Scientology - what is it? Church of Scientology. Scientology sect

One of the most scandalous and controversial organizations in the world. Science or religion, cult or commercial organization? All of these concepts can be attributed to the term Scientology. What is this in fact, we will try to tell in our article.

You will get acquainted with a brief history of this movement, its currents and basic ideas. In addition, the main points of criticism related to Scientology will be voiced.

The meaning of the term

From time to time, this word appears in the press in connection with various scandals. So Scientology - what is it? According to information from the founder of the movement, L. Ron Hubbard, he coined the term by combining two words: the Latin scio, which means "know Ie ”, and the Greek logos, which means“ word ”- in other words, the external form that is given to the inner thought for its expression and message , but also means this very inner thought or reason. Scientology is therefore “knowledge of knowledge. " L. Ron Hubbard emphasized the idea of ​​knowledge, because it is it that leads a person to a clear and complete understanding of their spiritual nature. Knowledge helps you figure out a relationship with by oneself, family, groups, humanity, life forms, material and spiritual universes, and also with the Supreme Being.

In March 1952, Hubbard first used the word when he called his lecture in Wichita, Kansas, Scientology: The First Milestone. Although this word was previously used by other writers such as Allen Upward and Anastasius Nordenholtz, it is impossible to speak clearly about Hubbard's borrowing from earlier works. These are too often used words in the English-speaking environment. Therefore, this question remains open for researchers, but the fact of the existence of this direction is more important to us, since later we will talk about the history of its formation.

Scientology History

Scientology teaching was a continuation of the dianetics of L. Ron Hubbard. The author defined Dianetics as a doctrine of mental health, publishing in 1950 the book "Dianetics: the modern science of mental health." The key to it were the methods of mental therapy.

Based on the groups that brought together many interested in the innovations of Dianetics, Scientology was created in 1952. The society was called the Hubbard Scientology Association. Subsequently , the newly founded Dianetic College is transferred to Arizona (the city of Phoenix). And three years later, the first Church of Scientology opens in the capital of the United States of America .

In 1981, the International Church of Scientology was established to serve as the “mother church” for all other churches. In 1982, the Center for Religious Technology was established to control the use and distribution of materials, technologies and brands.

Scientology advocates are the most common in the United States today. Among them, there are even Hollywood stars, for example, John Travolta and Tom Cruise. After the death of the founder, the followers divided into two currents, which we will talk about a little later.

Main ideas

We will now briefly outline the fundamentals of Scientology that Ron Hubbard set out for twenty years (in the fifties and sixties of the twentieth century). So Scientology - what is it?

Followers themselves define doctrine as a religion. They also speak of it as applied religious philosophy. Scientologists set as their goal the study of the human spirit, as well as the practice of its relationship and relationship with itself, the universes, and the rest of life.

In Scientology, man is an immortal spiritual being endowed with natural capabilities that can be improved to a greater extent than is commonly believed.

In contrast to the beliefs traditional for Christianity and many other religions, where people have a soul and are a unity of soul and body, in Scientology a person is his own soul, a spiritual being. Moreover, in this capacity he lived before this life and will live again.

Some publications, notably the Encyclopedia Britannica, point to the similarity of Scientology's ideas to reincarnation, although Hubbard himself did not use the word.

L. Ron Hubbard proclaimed several key points in the philosophy of Scientology.

First of all, all people are good in essence. They strive not only for their own survival, but also for the survival of their family, group, humanity, animate and inanimate nature, spiritual beings and (ultimately) infinity or the Supreme Being.

Secondly, in order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to achieve unity with oneself, one's neighbors and the universe.

And the last: salvation is possible only through the spirit. If you can recognize him, you can even heal the body.

Currents

As the doctrine developed, many followers appeared. According to some sources, there are supporters of this religion among citizens of more than 100 countries of the world, and their total number is about 8-10 million people.

