SECTION VII ------------ CHAPTER 13 SCIENTOLOGY: IT'S [sic] CLAIMS TO BE A RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY, A RELIGION AND A CHURCH. 13.1. The Commission is not directed by any specific term of reference to consider whether Scientology can rightly claim to be a religion and a Church. Since, however, adherents of the movement have consistently advanced the claim that Scientology is a religious philosophy, a religion and a Church, the Commission considers it necessary to discuss this claim under its ninth term of reference. 13.2. Scientology has at various times claimed to be different things: (a) Mr. Hubbard writes: "What is Scientology? Scientology is that branch of psychology which treats of (embraces) human ability."^1 However, he contradicts this by saying: "... Scientology does not belong in the world of psychology ... In fact, ... We find nowhere in the western world a word or a tradition which will embrace Scientology."^2 (b) What it does embrace is "... An applied philosophy dealing with the study of knowledge, which, through the application of its technology, can bring about desirable changes in the conditions of life."^3 This is further stated as follows: "Scientology may be defined as the science of knowing how to know. It embraces the entire field of knowledge ... The science has many branches and these embrace what were designated in the past the 'humanities'. Education, criminology, sociology, psychology, and other such studies have their proper place in the framework of Scientology."^4a It will be noted that the author does not include religion in his list. Indeed, religion is classed under para-scientology "... which includes all greater or lesser uncertainties."^4b (c) Yet the following is maintained: "SCIENTOLOGY is an applied religious philosophy of life and a body of knowledge concerning Man and his relation- ship to the Universe, to his fellow beings. It holds that Man is inherently ________ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: Scientology. The Fundamentals of Thought. Foundry Press, Ltd., Bedford, England. (Copyright 1956), p. 9. ^2Hubbard L. Ron: The Phoenix Lectures. The Garden City Press Limited, Letchworth, Hertfordshire, England. (Copyright 1968), pp. 2-3. ^3Ziff, Judy: Editor: The Auditor, The Journal of Scientology No. 25 World Wide. The Sidney Press Ltd., Bedford, England. (Copyright 1967), p. 4. ^4Gerry U. Keith: Scientology. Its Contribution to Knowledge. (Copyright 1955), a) p. 11; b) p. 12. 195 ------------ a spiritual and immortal being."^1 That Scientology is a religious philosophy is also implied by Mr. Hubbard when he distinguishes between religious philosophy and religious practice.* That he does not set great store by religious practice is evident in the following quotation: "The euphoria of religion, the ecstasies of worship and debauchery, become as meaningless as sand when one seeks in them the answer to the riddle of all existence."^2a And again the following definition of Scientology is given: "A religious philosophy dealing with the study of knowledge in its fullest sense which, through the application of its technology, can bring about desirable changes in any condition. Scientology is the road to spiritual freedom."^3 (d) Nevertheless there _is_ also the Church of Scientology in South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., with a Creed and Book of Ceremonies, chaplains and services and, on occasion, even a clerical collar. The Chaplain at St. Hill states: "It is my opinion that by occupying the field of religion, we will gain a stable position from which to operate, and expand into the lower reality levels."^4 That Scientology is indeed a religion is maintained by various witnesses (_inter alia_, Mr. Gaiman, the Scientology organization's spokesman world wide); there were, however, also several pro-scientology witnesses who did not consider it as such,**^a, b and Mr. Hubbard himself at various times states emphatically: "It is not a psycho-therapy nor a religion. It is a body of knowledge which, when properly used, gives freedom and truth to the individual."^2b 13.3. In the face of so many different and often contradictory statements it would there- fore seem necessary to examine the basic ideas underlying Scientology in order to arrive at a clear understanding of the subject. Dianetics deals with the Dynamics One to Four as formulated by Mr. Hubbard (Supra pars. 5.18 - 5.35, Chapter 5) whereas Scientology is concerned with _______ ^1Hubbard College of Scientology, East Grinstead, Sussex, England. Kangaroo Court. F.E. Bording, Copenhagen, Denmark. (1967), p. 2. ^2Hubbard L. Ron: The Creation of Human Ability, Garden City Press Limited, Letchworth, Hertfordshire, Great Britain, a) p. 182; b) p. 251. ^3Briggs, Catherine; Chalmers, Colin; Chalmers, Margaret; Elton, Doreen; Goodyer, Gladys; Steel, Catherine; Penberthy, Dorothy: Scientology and the Bible. The Southern Publishing Co. Ltd., Brighton, England. (Copyright 1967), p. 54. ^4Gale, Vern; Chaplain and Hubbard, Mary Sue, The Guardian WW.: HCO Executive Letter of 11 January, 1967 (Issued St. Hill) Hubbard Communications Office, Cape Town, Republic of South Africa. *Hubbard L.Ron: The Phoenix Lectures, p. 14. **Record of Evidence: a) Vol. 21, p. 92 - Mrs. D.A. de Villiers. b) Vol. 27, p. 26 - Mr. P. van Niekerk. 196 ------------ life in its different manifestations, with physical and spiritual survival, and the 'life force' or 'Supreme Being'.* Its ideas are culled from various sources - Mr. Hubbard himself gives a list which includes Buddha, Christ, Plato, Mohammed, Confucius, Descartes - but they are clothed in Mr. Hubbard's own special terminology, and not all of them have direct bearing on Scientology as it is practised. In accordance with Mr. Hubbard's stress on the practical application of theory, it is therefore proposed to discuss only such aspects of Scientology as have direct bearing on its practice. _The philosophy of Scientology_: 13.4. (a) Mr. Hubbard's explanation of Man and his existence is contained in his Theta - MEST theory, Theta being the life force and MEST (Matter, Energy, Space and Time) the physical universe. According to this theory all forms of life in evolution, from the simplest to the most complex, come into being as the result of the conquest of MEST by Theta. As such Theta is an activating force, spirit, soul. "Thought, potentially independent of a material vessel or medium. Life force. _Elan Vital_."^1a This activating force is also called thought: "It is considered as a kind of 'energy' which is NOT PART of the physical universe. It controls energy, but it has no wave length. It uses matter, but it has no mass. It is found in space, but it has no position. It records time, but it is not subject to time. The Greek word (and letter), THETA, is used as a symbol for thought as an 'energy'."