I think ideologies are religions to the people that follow them.
-snip-
In a sense all ideologies are religions, all religions are ideologies, and all ideologies and religions are cults.
You're allowing yourself to be led down the garden path into agreeing that Scientology Inc. is a religion, and, as a religion, deserves all the perks and privileges of a religion.
This discussion leads to one place and one place only: To the conclusion that Scientology Inc. should have a special status that will ensure that it can continue to defraud and harm people.
The other day, the person who started this thread posted a link to a Scientology Inc. OSA site, and it seemed completely sensible to this person to do so, and why not? since the person agrees with the content of the Scientology OSA site.
The same person's account of how Scientology Inc. received tax exempt status ignored all the relevant facts of that occurrence, and presented an explanation that could have been lifted from a Scientology Inc. OSA handbook.
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Video on Religious cloaking - the affidavit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZvqeGrbILw
The complete document:
http://www.lermanet.com/reference/brennan-dec.pdf
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Quoted posts by others from
Ex Scientologist Message Board are in sienna (brown).
By Rmack:
I just had to vent a little about a pet peeve I have. People who, even though critical of this cult, still call it a church.
It's well documented that the whole church facade was taken on by Laffy for the benefits it bestowed, like potential tax exemption, the e-meter being protected as a 'religious artifact' to avoid being prosecuted for using it to treat medical conditions, etc. They went from being a clinic with 'doctors' to a religion with 'ministers', but the practices stayed pretty much the same.
Scientology is a money making fraudulent cult, not a church.
I like the adage attributed to Abraham Lincoln that goes 'How many legs does a dog have, if you call the tail a leg? Answer; four. Calling the tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.'
__________
Tax exempt status had been sought by Hubbard since he first launched his "religion angle," complete with ministers in clerical collars, crosses on "Churches," and the accompanying benign-sounding 'Creed of the Church of Scientology', meant to invite agreement from "wogs," as they were "gradiently" led into agreement with the idea that Scientology is a "religion."
It's the religion angle and religious cloaking that allow Scientology to get away with so much fraudulent and abusive behavior.
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Video about the IRS deal with Scientology:
[video=youtube;ewQ8bgMMqnQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ewQ8bgMMqnQ[/video]
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From Hubbard Communication Office Policy Letter of October 1962, 'Religion':
"
Scientology 1970 is being planned on a religious organization basis throughout the world. This will not upset in any way the usual activities of any organizations. It is entirely a matter for accountants and solicitors."
This man was convicted of "
interfering with a religion," for picketing outside Scientology's heavily armed, razor-wire enclosed, base outside Hemet, California. He was sent to jail.
Here's the law on the case:
http://lists.ucla.edu/pipermail/religionlaw/2001-May/002573.html (Thanks, Teanntas.)
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From Dulloldfart:
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scientology_organizations
Principal Organizations
Religious Technology Center (RTC)
Church of Spiritual Technology (CST)
Church of Scientology International (CSI)
Church of Scientology of California (CSC)
Trademark Service Organizations
Inspector General Network (IGN)
IGN International AB
Dianetics Centers International (DCI)
Dianetics Foundation International (DFI)
Hubbard Dianetics Foundation (HDF)
WISE, Inc.
Financial Trusts
Author's Family Trust
Church of Scientology Religious Trust (CSRT)
Scientology International Reserves Trust (SIRT)
Trust for Scientologists
United States Parishioners Trust
Flag Ship Trust (FST)
International Publications Trust
Scientology Defense Trust
Financial Service Organizations
SOR Services Ltd.
Nesta Investments Ltd.
FSO Oklahoma Investments Corporation
Theta Management Ltd. (TML)
Publishing Houses & Publication Organizations
Golden Era Productions
Author Services Inc. (ASI)
Bridge Publications Inc. (BPI)
New Era Publications ApS
Scientology Publications Ltd.
Secular & Social Management Entities
Association for Better Living and Education International (ABLE)
Applied Scholastics Inc.
Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR)
Criminon International
Narconon International
Way to Happiness Foundation International
World Institute of Scientology Enterprises International (WISE)
Other Management Organizations
Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International (CC Int.)
