"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," based on data from Hubbard. From either its earliest times, the Church has get a focus of controversy wherever it appeared, with critics charging that a actual methods & goals of the Church sharply contradict Hubbard's declared aims.

A nature and legal status of the Church of Scientology continues to arouse controversy around the world. A Church of Scientology has, since 1993, been recognized per Me Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit sympathetic organization, affording it a equivalent legal protections & favorable taxation professional assistance a United states government reach long-established religious groups. By counterpoint, numbers of more governments use at times been reluctant to assume a Church: a governments of Germany and Belgium officially regard the Church of Scientology as a totalistic cult; in France, a parliamentary report classified Scientology as a dangerous cult; in the United Kingdom and Canada the Church of Scientology is not regarded when meeting the legal standards for existence considered a bona fide religion.

Hubbard directly managed a Scientology organizations until 1966 [http://www.scientology.org/en_US/religion/catechism/pg013.html], when he resigned his title when Executive & turned managerial functions terminated to Church executives. Though Hubbard maintained there is no formal relationship to Church management—& he another time smartly denied any connection to it—all independent research worker conclude Hubbard remained firmly withinside control of a Church and its attached organizations until the final sickness that preceded his demise in 1986.

As a result Hubbard's demise, David Miscavige, one of his former family help, assumed a post of Chair of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), a Scientology corporation that regulates a utilise of Church symbols & Hubbard's copyrighted works. Spell non publicly claiming to become a leader of Scientology, Miscavige is widely recognised when existence a controlling figure of a network of Scientology-affiliated organizations, including the Church of Scientology International, whose president and main spokesman is the Reverend Heber Jentzsch.

Churches, missions and major Scientology centers

followed by a guide of which Scientology courses & "auditing" would profit the babies. Courses, books & counselling come available for the fixed donation.

Though historiographer point to a initiation org inside Camden, Just released Jersey witharound 1953, a church itself recognizes a Los Angeles org, founded in 1954, when the number 1 Church of Scientology.

A Church of Scientology as well has many major headquarters, including:

"Saint Hill," Sussex, England

L. Ron Hubbard moved to England shortly after founding Scientology, where he oversaw a worldwide development of Scientology from either an professional within London for most of the Fifties. Within 1959, he bought Saint Hill Manor near a Sussex town of East Grinstead, a Georgian manor once owned per Maharaja of Jaipur. This became a worldwide headquarters of Scientology through the 1960s and 1970s. Hubbard declared Saint Hill to become the org by which entirely more orgs would become measured, & he issued a general sequentially (however followed per Church now) for completely orgs as much as the world to exp& and email "Saint Hill size." A Church of Scientology has announced that a greatest levels of Scientology teaching, OT 9 and OT 10, is freed & mass produced available to churchgoer after all the major orgs in the globe keep close at hand reached Saint Hill size.

"Flag Land Base," Clearwater, Florida

In todays world, a worldwide "spiritual headquarters" of the Church of Scientology is in the city of Clearwater, Florida. Officially known within Scientology when Flag Land Base, this international headquarters was founded in the late 1970s when an anonymous Scientology-founded class action known as "Southern Land Development and Leasing Corp" purchased a Fort Harrison Hotel for $2.3 million. Because a reported tenant was a "United Churches of Florida," a second anon. front class action for a Church of Scientology, a citizens & City Council of Clearwater did non understand that the building's owners were actually a Church of Scientology until fallowing a building's choose.[http://www.holysmoke.org/cos/tax-battles.htm] Clearwater citizens' groups, headed by City manager Gabriel Cazares, rallied strongly against Scientology establishing the base in the city (repeatedly on to the organization as a cult), but Flag Base was established still.

In a years since its foundation, Flag Base hwhen expanded as the church has step by step purchased extra property in the downtown Clearwater locality. Its relationship sustaining a city has repeatedly moved between "friendly" & "hostile," when a church has worked by owning a city to establish better relations; spell at a equivalent instance actively opposing a local St. Petersburg Times and even protesting the Clearwater police department. Scientology's big design around Clearwater has been a construction of a brobdingnagian high-rise complex known as the "Super Power Building," an tremendous structure whose greatest point, whenever completed, is a vast Scientology cross that may tower above the city.

