New documentation: Scientology recognized in Europe and the World

(from scientologyandme.wordpress.com)

Download the booklet Scientology Recognitions in Europe and the World (english)

Since 1954, when the first Church of Scientology was founded, the religion as grown to approximately 10 million members and is present through its churches, missions or groups in over 150 countries around the world.

Wherever the church exists, it endeavours to register as some form of non-profit ssociation with religious purposes, according to the laws of that country, with the exception of countries where such registration is not possible. The legal systems of each country often differ significantly. Some have official registries of religions here all groups are obliged to register and meet certain criteria. Others take the opposite view and specifically prohibit keeping official lists of ‘accepted’ religions onsidering that this is not a matter that falls within the jurisdiction of the State. Governments and courts of many different countries recognize the religious character of Scientology. This booklet is intended to give some understanding of how Scientology is seen in Europe and elsewhere around the world.

Europe

The majority of countries in the European Union do not have a religious registry system within their legal framework (or even a form of official religious recognition). In those countries that do have a form of registry procedure (including countries who are not part of the EU), Scientology has been recognized as a religion in the following - Sweden, Portugal, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia and Albania.

The majority of States in the European Union have other forms of recognition. In many of these countries, Scientology has been recognized as a religion through administrative and judicial decisions, including decisions by the highest court in the country. These decisions include the following countries – Italy, Denmark, Austria, Germany, UK and Norway.

World

There are many other judicial, administrative and registry recognitions in other countries of the world too. Some examples are - USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Nepal, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Venezuela, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Brazil, India, Philippines and Sri Lanka.

Courts have determined that Scientology must be treated the same as other religions throughout Europe, including decisions concerning Scientology rendered by the European Court of Human Rights and the European Commission
on Human Rights which establish binding precedent in all 46 European countries that have signed and ratified the European Convention on Human Rights. In addition to the European Court of Human Rights and the European Commission on Human Rights decisions, Scientology has also been recognized as a religion through numerous judicial and administrative rulings in many European countries.

Finally Scientology has been recognized and registered as a religion in many countries that have a religious registry.

This booklet is currently available in english, spanish and russian.

Tom Cruise and the Scientology video - what a lot of noise

What Tom Cruise - or rather Scientology - is experience is religious discrimination born in the mind of some old-time Nazis. Certainly he is being attacked for creating a movie about the German resistance in World War II! That’s why such a movie is important and that’s why his non-Scientologist partner Paula Wagner needs to be congratulated for her honest and straight answer to the current hate mongering:

Wagner, who works alongside Cruise as the co-owner and CEO of their
company United Artists Entertainment, released the following statement
of support on Friday (January 18):

“I have known and worked
with Tom for more than 25 years. He’s a rock-solid dependable partner,
and I have the utmost respect and admiration for his talent, integrity,
kindness, and dedication. Andrew Morton’s book is a disgraceful piece
of gossip-mongering, filled with distortions and outright lies that no
sensible person will take seriously. I am not a Scientologist, nor are
most of the people Tom and I work with, but that doesn’t mean I can sit
by silently while he is attacked for his religious beliefs. As a
filmmaker and an American, I feel strongly that an individual’s
religion should have no bearing on their professional life. I have
always believed that Americans celebrated these differences, and to see
the vitriol that has been directed towards my friend is truly
discouraging. It’s easy to mock an out-of-context video, but that
doesn’t change the fact that Tom Cruise is one of the hardest-working
and nicest human beings I have ever known.”

Definition: out-ethics / putting in ethics

First, how is “ethics” defined in Scientology? Here is the primary text about it:

“Ethics is so native to the individual that when it goes off the rails he will always seek to overcome his own lack of ethics.

He knows he has an ethics blind spot the moment he develops it. At that moment he starts trying to put ethics in on himself, and to the degree that he can envision long-term survival concepts, he may be successful, even though lacking the actual tech of ethics.

All too often, however, an individual becomes involved in an out-ethics situation; and if the individual has no tech with which to handle it analytically (rationally), his “handling” is to believe or pretend that something was done to him that prompted or justified his out-ethics action, and at that point he starts downhill. When that happens, nobody puts him down the chute harder, really, than he does himself.

And, once on the way down, without the basic technology of ethics, he has no way of climbing back up the chute – he just collapses, directly and deliberately. And even though he has a lot of complexities in his life, and he has other people doing him in, it all starts with his lack of knowledge of the technology of ethics.

This, basically, is one of the primary tools he uses to dig himself out.”

(Source: Scientology Handbook(online) )

For those who did not get it up to here: out-ethics is just a violation of any ethics code somebody abide. Here is a bit more detail on scientologyethics.org:

“Scientology ethics, explained L. Ron Hubbard, are reason. They provide the means by which men conduct themselves toward their long-term survival, the survival of their families, their groups, their planet and more. Implicit within the subject is the recognition that all things are, to one degree or another, interdependent upon all else and that only by constantly considering the survival of the many can the individual ensure his own survival.

With this thinking firmly in mind the Scientologist obeys the law, remains faithful to his spouse, truthful in his business dealings and otherwise conducts himself in accordance with honesty, integrity and decency.

