Scientology
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This article or section has multiple issues. Please help improve the article or discuss these issues on the talk page.
It needs sources or references that appear in third-party publications. Tagged since February 2008.

Its neutrality is disputed. Tagged since January 2009.



Not to be confused with Religious Science or Christian Science.
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 [link]
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.[3][4] Scientologists believe that people are immortal spiritual beings who have forgotten their true nature and are reborn until they attain infinite survival;[5] by learning to understand the world, they believe they can achieve salvation.[6] The Church of Scientology upholds the notion that individuals can discover for themselves whether Scientology works through personal observation and experience rather than blind faith.[7] Scientology's means for spiritual rehabilitation is a type of counseling called "auditing".[3]

There are a large number of organizations overseeing the application of Scientology have been established, many of which are separate legal entities.[8] Most notable of these organizations is the Church of Scientology, whose primary concern is to uphold the belief system of Scientology. Scientology auspices a variety of social betterment programs to sevice the larger secular society,[9][8] some that have been described as Scientology promotional campaigns,[10] including a set of moral standards, an anti-drug program, an education methodology, a volunteer organization and a business management method.[11]

One controversial aspect of Scientology beliefs is the idea that thetans lived among extraterrestrial cultures before becoming trapped in bodies on Earth.[12] Former members say that stories of supposed extraterrestrial origins are not revealed until thousands of dollars are paid to the Church of Scientology.[13][14] Another controversial belief held among Scientologists is that the practice of psychiatry is destructive, abusive and must be abolished.[15][16]

Although Scientology is recognized as a bona fide religion in some countries such as the United States,[17][18] it has been widely criticized by its critics as a cult that financially defrauds and abuses its members.[19][20][21] The Church of Scientology has also been accused of harassing its critics,[22][23][24][25][26][27] and has consistently used litigation against them.[28][29][30]

Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Etymology
1.2 Influences
2 Beliefs and practices
2.1 Spirit, body and mind
2.2 Survival and the eight dynamics
2.3 Ethics
2.4 ARC and KRC triangles
2.5 The Tone scale
2.6 Materials
2.7 Auditing
2.8 Space opera and confidential materials
2.9 Ceremonies
3 Dispute of "religion" status
3.1 Scientology as a commercial venture
3.2 Compatibility with other religions
3.3 Recognition in other countries
4 Organization
4.1 Distinct legal entities
5 Controversies
5.1 Scientology and the internet
5.2 Scientology and hypnosis
5.3 Auditing Confidentiality
5.4 Scientology and psychiatry
5.5 Inflation of member statistics
6 Celebrities
7 See also
8 Notes
9 References
10 External links



History

New York City Center at 227 West 46th in the Broadway theatre district in New York. The building was built in 1912 for the White Rats Club and was acquired by Scientology in 1980.[31]Main article: Timeline of Scientology
Scientology was developed by American science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics. Dianetics was originally intended to be a new psychotherapy and gave no indication that Dianetics would later become the foundation on which a religion would be created.[32][33]

Hubbard first published his ideas on the human mind in 1948 in a self-published book entitled The Original Thesis that only saw private circulation.[34] The Original Thesis raised sufficient interest in Dianetics in his social networks for him to publish two articles about it in the Explorers Club Journal and the May 1950 issue of Astounding Science Fiction magazine.[35] Two of Hubbard's key supporters at that time were John W. Campbell Jr., editor of Astounding Science Fiction, and Dr. J. A. Winter. Dr. J. A. Winter, hoping to have Dianetics accepted in the medical community, submitted papers outlining the principles and methodology of Dianetic therapy to the journal of the American Medical Association and the American Journal of Psychiatry, but these were rejected.[36]

In April 1950, Hubbard and several supporters established the Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where Hubbard started to train his first Dianetics auditors. In May 1950 the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health was published. It became an instant bestseller and caused nationwide interest in the subject. Overnight, Hubbard found himself the leader of a growing Dianetics movement.[35] The following year, Hubbard introduced the "electropsychometer" (E-meter) as an auditing aid.[37]

Not too long after its release, Dianetics met with scientific criticism. Newsweek was quoted as saying that "the dianetics concept is unscientific and unworthy of discussion or review."[38] 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 led to the organization's bankruptcy.[39][40][41]

In 1952, Hubbard built on the existing framework set forth in Dianetics, and published a new set of teachings as Scientology, a religious philosophy.[42] 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.[43]

Scientology was recognized as a tax-exempt religion in the United States in 1957.[44]

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.[45]

In 1966 Hubbard stepped down as executive director of Scientology.[46]

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.[44]

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.

