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Narconon International is a Scientology organization which promotes the theories of founder L. Ron Hubbard regarding substance abuse treatment and addiction. Its parent company is the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE), which is owned and controlled by the Church of Scientology. Headquartered in Hollywood, California, United States, Narconon operates several dozen residential centers worldwide, chiefly in the U.S. and western Europe. The organization was formed in 1966 by Scientologist William Benitez with Hubbard's help, and was incorporated in 1970.
The Purification Rundown, also known as the Purif or the Hubbard Method, is a controversial detoxification program developed by Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard and used by the Church of Scientology as an introductory service. Scientologists consider it the only effective way to deal with the long-term effects of drug abuse or toxic exposure. It forms the basis for drug rehabilitation and detoxification programs operated by church-affiliated groups such as Narconon, Criminon, Second Chance, and the International Academy of Detoxification Specialists. The program combines exercise, dietary supplements and long stays in a sauna. It is promoted variously as religious or secular, medical or purely spiritual, depending on context.
Criminon is a program for rehabilitating prisoners using L. Ron Hubbard's teachings. Criminon International, a non-profit, public-benefit corporation managing the Criminon program, was spawned from Narconon International in 2000, and is part of Association for Better Living and Education's public outreach programs. Criminon is promoted by the Church of Scientology International. Independent experts contend that methods used by the program are not supported by any scientific studies.
David S. Touretzky is a research professor in the Computer Science Department and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition at Carnegie Mellon University. He received a BA in Computer Science at Rutgers University in 1978, and earned a master's degree and a Ph.D. (1984) in Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Touretzky has worked as an Internet activist in favor of freedom of speech, especially what he perceives as abuse of the legal system by government and private authorities. He is a notable critic of Scientology.
The Way to Happiness is a 1980 booklet written by science-fiction author and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard listing 21 moral precepts. The booklet is distributed by The Way to Happiness Foundation International, a Scientology-related nonprofit organization founded in 1984.
The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a business or a new religious movement. The church and the movement have been the subject of a number of controversies, and the church has been described by government inquiries, international parliamentary bodies, scholars, law lords, and numerous superior court judgements as both a cult and a manipulative profit-making business. In 1979, several executives of the Church were convicted and imprisoned for multiple offenses by a U.S. Federal Court. The Church itself was convicted of fraud by a French court in 2009, a decision upheld by the supreme Court of Cassation in 2013. The German government classifies Scientology as an anti-constitutional sect. In France, it has been classified as a dangerous cult. In some countries, it has managed to attain legal recognition as a religion.
Holidays, commemorations and observances in the Church of Scientology include the following:
The anniversary of the opening of the Celebrity Centre International in Los Angeles in 1970, which, in the Church's words, is "dedicated to the rehabilitation of the culture through art".
A very important holiday in Scientology.
This holiday celebrates the commencement of the Saint Hill Special Briefing Course in 1961.
According to the Church's official website, this day is "to celebrate the opening in 1991 of the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition in Hollywood, California. Featuring impressive audiovisual displays on the life and accomplishments of L. Ron Hubbard, the exhibition is visited by thousands of Scientologists and non-Scientologists annually."
Hubbard's book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health hit store shelves on this day in 1950. Another very important holiday in Scientology.
A day of contemplation of Hubbard's 1965 study on Scientology Ethics.
The church describes this holiday thus: "Each year the annual Maiden Voyage event, commemorating the anniversary of New OT VIII, has come to be one of the most important gatherings of dedicated Scientologists and an opportunity for senior Church officials to meet and work directly with these parishioners to advance their religion. Scientologists who attend this annual spiritual cruise become “OT Ambassadors” and initiate programs to help Scientologists all over the world advance the aims of Scientology and to reach the top of the Bridge at New OT VIII."
A celebration of Hubbard's Study Tech.
Sea Org Day is a special event for all Sea Organization members, with rank and rating promotion ceremonies. It has been alleged by former members that recreational Sea Org Day events are mandatory: one ex-Scientologist claims "the one day a year you are supposed to get the day off, you are made to go on a bus to the beach, be there for roll call, participate in group games, etc."
Clear Day marks the inauguration of Hubbard's Clearing Course, which debuted in 1965.
A day of special recognition and acknowledgment for Scientology/Dianetics auditors. This occasion has also been popular with anti-Scientology protestors, as an opportunity to reach students.
From the Church's site: "Held at a different host city each year, members of the IAS gather to commemorate the founding of the IAS and to rededicate themselves to its aims. The annual IAS freedom awards are presented. This event coincides with the annual convention of IAS delegates."
A commemoration of the day "Publications Worldwide" opened at Saint Hill Manor in 1967.
Celebrates the opening of the Flag Land Base in Clearwater, Florida in 1975.
Celebrates the official recognition of the religion in the United States, in 1974.
