The Basis for Removal of Scientology’s Tax Exempt Status
The Scientology IRS Form 1023
1. “Scientology is a religion based on the research, writings and recorded lectures of it’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard which collectively constitute the scriptures of the religion.”p.p. 2-3
A. There is no documented, viable research available to lend credence to any of the claims made by LRH in Dianetics or Scientology.
B. The writings are made up of either “Penny-a-word” science fiction novels or unproven, unprovable pseudoscience and bad therapy. It contains fictional statements such as the assertion that all illness is psychosomatic and is caused by “engrams” and can be cured by auditing.
C. Included in the LRH “Scripture” is Hubbard’s own statement that Dianetics is not a religion.
2. “Scientology is a very exact faith, and a fundamental doctrine of the religion is that it’s religious services must be orthodox.”
A. “We are all denominational rather than non-denominational, and so we should be perfectly willing to include in our ranks a Moslem or a Taoist, as well as any Protestant or Catholic…”
—From the book “Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought”
B. “Further, we have our hands on an appalling bit of technology where the world is concerned. With rapidity and a Meter it can be shown that Heaven is a false dream and that the old religion was based on very painful lie, cynical betrayal.” – L. Ron Hubbard, HCOB 11 May, 1963
C. “For while you’ve often heard it said ‘we are the only major religion to emerge in this 20th century,’ the truth is more than that. In fact, we are the only new religion. Not a reinterpretation of some ancient doctrine, but the only original scriptural voice in the last 2,000 years.”, International Scientology News #7, David Miscavige, March 13, 1998
The claim was made that the reason Scientology is a Religion is because the works of L. Ron Hubbard constitute Scripture.
On it’s website it used to state that it shared beliefs and spirituality with the great religions of the world.
Conversely Miscavige denies any religious brotherhood or foundation by claiming Scientology is completely new, only emerging in the 20th century.
Finally Miscavige pares off more of the religion-speak, saying Scientology is not something one believes in but something one does.
Begun as a “Science of the Mind” in Dianetics, one of the “scriptures” written by Hubbard and considered the foundation, or Book One, wherein it clearly states it is not a religion, Scientology is being moved back towards its true foundation by Miscavige.
If one is to accept that the writings of LRH are scriptural and infallible as claimed, then one must consider that Hubbard was very clear about his opinions concerning religion.
Religion and God were false implants designed to mislead.
Religion was not real.
Scientology having been founded as a “Science”, though that term is false as well, has not been able to continue as a religion because it was never intended to be one from its inception. The struggle to twist already false, confusing and contradictory fiction into something resembling a religion has been shown to be impossible.
While it may be difficult to pin down exactly what a religion is, it is much easier to determine what one isn’t.
The above conflicting statements are a representation of the difficulties Scientology has with keeping a spiritual shine to its dark pseudoscience.
Scientology’s attempt at spirituality in order to achieve tax exempt status is called The Eight Dynamics.
They specifically point to the 7th and 8th Dynamics as their Spiritual Goal.
This, Scientology claims, is the search for the Ultimate Being and proof that they are a religion. After all, mankind’s search for something Other is at the heart of all the major religions.
Except for one major flaw in this so called “Spirituality”.
Ultimately there is nothing spiritual about the 8th Dynamic.
Once one wades through all the fancy wording one discovers that this Dynamic is nothing more than a giant circle that leads not to Something Other but instead goes straight back to the person.
In its normal, narcissistic, chaotic way, Scientology is not about the search for God as Other but the crowning of Man as Divine, as Creator and as Immortal with Super Powers.
This is confirmed when one looks at the Super Power Rundown:
The following is the last series of processes one runs on the Super Power Rundown:
1. Get the idea that you have infinite power.
2. Get the idea that another has infinite power.
3. Get the idea that others have infinite power.
4. Get the idea that you can cause yourself to have infinite power.
5. Get the idea that you have been given infinite power.
6. Get the idea that another has been given infinite power.
7. Get the idea that others have been given infinite power.
8. Get the idea that you have caused yourself to be given infinite power.
9. Get the idea that you can give another infinite power.
10. Get the idea that another can give you infinite power.
11. Get the idea that others can give others infinite power.
12. Get the idea that you can cause yourself infinite power.
13. Get the idea that you are infinite.
14. Get the idea that another is infinite.
15. Get the idea that others are infinite.
16. Get the idea that you can cause yourself to be infinity.
MAN is INFINITY with INFINITE POWER.
So where does God fit in?
Scientology does not believe in any god but Man.
It does not accept anything on Faith.
It is not something one believes in.
It is “new”, not aligned with or stemming from any other known or recognized religion.
Scientology is a profitable, tax exempt corporation providing false, unregulated dangerous therapies that promise to ultimately make man a god. It has no recognizable affiliation with any accepted idea of what a religion is. It’s own explanations are inconsistent, vague and confusing.