^2 Mr. Hubbard does not, however, indicate how thought as Theta differs from thought in the ordinary sense of the word. He states that Theta "... computes, reasons, learns and retains what it learns."^1b - which in common parlance is also the function of man's mind. Man, says Mr. Hubbard, is a thetan (spirit or soul) who possesses a mind and a body. Like thought as energy explained above, it has "... no mass, no wave-length, no energy and no time or location in space except by consideration or postulate. The spirit then is not a _thing_. It is the _creator_ of things. The usual residence of the thetan is in the skull or near the body."^3 On this point there seems to be confusion in Mr. Hubbard's mind, i.e. it _______ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: Science of Survival. Lonsdale and Bartholomew (Leicester) Ltd., England. (1951), a) Book Two, p. 291; b) Book One, p. 4. ^2Hubbard L. Ron: Scientology 8-80. Manufactured in the United States of America. (Phoenix, Arizona). (Copyright 1952), pp. 8-9. ^3Hubbard L. Ron: Scientology. The Fundamentals of Thought: _Op_._cit_., pp. 32-33. *Gerry U. Keith: Scientology. Its Contributions to Knowledge, pp. 16-18. 197 ------------ has location; and he further writes: "Actually a thetan is in a very, very small amount of mass. From some experiments conducted about fifteen or twenty years ago - a thetan weighed about 1.5 ounces!"^1 and again "The THETAN is a glowing unit of energy source. He seems to himself to be anything from a quarter of an inch to two inches in diameter."^2 The mind, according to Mr. Hubbard, is a communication and control system between the thetan and his environment which enables him to operate his body and through the body operate things in the physical universe as well as other bodies.* It has three divisions; the analytical, the reactive and the somatic. (Pars. 6.7 - 6.17 of Chapter 6, Supra). With regard to the physical body Mr. Hubbard writes: "When Scientology established bio-physics, it did so because of he various discoveries which had accumulated concerning mental energy in its reaction against physical energy, and the activities which took place in the body because of these inter-actions. Bio-physics only became feasible when it was discovered in Scientology that a fixed electrical field existed surrounding a body entirely independent of, but influencable by, the human mind. ... The electrical field is paramount and monitors the actual physical structure of the body. Thus the body is not only influenced by the three minds, it is influenced as well by its own electrical field. ... These three parts of man, the thetan, the mind, and the body, are each one different studies, but they influence each other markedly and continually. Of the three, the senior entity is the thetan, for without the thetan there would be no mind or animation in the body while without a body or a mind there is still animation and life in the thetan. The thetan _is_ the person. You are _you in_ a body."^3 Mr. Hubbard does not explain what is the position of the thetan in the case of a change of personality due to physical causes or in that of complete senility, i.e. when the body is alive but the mind has ceased to function normally. ________ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: The Phoenix Lectures: _Op_._cit_., p. 147. ^2Hubbard L. Ron: Scientology 8-80: _Op_._cit_., p. 54. ^3Hubbard L. Ron: Scientology. The Fundamentals of Thought: _Op_._cit_., pp. 37-38. *Hubbard L. Ron: Scientoogy. The Fundamentals of Thought. 198 ------------ (b) Mr. Hubbard explains death as follows: Theta is that in man which leads to survival, entheta (i.e. enturbulated theta as the result of engrams) that which leads to death. Death is theta's escape mechanism by which it withdraws from the body when the enturbulation becomes too painful.* The following summary casts further light on this part of his thought: "Some facts, however, are completely known. The first of these is that the individual himself is a spirit controlling a body via a mind. The second of these is that the thetan is capable of making space, energy [,] mass and time. The third of these that the thetan is separable from the body without the phenomenon of death, and can handle and control a body from well outside it. The fourth of these is that the thetan does not care to remember the life which he has just lived, after he has parted from the body and the mind. The fifth of these is that a person dying always exteriorizes. The sixth of these is that the person having exteriorized usually returns to a planet and procures, usually, another body of the same type of race as before."^1 (c) The emphasis on exteriorization must be noted as influence of Eastern philosophy on Scientology theory and practice. In his writings Mr. Hubbard indicates that Buddhism and Taoism form the background of Scientology. So far example he writes: "And if we took the Tao just as written, and knowing what we know in Scientology, simply set out to practice the Tao, I don't know but what we wouldn't get a Theta Clear. (Theta Clear: An individual who, as a being, is certain of his identity apart from that of the body, and who habitually operates the body from outside, or _exteriorized_) ... In other words it teaches you that you had better get out of space and get away from objects if you're going to achieve any consciousness of beingness, or to know things as they are, and it tells you that if you could do this then you'd know the whole answer ... And this is exactly what we are doing in Scientology."^2 An [sic] again: "The same _type_ of material as Scientology was attempted about 2,500 years ago by one Gautama Siddhartha and became the world's oldest civilized religion, known as Buddhism. Laws of Life, exteriorization and other materials of Buddhism are similar to Scientology. Scientology, however, is able to achieve results even in early stages that Buddhism could not. This does not make Scientology Buddhism but _______ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: Scientology. The Fundamentals of Thought: _Op_._cit_., p. [?]. ^2Hubbard L. Ron: The Phoenix Lectures: _Op_._cit_., pp. 15-16. *Hubbard L. Ron: Science of Survival. Book One, p. 43; Book Two, pp. 31 and 32. 199 ------------ it does place it firmly in the area of religion."^1 Exteriorization is defined as follows: "... The state of the thetan, the individual himself, being outside his body. When this is done, the person achieves a certainty that he is himself and not his body."^2 In this state, according to Scientology theory, the spirit (or thetan) is in full control and "... can clean up and heal his own body and those of others at will."^3a That this desirable state, also described as total spiritual awareness, total responsibility, expanding power, is the ultimate goal of processing is suggested by the slender evidence as to the content of the highest grades of Scientology processing, the so-called OT-grades, and is confirmed by the evidence of Mr. Gaiman.