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Scientologists: How Many Of Them Are There, Anyway?

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
This is the link to an excellent article by Tony Ortega of the Village Voice:
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/07/scientologists_1.php

It discusses the millions of Scientologists around the world claimed by the CoS as well as what the real stats are.

Here is a small excerpt:

"Scientology has claimed millions of members forever. But I'll never forget watching a video deposition of Heber Jentzsch† in 1999 or 2000 -- he was at the time the president of the Church of Scientology International, a figurehead position -- during which he admitted where the inflated number came from.

When Scientology says it has millions of "members," Jentzsch admitted under oath, it is actually talking about the total number of people, since L. Ron Hubbard first came up with Dianetics in 1950, who have ever picked up a Hubbard book, or filled out a "personality test," or taken a course, or otherwise had any interaction with the organization in any way.

As Janet Reitman pointed out in her excellent book Inside Scientology, she herself is a Scientologist by that definition because she began her research on the church by taking a couple of courses.

In other words, the claim that Scientology has millions of active members is a ludicrous notion and no legitimate news organization has any reason to repeat such nonsense, no matter what the church tells them."
 

Mest Lover

Not Sea Org Qualified
This is the link to an excellent article by Tony Ortega of the Village Voice:
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/07/scientologists_1.php

It discusses the millions of Scientologists around the world claimed by the CoS as well as what the real stats are.

Here is a small excerpt:

"Scientology has claimed millions of members forever. But I'll never forget watching a video deposition of Heber Jentzsch† in 1999 or 2000 -- he was at the time the president of the Church of Scientology International, a figurehead position -- during which he admitted where the inflated number came from.

When Scientology says it has millions of "members," Jentzsch admitted under oath, it is actually talking about the total number of people, since L. Ron Hubbard first came up with Dianetics in 1950, who have ever picked up a Hubbard book, or filled out a "personality test," or taken a course, or otherwise had any interaction with the organization in any way.

As Janet Reitman pointed out in her excellent book Inside Scientology, she herself is a Scientologist by that definition because she began her research on the church by taking a couple of courses.

In other words, the claim that Scientology has millions of active members is a ludicrous notion and no legitimate news organization has any reason to repeat such nonsense, no matter what the church tells them."

Too bad they "Who is they?" don't acknowledge (ACK) the woken masses of those numbers whom are merely false data and numbers of actual XSCN that want nothing to do with their "Past lives" in the church, both those that are outspoken and those still cringing in fear of OSA, Fair game policy, and Disconnection from their families still held in the grasp of insanity.
 

alexm

Patron with Honors
Scientology has very few members compared to other groups. It's maybe reasonable to assume that 8, 10 or even 15 million people have bought a basic book or have taken a course since 1954 (like the article says) but that number in no way reflects the current membership. A good link also on the article states that only about 25,000 people in America claim to be Scientologists. This of course would include my Independent friends, who may make up a decent percentage of Scientologists. Anyway, all I know is the number has shrunk considerably in 20 years.

According to PR in Germany, Sabine Weber told a German paper that Berlin has 750 members, which she may believe but there are less than 200 if you include staff. She also claimed that there are 4,000 to 5,000 members in Germany but there are probably under 1,000 actual members. Hungary only has 500 from what I understand too.
 
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Mick Wenlock

Admin Emeritus (retired)
this questions has been hashed to death - the guy at the Voice should have contacted me and Mark Plummer. Between us, using two totally different methodologies we arrived at the same order of magnitude back in the mid nineties.

The TOTAL international Trained and Processed list (people who took more than a personality test) was 185,000 people - and it had taken 30 years to amass that many. By 1989 there were about 15,000 life members of the IAS and about 10,000 annual members - for the entire world. The sum total of IAS membership INCLUDING ALL SIX MONTH MEMBERSHIPS ISSUED FROM 1985 THROUGH 89 was less than 100,000. As every person who bought a book or took an intro course got the free six month membership this is less than spectacular. And, as I was the one who programmed the membership mailing list, I knew the figures.

as another example - for the release of the IAS the CofS put on 20 events simultaneously around the world with SO missions coordinating the call in, unlimited funds, to put them on, massive all hands call in. The result? Total attendance was 30,000 people.

