight publicly-known OT levels, OT I to VIII.^{citation needed} Church management has promised to release a ninth OT level once certain expansion goals are met.¹⁰⁹ The OT VIII designation is only granted at sea, on the Freewinds, a Scientology ship.^{citation needed}

There is a large Church of Spiritual Technology symbol carved into the ground at Scientology's Trementina Base that is visible from the air.¹¹⁰ Washington Post reporter Richard Leiby wrote, "Former Scientologists familiar with Hubbard’s teachings on reincarnation say the symbol marks a 'return point' so loyal staff members know where they can find the founder’s works when they travel here in the future from other places in the universe."¹¹¹

Controversies

Of the many new religious movements to appear during the 20th century, the Church of Scientology has, from its inception, been one of the most controversial, coming into conflict with the governments and police forces of several countries (including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada¹¹⁴ and Germany) numerous times over the years.⁶⁰¹¹⁵²¹⁴¹¹⁶¹¹⁷¹¹⁸

Reports and allegations have been made, by journalists, courts, and governmental bodies of several countries, that the Church of Scientology is an unscrupulous commercial enterprise that harasses its critics and brutally exploits its members.⁶⁰¹¹⁵ Some critics of Scientology have recanted under duress.¹¹⁹ In some cases of US litigation against the Church, former Scientologists appearing as expert witnesses have since stated that they submitted false and inflammatory declarations intended to incite prejudice against Scientology, ¹²⁰ and harassed key Scientology executives, by advancing unfounded opinions to get a case dropped or to obtain a settlement.¹²¹

The controversies involving the Church and its critics, some of them ongoing, include:

Due to these allegations, a considerable amount of investigation has been aimed at the Church, by groups ranging from the media to governmental agencies.⁶⁰¹¹⁵

Scientology social programs such as drug and criminal rehabilitation have likewise drawn both support and criticism.¹²⁵¹²⁶¹²⁷¹²⁸

Professor of sociology Stephen Kent says "Scientologists see themselves as possessors of doctrines and skills that can save the world, if not the galaxy,".⁸⁴ As stated in Scientology doctrine: "The whole agonized future of this planet, every man, woman and child on it, and your own destiny for the next endless trillions of years depend on what you do here and now with and in Scientology."⁸⁴

Treatment of critics

On 12 May 2007 Journalist John Sweeney of BBC Panorama made highly critical comments regarding Scientology and its teachings, and further reported that since beginning an extensive investigation he had been harassed, surveilled, and investigated by strangers. Sweeney wrote, "I have been shouted at, spied on, had my hotel invaded at midnight, denounced as a "bigot" by star Scientologists and chased round the streets of Los Angeles by sinister strangers. Back in Britain strangers have called on my neighbors, my mother-in-law's house and someone spied on my wedding and fled the moment he was challenged." In another passage, "He [Scientology representative Tommy Davis] harangued me for talking to […] heretics. I told him that Scientology had been spying on the BBC and that was creepy." And in another passage, "In LA, the moment our hire car left the airport we realized we were being followed by two cars. In our hotel a weird stranger spent every breakfast listening to us."¹²⁹¹³⁰

The Church of Scientology called John Sweeney's documentary (first aired 14 May 2007) into question and produced its own documentary in which it claimed to have documented 154 violations in the BBC's and OfCom's guidelines.^{citation needed}

The Church documentary also claimed that the BBC had organized a demonstration outside a Church building in London in order to film it, following which e-mailed anonymous death threats had been made against the Church. The BBC described these allegations as "clearly laughable and utter nonsense" whilst representatives of the picket group stated that the BBC had simply turned up to a scheduled picket date that was part of an ongoing protest since 1996.¹³¹ Sandy Smith, the BBC program's producer, commented that the Church of Scientology has "no way of dealing with any kind of criticism at all."¹³²

Scientology and the internet

In the 1990s Scientology representatives began to take action against increased criticism against Scientology on the Internet. The organization claims that actions taken were to prevent distribution of copyrighted Scientology documents and publications online, fighting what it refers to as "copyright terrorists".¹³³

An Internet-based group which refers to itself as 'Anonymous' held protests outside Scientology centers in cities around the world in February 2008 as part of Project Chanology. Issues they protested ranged from alleged abuse of followers to the validity of its claims to qualify as a state-sponsored religion.¹³⁴