Moreover, the data of Scientologists themselves indicate the presence of more than three thousand missions in these countries. In the mid-nineties of the last century in the Russian Federation, there were about ten thousand followers and sympathizers.

After the death of religion founder Ron Hubbard (in 1986), the movement is divided into two movements - the Church of Scientology and the Free Zone. We will talk more about them later.

Scientology in Russia

Scientology organizations first appeared in Russia in January 1994, when the Church of Scientology of Moscow was registered. Later a series of scandals and speeches by various critics began, injunctions and their appeal. Scientology organizations were banned several times. Petersburg, for example, survived the liquidation of the Scientology Center in 2007.

Also in June 2011, one of the Moscow courts recognized eight works by Ron Hubbard as extremist and prohibited their distribution in Russia. However, Russia has a law on freedom of conscience and religious association, so Scientology groups can and do function in the country. Let us now talk separately about the two currents that appeared in the eighties.

Church

The first of these is called the Church of Scientology. In fact, it is the oldest organization in the history of this movement. It was founded in 1954, shortly after the start of the popularization of Ron Hubbard's ideas. Today it is the only successor and manager of all the technologies and trademarks of the founder of the company.

The copyright for the works of Ron Hubbard owned by the Church of Scientology, according to the laws of the Russian Federation, ends in 2056. Therefore, in this country, after several decades, the organization will not be able to use exclusive rights to products and ideas.

In addition, the Center for Religious Technology is the only organization that owns all trademarks. Due to the specific hierarchy of the corporation, only he can issue licenses for their use. Even the Church of Scientology International does not have such an opportunity, although it is essentially the parent organization.

So Scientology in Russia went two ways. There are religious groups in the country who work under the spiritual leadership of the International Church of Scientology. However, there are those who have shown interest in the new trend, which is spreading in Western Europe. The organization is called the Free Zone. She formed and took shape after the death of the founder of the doctrine.

This movement is not a single and centralized society, like the Church of Scientology. Here are various societies. Some seek to preserve the doctrine in the form in which it was under Hubbard, while others want its improvement and development.

In order to avoid copyright-based legal conflict, Free Zone followers exclusively use lifetime editions of Hubbard’s work, as well as personal writings.

In fact, this movement is promoting Scientology as a religion. Most of the other areas for which the Church has patents and rights are not officially developed by fans of the “Free Zone”.

Criticism

Many journalists and researchers have tried to understand what Scientology is. The feedback from former followers, the opinions of specialists from various industries, including jurisprudence, religious studies and other areas, have influenced the type of activity that Scientology belongs to in different countries.

Scientology is officially recognized as a religion in Austria, England, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, India, Indonesia, Spain, Italy, Canada, Kenya, Costa Rica, Nepal, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovenia, Taiwan, Tanzania. , Philippines, Croatia, Sweden, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, South Africa and many other countries.

So, in England, since December 11, 2013, Scientology has been recognized as a full religion. Scientology priests are given the right to perform marriage ceremonies - from the point of view of the state, they will be recognized legally.

However, in a number of countries in the European Union (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Jordan), there are currently no officially established Scientology organizations, or there are recently opened missions.

In some other states, such as Greece, Belgium, and France, Scientology organizations are established as religious associations. Their status is not officially recognized, however, they carry out their activities. It is worth noting that in France Scientology has more than once come under the definition of a sect. She received this status in 1995 in a report of the National Assembly. Scientology is a sect of a totalitarian nature, according to a 2000 government report.

Scientology is also not recognized as a religion in Israel, Ireland, and Mexico. In Germany, the situation is somewhat different. On the territory of this state, the Church of Scientology fell into the category of commercial organizations. Whether Scientology will be banned in Germany is not yet known, but this possibility is being considered.

Scandals

But Scientology is not only famous for this. Reviews from critics can be regarded as a "black" PR. In a number of cases, charges have been raised of such scandalous events, like murder, bullying, and suicide.