I coordinated the call in for Portland in LA and EVERYONE (from DM on down) was surprised at how few people there were. DM really did expect the numbers to be in the high tens of thousands - it never got to 30 K.

The CofS 'accomplishment' (if we can call it that) is that they have squeezed more money out of fewer people than almost any other religion in history.
 
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Iknowtoomuch

Gold Meritorious Patron
this questions has been hashed to death - the guy at the Voice should have contacted me and Mark Plummer between us, using two totally different methodologies we arrived at the same order of magnitude back in the mid nineties.

The TOTAL international Trained and Processed list (people who took more than a personality test) was 185,000 people - and it had taken 30 years to amass that many. By 1989 there were about 15,000 life members of the IAS and about 10,000 annual members - for the entire world. The sum total of IAS membership INCLUDING ALL SIX MONTH MEMBERSHIPS ISSUED FROM 1985 THROUGH 89 was less than 100,000. As every person who bought a book or took an intro course got the free six month membership this is less than spectacular. And, as I was the one who programmed the membership mailing list, I knew the figures.

as another example - for the release of the IAS the CofS put on 20 events simultaneously around the world with SO missions coordinating the call in, unlimited funds, to put them on, massive all hands call in. The result? Total attendance was 30,000 people.

I coordinated the call in for Portland in LA and EVERYONE (from DM on down) was surprised at how few people there were. DM really did expect the numbers to be in the high tens of thousands - it never got to 30 K.

The CofS 'accomplishment' (if we can call it that) is that they have squeezed more money out of fewer people than almost any other religion in history.


And that makes perfect sense. Even if you give them some credit for the numbers. Let's say there were 5000 people who hate the crowds, registrars and events and they still arrive at 35k.
Your last line wreaks of truth as well. They now take money in place of amends projects and have been for some time. More reason for them to push the heavy handed ethics as usual.
 

Thrak

Gold Meritorious Patron
If you listen carefully you can hear a hissing sound which is just another one blowing.
 

Terril park

Sponsor
this questions has been hashed to death - the guy at the Voice should have contacted me and Mark Plummer between us, using two totally different methodologies we arrived at the same order of magnitude back in the mid nineties.

The TOTAL international Trained and Processed list (people who took more than a personality test) was 185,000 people - and it had taken 30 years to amass that many. By 1989 there were about 15,000 life members of the IAS and about 10,000 annual members - for the entire world. The sum total of IAS membership INCLUDING ALL SIX MONTH MEMBERSHIPS ISSUED FROM 1985 THROUGH 89 was less than 100,000. As every person who bought a book or took an intro course got the free six month membership this is less than spectacular. And, as I was the one who programmed the membership mailing list, I knew the figures.

as another example - for the release of the IAS the CofS put on 20 events simultaneously around the world with SO missions coordinating the call in, unlimited funds, to put them on, massive all hands call in. The result? Total attendance was 30,000 people.

I coordinated the call in for Portland in LA and EVERYONE (from DM on down) was surprised at how few people there were. DM really did expect the numbers to be in the high tens of thousands - it never got to 30 K.

The CofS 'accomplishment' (if we can call it that) is that they have squeezed more money out of fewer people than almost any other religion in history.

I believe Mark Plummer came to a total of around 230,000 as
opposed to i85,000.

I see no doubt that you are in the right ballpark.
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
"..... the guy at the Voice should have contacted me and Mark Plummer between us, using two totally different methodologies we arrived at the same order of magnitude back in the mid nineties."

You can email Tony at: [email protected]

Or you can leave a comment directly on his page below the article over here:
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/07/scientologists_1.php

He writes 2-3 stories every week on Scn so if you have a good idea for a different story as well then contact him. :yes:
 

Helena Handbasket

Gold Meritorious Patron
And that makes perfect sense. Even if you give them some credit for the numbers. Let's say there were 5000 people who hate the crowds, registrars and events and they still arrive at 35k.
Your last line wreaks of truth as well. They now take money in place of amends projects and have been for some time. More reason for them to push the heavy handed ethics as usual.
I remember, more years ago than I care to admit, when I was given an amends project. I was told to keep a careful list of everything I spent---for things like toilet paper rollers and such.

You can see what's coming. I believed I would be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses, but I never got a penny.

Helena
 
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