International Hubbard Ecclesiastical League of Pastors (IHELP)
Scientology Missions International (SMI)
Service Organizations
<snip mostly Church names>
Membership Organizations
Unincorporated Associations
International Association of Scientologists (IAS)
Hubbard Association of Scientologists International (HASI)
Membership Service Organizations
International Association of Scientologists Administrations, N.V. (IASA)
Membership Services Administrations (UK) Ltd. (MSA)
There are 41 names there, only 5 of which include the C-word. Local service orgs in the US and other religion-favouring countries usually include the C-word, and in countries that don't favour religions they don't. Expediency reigns supreme.
Question for any residents of the "non" countries: when the cult hits the news there, is the main organization ever referred to, or is it just the name of the local branch? For example, does the media in Russia ever refer to CSI spokeperson Karin Pouw by name and title?
Paul
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Scientology has a decades long history of using the "religion angle" and "religious cloaking" to gain advantage, and to exempt itself from inspection and from laws.
Scientology is a for-profit blackmail-collecting global scam masquerading as a religion.
Prof. Steven Kent on 'Is Scientology a Religion?':
http://www.bible.ca/scientology-not-religion-kent.htm
Those who dislike religion, and think they're criticizing Scientology by criticizing religion, are being tricked by Hubbard's religion angle, and Scientology's religious cloaking, every bit as much as those who like religion and defer to Scientology because it's a "religion."
It's rare to encounter a Scientologist who knows what Scientology is, not because they're stupid, but because Scientology discourages its followers from finding out what it actually is and, ultimately, places them in a state of mind where they don't want to know even when they have the opportunity.
A few bus loads of people such as this are useful for Public Relation purposes, especially when they are wearing big yellow
Scientology is my religion buttons.
These are the well-intentioned dupes, and are an essential component of the Scientology charade.
Responding to the assertion by another poster that Scientology's status as a (tax exempt, and exempt from various laws) "Church" is a "done deal":
_________
From Div6:
I'm with Veda on this. Only in the US is it anywhere near "a done deal". In mexico it is a "philosophical society."
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From Senator Nick Xenophon:
"
What we are seeing is a worldwide pattern of abuse and criminality... On the body of evidence, this is not happening by accident; it is happening by design.
In 1955, L. Ron Hubbard secretly authored this booklet
http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?2697-Table-of-Contents-Psychopolitics-revisited to be used as a black propaganda vehicle for attacking his critics, by identifying them with Russian Communism. Some years later, the booklet slowly faded into obscurity. It was no longer useful as a propaganda vehicle. During the period of the Vietnam war, Hubbard had decided that "Nazi," not "Communist," was a more effective "button" to push, to influence public opinion to Scientology's advantage. Another reason for this booklet fading into obscurity was that Hubbard was now using many of its ideas and methods on his own followers, and on others. Hubbard had been doing this for many years prior, but it was now intensified. These ideas and methods are interwoven into Scientology doctrine, and integral to that doctrine.
Senator Nick Xenophon continued:
Scientology is not a religious organisation. It is a criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs."
It's noteworthy that the first official body to recognize Hubbard's use of this booklet's ideas and methods was from Australia in the 1960s and, now, another Australian official is continuing the tradition of insightful and courageous truth-telling regarding the secretive cult of Scientology.
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From Free to shine:
Why not just call it scientology???
I have never called it a church and I never will. I don't even use a capital S unless it's the start of a sentence. I was there when it was decided that it should be a religion, and I know what a farce it was.
I think it's only those who feel the need to be politically correct who use the word "Church", in the media and so on to avoid getting dogpiled for 'religious discrimination'.
_________
From Lermanet:
In 1994, one of the used (Im not saying correct, just one of methods used) ways to guess who was either OSA or duped by osa or too dumb to be of any worth to the expose scientology movement anyway, was to see if they could say "XENU"...
Ten years later, the rule of thumb *I* use, on all except for the very-newest-escapees, to determine this is DO THEY CALL IT A CHURCH or refer to it as a RELIGION. I feel it works for me, you're mileage may vary.
Thoroughly understanding the materials collected on my RELIGIOUS CLOAKING PAGE leads to the inescapable conclusion that $cientology is an elaborate hypnotic FRAUD that has been CLOAKED using RELIGIOUS CLOAKING.
This point is not lost on their own lawyers, and thorough application of such comprehensions demonstrated here.. in the last time $cientology tried to depose me in 1997 at the Law Offices of Mr Sinclair in Alexandria Virginia, a camera had been set up to video this, if you want proof ask OSA to post this video:
DEPOSITION STARTS
Clam lawyer Rosen asked: Mr Lerma, why do you continue to say bad things about the Church of Scientology???
