Reasons to Picket -
WHY THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY
SHOULD NOT BE GRANTED CHARITABLE STATUS
by Prignillius
EDITOR'S NOTE: This post contained what may be copyrighted material
of the Church of Scientology, so I thought I would link to the post
in Deja News instead of posting it here, but when I checked, this
post was not there. I fully believe that the snippets of text
Prignillius has used is covered under the "fair use" provision, but
since the CoS is so litigious when it comes to their sacred writings of
L. Ron Hubbard, I have snipped the copyrighted material and paraphrase
the references, designated in italics, rather than giving CoS the
pleasure of suing or censoring me.
However, all the references are cited, and I have left the bibliography
intact, so that readers may check these references out for themselves,
and see what Hubbard actually said. If you do not have access to the
references, I suggest a post to the newsgroup, alt.religion.scientology
or a search on the web to find Hubbard's actual words.
According to Hubbard, to take his words out of context or to paraphrase
them is bad; however the Church of Scientology and their batallion of
lawyers makes it impossible to follow that particular teaching.
Fortunately, I don't need to follow it because I am not a scientologist.
Incidentally, Hubbard also forbids his followers from discussing "the
tech" amongst themselves. Imagine a church where prayer groups, bible
studies, or their equivalent is forbidden...
For examples of the extreme litigiousness of this "church" when it
comes to their "sacred" writings, please read about the legal
attacks on xenu.net:
Metatags and Trademarks
NOTs Analysis under Attack
_____________________________________________________________________
WHY THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY SHOULD NOT BE GRANTED CHARITABLE STATUS
The Church of Scientology should not be granted charitable status
by any government for one simple reason: the Church of Scientology is
not a charitable organization. I shall demonstrate this using the
Church's own Sacred Scriptures. [1]
The greatest proof that the Church of Scientology is not a charitable
organization lies in their "Doctrine of Exchange," which is a central
tenet of the faith and forces members to view charitable acts as
harmful to themselves, the recipients, and society as a whole. [2]
In fact, Scientologists are required to believe that the
a non-criminal individual can be turned into a criminal
if they take but don't give. [3]
In other words, if someone receives something for nothing, i.e. is the
recipient of a charitable gift or act, that receiver becomes a
criminal. Hubbard tells his followers even more explicitly,
Exchange involves a trade. Getting something without
giving anything for it is criminal and you encourage
crime when you are charitable. Socially disadvantaged
areas where people live on public assistance have crime.
People live on charity there. [4]
This is the justification the Church of Scientology uses for requiring
upwards of $300,000 (U.S.) in "fixed donations" to complete their
spiritual training. Nothing is given away for free in Scientology,
not even to Scientologists. Although they claim that there are ways
for poor people to receive services for free [5], I have repeatedly
challenged official PR representatives of the Church to provide me
with even a single example of this occurring during the forty years of
their history. They have universally been unable to do so.
In fact, the claim that "services" can be received without any payment
in exchange is itself blashphemy in Scientology, as demonstrated by
another of their sciptures:
Being without money in the western hemisphere is a
crime. A group must be able to support itself and
grow through its productivity. To do this, the group
must exchange value for value. Scientology's services
are valuable, even priceless when correctly performed.
The Church of Scientology supports itself by selling its
services. [6]
The core scripture on financial administration (yes, Scientology has
religious dogma concerning financial matters), the "Governing Policy
of Finance," concludes with the following exhortation,
J. GET RICH.
K. GET RICHER.
L. GET OTHER PEOPLE TO MAKE YOU RICHER. [7]
This is the reason the Church of Scientology has billions of dollars
in its "War Chest," but allows parishoners to become undernourished
because they can't pay for their own food while undergoing training.
[8] Scientologists are scripturally commanded to bring more money
into the organization, but taught that giving away any of this amassed
fortune as charity will make the recipients into criminals and
undermine society as a whole.
The Church also sports an elite cadre called the "International
Finance Police," headed by the "International Finance Dictator" (an
ecclesiastical office), whose duty it is to make sure the local "orgs"
are making enough money, and are forwarding a sufficient percentage of
this to the central organization in the U.S. [9]
In a scriptural tirade against extending credit to parishoners for
Scientology services, L. Ron Hubbard himself said, "We are a financial
institution." [10] Not, as they are so fond of claiming, a charitable
institution.
Scientologists are even mandated not to feel sypmpathy for other human
beings. In "Science of Survival," one of the "Bibles" of Scientology,
Hubbard created the "Tone Scale," about which he said, an individual's
self can be plotted on the Tone Scale...The Church of Scientology wants
to bring people up on this Tone Scale. [11]
However, the value of 2.0 is the dividing line between desirable
"tone" and reprehensible "tone." Concerning this, Scientologists
believe in their typically uncharitable manner that
People who are not at least a 2.0 rating on the Tone
Scale should not be given any civil rights in an
intelligent society. [12]
People below 2.0 on the Tone Scale are not like you and me:
Most reasonable men are not aware that people rated at 2.0
and below are not reasonable and cannot see rationality,
as a person at the 3.0 rating or above can see it. [13]
Devout Scientologists even believe in the elimination, by one means or
another, of anyone whose "chronic level" is below 2.0 on the Tone
Scale:
Society must "delete" people below the 2.0 rating, either
by having them undergo Scientology services (which costs money),
or by "quarantining them from the society." [14]
The two alternatives take on an even more sinister visage further down
the page:
There are only two ways to eliminate them from society,
and they do not include communicating with that person.