Of the most high-profile cases, it is worth mentioning the case of Lisa MacPherson. A young girl came to the ideas of Scientology at the age of 18. At the age of 36, she has a mild accident. Refusing to stay in the hospital, she declares her desire to receive religious support from members of her community and goes there. After 17 days, the girl dies from a blockage in the pulmonary artery (thromboembolism). Banker Bob Minton is investing $ 2 million to prove that it is the Scientologists who are responsible for her death. However, after many years of trial, the allegations against the Church of Scientology are not confirmed.

The second case is related to the suicide of Patrice Wick. This is a Frenchman who jumped out of the window in 1988 because he could not find the money to pay for the next course. The head of the Lyon branch of the Church of Scientology and fourteen members have been convicted of manslaughter. After this event, explanatory work on the specifics of teaching began in French schools.

There is also evidence of intimidation, killings of objectionable people in the framework of the practice of "fair play" and the ritual R2-45. Among the victims of the media are Rudolf Willems, the owner of the bankrupt German metallurgical company, Rex Fowler, an American businessman, Noah Lottik, who jumped out of the window holding the last money in his hands - $ 171.

Below are a few more facts about the scandalous reputation of Scientology:

1. It has been argued that since the mid-nineties there has been an ongoing process of removing any information that contradicts Hubbard’s teachings from a worldwide network.

2. There have also been attempts to force Google and Yahoo to remove information from pages that contain information that Scientologists dislike.

3. And in 2009, the Wikipedia Arbitration Committee prohibited edits on its website from any IP address associated with the Church or its branches.

Comparison with religion

Can the doctrine be called L. Rona Hubbard and religion? The question is quite controversial, which is difficult to give a clear answer. B Most religious scholars have concluded that Scientology is a religion from an academic point of view. However, the very concept of “religion” is ambiguous - there are dozens, if not hundreds, of definitions of this term. Therefore, some experts, relying on particular definitions, argue that Scientology cannot be categorized as such.

Is this science or not?

Scientology is positioned as a religion. However, it does not require that a person accept something on faith. On the contrary, people are encouraged to test the principles of Scientology for themselves by putting them into practice and observing the results of this application. The Scientology Center assists people in improving their intelligence, health, and career.

For example, the program “Clean Body, Clean Mind” is considered by many researchers as prevention and general strengthening procedures. It involves taking vitamins and other supplements, jogging and visiting the sauna.

However Many scientists say Scientology is a pseudoscience. The “stress test” is primarily criticized as a non-indicative process solely to attract new members. On the other hand, d V. E. Kagan, medical science professor, emphasized that Hubbard never associated the term "Scientology" with the English science - "science."

Is Scientology a Cult?

The doctrine that Ron Hubbard (Scientology) created, according to a number of scholars, is "a destructive totalitarian sect that has a detrimental and overwhelming effect on the psyche of its followers."

So in 1965, Anderson's report was published in Australia, where he gave examples of team hypnosis in auditing. Thanks to this, the sect receives psychological control over the newcomers, as well as over finances.

A similar situation was repeated in Germany, France, Scientology in Moscow did not escape persecution. The case of the court banning eight works of Ron Hubbard, as extremist, was described above.

It is also worth mentioning the difference in currents. These facts relate primarily to the Church of Scientology. Supporters of the “Free Zone” claim that they do not have such a dictate, although there is evidence of the opposite.

Commerce

Critics say the Church of Scientology's capital base is many million dollar real estate around the world. Also included are auditing sessions, donations, books. Scientology is evolving as a financial pyramid, according to some claims.

In addition, there are allegations that Ron Hubbard thus solved the problem of his welfare. However, after his death, the United States Internal Revenue Service ruled that the Church of Scientology “is administered solely for religious and charitable purposes,” and exempted her from taxes.

According to some reports, Scientologists receive a commission for attracting new members, the head office has 10% of the monthly subsidiary turnover branches, and competitors clean through litigation.

Interesting Facts

In 2018, the Church of Scientology launched its own round-the-clock Scientology Network.