* There are there- fore two kinds of exteriorization: (i) When the spirit leaves and returns to the living body at will - the object of processing as described in the books e.g. _Scientology 8-80_, _Scientology 8-8008_ and _The Creation of Human_ _Ability_; (ii) when it leaves the body for good, i.e. at the moment of death, and procures another body of the same type of race as before. This is Mr. Hubbard's version of the Eastern concept of reincarnation. Note, however, that it contains neither the idea of reincarnation as part of a progress spiritual process, nor anything like the Christian concept of heaven and hell, blessedness and damnation. The thetan's occupation of one body after another is seen as a repetitive process: "The manifestation that our hereafter is our next life entirely alters the general concept of spiritual destiny."^4 And again "He comes in a state of personal unknowingness, desiring to have an identity which he considers that he has not without a body."^3b (d) Before reaching the higher stages of awareness (spiritual and mental) there is, however, theta's struggle with MEST on the mundane plane: "... the individual who cannot successfully handle matter, energy, space and time is at a disadvantage and his survival potential is limited. If John cannot open doors without banging himself, and if he cannot make his care start nor handle any object without some difficulty, then his life will be continually filled with trouble. If he cannot handle energy, he ill not be able to create enough when he needs it or he may have more than he needs. This can ______ ^1Staff HCO WW : HCO Information Letter of November 24, 1963. Essential Information every Scientologist should know. Hubbard Communications Office, East Grinstead, Sussex, England, p. 2. ^2Hubbard L. Ron: The Phoenix Lectures: _Op_._cit_., pp. 21-22. ^3Hubbard L. Ron: Scientology 8-80: _Op_._cit_., a) p. 55; b) p. 54. ^4Hubbard L. Ron: Scientology. The Fundamentals of Thought: _Op_._cit_., p. 39. *Record of Evidence, Vol. 51(b), pp. 106-114 - Mr. D.B. Gaiman. 200 ------------ refer to his use of the body, or it can refer to the building of hydro-electric dams to provide electrical energy. If John cannot handle space, then he will continually be misjudging distances; this can be a definite threat to survival if John is driving a modern car or piloting an aircraft. If John cannot handle time, then he will continually find himself with too much time or not enough time. He won't have any time, or he'll'' have so much that he won't know what to do with it. On a very simple level, a man who is always much too early for appointments or who is always very late does little to enhance his survival potential with his fellow man ..."^1 Man's struggle with MEST underlies Mr. Hubbard's so-called Tone Scale, a gradient scale of theta-entheta combinations. Those in which theta predominates tend towards happiness and survival; those in which entheta predominates tend towards death - the latter taken to mean not only physical death. "Death is actually a gradient scale. Small mishaps and accidents can tend toward greater and greater accumulation of mishaps and accidents, until death of an ambition, death of an individual, death of a cause, or death of a group is attained."^2 The Tone Scale is an ingenious device for the analysis of human character, the idea being that every grade manifests its own typical qualities, subject to modifying factors such as environment, cultural background and education and Mr. Hubbard's object was to use it in dianetic processing in order to raise the individual's tone level and, by ridding him of entheta elements (such as engrams), to make him more reasonable, happier and better able to survive. In practice it was, however, found that there was too much subjective assessment in the Tone Scale to make it a stable, reliable form of analysis. It is still useful for understanding people's reactions and behaviour, but it no longer is prominent in processing. (e) (i) Certain fundamental ideas contained in the Axioms of Scientology play an important part in processing. Mr. Hubbard explains the Axioms.* Such ideas are: the thetan (static) is able to perceive, ________ ^1Horner J.F.: Fundamentals of Scientology. Condor Printers, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. (Copyright 1956), pp. 82-83. ^2Hubbard L. Ron: Science of Survival: _Op_._cit_., Book Two, p. 87. *Hubbard L. Ron: The Phoenix Lectures. 201 ------------ to form opinions (considerations), and to make statements (to postulate); these constitute his personal reality. "What's true for me, is true for me", some witnesses put it. In exteriorization processing, for example, the preclear's statement that he is outside his body is accepted as sufficient proof that he has indeed exteriorized.* Then there is other- determined reality, i.e. reality forced on the person from the outside and, as far as he is concerned, not true reality; this is one of the thoughts underlying Mr. Hubbard's views on education - only what one has proved for oneself has any value, nothing should be accepted on the authority of someone else. Mr. Hubbard does not consider the fact that it is physically impossible to test every item of knowledge and that there are some things that must be learnt from others. His scathing comments on a college education** are acceptable as criticism on the parrot-like repetition of data, but not as wholesale condemnation. Active participation instead of passive learning is a principle which forms part of every teacher's training and is no new principle of Mr. Hubbard. Between personal reality and other-determined reality lies what is generally considered reality, namely that which two or more persons agree is real. There are also three universes - one's own universe, the other person's universe and the physical universe. (ii) The A.R.C. triangle (Affinity - Reality - Communication) is based on these thoughts. Mr. Hubbard stresses the importance of communication in human relationships, in the personal sphere as well as in the business world, and analyses its component parts: Affinity is the willingness to communicate, Reality is something upon which to agree, and Communication includes various elements such as the ability to communicate e.g. by means of a common language, intention to communicate and a reversal of the process so that two-way communication can take place. A.R.C. is fundamental to all processing, indeed, without A.R.C. no processing is possible - hence the injunctions to auditors to guard against A.R.C. breaks. The interpretation of A.R.C. as a mystery comparable to the Holy Trinity of the Christian ________ *Hubbard L. Ron: The Creation of Human Ability. **Hubbard L. Ron: Science of Survival. 