Scientologists understand that rules and laws form the agreements by which a group, society or nation survives, and that high ethical standards, far from inhibiting the enjoyment of life, foster it.

Yet what of the rest of the world?

For want of a workable system of ethics and justice, whole civilizations have gone to ruin, whole forests have been laid to waste and whole sections of our cities have been reduced to racial battlegrounds. Simultaneously, we have witnessed the steady disintegration of the family, a general decay of sexual values, escalating drug abuse, theft, assault and on and on until it seems there is no hope at all – except this: The Scientologist must also live in this society, and he truly does possess the tools to make a difference.”

Definition: KSW - Keeping Scientology Working

This is the title of a series of Scientology texts by L. Ron Hubbard to make sure that Scientology is not being abused. He says in No 1 of the series:

“We have some time since passed the point of achieving uniformly workable technology.

The only thing now is getting the technology applied.

If you can’t get the technology applied then you can’t deliver what’s promised. It’s as simple as that. If you can get the technology applied, you can deliver what’s promised.

The only thing you can be upbraided for by students or pcs is “no results”. Trouble spots occur only where there are “no results”. Attacks from governments or monopolies occur only where there are “no results” or “bad results”.

Therefore the road before Scientology is clear and its ultimate success is assured if the technology is applied.”

Definition: PTS/SP

Tom Cruise is in the media all over the place. That’s not new, but what’s new is that he is quoted using Scientology terminology. So here is some collected data directly from the source:

(Source: Scientology Handbook (online) )

Often a social personality is so mired down in his own difficulties that he cannot see improvement is possible. To him, his setbacks and travails are “just life” or “the way things have to be.” He has no inkling that such a thing as antisocial personalities exist or that one (or more) were making life miserable for him.

To become aware that such a condition exists requires one understand what the condition is. Following are basic terms and definitions associated with the detection and handling of antisocial personalities and those affected by them. These need to be understood for success in addressing and handling personal suppression.

Suppressive Person: (abbreviated “SP”). A person who seeks to suppress, or squash, any betterment activity or group. A suppressive person suppresses other people in his vicinity. This is the person whose behavior is calculated to be disastrous. “Suppressive person” or a “suppressive” is another name for the “antisocial personality.”

Potential Trouble Source: (abbreviated “PTS”). A person who is in some way connected to and being adversely affected by a suppressive person. He is called a potential trouble source because he can be a lot of trouble to himself and to others.

An indicator of someone being a potential trouble source is not whether that person looks intimidated or not cheerful or is having trouble with his boss. Those are not things that indicate whether someone is a PTS. The indicators are very precise.

The PTS is connected to an SP who is antagonistic to him. The suppressive person keeps the potential trouble source from functioning in life. Therefore, the potential trouble source can do well in life or in some activity and then, when he meets up with or is affected by the suppressive person-who is somehow invalidating or making less of him or his efforts-he gets worse.

A potential trouble source is doing well and then not doing well, doing well, not doing well. When he is not doing well, he is sometimes ill. …

Tom Cruise and Scientology - current statements

Morton’s Tom Cruise tell-all says nothing

Author does rehash of ancient tabloid stories and offers no proof for more lurid allegations (January 10, 200

Malene Arpe
Pop Culture Writer

The most damning thing one learns from reading Andrew Morton’s Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography is that the actor being biographed is a control freak. Also, perhaps, a bit of a self-obsessed bore.

The book, which will be in stores Tuesday, is a sore disappointment for those of us who’d hoped we might learn something new and exciting about the not-so-tall movie star.

It is, however, not surprising that no great secrets are revealed when the author relies on sources such as Kathleen Jensen, a Toledo, Ohio, “family friend” of Cruise’s wife, Katie Holmes. Jensen shows her moral outrage over the out-of-wedlock pregnancy that would eventually bring forth Suri Cruise and rails that, “She (Holmes) really needs to get that baby baptized in a Catholic church.”

Jensen and a parade of old acquaintances, many of whom may or may not once have eaten a sandwich next to Cruise when they were in the second grade, are about as good as the sources get. Old, tired tabloid stories are repeated, and couch-jumping Oprah Winfrey Show incidents are retold and scrutinized.

Which leads to what seems to be foremost on Morton’s mind: the Church of Scientology of which Cruise is a prominent member. A good portion of the book is devoted to ragging on Scientology (unfailingly referred to as “sect” or “cult”), but rather than make a case that the church has somehow made Cruise a total weirdo, it comes across as space-filler/half-baked personal vendetta.

It’s possible that Scientology is evil, but Morton’s book is not called Scientology is Evil. While a person’s religious affiliation is of interest, here the delving into it comes across as a substitute for actually talking to people who have met Cruise during the last 20 years.

Earlier this week, a Daily Mail article examined Morton’s implication that Suri is somehow the product of frozen sperm from church founder L. Ron Hubbard (shudder). What the suggestion hinges on is a passage as silly as if Morton had been pondering the possibility that Suri’s dad was a dolphin.

