Originally printed in "The Southern California Psychiatrist," May 1991, pp. 6-13. Dr. West has granted permission to upload this article to computer networks and bulletin boards In a previous article (SCPS Newsletter, July, 1990) I provided an historical account of the Church of Scientology. It is a pseudo-scientific healing cult that was formed in the 1950s, and has grown, with the help of extravagant lies and deliberate deception, into a multimillion dollar, international enterprise. Through its many publications, but especially through ...

Saying the Internal Revenue Service harasses and discriminates against their members, Arizona followers of the Church of Scientology have gotten four of the state's congressmen and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to look into their allegations against the IRS. Scientologists have long waged a bitter battle with the IRS, which has challenged members' tax returns, saying they cannot claim charitable deductions on some money they pay for church-sponsored courses, materials and other costs associated with the 35-year-old organization founded by L Ron ...

Among its many adversaries, the Church of Scientology's longest-running feud has been with the Internal Revenue Service. So far, neither combatant has blinked. Over the past three decades, the IRS has revoked the tax-exempt status of various Scientology organizations, accusing them of operating in a commercial manner and of financially benefiting private individuals. From the late 1960s through mid-1970s, IRS agents classified Scientology as a "tax resister" and "subversive," a characterization later deemed improper by a judge. In 1984, the IRS's ...

The Government's War Against SCIENTOLOGY Scientologists say the church is engaged in "a war for the human spirit" against a global conspiracy, involving psychiatrists, the Rockefeller family, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and the U.S. government (including the FBI, CIA and IRS). According to Ken Hoden, Scientologists feel that although each of these diverse entities have different reasons for attacking the church, their enemies have banded together as one to achieve a common end — "destroying the Church of Scientology." ...

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 ...

The Church of Scientology, the invention of science fiction writer Ron Hubbard which has caused an unholy uproar around the world in the past, will hold a Canberra inaugural service at Red Hill tomorrow. The Church, established in 1953 by Mr Hubbard after his book 'Dienetics', published in 1950, attracted world-wide interest in the principles of Scientology. More than five million people in 54 countries are understood to have gone through the Scientology processing, a full course of which can cost ...

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 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: 'As a matter of policy, L. Ron Hubbard doesn't give interviews' — Scientology spokesman] WORLD EXCLUSIVE L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the five-million strong Scientology cult, speaks out for the first time ever in a British publication to defend his creed against world-famous author William Burroughs. Read it carefully — it is a revealing self-portrait of an extraordinary man Scientology is a people's activity, a grass roots movement, and such are usually frowned on by the Establishment The ...

We are trying to bring into confrontation two of the world's most revolutionary minds. World-famous author William Burroughs, in a recent Mayfair article, stirred up the controversial cult of Scientology by directly accusing its enigmatic leader, L. Ron Hubbard, with hiding tremendous psycho-therapeutic discoveries behind a neo-fascist organisation. Hubbard himself hasn't replied, but for the first time ever in a British publication, his wife Mary Sue Hubbard has come to his defence. This statement came direct from the Hubbard's yacht ...

'You claim Scientology is the universal road to freedom. Well I've taken your course and I say: prove it to all of us. Come out country simple and prove it' In view of the fact that my articles and statements on Scientology may have influenced young people to associate themselves with the so-called Church of Scientology, I feel an obligation to make my present views on the subject quite clear. 'Some of the techniques are highly valuable and warrant further study ...