Scientology stands unique in the religious crowd as being the only religion to, on occasion,be referred to as a science. In fact, when the basis of Scientology, Dianetics, first arrived on the scene in 1950, it was declared by it’s creator, L Ron Hubbard as being a science.
“How can this be?” I hear you ask, “The very foundations of science and religion are so far removed from one another as to be in direct opposition and contradiction.”
Well, it all stems from hubbard’s greed, his desperation to make a success of his dianetics “therapy”.
Initially Hubbard claimed that Dianetics was an applied mental therapy, unlocking the secrets of the mind and, for the first time, exploring, scientifically, the wonders and benefits of drug-free mental health.
Dianetics’ shortfalls in this area were legion.
Despite printed claims to the contrary, Hubbard hadn’t put any actual research into the writing of his bestseller. He completed the book in the space of a month, a time period during which he couldn’t possibly have done the research his writings claimed, super Scientology powers or not. Without research, without test after test, after test Dianetics couldn’t honestly be called a science. The legal implications of this for the still-young belief system were paramount.
Hubbard had to solve two problems:
The dire financial straits he still found himself swamped in.
The lack of real public commitment/interest in his new “therapy”.
The “Religion angle” of Scientology
In 1953 Hubbard proposed giving his Dianetics practices a little more credence (and maybe drawing more attention) by stealing the term “Scientology” and applying it to the practice of Dianetics as a religious belief.
However Hubbard now tried to have it both ways. Not only had he decided to form a religion and label it Scientology, the foundation of which would be the practices of Dianetics, but he still considered his Dianetics “technologies” to be based in the world of science.
During the period between 1953 and 1962, after the inception of the “church” of Scientology, Hubbard is constantly quoted contradicting himself, sometimes saying Scientology is a religion (in an attempt to earn tax exemption) and other times stating that Scientology is irrefutably not a religion. One such quote is:
“Theta clearing is about as practical and simple as repairing a shoe
lace. It is nothing to do with hypnotism, voodooism, charalatanism,
monkeyism or theosophy. Done, the thetan can do anything a stage
magician can do in the way of moving objects around. But this isn’t
attained by holding one’s breath or thinking right thoughts or voting
Republican or any other superstitous or mystic practice. So for the
reason I brought up, rule out, auditor, any mumbo jumbo or mysticism,
spiritualism, or religion.”
Conversion of Scientology to a full-fledged religion
The conversion of Scientology into a full-fledged religion, really only began as recently as 1975. The FDA had refuted Hubbard’s claims that Dianetics and Scientology were, in anyway, scientific or medical. The treatments were expensive and offered no measurable results. The IRS was also investigating Scientology, from another angle, as Scientology was applying for religious status their financial statements were of utmost interest to the IRS.
Hubbard began giving his organisation a face-lift. He needed it to become recognised as a religion in order for it to be able to operate more freely.
In an attempt to change Scientology’s image he began calling his staff ministers, and had them wearing clerical collars, auditing became spiritual counseling, and the high price paid for this spiritual counseling became a fixed donation.
Scientology’s eventual recognition as a church
It took 18 years, but at last, in 1993, the United States government finally granted Scientology recognition as a religion. However this did not grant the “church” of Scientology the coveted tax exemption it craved. Religious status did, however, pave the path for this. A path fully cleared by imaginative use of the legal system and a little bit of extortion.
The IRS versus the “church” of Scientology: the road to tax exemption
As reported in the Wall Street Journal, the IRS granted the “church” of Scientology the status of “Charitable Organisation” thus giving them the tax exemption they had so desperately sought. This one move reversed 30 years of legal precedent during which they IRS had tirelessly, and justifiably harassed Scientology.
Why the sudden change of heart?
The decision was made in a secret deal between the IRS and the “church” of Scientology. In return for granting them Charity status, the “church” of Scientology dropped the nearly 2000 lawsuits they had running against the IRS. Simply put, the IRS could no longer afford not to grant Scientology tax exemption.
How could the “church” afford constant legal battles that the IRS could not? The answer can be found by looking closely at the “religious” denomination of the lawyers in Scientology’s corner.