202 ------------ faith is as follows: "When I began to use, HANDBOOK FOR PRECLEARS, as a processing manual on myself and read the opening paragraph of the 2nd act, I found myself in something that was familiar, the following excerpt is from page 21: 'The anatomy of the static of life demonstrates it to have three interdependant [sic] characteristics. Each one of these is as important as the other two. They are, Reality, Affinity, and Communication'. I can lift this statement and apply it verbatim to the dogma of the Trinity, the Handbook continues; 'Each one of these is as important as the other two'. This statement is a trinitarian formulation pure & simple, whether it is used in theology, Scientology or on a can of that household favorite, 3 in 1 oil. This Trinity motiff [sic] is even more pronounced in the opening paragraph of chapter 6, 'There is in Dianetics a triangle of great importance. Theta, the energy of life & thought has as primary manifestations, affinity, reality, and communication'."^1 This is totally unwarranted. Indeed it in no way tallies with Mr. Hubbard's own explanation of A.R.C.* (iii) Various so-called cycles of action formulated by Mr. Hubbard are also used in processing, e.g. Create - Persist - Destroy, which operates in the physical world as well. Be is what one is, one's name and profession, -Do is the action which results from being - Have denotes owning, commanding. Being is more important than doing, while doing is more important than having. Another example is - Start - Change - Stop which implies self-determined action. Such cycles are used in processing when a preclear is told to do something - to keep on doing it, or to change it at will - to stop doing it. Drills of this type are given to teach a preclear to direct his attention, to concentrate on something, to observe accurately, to orientate himself with regard to the people and objects surrounding him, to control his movements and consequently to gain self-confidence. Stress is laid on present time, i.e. on the here and now of what is happening; on self-determinism, i.e. taking one's own _______ ^1Kelly, James V.: Brother Finbarr, Abbey of Mepkin. Affidavit dated 4th day of May 1970. City of Monks Corner, South Carolina, United States of America, pp. 4-5. *Hubbard L. Ron: Scientology. The Fundamentals of Thought, pp. 24-25. Gerry U. Keith: Scientology. Its contributions to knowledge, p. 19 Cf. Horner J.F.: Fundamentals of Scientology, p. 13. ff. 203 ------------ decisions, being oneself and not a copy (or valence) of someone else; and on the necessity of being cause (active, positive) rather than effect (passive, negative). It is also important to have a stable datum. This is not part of data in the ordinary sense of facts or information accepted on the authority of others, but an orientation point to resolve confusion and to create order out of chaos.*^a (iv) In the Axioms of Scientology Mr. Hubbard also states that anything which is not directly observed tends to persist, but that anything unwanted will vanish if thoroughly viewed. This is the principle on which dianetic engram processing is based, when engrams are no longer hidden in the unconscious sub-mind but are recalled to consciousness, they lose their effect. The same principle applies in Scientology processing in order to view problems objectively. The six grades are forms of "release" - the sequence is as follows: Zero: Communication Release, then: i. Problems, ii. Relief Release, iii. Freedom Release, iv. Ability Release, v. Power Release, v(a) Power Plus Release, vi. Whole Track Release or Clear. It will be noted that the principles Mr. Hubbard puts into practice in processing are akin to the positive thinking of other modern schools of thought. Part and parcel of this is his statement that survival is the dynamic principle of existence. (v) Mr. Hubbard repeatedly represents life as a game with players, rules, barriers, penalties and rewards. The goal is survival and the opponent the material universe; the equipment used by the players consists of affinity, reality, communication and they use it to solve problems.*^b To the able persons, problems are a challenge and there is pleasure in solving them. The able person is a _solver_ of problems. The unable person is being a problem. Winning (surviving) therefore depends on ability. Hence Scientology's slogan: "To make the able more able." (f) _To sum up_: The above is not an exhaustive study of Mr. Hubbard's often abstruse philosophy of Scientology which may be construed as religious in so far as it deals with man as a spiritual being but an attempt to indicate its main trend and the bearing it has on Scientology practice. The Commission was impressed by the fact that few practising scientologists - even those who have attained ________ *Horner J.F. : Fundamentals of Scientology, a) p. 44; b) p. 103. 204 ------------ the higher grades - have any profound knowledge of Scientology as a body of thought. The stress is on its technology, i.e. on the way it works rather than on the foundations on which it rests. This being so, the larger issues are often lost sight of and the field is narrowed down to individual achievement and the expansion and survival of Scientology at all costs. _Scientology as a religious philosophy and its claim to be a religion_. 13.5. (a) Mr. Hubbard writes as follows: "The word religion itself can embrace sacred lore, wisdom, knowingness of gods and souls and spirits, and could be called, with a very broad use of the word, a philosophy."^1a And again "Scientology carries forward a tradition of wisdom which concerns itself about the soul and the solution of mysteries of life."^1b "Scientology is a religion in the very oldest and fullest sense. Anybody who would dare try to make religion into solely a religious _practice_ and not a religious _wisdom_ would be neglecting the very background of Christianity."^1c "... Christianity in its basic wisdoms is ... traceable back to the Veda."^1d The quotations Mr. Hubbard makes from the Veda, Buddha and other Eastern sources indicate what type of wisdom he has in mind, e.g. "'All that we are is the result of what we have thought.'... 'By oneself evil is done. ... By oneself evil is left undone. by oneself one is purified'."^1e "'You yourself must make an effort. ...' 'Strenuousness is the path of immortality, sloth the path of death. Those who are strenuous do not die; those who are slothful are as if dead already'."^1f (b) Two things are therefore apparent: (i) That Mr. Hubbard uses the words religious and religion to denote the non-physical aspects of life, i.e. in a very wide sense, and (ii) that the soul and the solution of mysteries of life, seen in the light of the foregoing discussion of Scientology as philosophy, is in fact the thetan (spirit plus mind) in its struggle to dominate and survive _in the life of this world_. (c) It is not clear what relationship Mr. Hubbard envisages between theta (life force) and the thetan, and whether the Supreme Being recognised by Scientology is theta itself. It would, however, appear that the thetan retains its identity: "... our hereafter is our next life ..."