 | |
| First issue | 1968 |
|---|---|
| Based in | Hemet, California, United States |
| Language | English |
| Website | www |
| ISSN | 1090-4468 |
| OCLC | 11990538 |
Freedom is a magazine published by the Church of Scientology since 1968. [1] The magazine describes its focus as "Investigative Reporting in the Public Interest." A frequent topic is psychiatry, which Scientology strongly opposes.
In the late 1980s, the magazine constantly published articles critical of the Internal Revenue Service and its decision not to give Scientology a tax exemption status. [2]
A 19-part series in the magazine about the assassination of John F. Kennedy was made into the best-selling[ citation needed ] book JFK by L. Fletcher Prouty, which Oliver Stone used as a source for his film JFK . [3]
In 1993, Scientologist John Carmichael was a contributing editor to Freedom. [4]
In 1994, the magazine ran what it called an "expose" on what it described as a "history of prejudice" toward minority groups and women by the St. Petersburg Times , a newspaper which the Church of Scientology had some three months earlier accused of "inflammatory" coverage based on "lies and innuendo." It specifically mentioned the newspaper had a low percentage of African Americans in senior and management positions and quotes one former employee of the paper who claimed that it had a glass ceiling for women. Finally, it also accused the editor of the Times, Andy Barnes, of a "striking lack of sensitivity" for some of his comments regarding the newspaper's efforts to actively recruit minorities. [5] The St. Petersburg Times cited this behavior by the organization as evidence that "[t]he Church of Scientology still uses harassment and intimidation to fight its critics." [6]
Beth Akiyama, Scientology staffer and a member of the organization's Office of Special Affairs division, explained to the St. Petersburg Times the Church of Scientology's motivations for writing about the Times stating: "We use Freedom as our mouthpiece in this area because we don't think our good deeds have been covered enough." [7] Akiyama said that residents of Pinellas County "only get one side of the story, basically. So we give them the other side of the story." [7] The main writer of pieces critical of the St. Petersburg Times, Scientology spokesman Richard Haworth, was also a member of the organization's Office of Special Affairs division. [7]
Since 2019, there have been no new issues of Freedom Magazine that have been published by the Church of Scientology.
A 1992 report[ by whom? ] found the publication was not a profitable operation for the Church of Scientology. [8]
The journalistic integrity of Freedom magazine has been criticized at various times for alleged bias against perceived enemies of Scientology. In one case, facts in the magazine's 1995 compilation The Rise of Hatred and Violence, which concerned the church's dispute with Germany, were claimed by Brigitte Schön in the Marburg Journal of Religion to be "grossly distorted." [9] Stephen Kent in the Marburg Journal of Religion wrote that the magazine's comparison of the dispute with 1930s Nazism had "general parallels with tactics advocated in the brainwashing manual," Brain-Washing: A Synthesis of the Russian Textbooks on Psychopolitics , published in 1955 by the Church of Scientology. [10]
During Scientology's dispute and litigation against the Cult Awareness Network (CAN), Freedom Magazine was noted for running a sensationalized story headlined "CAN: The serpent of hatred, intolerance, violence, and death." [11] [12] In their 2006 book Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America, authors Eugene V. Gallagher and W. Michael Ashcraft cite Freedom Magazine articles about CAN as an example of "the invective emanating from Scientology". [13]
In a 1997 case, while the Clearwater Police Department was investigating the suspicious death of Scientologist Lisa McPherson, the magazine sent reporters to research alleged racism in the police department. [14] The department said that Freedom magazine reporter Tom Whittle's premise was "preposterous" and noted the magazine sought information about officers who investigated complaints about Scientologists. [14]
The Church of Scientology has been involved in court disputes in several countries. In some cases, when the Church has initiated the dispute, questions have been raised as to its motives. The Church of Scientology says that its use of the legal system is necessary to protect its intellectual property and its right to freedom of religion. Critics say that most of the organization's legal claims are designed to harass those who criticize it and its manipulative business practices.
The Cult Awareness Network (CAN) was an anti-cult organization created by deprogrammer Ted Patrick that provided information on groups that it considered to be cults, as well as support and referrals to deprogrammers. It was founded in the wake of the 1978 cult mass murder/suicide at Jonestown, Guyana. After CAN lost a lawsuit and filed for bankruptcy in 1996, Scientologists were able to acquire CAN's name, phone numbers, assets, files and records, and reopened the organization under the name New Cult Awareness Network; the irony being that the Church of Scientology as a "cult" was one of CAN's main targets.
The Church of Scientology maintains a wide variety of beliefs and practices. The core belief holds that a human is an immortal, spiritual being (thetan) that is resident in a physical body. The thetan has had innumerable past lives, some of which, preceding the thetan's arrival on Earth, were lived in extraterrestrial cultures. Based on case studies at advanced levels, it is predicted that any Scientologist undergoing auditing will eventually come across and recount a common series of past-life events.
Since its inception in 1954, the Church of Scientology has been involved in a number of controversies, including its stance on psychiatry, Scientology's legitimacy as a religion, the Church's aggressive attitude in dealing with its perceived enemies and critics, allegations of mistreatment of members, and predatory financial practices; for example, the high cost of religious training:191 and perceived exploitative practices. When mainstream media outlets have reported alleged abuses, representatives of the church have tended to deny such allegations.
