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."
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."