It places Man at the center of the Universe and promises him Super Powers and abilities that it simply cannot fulfill.
“If your sources of support, purposes, character or method of operation change, please let your key district know so that office can consider the effect on your exempt status…”—1993 IRS Letter awarding Tax Exempt Status to Scientology.
Scientology has moved itself away from the religious foundations it earlier embraced as proof of its status. No longer aligning with other religions which are established and recognized by their unique and lasting dogma, doctrines and sacraments, it is clearly now something secular, something one does, not something one believes in.
Form 1023, Dated November 20, 1981:
Question 2. What are or will be the organization’s form of income?
Scientology responded; “CSI’s primary sources of financial support are: Contributions from other Scientology organizations, including payments for ecclesiastical guidance and staff training, Payments from Scientology churches for use of religious films, receipts from sale of religious materials, (books, e-meters, films, etc). Investment income.
The contributions from other Scientology organizations must come from somewhere.
Scientology runs as a quid pro quo operation. Members are charged for their auditing and materials for study. Thus, the member receives Scientology “therapy” in return for mandatory donations. These donations include monies given on account for still unavailable “technology” that has not been shown to exist.
Further, the so-called Chairman of the Board, David Miscavige is solely supported in an extravagant lifestyle wearing designer suits, expensive watches, multiple luxury vehicles and at least one, publicized gambling trip to Vegas. Further, Miscavige spends Scientology income on high tech security measures designed to not only keep the public out but to keep his followers in. Additionally Scientology funds are used for the hiring of Private Investigators to harass, intimidate and follow non Scientologists and those who have escaped from Miscavige’s control.
None of these things would be possible without the income stream provided by members of Scientology and their mandatory donations.
Question 3. Describe the organization’s fundraising program both actual and planned…
Scientology responded that “CSI has no fundraising program”
This is patently and blatantly untrue.
The “Seattle Ideal Org Building Fundraising Hat Write-Up By Mark Arnold ED SEAD” which describes raising monies for the purchase of a building.
“It was a stroke of genius on his part to initiate this Ideal Org evolution of which these building cycles are a part. This hat write up describes how we in Seattle were able to raise $3,000,000 to purchase our building through fundraising from an average size field, including a world record $1.42 million in a single week!! So if you really want it, here it is. But I must tell you…get ready to grow as a being. For just like Ron says in KSW 1, this is true “Win or die in the attempt” stuff, something you will find out as you do it.
So… if you are ready…read on. What follows is how we carried the “Message to Garcia.” and raised the money to purchase an Ideal Org Building.”
Scientology is constantly pressuring it’s members for money. It is absolutely a Pay-to-Play Organization.
Question 14. Is the organization or any part of it a school?
Scientology answered “NO”.
From exscientologykids.com:
“What are the names of the major Scientology schools?
Delphi Academy – This chain of Scientology private schools is considered the ‘upper crust’ of the Scientology education system. Some branches of Delphian schools offer a K-12 curriculum while the smaller schools only offer K-6th grade, but many students spend their entire educational career at Delphi. Delphi Academy has branches in Los Angeles, Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, Florida, Chicago and Santa Monica. Their flagship campus, which is a boarding school, is located in Oregon.
True School – Located in the Scientology mecca of Clearwater, Florida, True School is a Hubbard-based elementary program.
Renaissance Academy – A K-12 Scientology school located in Los Angeles, California.
Ability Plus – Ability Plus (or A+) is a smaller chain of Scientology schools with branches in several locations across Los Angeles and Colorado.
Mace-Kingsley Ranch School – The MK Ranch school was located in remote Reserve, New Mexico, and was marketed as a rehabilitation school for troubled teens. Students underwent bootcamp-style manual labor programs, Scientology sessions, and social isolation. Several students who went to this school have reported abuse and maltreatment. The MK Ranch has since been shut down.
Greenfields School – Private Scientology day and boarding school located in the UK.
Applied Scholastics – Applied Scholastics is the Church of Scientology’s educational oversight branch. Though AS does not openly affiliate itself with Scientology, its goal is to promote Hubbard’s teaching methods in schools.
If none of these schools existed at the time the form was filled out then there has been some significant changes made. It they did exist then Scientology lied on their form.
Certainly Scientology has made some fundamental changes since the granting of the tax exempt status.
When one looks on the Scientology website one clearly sees a departure from the spiritual, Miscavige promoting more and more the so called technology as the core.
Scientology began as the ramblings of a Science Fiction writer in Dianetics. It was purposefully shrouded in a thin veil of religious terminology as a means to an end. Recently that veil has begun to be stripped away, removing the spiritual and revealing once again the space fantasy that it is.
If the tax exempt protection is allowed to stand unchallenged with such a glaring lack of anything even remotely resembling religion one may as well grant the same tax free status to anyone who demands it.
It is time to revoke this privilege and investigate Scientology fully, time to hold it accountable for all the damage it has done in the name of money.
Confront And Shatter 