In January 1995, Church lawyer Helena Kobrin attempted to shut down the newsgroup alt.religion.scientology by sending a control message instructing Usenet servers to delete the group.¹³⁵ In practice, this rmgroup message had little effect, since most Usenet servers are configured to disregard such messages when sent to groups that receive substantial traffic, and newgroup messages were quickly issued to recreate the group on those servers that did not do so. However, the issuance of the message led to a great deal of public criticism by free-speech advocates.^{citation needed} Among the criticism raised, one suggestion is that Scientology's true motive is to suppress the free speech of its critics.^{citation needed}

Beginning in the middle of 1996 and ensuing for several years, the newsgroup was attacked by anonymous parties using a tactic dubbed "sporgery" by some, in the form of hundreds of thousands of forged spam messages posted on the group. Some investigators said that some spam had been traced to Church members.^{citation needed} Former Scientologist Tory Christman confessed to having been part of the sporgery project after leaving the Church. She had taken money supplied by the Office of Special Affairs to open up Internet accounts at various ISPs under false names and accounts from which she later saw forged and garbled communications being sent.¹³⁶

On 14 January 2008, a video produced by the Church of Scientology featuring an interview with Tom Cruise was leaked to the Internet and uploaded to YouTube.¹³⁷¹³⁸¹³⁹ The Church of Scientology issued a copyright violation claim against YouTube requesting the removal of the video.¹⁴⁰ Subsequently, a group criticial of Scientology was formed on the internet, referring to themselves as Anonymous. The group originally consisted of users of the English speaking imageboards 4chan and 711chan.org, the associated partyvan.info wiki, and several Internet Relay Chat channels. Calling the action by the Church of Scientology a form of Internet censorship, participants of Anonymous coordinated Project Chanology, which constisted of a series of denial-of-service attacks against Scientology websites, prank calls, and black faxes to Scientology centers.¹⁴¹¹⁴²¹⁴³¹⁴⁴¹⁴⁵ On 21 January 2008, Anonymous announced its intentions via a video posted to YouTube entitled "Message to Scientology", and a press release declaring a "War on Scientology" against both the Church of Scientology and the Religious Technology Center.¹⁴⁴¹⁴⁶¹⁴⁷ In the press release, the group states that the attacks against the Church of Scientology will continue in order to protect the right to freedom of speech, and end what they believe to be the financial exploitation of church members.¹⁴⁸ A new video "Call to Action" appeared on YouTube on 28 January 2008, calling for protests outside Church of Scientology centers on 10 February 2008.¹⁴⁹¹⁵⁰

On 2 February 2008, 150 people gathered outside of a Church of Scientology center in Orlando, Florida to protest the organization's practices.¹⁵¹¹⁵²¹⁵³¹⁵⁴ Small protests were also held in Santa Barbara, California,¹⁵⁵ and Manchester, England.¹⁵⁶¹⁵² On 10 February 2008, about 7,000 people protested in more than 93 cities worldwide.¹⁵⁷¹⁵⁸ Many protesters wore masks based on the character V from V for Vendetta (who was influenced by Guy Fawkes), or otherwise disguised their identities, in part to protect themselves from reprisals from the Church of Scientology.¹⁵⁹¹⁶⁰ Anonymous held a second wave of protests on 15 March 2008 in cities all over the world, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Vancouver, Toronto, Berlin, and Dublin. The global turnout was estimated to be between 7000 and 8000.¹⁶¹ Anonymous held its third protest against Scientology on 12 April 2008.¹⁶²¹⁶³ Named "Operation Reconnect", it aimed to increase awareness of the Church of Scientology's disconnection policy.¹³⁷

Scientology and hypnosis

Scientology literature claims that L. Ron Hubbard demonstrated his professional expertise in hypnosis by "discovering" the Dianetic engram. Hubbard was said to be an accomplished hypnotist, and close acquaintances such as Forrest Ackerman (Hubbard's literary agent) and A. E. van Vogt (an early supporter of Dianetics) witnessed repeated demonstrations of his hypnotic skills.⁵⁸ Licensed psychotherapists allege that "auditing" sessions are considered a mental health treatment without a license.^{citation needed} The Church disputes these statements and says that its practice leads to spiritual relief.^{citation needed}