David Miscavige is the leader of the Church of Scientology. His official title within the organization is Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), a corporation that controls the trademarks and copyrights of Dianetics and Scientology. He is also referred to within the Scientology organization as "Captain of the Sea Org".
"The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power" is an article, written in 1991 by U.S. investigative journalist Richard Behar, which is highly critical of Scientology.
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 movement has been the subject of a number of controversies, and the Church of Scientology has been described by government inquiries, international parliamentary bodies, scholars, law lords, and numerous superior court judgements as both a dangerous cult and a manipulative profit-making business. In 1979, several executives of the organization were convicted and imprisoned for multiple offenses by a U.S. Federal Court. The Church of Scientology 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 unconstitutional sect. In France, it has been classified as a dangerous cult. In some countries, it has attained legal recognition as a religion.
This is a Timeline of Scientology, particularly its foundation and development by author L. Ron Hubbard as well as general publications, articles, books and other milestones.
The Bridge to Total Freedom, or simply The Bridge, is a metaphor used by the Church of Scientology to describe believers' advancement.
Scientology status by country describes the status of Scientology and its recognition as a religion in varying contexts or in different countries. The Church of Scientology pursues an extensive public relations campaign for state recognition of Scientology as a religion.
Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by the American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious movement. Its adherents are called Scientologists. The largest exponent of Scientology is the Church of Scientology, a centralized and hierarchical organization based in Florida and California, although practitioners exist independently of the Church, in what is called the Free Zone. Estimates put the number of Scientologists at under 40,000 worldwide.
John Carmichael is president of the Church of Scientology of New York. Carmichael was born a Presbyterian and became involved in Scientology after reading the book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health while attending Cornell University. He became an ordained minister with the Church of Scientology in 1973, and in 1985 he headed the organization's operations in the State of Oregon.
Leisa Goodman is an American official of the Church of Scientology. As of 2005, she served as the Human Rights Director for the Church of Scientology International. She had previously served as a spokesperson for the Church and served as its media relations director.
Kurt Weiland is a native of Austria and an executive in the Church of Scientology International. He is director of external affairs for the Church of Scientology's Office of Special Affairs, and Scientology's vice president of communications. He is a member of the organization's board of directors, and handles government, legal and public affairs for Scientology. He has often represented Scientology to the press as a media spokesman. Weiland works out of the Church of Scientology's offices in Los Angeles, California.
Operation Clambake, also referred to by its domain name, xenu.net, is a website and Norway-based non-profit organization, launched in 1996, founded by Andreas Heldal-Lund, that publishes criticism of the Church of Scientology. It is owned and maintained by Andreas Heldal-Lund, who has stated that he supports the rights of all people to practice Scientology or any religion. Operation Clambake has referred to the Church of Scientology as "a vicious and dangerous cult that masquerades as a religion". The website includes texts of petitions, news articles, exposés, and primary source documents. The site has been ranked as high as the second spot in Google searches for the term "Scientology".
The Church of Scientology has operated in Germany since 1970. German authorities estimate that there are 4,000 active Scientologists in Germany as of 2020; the Church of Scientology gives a membership figure of around 12,000. The Church of Scientology has encountered particular antagonism from the German press and government and occupies a precarious legal, social and cultural position in Germany.
The Scientology movement has been present in Canada since at least the 1960s. According to the most recent available census data, there were 1,745 individuals in Canada identifying as Scientologists in 2011. The Scientology organisation has encountered difficulties in obtaining status as a tax exempt organization, as has happened in other countries.
Kendrick Lichty Moxon is an American Scientology official and an attorney with the law firm Moxon & Kobrin. He practices in Los Angeles, California, and is a lead counsel for the Church of Scientology. Moxon received a B.A. from American University in 1972, and a J.D. degree from George Mason University in 1981. He was admitted to the Washington, D.C. bar association in 1984, and the State Bar of California in 1987. Moxon's early work for the Church of Scientology involved legal affairs, and he also held the title of "reverend". He worked out of the Scientology intelligence agency known as the Guardian's Office (GO), and was named as an unindicted co-conspirator after the Federal Bureau of Investigation's investigation into criminal activities by Scientology operatives called "Operation Snow White". An evidence stipulation in the case signed by both parties stated he had provided false handwriting samples to the FBI; Moxon has since said that he did not "knowingly supply" false handwriting samples.
The intersection of Scientology and abortion has a controversial history which began with Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard's discussion of abortion in his 1950 book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health. Hubbard wrote in Dianetics that abortion and attempts at abortion could cause trauma to the fetus and to the mother in both spiritual and physical ways. Scientologists came to believe that attempted abortions could cause traumatic experiences felt by the fetus, which would later be remembered as memories referred to in Scientology as "engrams". In the Scientology technique called Auditing, Scientologists are frequently queried regarding their sexual feelings and behaviors. These questions about Scientologists' sexual behavior are often posed to members during "security checks", a specific form of auditing sessions where individuals are required to document their divergence from the organization's ethics. One of the questions asked in these security checks is, "Have you ever been involved in an abortion?".
Scientology has been subjected to considerable regulation in Russia.