"PAC Base," Hollywood, California

Los Angeles, California, has the big concentration of Scientologists & Scientology-related enterprises in the globe. Scientology has established the extremely seeable presence in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. the church owns the big complex in Sunset Boulevard (erst a hospital) that contains Scientology's major west coast headquarters, a Pacific Locality Command Base ("PAC Base"). Adjacent buildings include a Western Saint Hill Organization (ASHO), a Advanced Organization (AOLA) for the delivery of upper level church teachings, A Foremost Church of Scientology, founded 1954, & a agents of Bridge Publications, Scientology's publishing arm. the Church of Scientology with success campaigned to use at times a city of Los Angeles rename 1 prevent of a street adjoining this complex "L. Ron Hubbard Way."

Elsewhere inside Hollywood is the virtually all elaborate of the Scientology Celebrity Centers, luxurious accommodations intended to cater to arts agents. In Hollywood Boulevard, a multi-multistorey building houses the executive agents of Church of Scientology International & an open-to-a-public exhibition devoted to the life of L. Ron Hubbard. Too in a area come the headquarters of Creator Services, Inc. (Hubbard's Literary professional), a Association for Better Dwelling & Education (The.B.L.E.), which administers social software online according to Hubbard's writings, (including Narconon and Applied Scholastics), the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE), which promotes Hubbard's business management techniques & facilitates a network of Scientology-related businesses, & the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a Scientology-affiliated class actiin that focuses on alleged abuses of psychiatry.

"Gold Base," Gilman Hot Springs, California

An additional headquarters for Scientology is Gold Base, placed touching Hemet, California, about 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles. These are likewise referred to as INT Base. A facility is owned by Golden Era Productions and is the home of Scientology's media production studio, Golden Era Studios.

Based on data from several accounts by journalists & previous scientologists, Gold Base is the central headquarters for the entire network of Scientology-related enterprises. Gold Base reportedly contains a headquarters of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), which owns the trademarks & right of first publication attached using Scientology and Dianetics. A Chairman of the Board of RTC is David Miscavige, who is typically described by sources two within & outside of Scientology when a ultimate head of a Church of Scientology & totally scientology-related organizations, since he has a power to authorize the apply of the works of L. Ron Hubbard.

the being of Gold Base is nin broadly publicised when is a experience of the more headquarters mentioned on this button: the RTC lists a Los Angeles location on their publications & internet site. A being of Gold Base was saved secret, potentially inside Scientology, in the pre-internet era. A facilities at Gold Base come surrounded by razor wire, flood, & streaming observation cameras.

Flag ship "Freewinds"
A second Scientology center of note is the cruise ship Freewinds, which is the only location a single could choose courses in the todays greatest level of Scientology expert training (OT VIII). It cruises a Caribbean Sea, under a auspices of the Flag Ship Service Organization. the Freewinds is as well utilized for more lower level courses & auditing for people unforced to spend more money for services in a ship in the Caribbean.

Sea Org
A Sea Organization—most typically shortened to "Sea Org"—was founded around 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 the discredited lieutenant junior grade in a US Navy—bestowed the rank of "Commodore" of the vessels upon himself. A crew world health organizatiin accompanied him on these voyages (called "Commodore's Messengers") became a foundation of the Sea Org.

A Sea Org enforces system & administers corrective procedures inside a church, too when staffing virtually all of the major headquarters of the church & its affiliates. A Sea Org is often characterized when a "elite" of church of scientology, two around terms of power in a organization & dedication to the induced. Scientologists shopping for to advance inside the church come encouraged to join the Sea Org, which involves devoting their fully instance to Scientology projects in exchange for meals, berthing, & a nominal honorarium, amounting to a vow of impoverishment. Members sign the contract pledging their loyalty to Scientology for "the next billion years," committing their first life-time to the Sea Org. A Sea Org's shibboleth is "Revenimus" (or even "We Come Back").