^2a Mr. Hubbard explains the Eighth Dynamic as: " ... the urge toward existence as infinity. This is also identified as the Supreme Being ..."^2b He does not explain whether the urge _______ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: The Phoenix Lectures: _Op_._cit_., a) p. 13; b) p. 34; c) p. 35; d) p. 31; e) p. 19; f) p. 20. ^2Hubbard L. Ron: Scientology. The Fundamentals of Thought: _Op_._cit_., a) p. 39; b) p. 22. 205 ------------ toward infinity includes man's body and mind as well as the already immortal thetan, nor is it clear what "it" is the Supreme Being. Scientology writers give the following interpretations: "The Eighth Dynamic includes the impulse to survive as what can be termed the supreme being."^1a (Note the absence of capital letters) "... it is neither the intention nor the goal of Scientology to change the beliefs or opinions of anyone concerning their understanding about God, about politics, about economics, or about anything else which the individual desires and chooses to believe."^1b "The Eighth Dynamic is the Supreme Being. This is the effort to survive as the ultimate Creator of All."^2a whatever that may mean. The same writer speaks of the Supreme Being as a "postulated reality".^2b This tallies with what Mr. Hubbard himself says: "... we can say there was a creator and he created everything and that's fine. And if this were the case, why, that's fine, too, because it wouldn't unmock. In other words, things would not disappear if there were a creator who made everything. ... if _you_ had made it and continued to accept your responsibility for it, it wouldn't be here, so there must have been a creator. ... So whether the creator created everything or not, it's a certainty that you, in order to continue with a physical universe, have to, to some degree, lay the blame on some other identity."^3a "So we get this basic thing of other men's responsibility, or 'God is responsible', as the fundamental of persistence and survival. We have to have other- determinism at work or we get no persistence whatsoever."^3b And: "The physical universe as we look at it right around us here is an Is-ness for one reason only. We all agree that somebody else created it, whether that is God or Mugjub or Bill."^3c Religion as a matter of faith does not enter into consideration at all. In the book _Scientology 8-8008_ Mr. Hubbard writes about faith on the human plane only. 'There is no more over-rated quality in existence than faith ... In order to understand faith, one must be able to differentiate between _faith-in_ and faith. ... Faith-in is an inflow of agreement and the placing ________ ^1Horner J.F. : Fundamentals of Scientology: _Op_._cit_., a) p. 83; b) p. 84. ^2Gerry U. Keith: Scientology. Its Contribution to Knowledge. _Op_._cit_., a) p. 17; b) p. 24. ^3Hubbard L. Ron: The Phoenix Lectures: _Op_._cit_., a) p. 110; b) p. 119; c) p.94. 206 ------------ of one's beingness and doingness under the control of another, and is, in other words, the sacrifice of one's universe. ... Faith-in is an inflow and brings about the acceptance of reality other than one's own. Faith itself would be without flow where one was in a full state of beingness and with this condition, one could occasion faith itself to occur within his own universe, or could occasion people to have faith in him."^1 (d) Worship and man in a personal relationship to God have no place in Scientology either. It is said to be a religion without a dogma* and it is wide enough to include people of every creed or no-creed.** "Scientology has no dogmas or creeds. Its principles are based upon self-evident truths. Acceptance of these truths is left entirely to the free choice of the individual."^2 Some of the evidence presented to the Commission contradicts this, e.g. that of Mrs. M. McAll: "I found my husband's attitude towards other religions blasphemous. My child was attending a Church of England School and he would make remarks like, 'Who is this bloke Christ anyway'?"^3a The accent throughout is on spiritual (mental?) power and awareness in the human being, and it is significant that one witness, Mr. Carter in reply to the question: "Are you your own God?" said "Yes"^3b and that another, Mr. Blumenthal, stressed the view of a school of thought in Hindu religion that "does not think that in order to be religious it is essential to believe in a personal God who is external to the human being. They believe that by identifying the soul itself with God, man reaches the highest form of spirituality, ethics and morality."^3c (e) An official information letter states: "_SCIENTOLOGY AND OTHER RELIGIONS_ Recently I was asked some rather involved questions which when simply boiled down were this question: Does Scientology entail you having to give up another religion? __________ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: Scientology 8-8008: Grant Production Co. Ltd., London. (1965), p. 65. ^2Hubbard Association of Scientologists International: What is Scientology? A.M. and I Abrahams (Pty.) Ltd., Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. (Copyright 1965), p. 1. ^3Record of Evidence: a) Vol. 30(a), p. 36 - Mrs. M.R. McAll. b) Vol. 16(a), p. 26 - Mr. J.B. Carter. c) Vol. 41, p. 34 - Mr. J. Blumenthal. *Record of Evidence, Vol. 51(b), p. 94 - Mr. D.B. Gaiman. **Gerry U. Keith: Scientology. Its contribution to Knowledge, p. 2. 207 ------------ The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English defines Religion as: 'Human recognition of superhuman controlling power and esp. of a personal God entitled to obedience, effect of such recognition of conduct and mental attitude.' In Scientology, the personal God mentioned above is defined as a Thetan or Theta and since Scientology is concerned almost wholly with the subject of the Thetan and Theta, Scientology can be and is classified as a religion. A religious body is generally regarded as a Church. Hence, this is why our Organization in Scientology is often referred to as the Church of Scientology. Scientology does not encroach on any other religion and studies the basis of all religion, the human spirit. Therefore, in reply to the question: Does Scientology entail you having to give up another religion?, the answer is simply: NO. Scientology is non-denominational, and membership ipso facto does not entail giving up another religion. The precedence in this is Buddhism which was the first to accept members of any denomination, race or other religion."1 (f) With regard to the above the following must be pointed out: (i) That although Scientology professes to recognise a Supreme Being, it never mentions it as either a controlling power or a personal God entitled to obedience and worship. (ii) That the Thetan is expressly stated to be the personality the "I" of the individual, which implies that in Scientology there can be no talk of a personal God but only of a person as God. The claim of Scientology to be a Church. 