In 1981, Scientology took the German government to court for the first time.[47]

On January 1st, 1982 RTC is established to oversee and ensure the standard application of Scientology technology. RTC is headed by David Miscavige[48]

On the 11th of November, 1982 the Free Zone was established by former top Scientologists in disagreement with RTC.[49] The Free Zone later became known as "Ron's Org" and was headed by former Hubbard Scientology Flagship Apollo Sea Org Captain "Bill" Robertson. The Free Zone Association was founded and registered under the laws of Germany.[50]

In 1982 Scientology was recognised as a religion in Australia.[51]

Between 1985 and 1987, Scientology Freedom Magazine published a nineteen-part series by Colonel L. Fletcher Prouty that later became the best-seller JFK which was made into a movie by Oliver Stone as an exposé of the President's assassination plot.[52]

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.

Starting in 1991, persons connected with Scientology filed fifty lawsuits against the Cult Awareness Network (CAN), a group that had been critical of Scientology.[53] Although many of the suits were dismissed, one of the suits filed against the Cult Awareness Network resulted in $2 million in losses for the network.[53] Consequently, the organization was forced to go bankrupt.[53] In 1996, Steven L. Hayes, a Scientologist, purchased the bankrupt Cult Awareness Network's logo and appurtenances.[54][53] A new Cult Awareness Network was set up with Scientology backing, which operates as an information and networking center for non-traditional religions, referring callers to academics and other experts.[55][56]

In December of 1993, the Church of Scientology experienced a major breakthrough in its ongoing legal battles when the IRS granted full tax exemption to all Scientology Churches, missions and organizations. [57]The tax-exempt status came after an aggressive Scientology "campaign" against the IRS.[44] In 1991, Mr. Miscavige, the highest-ranking Scientology leader, arranged a meeting with Fred T. Goldberg Jr., the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service at the time.[58] The meeting was an “opportunity for the church to offer to end its long dispute with the agency, including the dozens of suits brought against the I.R.S.” The committee met several times with the Scientology legal team and "was persuaded that those involved in the Snow White crimes had been purged, that church money was devoted to tax-exempt purposes and that, with Mr. Hubbard's death, no one was getting rich from Scientology."[44]

In August 1993, a settlement was reached; the church would receive its tax-exempt status and end its legal assault on the I.R.S. and its personnel. The church was only required to resubmit new applications for exemption to the I.R.S. exempt organizations division; the division was told "not to consider any substantive matters" because those issues had been resolved by the committee.[44] The secret agreement was announced on Oct. 13, 1993 with the I.R.S. refusing to disclose any of the terms or the reasoning behind their decision. "I.R.S. officials insisted that Scientology's tactics had not affected the decision" and that "Ultimately the decision was made on a legal basis".[44]

Four months after the I.R.S. exemptions were granted, the U.S. State Department released its human rights report for 1993, which for the first time raised issues of religious discrimination against Scientologists.[44]

In 2000, the Italian Supreme Court ruled that Scientology is a religion.[59][60] In the early 2000s, this was followed by religious recognition in a number of other European countries, including Sweden,[61][62] Spain,[62][63] Portugal,[64] Slovenia,[62] Croatia[62] and Hungary,[62] as well as New Zealand[65] and Taiwan.[61]


Etymology
See also: Scientologie, Wissenschaft von der Beschaffenheit und der Tauglichkeit des Wissens
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".[66] Philologist Allen Upward used the word "scientology" in his 1901 book The New Word as a synonym for "pseudoscience,"[67] and this is sometimes cited as the first coining of the word. 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").[68] 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". It is uncertain whether Hubbard was aware of prior

Scientology
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article or section has multiple issues. Please help improve the article or discuss these issues on the talk page.
It needs sources or references that appear in third-party publications. Tagged since February 2008.