Render procedures & policies inside the Sea Org own been a focus of critics who accuse Scientology of being an abusive cult. In a period of the original Sea Org's Mediterranean tour, Commodore Hubbard is alleged to stand applied a kind of physical penalisation, including the practice of "overboarding," or even throwing wrongdoer all over a side of the ship. Previous Sea Org members use at times claimed that retiring penalty involved confinement within wild conditions like a ship's chain locker. [http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/wakefield/us-09.html] Members world health organization violate system inside a Sea Org come sent to perform physical labor in the Rehabilitation Project Force.

Volunteer Ministers
A Church of Scientology began its "Volunteer Ministers" program as a way to participate in community outreach projects. Above the past many years, it has turn into a most common practice for the organization to send teams of Volunteer Ministers to the scenes of major, headline-grabbing disasters sequentially to provide assistance by using relief efforts. Based on datthe from critics, these relief efforts consist of passing retired copies of a pamphlet authored by L. Ron Hubbard entitled A Way To Happiness, & engaging withwithin the method of calming frightened or even hurt souls known in Scientology as a "touch assist."

A Volunteer Minister program virtually all heavy promoted by Scientology took place in the quick aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when approximately of these thousand Scientologists were sent to New York City to participate in the relief efforts there. Scientologists wearing brilliantly yellowness T-shirts emblazoned using a logotype "Scientology Volunteer Minister" became the most common sight at the World Trade Center site during a cleanup efforts. Critics of Scientology accused a organization of attempting to choose benefit of the disaster sequentially to promote Scientology to the grief-bereft world in the area. An E-electronic mail confirmed to exist as from either the Sea Org "Lieutenant" brags of a studied project to block the grief-stricken from either either getting counsel from non-Scientology sources. ''"Due to some brilliant maneuvering by some simply genius Sea Org Members we tied up the majority of the psychs who were attempting to get to families yesterday in Q&A, bullbait and wrangling. [... The survivors] don't know it but they need the Scientologists with LRH's tech to be here right now."'' [http://www.xenu.net/archive/events/20010911-tragedy/]

Then again, a Scientology Volunteer Ministers were commended per Up to date York Fire Department for the assistance given at Ground Zero. [http://www.scientology-newyork.org/en_US/community/vm/index.html]

A Scientology Volunteer Ministers use at times been actively portion sustaining disaster efforts around Southeast Asia following the tsunami there. In the quick aftermath of the 7 July 2005 London bombings their Volunteer Ministers were sighted at one London hospital, offering their services to those affected per cases.[http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/42761-print.shtml]

The team of 39 Volunteer Ministers from either Clearwater is presently onsite inside New Orleans, helping with a disaster that followed Hurricane Katrina. It require to become inside Louisianthe for a minimum of xxx years.

A Volunteer Ministers trained for & belong to the State of Florida's Qualified Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Religious Technology Center (RTC)
Around 1980, all of the Church's intellectual property was transferred to a freshly formed respire known as a Religious Technology Center (RTC) which, based on data from its have publicity, lives exclusively to safeguard & control a have of Scientology's writings (or even "advanced technology", when its internal documents & scriptures come termed). Yet, a RTC is likewise believed to exist as a fiscal hub & international headquarters of the entire worldwide organization.

the RTC employs the little army of attorney & has smartly pursued more souls & groups world health organization come deemed to exist as a threat to Scientology. This hwhen involved fissiparous Scientologists world health organization keep close at h& tried to practice Scientology outside a central church & critics, too as many government and media organizations. This has helped to maintain Scientology's reputation for litigiousness (watch Scientology and the legal system).

Legal waivers
Recent cases involving a Church of Scientology's relationship using its members (look at Scientology controversy) have caused a church to publish extensive legal documents that handle the rights granted to its followers. It has turn into standard practice inside the church for members to sign protracted legal contracts & release prior to engaging around Scientology services, a practice that contrasts greatly by having several mainstream religious organizations. Recently within 2003, a series of media reports examined a legal contracts compulsory by Scientology, which state that, among more items, Scientology followers deny any & whole psychiatrical care that their doctors might prescribe to the babies:

Church or business?