Lerma: Mr Rosen, in your question, are you referring to the international psychopolitical terrorist organization running a rapidly shrinking but still brisk fraud upon innocent citizens worldwide dba scientology and related entities and front groups???
Rosen (Face gets red) said (acting angry) (waving arms around) : Mr. Lerma, you can't describe the CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY that way.
Lerma: Mr Rosen are trying to trick me into committing perjury on your behalf?
Rosen: This deposition is OVER.
THE END.
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"
Because it's protected as a religion... it's able to get away with a lot of things."
Lawrence Wright, 2013
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"
Scientology 1970 is being planned on a religious organization basis throughout the world. This will not upset in any way the usual activities of any organization. It is entirely a matter for accountants and solicitors."
L. Ron Hubbard, 1962
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Hard Sell, a.k.a. Crush Sell, has been part of Scientology since the 1960s. I witnessed Hard Sell tech being used in the early 1970s. The idea, as I recall Hubbard explaining it in the Hard Sell pack, is that people ("wogs," "Homo Saps," "Raw meat" and, apparently, even Scientologists) are naturally in a sort of hypnotic daze, and will respond to being told what to do, if that telling is done effectively. Trickery is also part of Hard Sell tech, as is "ruthlessness," after all, look at what's at stake, the eternity of every Man, Woman, and Child on this planet and your own endless agonized trillions and, besides, successful Scientology sales people lived very well. They were "up stats" and were rewarded.
__________
"
Make money. Make more money. Make other people produce so as to make more money." L. Ron Hubbard, 1972
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Hubbard's "religion angle" and "religious cloaking" were aimed largely at achieving tax exempt status. When this occurred in the USA in 1993, the kind of pure-money-sucking that's now done in Scientology became realistic. Donations to Scientology are tax exempt, and those donating can make deductions on their income tax returns. In effect, the United Sates government is supporting the Scientology cult, just as Hubbard had envisioned.
However, even before the Scientology money-sucking vacuum cleaner engine was turned on full, Hard Sell was going strong in the "Church" of Scientology.
__________
"
He [Hubbard]
stated [that]
coming ashore would be profitable, because we could get so many more people to the Flag Land Base, as it was to be called, for auditing and training, and he wanted to concentrate on getting professionals to the Land Base because, of course, they had more accessible money. They had pension funds. They had children's education funds, and some of these he named, that were accessible."
Hana Eltringham, from the 'Secret Lives' BBC program:
See 3:20:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhULw6qarW4
"What worried me was that I saw some things he did and statements he made that showed his intentions were different from what they appeared to be...
"He [Hubbard] told me he was obsessed with an insatiable lust for power and money. He said it very emphatically. He thought it wasn't possible to get enough. He didn't say it as if it was a fault, just his frustration that he couldn't get enough."
David Mayo, 1986, from an interview with author Russell Miller
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Scientology is a cult operating as a business masquerading as a religion.
-snip-
I'm no expert on tax law, but I think it's likely that Scientology's official status as a religion in the U.S. stems largely from a calculation on the government's part that the benefits of preserving the tax exempt status of all religious organizations outweighs the potential entanglements that could arise from making an exception in the case of COS. Tax exempt status of religious entities is conditioned upon non-involvement in political activities, so rather than enhancing freedom of religion, it actually provides a means of government control. Churches tend to opt for the quid pro quo, refraining from engaging in political activism in order to maintain their tax exemption.
Compare the explanation in the preceding post with that of Lawrence Wright, made during an interview from last year, regarding the IRS's sudden about face, changing the position it had held for decades:
In 1993, the "Church" owed a billion dollars in back taxes. They had decided not to pay taxes, and desperately needed a tax exemption or they would go out of business. We would not be talking about the "Church of Scientology" if they had not gotten an IRS tax exemption.
David Miscavige [had] launched 2,300 lawsuits against the IRS, and individual agents, hired private investigators to follow individual agents around, and part of the deal, whatever the merits of the case, was that the IRS would give the "Church" tax exemption, forgive the billion dollars, and the "Church" would call off the private investigators, and drop the lawsuits...
When the IRS made that determination, then the protections of the first amendment, freedom of religion clause, came into play, and those are vast protections, and it's because of those protections that the "Church" is able to operate today...
One of those followed around by private investigators was the IRS Commissioner, and the topic of the possible blackmailing of the IRS Commissioner, is another disturbing area.