13.6. The claim of Scientology to be a Church can be submitted to two tests: (a) Is it a Church in the sense accepted in the Republic of South Africa i.e. a Christian Institution? or (b) Is it a Church in the wider sense of a religious fellowship engaged in the common worship of a deity? __________ ^1Hancocks Robin, Deputy HCO Executive Secretary W.W. for L. Ron Hubbard: Scientology and other Religions. H.C.O. Information Letter of April 11, 1963. Hubbard Communications Office, East Grinstead, Sussex, England. 208 ------------ 13.7. The term Church is specifically a Christian concept, since the word church is derived from the Greek word _kuriakos_ which means: Of the Lord or that which belongs to the Lord. In the Greek New Testament and likewise in Latin, the word _ekklesia_ is used to denote a convocation or an assembly of the people (Acts 19 : 32, 40). In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (The Septuagint) it is used for the assembly of the people of Israel especially for religious purposes, and in the New Testament it denotes the Christian church - the elect who in Christ are freed from sin. Church, therefore, is the assembly of believers, the body of Christ. It follows that Church is a specifically Christian concept. It is inseparable from the faith in Christ. Thus Christian Church denotes an assembly of believers in Christ. Its chief attributes are in its spiritual unity, its holiness and its universality. It exists where: (a) The word of God is preached in sound doctrine. (b) The Holy Sacraments are administered as instituted by Christ. (c) Church discipline is employed for the correction of sin. Its first and highest charge is to serve and praise the Head of which the Church is the body; furthermore to strengthen the believers in their faith and to develop their spiritual life by all the means of grace at the disposal of the Church. 13.8. If the requirements of the specific Christian concept of a Church as outlined above are applied to the Church of Scientology, one notes _inter alia_ that: (a) The attribute of holiness is not evident in the Church of Scientology, though in a sense it may lay claim to unity. (b) The Church of Scientology does not comply with the requirements for the true Church, e.g. the preaching of the Word of God in sound doctrine, the Holy Sacraments, Church discipline and the charge of the true Church. It nowhere recognises the Bible as the Word of God or Christ as the Redeemer. (c) The Church of Scientology does hold services on Sundays. They are described as follows: "In a Scientology Church Service we do not use prayers, attitudes of piety, or threats of damnation. We use the facts, the truths, the understandings that have been discovered in the science of Scientology. We do not read from the Bible (or the Koran or the Torah or the Vedic Hymns, for that matter) and say to the people assembled there - 'Now this is something you have got to believe'."^1 It is also mentioned _______ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: Ceremonies of the Founding Church of Scientology. The Garden City Press Limited, Letchworth, Hertfordshire, England. (Copyright 1967), p. 7. 209 ------------ that it would not be wrong to quote from the Bible or "any other book"^1a to illustrate man's constant search for truth, "but there is certainly no necessity to quote from any other source in a Scientology Church Service."^1a These services consist of the following: "The Minister confronts the people and says hello to them. A sermon - This is ALWAYS on some phase of Scientology and on how it can be of use to those present. ... ONE stable datum should be given, amplified, repeated and shown how it applies to living."^1a Examples of such stable data for the sermons are among others: "What a person is - mind, body, spirit ... The Eight Dynamics ... Gradient Scales."^1b An example is given of such a sermon on "What a person is." In its outline there is not a single allusion to God or the Bible. Scientology also has a creed, but it is not stated whether it forms part of the service. This Creed contains nothing of Christian religion.* It reads as follows: "THE CREED OF THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY We of the Church believe: That all men of whatever race, colour or creed were created with equal rights. That all men have inalienable rights to their own religious practices and their performance. That all men have inalienable rights to their own lives. That all men have inalienable rights to their sanity. That all men have inalienable rights to their own defence. That all men have inalienable rights to conceive, choose, assist and support their own organizations, churches and governments. That all men have inalienable rights to think freely, to talk freely, to write freely their own opinions and to counter or utter or write upon the opinions of others. That all men have inalienable rights to the creation of their own kind. That the souls of men have the rights of men. That the study of the mind and the healing of mentally caused ills should not be alienated from religion or condoned in non-religious fields. _________ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: Ceremonies of the Founding Church of Scientology: _Op_._cit_., a) p. 7; b) p. 8. *Hubbard L. Ron: Ceremonies of the Founding Church of Scientology. 210 ------------ And that no agency less than God has the power to suspend or set aside these rights, overtly or covertly. And we of the Church believe: That man is basically good That he is seeking to survive That his survival depends upon himself and upon his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the Universe. And we of the Church believe that the laws of God forbid Man: To destroy his own kind To destroy the sanity of another To destroy or enslave another's soul To destroy or reduce the survival of one's companions or one's group. And we of the Church believe That the spirit can be saved and That the spirit alone may save or heal the body."^1a There are also forms for marriage, christening and funeral ceremonies. With regard to the object of christening Scientology states: it is "to help get the thetan oriented. He has recently taken over his new body. He is aware that it is his and that he is operating it. However he has never been told the identity of his body. He knows there are quite a few adults bodies around, but he has not been told that there are specific ones who will care for his body until it has developed to where he can manoeuvre it thoroughly."