From either 1952 until 1966, a Scientology was administered by a lay organizatiin known as the Hubbard Association of Scientologists (HAS), established inside Arizona on 10 September 1952. Around 1954, a HAS became a HASI (HAS International). A number one Church of Scientology was founded withinside December 1953 in Camden, New Jersey. This, along using deuce more groups chartered by Hubbard at a equivalent time—a Church of U.s. Science & the Church of Spiritual Engineering—were shortly abandoned by Hubbard. A number one incorporated Church of Scientology was founded around California in 18 February 1954, changing its name to "The Church of Scientology of California" (CSC) around 1956. Within 1966, Hubbard transferred altogether HASI plus to CSC, so gathering Scientology under of these tax-tax-free roof. Around 1967, a IRS stripped totally America-depending Scientology take a breath of their taxation exemption, declaring that Scientology's activities were commercial & that it was existence operated for the profit of Hubbard. A church sued & misused repeatedly for Twenty-six years trying to regain its tax-tax-free status. the war was yet settled around 1993, fallowing a church paid all over $12 million to a IRS & a IRS agreed to produce the church a tax-untaxed nonprofit organization once again. Based on data from [http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Cowen/essays/wj301297.html "Scientologists and IRS settled for $12.5 million"] in The Wall Street Journal published on December 30 1997, exemption was granted after Scientology paid the personal injury settlement of $12.Five million to the IRS to handle its great taxation liabilities. Additionally, Scientology as well dropped its other than fifty cause against a IRS after this cash settlement was reached. Scientology ofttimes states that its taxation exemption is proof that a United States government accepts it as a religion.

Within more countries, though, a Church of Scientology is non recognized as a bona fide religion or even openhearted organization, however is regarded instead as a commercial enterprise. ([http://www.innenministerium.bayern.de/scientology/urteile/5azb21.htm Sentence of German Labor Court]). Around early 2003, in Germany, Scientology was granted a tax-exemption for 10% licensing fee that come sent to the United states of america. This exemption, but, is related to the German-U.s. double-taxation agreement, & has nothing to clean by owning tax-exemption in the context of charities law. Within many countries, public Scientology proselytizing undergoes a equivalent restrictions when commercial advertising, which is interpreted when religious persecution per Church of Scientology.

Within Israel, a Church of Scientology doesn't have the term "Church" when a share of its title, even because of the Christian connotation of the term within Jewish culture. After asked, virtually all Israeli Scientologists deny that Scientology occurs as religion, & on line-subordinate disciple pop up genuinely surprised whenever it is confronted by owning English-language Scientology poop where a word "Church" is utilized. Something similar happens around Scotland, where Scientology operates when a "Hubbard Academy of Personal Independence"; these are believed that Scottish law doesn't permit Scientology to call for itself the religion.

Unlike numbers of more easily-established religious organizations, a Church of Scientology maintains super nonindulgent control all over its list, symbols, religious works & more promulgated writings. A word Scientology (& several related terms, including L. Ron Hubbard) occurs as registered trademark. a Church requires a arduous line inside humans & groups world health organization attempt to let it run in organizations & practices that are non affiliated by having the official Church of Scientology (look at Scientology and the legal system).

World View of Scientology

Official reports within Scientology in countries like Britain, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand have yielded unfavorable observations & conclusions. Inside Britain, Scientologists were banned from either typing a united states between 1968 – 1980; further recently, an application by Scientology for benevolent status was rejected when a authorities decided that its activities were non of general public advantage. Around Germany and Russia, official views of Scientology are particularly coarse. These are seen as a totalistic organization, & is or even has been under observation by law & national security organizations.

Within Israel, Scientology is restricted by Israeli anti-missionary laws. There are numbers of active Jewish religious organizations that look at Scientology such as [http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5761/shemini/SMIlevlchm.htm Lev L'Achim]. It provide hotlines & more services to warn citizens of the numerous on the face of it legitimate fronts Scientology hides behind within Israel.

