Secret letters and memos from the personal files of St. Petersburg Times editors and its attorneys were obtained and analyzed by members of the Church of Scientology shortly after the church moved to Clearwater four years ago. The letters and memos were used by the church in calculating its response to news media reports revealing its purchase through a front organization of the Fort Harrison Hotel. How the Church of Scientology or its agents got access to the locked filing cabinets ...

In the beginning there was Xenn, god of the Galactic Federation, a 76-planet union formed some 95 million years ago. The Federation, whose planets averaged 178 billion inhabitants each, had something of a population problem. Xenn solved it by "implanting" the excess to Teegeeack (earth) and dumping them into volcanos. These beings were somehow fused into humans when hydrogen bombs were dropped on the volcanos. After the radioactive dust cleared, the new humans were confused by being shown religious pictures of ...

The Church of Scientology contends that for more than 20 years it has been the target of a systematic campaign by the United States government, together with "vested-interest pressure groups" such as the medical professions, to "suppress the church's spiritual practice and expansion." The church advances this accusation as the fundamental rationale for its aggressive policies of defense-by-attack against individual critics, private groups and government agencies perceived as "harassing" Scientology. Church spokesmen, moreover, expand upon the allegation of systematic persecution to ...

Since its founding by a science fiction writer named L. Ron Hubbard in 1954, Scientology has been among the growth stocks on the self-help market: a quasireligious, quasiscientific cult that has attracted three million U.S. followers (some highly touted celebrities among them) and estimated annual revenues in the hundreds of millions, much of it tax-exempt. Until recently Scientology's only certifiable vice was eccentricity, but within a week a federal grand jury in Washington is expected to hand down a bulging sheaf ...

The Church of Scientology, founded 23 years ago by a science-fiction writer, does not believe in turning the other cheek. In a key church exercise called ''auditing," members are taught, for a handsome fee, to confront long-forgotten traumas—sometimes even from previous incarnations—and then to scourge these so-called "engrams" that have been troubling their subconscious. The church is equally assertive toward outside critics. Scientologists have filed scores of lawsuits against skeptical journalists, dissident former members and Government agencies, which have long suspected ...

The mystery began to unfold last fall in sleepy, sun-drenched Clearwater, Fla. The Southern Land Development and Leasing Corp. decided to buy the 270-room Fort Harrison Hotel, a downtown landmark, and a nearby bank building. Southern Land stated that the hotel would stay open, but another spokesman announced that it would become a center for the United Churches of Florida, a new ecumenical outfit that soon won endorsement from twelve local clergymen. When 200 tight-lipped strangers moved into the hotel, rumors ...

The American Medical Association (AMA) is among several defendants in a $1.6 million libel suit filed Friday by the Church of Scientology of Minnesota. Other defendants in the suit filed in Ramsey District Court include the Minnesota State Medical Association Foundation (MSMAF), several foundation officers and Ralph Lee Smith, a writer for the AMA's "Today's Health" magazine. The church contends the AMA secretly hired Smith to do articles attacking various groups considered by the AMA hierarchy to be a threat to ...

"The weird, offbeat types of religious sects are getting far too much attention," a Lutheran minister bemoaned. "Sensational-type groups don't deserve the publicity," a Methodist added. And their outcry is common, even though much of the publicity might be harsh and critical. Such as this column's reporting of the Church of Scientology's local protest activities in 1971 against the federal offices here of the Food and Drug Administration. Cited were angry, shouting youths, including girls, dressed in clerics. But since then, ...

Robinson v Church of Scientology of California and Others Before Mr Justice Ackner Mr Kenneth Robinson, former Minister of Health, is to receive a substantial sum from the Church of Scientology of California as damages for libel in respect of statements published in various of its broadsheets. He sued the church; Mr Lafayette Ronald Hubbard, its founder; and Mr Peter Ginever, editor of the broadsheets. Mr F. P. Neill, QC. and Mr Michael Curwen for Mr Robinson; Mr James ...

ONE OF the federal Labor government's many decisions in the past four months — recognition of scientology as a religion — has passed with little, if any, coverage by the Australian press. However, the move has been more than popular with the nation's 3000 active scientologists and has received rave reviews in the movement's press, both here and overseas. The government's proclamation, gazetted on february 15, recognised as celebrants of marriage fiftyfive religious bodies, including the Church of the New Faith ...

THE Scientology movement is to publish the first issue of its own newspaper, Freedom, in Australia this month. The international editor of Freedom, Mr Peter Ginever, who is in Perth for the launching of the paper, said yesterday the decision to publish in Australia was made after the Federal Government's recent recognition of scientology.

[Picture / Caption: Burroughs using a Scientology E-Meter: "All this time I felt my self-respect slipping away from me and finally completely gone . . . officially removed. . . "] Inside Scientology by Robert Kaufman Olympia Press. 279 pp. BY WILLIAM BURROUGHS The upper levels of Scientology processing are classified as "confidential," which means that only those who have completed the lower grades, passed security checks, and paid the large fees in advance are allowed to see and run this ...

Mr. Steinman is a free-lance writer living in New York. Like all true believers, the members of the young Church of Scientology (or Dianetics as it is sometimes known) believe they have found the answers. A visit to their New York headquarters in the Hotel Martinique shows that Scientology has at least put smiles on a few faces and seems to have solved many of the existential problems of the members who work and study there. According to the recent U. ...

AFTER ALMOST 10 years of what only can be called harassment by the Food and Drug Administration the Founding Church of Scientology in Washington, D. C., has emerged from the courts victorious.

Salvation calls for a bit of human programming, computer mind-blowing and lots and lots of money. It all started with Ron. Not the L. Ron Hubbard who started Scientology back in 1950 when he wrote Dianetics, but a groovy young cat named Ron who wears those sharp amber glasses and green suede shoes. At least, I think his name is Ron. He's in charge of a mission of the Church of Scientology. That's what they call it, a mission. ...

Last year reporter Alan Levy was hired by Life magazine to enroll in the beginning course of Scientology, "the worId's fastest growing religion." Like Zen Buddhism and other Eastern belief systems, Scientology claims to free the mind, elevating the person to the status of a "superman," with fantastic mental powers, concentration, poise, humor, reflexes. In practice it more resembles a kind of "Flash Gordon" psycho-analysis than conventional religion. His reporter's objectivity became undermined; Levy found himself sucked deeper and deeper into ...