The Anderson Report, an inquiry conducted in 1965 for the state of Victoria, Australia, found that the auditing process involved "command" hypnosis, in which the hypnotist assumes "positive authoritative control" over the patient. "It is the firm conclusion of this Board that most scientology and dianetics techniques are those of authoritative hypnosis and as such are dangerous… The scientific evidence which the Board heard from several expert witnesses of the highest repute… which was virtually unchallenged—leads to the inescapable conclusion that it is only in name that there is any difference between authoritative hypnosis and most of the techniques of scientology. Many scientology techniques are in fact hypnotic techniques, and Hubbard has not changed their nature by changing their names."¹⁶⁴

Scientology and psychiatry

The Church of Scientology is one of a number of groups involved in the anti-psychiatry movement, and one of the few organizations that publicly oppose the study and application of psychology in addition to psychiatry, claiming that psychiatry was responsible for World War I,^{citation needed} the rise of Hitler and Stalin,¹⁶⁵ the decline in education standards in the United States,¹⁶⁶ the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo,¹⁶⁷ and the September 11 attacks.¹⁶⁸ The Church's point of view on these issues is documented mainly by Church groups and magazines such as those published by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights and Freedom Magazine.

Actor Tom Cruise, a well-known Scientologist, has publicity criticized the psychiatric field.¹⁶⁹ In response to Cruise's statements, an editor from the Journal of Clinical Investigation stated that Cruise is "dangerous and irresponsible."¹⁷⁰

Inflation of member statistics

In 2005, Scientology stated its worldwide membership at 8 million people, and that number included people who took only the introductory course and didn't continue on.⁴⁸ In 2007 the Church claimed 3.5 million members in the United States,¹⁷¹ but according to a 2001 survey published by the City University of New York, 55,000 people in the United States would, if asked to identify their religion, have stated Scientology.¹⁷² It has been estimated by another source outside of Scientology that adherents number under 500 thousand.¹⁷³

Scientologists tend to disparage general religious surveys on the grounds that many members maintaining cultural and social ties to other religious groups will, when asked their religion, answer with their traditional and more socially acceptable affiliation.¹⁷³ Religious scholar J. Gordon Melton has said that the church's estimates of its membership numbers are exaggerated.¹⁷⁴

Celebrities

Scientology has attracted several artists and entertainers, particularly Hollywood celebrities. Hubbard saw to the formation of a special church which would cater to artists, politicians, leaders of industry, sports figures and anyone with the power and vision "to create a better world."¹⁷⁵ There are eight so-called Celebrity Centres, although Hollywood is the largest. Entertainers — including John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Lisa Marie Presley, Jason Lee, Isaac Hayes, Tom Cruise, and Katie Holmes — have generated considerable publicity for Scientology. Former Scientologists say that celebrity practitioners get more attention than non-celebrity practitioners. For example, former Scientologist Maureen Bolstad noted that a couple of dozen Scientologists including herself were put to work on a rainy night through dawn planting grass in order "to help Tom impress Nicole (Kidman)."¹⁷⁶

Andre Tabayoyon, a former Scientologist and Sea Org staffer, testified in a 1994 affidavit that money from non-profit Scientology organizations and labor from those organizations (including the Rehabilitation Project Force) had gone to provide special facilities for Scientology celebrities, which were not available to other Scientologists.¹⁷⁷ "A Sea Org staffer was taken along to do personal cooking for Tom Cruise and Miscavige at the expense of Scientology non-profit religious organizations. This left only 3 cooks at Gold Base to cook for 800 people three times a day. . . . Apartment cottages were built for the use of John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Edgar Winter, Priscilla Presley and other Scientology celebrities who are carefully prevented from finding out the real truth about the Scientology organization. . . . Miscavige decided to redo the meadow in beautiful flowers; tens of thousands of dollars were spent on the project so that Cruise and Kidman could romp there. However, Miscavige inspected the project and didn't like it. So the whole meadow was plowed up, destroyed, replowed and sown with plain grass."¹⁷⁸ Diana Canova, who experienced Scientology both before and during her period of TV stardom, expressed it in a September 1993 interview: "When I started, I wasn't in television yet. I was a nobody—I'd done some TV, but I was not one of the elite, not by a long shot—until I did Soap. Then it became…I mean, you really are treated like royalty."¹⁷⁹

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