"The first is to raise them on the tone scale...
The other is to dispose of them quietly and without
sorrow." [15]
Finally, Scientologists are taught what a positive environment this
genocide would bring about:
Getting rid of these people low on the Tone Scale
will answer all of the social problems of any society. [16]
This in itself does not seem like a very charitable or understanding
stance. But what are the "emotions" which make up the "tone" of these
beings who are so detrimental that they should be eradicated from "any
thinking society?" Emotions such as hostility (1.9), anger (1.5),
hate (1.4), fear (1.0), despair (.98) and terror (.96) [17] many of us
might agree are negative.
But what emotions are even worse? Sympathy (.9), and pity (-0.1)
[18], the very bases of charity!
Scientology believes that an instant improvement to society would be
achieved if all persons who make a habit of practicing sympathy and
pity were "deleted." And other religious values such as shame (-0.2),
regret (-1.3) and making amends (.375) are also very undersirable
qualities to the devout Scientologist. [19]
Based on these things alone, it becomes obvious that Scientology is in
no wise an entity that could be considered charitable by "any thinking
society."
The second major proof that the Church of Scientology is not a
charitable organization lies in their religious beliefs which force
members to harass and attempt to destroy anyone who dares to speak out
against it. While Christian (charitable) organizations encourage
their members to ignore criticism, to turn the other cheek when they
perceive someone to have wronged them, "Scientology is not a turn-the-
other-cheek religion." [20]
One of the most obnoxious of these policies, the notorious "Fair Game"
policy, states that enemies of Scientology
may have property stolen or may be hurt by any
Scientologist, with these actions being sanctioned
by the Church of Scientology. "May be tricked, sued
or lied to or destroyed." [21]
The Church claims publicly that this policy was revoked [22], but
actually, only its name was rescinded, and the reason for this was
solely "because it causes bad public relations." [23]
It is also a scripturally mandated duty for Scientologists to instill
in the minds of the public that:
1. If you criticize Scientology, you must be a criminal.
2. Scientology will investigate you if you criticize them.
investigated for crimes.
3. As long as you don't criticize Scientology, you'll be left
alone. [24]
I do not believe an organization that requires the personal
harrassment of people who speak negatively about it can be considered
in any way to be charitable.
What I have shown above amply demostrates why I oppose the granting of
"charitable" status to the Church of Scientology by any goverment.
They are about as far removed from "charitable" as any organization
could possibly be.
As always, I invite any practicing Scientologist to refute any of the
statements I have made in this post.
Prignillius
References:
[1] Scientology scriptures have odd names. "HCOPL" stands for
"Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letter." "HCOB" is
"Hubbard Communications Office Bulletin." "ED" is "Executive
Directive." Unless otherwise noted, all quotes are from L. Ron
Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, and represent the current
religious dogma of the Church of Scientology.
[2] HCOPL 6 Mar 1966
[3] HCOPL 4 Apr 1972 (caps in original)
[4] ibid.
[5] www.scientology.org - Misconceptions - "Don't Scientology courses
cost a lot of money?"
[6] HCOPL 7 Dec 1969 (emphasis in original, brackets my comments)
[7] HCOPL 9 Mar 1972 (caps in original)
[8] Lisa McPherson Case Log, evidence in Leibreich v. Church of
Spiritual Technology et al.
[9] Corydon, "L. Ron Hubbard: Messiah or Madman?", Lyle Stuart, 1987,
p. 417.
[10] HCOPL 4 Jun 1959
[11] The Auditor, No. 60 (no date)
[12] "Science of Survival," Church of Scientology Press, 1951, p. 131
[13] ibid., p. 157
[14] ibid. (brackets my comments)
[15] ibid.
[16] ibid.
[17] HCOB 25 SEP 1971RA
[18] ibid.
[19] ibid.
[20] Scientology PR Chief Leisa Goodman in an interview on MTV, June
1995]
[21] HCOPL 18 Oct 1967
[22] www.scientology.org - Misconceptions - "What Is Fair Game?"
[23] HCOPL 21 Oct 1968
[24] ED 149 INT 2 Dec 1966
FROM:
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Date: 29 May 1999 00:15:50 -0000
Message-ID: <19990529001550.25014.qmail@nym.alias.net>
From: Prignillius
Subject: $cn Is Not A Charitable Organization
(Repost)(was Toronto Picket 22 May 1999)