^1b The person officiating at the christening acts as follows: He greets the parents and the child, presents the parents to the congregation, presents the thetan to his body. Then the thetan in turn is presented to the parents of his body and to the bodies of his godparents. Finally the thetan (child) is acknowledged and thanked for his participation. It is obvious that this christening has nothing in common with the christening service of the Christian Church. This is also true of the "Church" service of Scientology as a whole as well as its marriage and funeral ceremonies. In the Church of Scientology there is moreover neither official preaching from Scriptures nor administering of sacraments. Its christening is merely a name giving - an introduction of the thetan to its physical body. ________ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: Ceremonies of the Founding Church of Scientology: _Op_._cit_., a) pp. 73-75; b) p. 45. 211 ------------ (d) Without Christ there can be no Church. Scientology completely disregards Christ as the Redeemer and proclaims: "Scientology is here to rescue you."^1 (e) The concept of man held by Scientology conflicts with the Bible. It is stated that: "_We of the Church believe_: That man is basically good. That he is seeking to survive. That his survival depends upon himself and upon his fellows, and his attainment of brotherhood with the Universe."^2 By this doctrine, that man is basically good, Scientology therefore rejects the doctrine of original sin taught by Scripture.* (f)(i) In Scientology there is no transcendental, infinitely compassionate Redeemer. (ii) Scientology aims at freeing man from ignorance by means of wisdom and knowledge, but nowhere mentions the liberation from sin through the redemption of Jesus Christ. It is familiar with psychological freedom, but knows no spiritual liberation. Rather does it accept the Buddhistic attainment of freedom through self-exertion and human means.** Mr. Hubbard even says: "Freedom from Ignorance is at hand. Perhaps _that_ was the Kingdom of Heaven."^3 "... Scientology - the most vital and widespread self-betterment movement on earth today."^4 (iii) According to Mrs. Mary Sue Hubbard's definition Scientology is a study of man as spirit, in his relation to life and the physical universe. There is no mention of the study of the Word of God to instruct man in his relationship to God and Jesus Christ as his Redeemer. (iv) The Bible does say: "The truth will make you free." but clearly states that Jesus Christ is the liberating truth. (v) The highest freedom is not the result of man's "Ability" but is the fruit of the redemption from sin. When Mr. Hubbard repeatedly states Scientology is here to rescue you, he usurps the function of Christ. _________ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: Ceremonies of the Founding Church of Scientology: _Op_._cit_., Cover page. ^2The Department of Publications World Wide, Church of Scientology of California. The Character of Scientology. Lonsdale and Bartholomew (Leicester) Ltd., England. (Copyright 1968), p. 24. ^3Hubbard L. Ron: Scientology. The Fundamentals of Thought: _Op_._cit_., p. [?] ^4Regenass, Len: Editor: Scientology Field Staff Member Magazine. Volume One, Number One. Loxley Bros. Ltd., London, England. (Copyright 1968), p. 4. *The Holy Bible: Psalm 51, verse 7; Romans 5 verses 12 and 14. **The Department of Publications World Wide, Church of Scientology of California. The Character of Scientology, pp. 7, 8. 212 ------------ (vi) Scientology claims to be the religion which frees man (or rather the Thetan) through wisdom. Freedom is therefore attained through knowledge or truth. This truth is, however, nothing but an axiom of Scientology. "Truth is actually a relative quantity; it could be said to be the most reasonable existing data about any body of facts."^1 13.9. (a) Ministerial duties in Scientology are performed by a Chaplain, whose prescribed qualifications are as follows: "A minister of the Founding Church must meet the following requirements: (1) Must have a validated certificate in Scientology. (2) Must know the Church Creed verbatim. (3) Must be capable of giving the various ceremonies. (4) Must be able to pass an examination on the great religions. (5) Must have a knowledge of St. John. (6) Must be of good moral character. (7) Must be able to conduct a Sunday service for the church. (8) Must have a moral and ethical code by which he can live and abide."^2 (b) The Duties of the Chaplain are the following: "Every org has a Chaplain. The Chaplain's Office is located in the Technical Division, Division 4, and in the Department of Technical Services. The purpose of the Chaplain is 'To help Ron minister to others, to succor those who have been wronged and to comfort those whose burdens have been too great'. It should be made well known to pcs and students that when they cannot elsewhere be heard, they always have recourse to the Chaplain. The Chaplain, while without actual authority to order remedies, may call cases of obvious mishandling to the attention of the appropriate department or section. His is also the complaints department. ________ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: Science of Survival: _Op_._cit_., Book One, p. 133. ^2Hubbard L. Ron: Ministerial Qualifications. HCO Policy Letter, August 15, 1957. (Re-issued on 22 September 1967). Hubbard Communication Office, East Grinstead, Sussex, England. 213 ------------ The Chaplain holds services where required, regularly on Sunday, or marriages, christenings or funerals. The Chaplain takes over Ron's hat in all these things. As all orders, rules, regulations, policies and routes for this activity are designed to further its basic purpose, no order, rule, regulation, policy or route may be made or used to interfere with the purposes of this office. The Chaplain is an Officer and heads a Section called The Chaplain Section."^1 (c) The role of the Chaplain is further made clear by the following quotation: "... I have not yet had an S.P. on my line, and consider that any individual who goes to the Chaplain is trying to get back on lines, so that he or she can go 'Clear'. With this last always in mind, I sometimes find it necessary and desirable to _sell_ the State of Clear to the Being who is looking at a non-survival mental image picture and to get him instead to picture himself as a totally free being."^2 (d) Pastoral counselling is also advertised in Scientology but, as has already been pointed out,* this amounts to no more than dianetic processing. (e) It follows from the aforegoing that the function of the Chaplain in Scientology is in no way comparable to that of a Minister of Religion who gives spiritual guidance, and that Scientology taken as a whole does not comply with the requirements of a Christian Church. 