This article is about the institution behind Scientology. For the ideology itself, see Scientology.
Church of Scientology
Scientology building in Los Angeles, California
Formation
December 1953
Founder
L. Ron Hubbard
Headquarters
Gold Base
Location
Riverside County, California
Chairman of the Board RTC
David Miscavige
Website
scientology.org
Part of a series on
Scientology
General
Scientology
Dianetics
Timeline
History
L. Ron Hubbard
Publications
Glossary
Beliefs and practices
Thetan
Auditing
Bridge to Total Freedom
OT
Xenu
Ethics and justice
Church of Scientology
Officials and staff
Sea Org
David Miscavige
Controversies
Litigation
Status by country
Suppressive person
Disconnection
Fair game
RPF
The Hole
Office of Special Affairs
Guardian's Office
War on psychiatry
More
The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious movement.[7] The movement has been the subject of a number of controversies, and the Church of Scientology has been described by government inquiries, international parliamentary bodies, scholars, law lords, and numerous superior court judgements as both a dangerous cult and a manipulative profit-making business.[13] In 1979, several executives of the organization were convicted and imprisoned for multiple offenses by a U.S. Federal Court.[14][15]: 168 The Church of Scientology itself was convicted of fraud by a French court in 2009, a decision upheld by the supreme Court of Cassation in 2013.[16] The German government classifies Scientology as an unconstitutional sect.[17][18] In France, it has been classified as a dangerous cult.[19] In some countries, it has attained legal recognition as a religion.[20]
The Church of Scientology International (CSI) is officially the "Mother Church", and is responsible for guiding the other Scientology centers.[15]: 172 Its international headquarters are located at the Gold Base in Riverside County, California.[21]: 275 The Church of Spiritual Technology (CST) is the organization that owns all the copyrights of the estate of L. Ron Hubbard.[6]
All Scientology management organizations are controlled exclusively by members of the Sea Org, which is a legally nonexistent paramilitary organization for the "elite, innermost dedicated core of Scientologists".[6][22] David Miscavige is described by the Scientology organization as the highest-ranking Sea Org officer, and is referred to by the organization as its captain.
^ abBehar, Richard (May 6, 1991). "The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power". Time. Archived from the original on June 18, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
^Kent, Stephen A. (2001). "Brainwashing Programs in The Family/Children of God and Scientology". In Zablocki, Benjamin; Robbins, Thomas (eds.). Misunderstanding Cults: Searching for Objectivity in a Controversial Field. University of Toronto Press. pp. 349–358. ISBN 978-0-8020-8188-9.
^ abAnderson, Kevin Victor (1965). Report of the Board of Enquiry into Scientology (Report). State of Victoria, Australia. p. 179. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2019. In reality it is a dangerous medical cult. Alternative link Archived February 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
^ abEdge, Peter W. (2006). Religion and law: an introduction. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7546-3048-7.
^ abHunt, John; de Puig, Luis; Espersen, Ole (February 5, 1992). European Council, Recommendation 1178: Sects and New Religious Movements (Report). Council of Europe. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2019. It is a cool, cynical, manipulating business and nothing else.
^ abcUrban, Hugh B. (2015). New Age, Neopagan, and New Religious Movements: Alternative Spirituality in Contemporary America. Univ of California Press. p. 144. ISBN 978-0520281172.
^[1][2][3][4][5][6]
^"Scientology (Written answer)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom: House of Commons. July 25, 1968. col. 189–191W. Archived July 1, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
^Cottrell, Richard (1999). Recommendation 1412: Concernant les activités illégales des sectes (Report). Conseil d'Europe.
^"Church of Scientology". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom: House of Lords. December 17, 1996. col. 1392–1394. Archived July 1, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
^Hubbard and another v. Vosper and another, 1 All ER 1023 (Court of Appeal November 19, 1971), archived from the original.
^RE B & G (Minors: Custody), F.L.R. 493 (Court of Appeal September 19, 1984), archived from the original.
^[1][3][4][5][8][9][10][11][12]
^United States v. Heldt, 668 F.2d 1238 (United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit October 2, 1981), archived from the original.
^ abCite error: The named reference urban was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Scientology's fraud conviction upheld in France". The Daily Telegraph. London. AFP. October 17, 2013. Archived from the original on May 30, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
^"Hubbard's Church 'Unconstitutional': Germany Prepares to Ban Scientology – SPIEGEL ONLINE". Der Spiegel. December 7, 2007. Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
^"National Assembly of France report No. 2468". assemblee-nationale.fr. Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2017.
^Cite error: The named reference lobs was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Weird, Sure. A Cult, No. Archived November 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Washington Post By Mark Oppenheimer, August 5, 2007
^Cite error: The named reference reitman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference nrmarlia2003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
and 22 Related for: Church of Scientology information
The ChurchofScientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination...
purposes, and renamed them Scientology. By 1954, he had regained the rights to Dianetics and founded the ChurchofScientology, which remains the largest...
The ChurchofScientology maintains a wide variety of beliefs and practices. The core belief holds that a human is an immortal, spiritual being (thetan)...
inception in 1954, the ChurchofScientology has been involved in a number of controversies, including its stance on psychiatry, Scientology's legitimacy as a...
celebrities and getting them to endorse Scientology to the public at large has been important to the ChurchofScientology since its early days. The organization...
The worldwide network ofChurchofScientology organizations consists of numerous entities and corporations, located in the United States as well as in...
practices of the ChurchofScientology by members of Anonymous, a leaderless Internet-based group. "Chanology" is a combination of "4chan" and "Scientology"....
The ChurchofScientology network operates as a multinational conglomerate of companies with personnel, executives, organizational charts, chains of command...
is a Scientologist, as were his victims at the time of the assaults. The ChurchofScientology's attempts to silence the victims, and its subsequent interference...
adherent of the doctrines and beliefs ofScientology and who is affiliated with the ChurchofScientology. Even though some adherents ofScientology beliefs...
second and current leader of the ChurchofScientology. His official title within the organization is Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology...
Xenu (/ˈziːnuː/ ZEE-noo), also called Xemu, is a figure in the ChurchofScientology's secret "Advanced Technology", a sacred and esoteric teaching. According...
Recognition ofScientology and the ChurchofScientology varies from country to country with respect to state recognition for religious status, charitable...
10, 1955) is an Australian-American former senior executive of the ChurchofScientology International (CSI) and the Sea Organization based in the United...
There are a number of disputes concerning the ChurchofScientology's attempts to suppress material critical ofScientology and the organization on the...
the romantic comedy Second Act (2018). After being a member of the ChurchofScientology from childhood, Remini left the organization in 2013. Two years...
energy, space and time".: 279 The ChurchofScientology offers eight "levels" of OT, each level costing thousands of US dollars. The OT levels are confidential...
senior church management. The ChurchofScientology responded by putting the filmmakers under surveillance and denouncing the film. My Scientology Movie...
was a criminal conspiracy by the ChurchofScientology during the 1970s to purge unfavorable records about Scientology and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard...
The ChurchofScientology has been involved in numerous court disputes across the world. In some cases, when the Church has initiated the dispute, questions...