A Church of Scientology claims that inside 1994, a joint council of Shinto Buddhist (Yu-itsu Shinto) sects in Japan not only extended official recognition of Scientology, however likewise undertook to traaround the total of their monks in its beliefs & practices as an adjunct to their have meditations and worship. This continues, based on data from Scientology, an extended tradition of Eastern faiths of ingesting or even adopting elements of more faiths which it locate harmonious sustaining their have. This can be the reflection of the fact that Hubbard acknowledged the hard Eastern, & specifically Buddhist influence in forming his have family philosophy. All the same, academic research worker use noted Hubbard's grasp of eastern religions was shallow & typically erroneous (watch Prof. Stephen The. Kent, [http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Library/Shelf/kent/eastern.html ''Scientology's Relationship With Eastern Religious Traditions'']).

Finances
Scientologists come invited to attend any total of classes, exercises or even even guidance sessions, for the placed range of fees (or "fixed donations"). Charges for auditing & more church-related courses rerun from either thousands of dollars. The wide kind of entry-level courses, representing 8 to 16 hours survey, prices under $100 (The states). Further advanced courses need membership in the International Association of Scientologists (IAS). Membership forgoing ingesting expensive courses or even auditing is conceivable, however a higher states of Scientology just can not exist as reached this way. Within 1994/95, Operation Clambake, a web site extremely critical of a Church of Scientology, figured the dollars and cents of reaching "OT IX readiness", one of a greatest levels, is Me $365,000 – $380,000. [http://www.xenu.net/archive/CoS_prices.html]

Critics say these are improper to fix a donation for religious service; so the activity is non-religious. A Church of Scientology points out numerous classes, exercises & guidance could likewise exist as traded for "in kind"Or even performed h& in glove by students for there are no prices, and members of its virtually all devoted orders want donate nothing for services.

Membership statistics
These are notoriously hard to obtain dependable numbers particularization membership many a Church of Scientology. A Church itself issues simply undefined numbers (while forgoing breaking the two down by area or even united states), & public nose count own just within recent years involved questions all about religious affiliations.

A Church of Scientology has claimed anywhere from either eight million to fifteen million members globe-wide, & has declared that "Scientology is the fastest growing religion in the world". Critics, all a same, state that the grounds to believe for Scientology's expansion suggests otherwise. the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) maintains a names of Scientologists globe-wide. Still, non each active Scientologist occurs as member of the International Association of Scientologists.

Inside 1986, a Up to date Zealand national nose count detected 189 Scientologists countrywide.

Within 1991, a National Survey of Religious Identification [http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html] reported 45,000 Scientology followers in the United States. This survey has been located within grounds to believe in the court example "Raul Lopez v. Church of Scientology Mission of Buenaventura" by Scientology's lawyer, Gerald L. Chaleff. That equivalent month, a Up to date Zealand national nosecount noticed that a countrywide aggregate of Scientologists got increased to 207.

Within 1994, there were 3,400 Scientology "Sea Org" members, 34,000 lifespan IAS members, & 54,000 every year IAS members. This produces the number of 91,400 list on the membership lists. Observers of Scientology estimate that at least half one humans there are no yearn participate within Scientology, & don't assume themselves Scientologists.

Inside 1995 IAS membership was forecasted at 65,000 active Scientologists globe-wide.

Inside 1996, Australia's national census recorded 1,488 Scientologists countrywide (same to Nought.00767% of the people). the Just released Zealand national nosecount uncovered a farther increase in the total of Scientologists, to 213—putting the two in the level by using Hare Krishna and Christian Science but considerably behind Satanism (903 members).

Around 1998, the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution estimated a sum of 5,000 – 6,000 Scientologists in this united states.

Within 2001, the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) reported 55,000 adults in the United States who assume themselves Scientologists. [http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922574.html] Observers of Scientology estimate even more, an extrthe 20,000 Scientologists outside a United States, for a aggregate of 75,000 globe-wide.