Its neutrality is disputed. Tagged since January 2009.



Not to be confused with Religious Science or Christian Science.
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 [link]
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.[3][4] Scientologists believe that people are immortal spiritual beings who have forgotten their true nature and are reborn until they attain infinite survival;[5] by learning to understand the world, they believe they can achieve salvation.[6] The Church of Scientology upholds the notion that individuals can discover for themselves whether Scientology works through personal observation and experience rather than blind faith.[7] Scientology's means for spiritual rehabilitation is a type of counseling called "auditing".[3]

There are a large number of organizations overseeing the application of Scientology have been established, many of which are separate legal entities.[8] Most notable of these organizations is the Church of Scientology, whose primary concern is to uphold the belief system of Scientology. Scientology auspices a variety of social betterment programs to sevice the larger secular society,[9][8] some that have been described as Scientology promotional campaigns,[10] including a set of moral standards, an anti-drug program, an education methodology, a volunteer organization and a business management method.[11]

One controversial aspect of Scientology beliefs is the idea that thetans lived among extraterrestrial cultures before becoming trapped in bodies on Earth.[12] Former members say that stories of supposed extraterrestrial origins are not revealed until thousands of dollars are paid to the Church of Scientology.[13][14] Another controversial belief held among Scientologists is that the practice of psychiatry is destructive, abusive and must be abolished.[15][16]

Although Scientology is recognized as a bona fide religion in some countries such as the United States,[17][18] it has been widely criticized by its critics as a cult that financially defrauds and abuses its members.[19][20][21] The Church of Scientology has also been accused of harassing its critics,[22][23][24][25][26][27] and has consistently used litigation against them.[28][29][30]

Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Etymology
1.2 Influences
2 Beliefs and practices
2.1 Spirit, body and mind
2.2 Survival and the eight dynamics
2.3 Ethics
2.4 ARC and KRC triangles
2.5 The Tone scale
2.6 Materials
2.7 Auditing
2.8 Space opera and confidential materials
2.9 Ceremonies
3 Dispute of "religion" status
3.1 Scientology as a commercial venture
3.2 Compatibility with other religions
3.3 Recognition in other countries
4 Organization
4.1 Distinct legal entities
5 Controversies
5.1 Scientology and the internet
5.2 Scientology and hypnosis
5.3 Auditing Confidentiality
5.4 Scientology and psychiatry
5.5 Inflation of member statistics
6 Celebrities
7 See also
8 Notes
9 References
10 External links



History

New York City Center at 227 West 46th in the Broadway theatre district in New York. The building was built in 1912 for the White Rats Club and was acquired by Scientology in 1980.[31]Main article: Timeline of Scientology
Scientology was developed by American science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics. Dianetics was originally intended to be a new psychotherapy and gave no indication that Dianetics would later become the foundation on which a religion would be created.[32][33]

Hubbard first published his ideas on the human mind in 1948 in a self-published book entitled The Original Thesis that only saw private circulation.[34] The Original Thesis raised sufficient interest in Dianetics in his social networks for him to publish two articles about it in the Explorers Club Journal and the May 1950 issue of Astounding Science Fiction magazine.[35] Two of Hubbard's key supporters at that time were John W. Campbell Jr., editor of Astounding Science Fiction, and Dr. J. A. Winter. Dr. J. A. Winter, hoping to have Dianetics accepted in the medical community, submitted papers outlining the principles and methodology of Dianetic therapy to the journal of the American Medical Association and the American Journal of Psychiatry, but these were rejected.[36]

In April 1950, Hubbard and several supporters established the Hubbard Dianetic Research Foundation in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where Hubbard started to train his first Dianetics auditors. In May 1950 the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health was published. It became an instant bestseller and caused nationwide interest in the subject. Overnight, Hubbard found himself the leader of a growing Dianetics movement.[35] The following year, Hubbard introduced the "electropsychometer" (E-meter) as an auditing aid.[37]

Not too long after its release, Dianetics met with scientific criticism. Newsweek was quoted as saying that "the dianetics concept is unscientific and unworthy of discussion or review."[38] 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 led to the organization's bankruptcy.[39][40][41]

In 1952, Hubbard built on the existing framework set forth in Dianetics, and published a new set of teachings as Scientology, a religious philosophy.[42] 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.[43]

Scientology was recognized as a tax-exempt religion in the United States in 1957.[44]

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.[45]

In 1966 Hubbard stepped down as executive director of Scientology.[46]

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.[44]

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.