“Some sect members sincerely believed that Katie Holmes was carrying the baby that would be the vessel for L. Ron Hubbard’s spirit when he returned from his trip around the galaxy…. Some Sea Org fanatics even wondered if the actress had been impregnated with Hubbard’s frozen sperm. In her more reflective moments, Katie might have felt as if she were in the middle of a real-life version of the horror movie Rosemary’s Baby …”

Anyone who’s visited a celebrity blog during the past couple of years has come across this theory. It’s possible it’s true – it’s also possible that kittens could take over the world and enslave us all – but Morton doesn’t offer any kind of proof.

Morton does, however, excel at iffy foreshadowing. When Cruise first saw himself on television “… he was literally jumping up and down on the sofa with excitement…. It was a precursor of a rather more public performance some twenty-five years later.” Or maybe it was just a kid excited over seeing himself on television.

There have been rumblings about legal action against Morton from Cruise’s team, but unless they want to sue him for being boring, they should just leave it alone.

Curiously, one of the persistent rumours about Cruise – that he may have an, erm, affinity for other men – is shot down again and again by a long parade of old girlfriends dating back to his high school years, who claim that he was a tiger in the backseats of various cars.

Scientology Recognized in Portugal

Portuguese Scientologists have a very special reason to celebrate this holiday season: the Church has now been officially recognized as a religion in their country.

The spokesperson of the Church of Scientology of Portugal,
Betty Damasco, expressed the excitement of the Scientology community
when she said “We are thrilled with this decision. It will allow us to
disseminate our beliefs and the works of our founder, L. Ron Hubbard
much more broadly.” She went on to say, “Our members are busy preparing
to move to much larger quarters, where we will be able to fill the
increasing demand for our community services and work with local
officials to help our country flourish and prosper.”

It is only in the past few decades that Portugal has adopted a policy of pluralism. Like neighboring Spain, religious tolerance came late to this country. Just as Spain expelled all Jews and Moors who refused to convert to the Roman Catholic faith in 1492, in 1497 Portugal followed suit. Portugal also officially carried out its own Inquisition for nearly three centuries, from 1536 until 1821. And although separation of church and state was mandated in the first half of the 20th Century it was not until 1976, when a new constitution was implemented, that religious freedom was actually put into practice.

Despite this constitutional protection, and state recognition of the Scientology religion in 1988, in 2001 Portugal enacted a new religion law, requiring certain religions, including Scientology, to re-apply for official registration as religious communities.

The turning point for the Church occurred in April of this year with a unanimous decision by the European Court of Human Rights in favor of the Church of Scientology of Moscow. And Spain also officially recognized the Scientology religion in November.

Scientologists throughout Europe are optimistic about what they see as a trend that will ultimately not only protect their own rights, but the rights of all men and women in Europe to practice freedom of conscience and religion, particularly as the European Court has jurisdiction over all 47 member-states of the Council of Europe.

Technorati Tags: Scientology, Religion, Portugal

Scientology, Germany and beyond!

Not only thanks to its prominent members like Tom Cruise or John Travolta Scientology is a hot news items every day. But aside from glamor and gossip the Church of Scientology can mark some major recognitions this year.
Since the opening of a series of new major Churches (in Berlin/Germany, Madrid/Spain and New York/USA) the religious status of the Church of Scientology has been further acknowledged all over the world.

On the 24th of September 2007, the European Court of Human Rights confirmed the Court’s unanimous decision of April 2007 affirming that the Church of Scientology is entitled to the rights and protections of religious freedom that flow to religious organizations pursuant to Article 9 of the European Human Rights Convention.

The principles enunciated in that decision upheld the religious freedom of Scientologists and their religious associations and apply throughout the forty- seven member states that have signed and ratified the European Human Rights Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, including Germany and other key European countries.

On the 31st of October 2007, the National Court in Madrid issued a landmark decision recognizing that the National Church of Scientology of Spain should be entered in the Registry of Religious Entities as a religion.

On the 5th of November 2007, the Church of Scientology of Portugal was officially recognized as a religious organization.

On the 3rd of December 2007, the South African Revenue Service granted the Church of Scientology the status of a Public Benefit Organization as a religious entity with full tax exemption.

The Scientology religion was founded by L. Ron Hubbard. The first church was established in the United States in 1954. It has grown to more than 7,500 churches, missions and groups and ten million members in 163 nations.

Scientology in Durban

The Times South Africa

GOOD WORKS: The Church of Scientology plans to turn this
prime site in Durban into a centre for community project

Scientology Works!

The Scientology religion is about the individual man or woman. Its goal is to bring an individual to a sufficient understanding of himself and his life and free him to make improvements where he finds them necessary and in the ways he sees fit.

Scientology is a workable system. Evidence may be seen in the lives of millions of Scientologists and the positive effect they create. People improve their lives through Scientology principles. As Scientologists in all walks of life will attest, they have enjoyed greatest success in their relationships, family life, jobs and professions. This web site contains some of these successes.

It also provides suggested books, materials and courses one can do to learn and apply Scientology principles and apply them to one’s life to create successful relationships, deal with stress, communicate with others and resolve family problems and more, all on the road to true spiritual freedom.