13.10. In order to decide whether Scientology qualifies as a religious fellowship in the wider sense, it must be considered whether it possesses the attributes essential to all religions. These are: (a) The doctrine of some form of revelation and holy scriptures as the source of knowledge of a divine being. (b) The concept of a divine being for whom reverence is felt. (c) A doctrine of sin and a consciousness of sin. (d) A doctrine of redemption and the need of redemption. (e) Some form of prayer or sacrifice to entreat the favour of the Divine Being and to render homage to him. ________ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: Chaplain. HCO Policy Letter of 2 August AD.15. Issue II. Hubbard Communications Office, East Grinstead, Sussex, England (1965). ^2Gale Vern, Chaplain and Mary Sue Hubbard, The Guardian WW.HCO Executive Letter of 11 January, 1967. _Op_._cit_. *Supra Chapter 5, p. 5.34. 214 ------------ (f) Some form of eschatology or expectation of things to come. 13.11. Judged by these fundamental attributes, the following emerge with regard to Scientology: (a) As a religion Scientology as a whole denies the revelation of God. Mr. Hubbard says that all that we know of the science of religion derives from philosophy. The facts, the truths, the understandings that have been discovered in the science of Scientology are substituted for holy scriptures. (b) In Scientology one finds a religion without God and without reverence for a higher power. Yet holy reverence in the I - Thou relationship which results in services, sacrifice and worship is the very essence of all religion. Neither is there an Almighty Lord whose favour is entreated. There is no sign of such dependence, since Scientology makes everything possible on the earthly level. (c) It is claimed that Scientology has the answer to questions such as: Who am I? Where do I come from? What is death? Is there a hereafter? A person who studies Scientology soon knows: "That one does not have to die to find out what he is or where he is going after death, for _one can experience_ it all for himself with no persuasion or hypnotism or 'faith'."^1a "For the first time in all the ages there _is_ something that within one lifetime delivers the answers to the eternal questions and delivers immortality as well."^1b 13.12. The Commission is, in the light of the foregoing, driven to the conclusion that Scientology lacks the essential characteristics basic to all religions even though it deals with man as a spiritual being. 13.13. The roots of Scientology are in Eastern thought. On the following points it differs radically from Christian religion: (a) It professes to recognise a Supreme Being but does not worship him. (b) The only faith it mentions is that which operates on the human plane. (c) It lacks the concepts of sin and redemption. According to Scientology man is basically good and all his aberrations are due to what has been done to him. _______ ^1Editorial Staff, The Auditor, The World Wide Journal of Scientology: Successes of Scientology. Laburnum Printing Co. Ltd., Surbiton, Surrey, England, a) p. 1; b) p. 2. 215 ------------ (d) It recognises no absolute standards of good and bad. (e) Its creed is a declaration of human rights and not a profession of faith. (f) In its stress on self-determinism it is very similar to modern existentialist philosophy which teaches that man by making his own choices shapes his own destiny. (g) As far as can be judged from the available evidence about the higher grades of Scientology processing, the increase of spiritual awareness aims solely at greater powers on a non- transcendental plane, i.e. it does not take the individual beyond himself. (h) The secrecy maintained with regard to its more spiritual processing and the payment demanded for such instruction is not in keeping with religion as a gospel. Membership of the Church of Scientology in South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., depends on the payment of subscriptions. Mr. Hubbard states: "If your Membership has expired, renew it today."^1 The basic requirement of church membership is faith and not membership subscriptions. An organization which insists on periodic subscription and which levies substantial charges for all services, treatment and techniques, violates the most liberal connotation of the concept of a Church. Admittedly religious institutions cannot manage without funds, but they themselves should not be moneymaking enterprises. In this regard attention is directed to the emphasis placed on business activity in the Memorandum of Association of the Church of Scientology in South Africa (Pty.) Ltd.** (i) Scientology seeks recognition as a church as a matter of policy and not in order to form a mere religious fellowship. This is proved by the following statement: "It is of interest to all organizations that _all_ Scientology incorporations are religious in nature. ... all Hasi Inc. offices ... are religious corporations. _________ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: Ceremonies of the Founding Church of Scientology: _Op_._cit_., p. 77. *Hubbard L. Ron: Science of Survival, p. 133. **Supra pars. 4.26-4.28 of Chapter 4. 216 ------------ In the Hasi Inc. incorporation papers the corporation is clearly designated as a 'religious fellowship'. ... all religions seek truth. Religions in the 1960's use modern aids. ... ... Scientology 1970 is being planned on a religious organization basis throughout the world."^1 13.14. The Commission accepts the evidence that there are religious people who are members of the Scientology organization, but wishes to point out that though Scientology may have given such persons an increased awareness of the spiritual side of man, the only faith it teaches is that in man himself. The God they worship and the religious faith that sustains them they have learnt to know outside of Scientology. 13.15. To sum up: The Commission's conclusion is that Scientology can at most be accepted as a philosophy. It is not a Church in the Christian sense and it lacks the attributes common to all religions by which it could qualify as a religion. 13.16. The Commission records its opinion that in terms of norms obtaining in the Republic of South Africa, Scientology cannot be regarded as a religion or a Church. The fact that its registration as a Church is acceptable before the law as sufficient proof of its being a religion in the United States of America has no bearing on its status as a Church or a religion in the Republic of South Africa. The Commission recommends that the State giving due regard to the principle of freedom of religion, considers the desirability of defining the minimum standards required to be complied with before any organization can be registered as a Church pursuant to the Companies Act or other relevant legislation. _________ ^1Hubbard L. Ron: _Religion_. HCO Policy Letter of October 29, 1962. Hubbard Communications Office, East Grinstead, Sussex, England. 217 ------------ [BLANK PAGE] 218 ------------