In 1981, Scientology took the German government to court for the first time.[47]

On January 1st, 1982 RTC is established to oversee and ensure the standard application of Scientology technology. RTC is headed by David Miscavige[48]

On the 11th of November, 1982 the Free Zone was established by former top Scientologists in disagreement with RTC.[49] The Free Zone later became known as "Ron's Org" and was headed by former Hubbard Scientology Flagship Apollo Sea Org Captain "Bill" Robertson. The Free Zone Association was founded and registered under the laws of Germany.[50]

In 1982 Scientology was recognised as a religion in Australia.[51]

Between 1985 and 1987, Scientology Freedom Magazine published a nineteen-part series by Colonel L. Fletcher Prouty that later became the best-seller JFK which was made into a movie by Oliver Stone as an exposé of the President's assassination plot.[52]

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.

Starting in 1991, persons connected with Scientology filed fifty lawsuits against the Cult Awareness Network (CAN), a group that had been critical of Scientology.[53] Although many of the suits were dismissed, one of the suits filed against the Cult Awareness Network resulted in $2 million in losses for the network.[53] Consequently, the organization was forced to go bankrupt.[53] In 1996, Steven L. Hayes, a Scientologist, purchased the bankrupt Cult Awareness Network's logo and appurtenances.[54][53] A new Cult Awareness Network was set up with Scientology backing, which operates as an information and networking center for non-traditional religions, referring callers to academics and other experts.[55][56]

In December of 1993, the Church of Scientology experienced a major breakthrough in its ongoing legal battles when the IRS granted full tax exemption to all Scientology Churches, missions and organizations. [57]The tax-exempt status came after an aggressive Scientology "campaign" against the IRS.[44] In 1991, Mr. Miscavige, the highest-ranking Scientology leader, arranged a meeting with Fred T. Goldberg Jr., the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service at the time.[58] The meeting was an “opportunity for the church to offer to end its long dispute with the agency, including the dozens of suits brought against the I.R.S.” The committee met several times with the Scientology legal team and "was persuaded that those involved in the Snow White crimes had been purged, that church money was devoted to tax-exempt purposes and that, with Mr. Hubbard's death, no one was getting rich from Scientology."[44]

In August 1993, a settlement was reached; the church would receive its tax-exempt status and end its legal assault on the I.R.S. and its personnel. The church was only required to resubmit new applications for exemption to the I.R.S. exempt organizations division; the division was told "not to consider any substantive matters" because those issues had been resolved by the committee.[44] The secret agreement was announced on Oct. 13, 1993 with the I.R.S. refusing to disclose any of the terms or the reasoning behind their decision. "I.R.S. officials insisted that Scientology's tactics had not affected the decision" and that "Ultimately the decision was made on a legal basis".[44]

Four months after the I.R.S. exemptions were granted, the U.S. State Department released its human rights report for 1993, which for the first time raised issues of religious discrimination against Scientologists.[44]

In 2000, the Italian Supreme Court ruled that Scientology is a religion.[59][60] In the early 2000s, this was followed by religious recognition in a number of other European countries, including Sweden,[61][62] Spain,[62][63] Portugal,[64] Slovenia,[62] Croatia[62] and Hungary,[62] as well as New Zealand[65] and Taiwan.[61]


Etymology
See also: Scientologie, Wissenschaft von der Beschaffenheit und der Tauglichkeit des Wissens
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".[66] Philologist Allen Upward used the word "scientology" in his 1901 book The New Word as a synonym for "pseudoscience,"[67] and this is sometimes cited as the first coining of the word. 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").[68] 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". It is uncertain whether Hubbard was aware of prior