A 2001 UK Census contained a voluntary wonder in religion, to which 48,000,000, 92% of the people, chose to respond. Of people residing within Engl& and Wales world health organization responded, the aggregate of 1,781 claimed to exist as Scientologists. A Up to date Zealand national nose count reported 282 Scientologists, continuing its upward trend, though however behind Satanism (down to 893).

Within 2003, the American national nose count reported the amount of 1,525 Scientologists countrywide.

Scientology splinter groups
A Church denies a legitimacy of any sliver groups & factions outside a official organization, & has actively sought out these "rogue" Scientologists & tried to end the babies from either applying officially trademarked Scientology materials. These independent Scientologists come referred to as "squirrels" in a Church, & come classified when suppressive persons ("SPs") — in more words, opponents & enemies of Scientology. Despite a Church bearing considerable legal & social pressure, a total of Scientologists world health organization own broken out of a Church has increased since Hubbard's dying. Numbers of groups refer to themselves under a umbrella term of "Free Zone".

Affiliated organizations
There are several independently-chartered organizations & groups which are then staffed by Scientologists, & utilize Scientology technology & trademarks under a control of Scientology management. Within a bit of events, these organizations don't publicize their affiliation sustaining Scientology.

A.B.L.E.

Based within 1989, a Association for Better Living and Education (A.B.L.E.) [http://www.able.org] is an umbrella organization that administers quaternary of Scientology's social software:

Narconon drug rehabilitation centers. [http://www.narconon.org/ Official Narconon Site] [http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Narconon/ Narconon Exposed] — covers media reports, source documents, studies & search papers.

Criminon prisoner rehabilitation programs. [http://www.criminon.org/ Official Criminon Site]

The Way to Happiness Foundation, dedicated to disseminating Hubbard's "non-religious moral code." [http://www.twth.org/ Official "Way to Happiness" Site]

Applied Scholastics, educational software download according to Hubbard's "Study Tech." [http://www.appliedscholastics.org/ Applied Scholastics Official Site] [http://www.studytech.org/home.php Scientology v. Education: The critical appraisal of Scientology's "study technology"] [http://members.chello.nl/mgormez/childabuse/schools.html List of Scientology-based schools and tutoring groups]

CCHR

A Citizens' Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), co-founded with Thomas Szasz in 1969, is an activist class action dedicated to exposing "psychiatric abuse," furthering [http://whyaretheydead.net/misc/scientology_hatred_of_psychiatry.html Scientology doctrinal opposition] to mainstream psychiatrical therapies. [http://www.cchr.org/ Official CCHR Site] [http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/p961110.html Psychiatric Times: Psychiatric Profession Current Target of Citizens Commission on Human Rights]

WISE
Numerous more Scientologist-dog businesses & organizations belong to the umbrella organization WISE (World Institute of Scientology Enterprises), which licenses the utilize of L. Ron Hubbard's management doctrines, and circulates directories of WISE-affiliated businesses. Caring takes victims world health organization wish to be Hubbard management consults to complete step by step training inside Hubbard's administrative systems; this expert training may be undertaken at any Church of Scientology, or even at one of the campuses of the Hubbard College of Administration, which offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree.

One of the right-known Caring-affiliated businesses is Sterling Management Systems [http://www.sterling-management.com], which offers Hubbard's management "technology" to agents like dental practitioner & chiropractors. Another easily-known Caring-affiliated business is e-Republic, the publisher depending around Folsom, California.[http://www.newsreview.com/issues/sacto/2001-08-23/cover.asp] e-Republic publications include Government Technology & Converge magazines. A Center for Digital Government occurs as section of e.Republic that was founded inside 1999. Internet ISP EarthLink was founded by Scientologist [http://home.earthlink.net/~sky/ Sky Dayton] as a Scientology enterprise. A company at present distances itself from either a views of its founder, world health organization has go on to be CEO of SK-EarthLink. [http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/03.19.98/scientology-9811.html Article on EarthLink and Scientology]