This is the only secular and non-Hubbard-based observance on the official Scientology calendar, which states "This event welcomes in the new year with a review of accomplishments over the previous year and a look forward to the upcoming year and plans for further reach into new areas of society with L. Ron Hubbard’s technology. Stellar accomplishments of Scientology parishioners helping new people to move up The Bridge to Total Freedom are acknowledged."
This is a Timeline of Scientology, particularly its foundation and development by author L. Ron Hubbard.
Clear Body, Clear Mind is a book published in 1990 by the Church of Scientology's publishing house Bridge Publications. It is credited to L. Ron Hubbard who died four years earlier, and is largely a compilation of material he wrote in the 1960s. It is one of the canonical texts of Scientology and mainly deals with the Purification Rundown ("Purif"). Scientologists believe this "detoxification" program, created by Hubbard, has unique medical and spiritual benefits, but has been criticized by medical professionals as "dangerous", "quackery," and "in some cases lethal".
The relationship between Scientology and other religions is very complex. While Scientology claims that it is fully compatible with all existing major world religions and that it does not conflict with them or their religious practices, there are major differences in beliefs and practices between Scientology and most religions, especially the major monotheistic religions. Members are not allowed to engage in other similar mental therapies or procedures, religious or otherwise. However, some ministers from other churches have adopted some Scientology secular programs.
Foundation for a Drug-Free World (FDFW) is a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, California, with a focus on the elimination of drug and alcohol abuse and its resulting criminality. Founded in October 2006, it is a division of the Church of Scientology. There has been controversy about the claims made by the foundation and about its support by public organizations who were not aware of its link to Scientology. The Foundation uses the self-produced Truth About Drugs campaign materials for drug education and has been described as "discredited pseudoscience" and without "pharmacological basis" by health care professionals. The program has been accused of scaremongering by health care professionals, for claims such as cocaine withdrawal can cause severe depression which can lead to the addict committing murder.
Robert Bruce Adams is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL) and a spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International. He attended El Camino High School during the 1960s, and was encouraged by a coach at the College of San Mateo to play football. He played for a single season at the college, during 1966, while participating in other sports at the school including track-and-field and basketball. A former coach of the College of San Mateo, Doug Scovil, recruited Adams to the College of the Pacific, where he received a full scholarship to play football there. By 1968, he was captain of the team's offense at the school.
The Second Chance Program is a controversial detoxification and rehabilitation program based on the ideas of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology. It focuses on individuals convicted of substance abuse offenses. The program utilizes a combination of saunas, vitamins, minerals and oils to tackle the effects of drug addiction. Other elements of the program aim to improve the educational and social abilities of inmates, and to instil a moral code for them to live by. First established in Baja California, Mexico in 1995, Second Chance has attracted controversy over its methods and claimed success rates.
The Church of Scientology International, Inc. (CSI) is a California 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Within the worldwide network of Scientology corporations and entities, CSI is officially referred to as the "mother church" of the Church of Scientology.
The Church of Scientology has no official presence in Egypt and there are no known membership statistics available. In 2002, two members were detained by Egyptian authorities under the charges of "contempt of religion". However, some books by the founder, L. Ron Hubbard, have started to appear in several Egyptian bookstores in the late 2000s, and were even approved by Al-Azhar, the highest Sunni learning institution in the Muslim world. Egypt is listed on an official Scientology website as being a country "in which Dianetics and Scientology services are ministered". Narconon, an organization which promotes Hubbard's drug abuse treatment, has a branch in Fayoum.
Social Betterment Properties International (SBPI) is a California-based entity associated with the Church of Scientology, for which it operates as a real estate arm. The organisation states that its purpose is to "develop and maintain buildings and other real estate utilized by social betterment organizations carrying out programs that utilize technology and methods developed by L. Ron Hubbard and that are associated with and supported by the Scientology". It has been involved in the purchase of a number of properties in the United States and Canada in order to advance Scientology's "social betterment" programs, notably the controversial Narconon drug rehabilitation program.
Scientology in Pakistan is said to be followed among a very small number of people, mainly from the middle and upper classes of Karachi. The Dianetics Centre of Karachi for Personal Excellence, located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, is affiliated with the Church of Scientology. The center provides introductory courses, individual counseling and life improvement courses.
The Church of Scientology uses front groups to promote its interests in politics and to make itself appear legitimate. Many of the groups are founded on pseudoscience, named disingenuously, and underplay their links to Scientology.
References
- ↑ "President's Message". Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ↑ ABLE website
- ↑ LA Weekly - News - Hollywood Ups and Downs - Madelynn Amalfitano - The Essential Online Resource for Los Angeles Archived June 30, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- 1 2 3 Nanette Asimov (2004-06-09). "Scientology link to public schools". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved 2008-02-21.
- ↑ Scientology's Education Fronts - Applied Scholastics International Archived April 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Scientology Settles With IRS". The Wall Street Journal . 1997-12-30.
