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SCIENTOLOGY: THE COURT'S OPINION


September 1997 is the 30th aniversary of Scientology in Canada.

It's also the 5th aniversary of Scientology's criminal convicition for spying.

We could fill this leaflet letting you know exactly what we think about Scientology, instead, please read what various Judges & Government Officals have written about Scientology.

JUDICIAL AND GOVERNMENTAL DECISIONS ABOUT SCIENTOLOGY AND DIANETICS

  • Justice Anderson, Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia

    "Scientology is evil; its techniques are evil; its practice is a serious threat to the community, medically, morally, and socially; and its adherents are sadly deluded and often mentally ill... (Scientology is) the world's largest organization of unqualified persons engaged in the practice of dangerous techniques which masquerade as mental therapy."

  • Kenneth Robinson, British Minister of Health

    "The government is satisfied that Scientology is socially harmful. It alienates members of families from each other and attributes squalid and disgraceful motives to all who oppose it; its authoritarian principles and practice are a potential menace to the personality and well being of those so deluded as to become followers; above all, its methods can be a serious danger to the health of those who submit to them... There is no power under existing law to prohibit the practice of scientology; but the government has concluded that it is so objectionable that it would be right to take all steps within its power to curb its growth."

  • U.S. federal prosecutor's memorandum to the judge urging stiff jail sentences for 9 top leaders of Scientology who had pleaded guilty to criminal charges

    "The crime committed by these defendants is of a breath and scope previously unheard of. No building, office, desk, or file was safe from their snooping and prying. No individual or organization was free from their despicable conspiratorial minds. The tools of their trade were miniature transmitters, lock picks, secret codes, forged credentials and any other device they found necessary to carry out their conspiratorial schemes."

  • Justice Latey, ruling in the High Court of London

    "Scientology is both immoral and socially obnoxious... it is corrupt sinister and dangerous. It is corrupt because it is based on lies and deceit and has its real objective money and power for Mr. Hubbard... It is sinister because it indulges in infamous practices both to its adherents who do not toe the line unquestionly and to those who criticize it or oppose it. It is dangerous because it is out to capture people and to indoctrinate and brainwash them so they become the unquestioning captives and tools of the cult, withdrawn from ordinary thought, living, and relationships with others."


  • Judge Breckenridge, Los Angeles Superior Court

    "[the court record is] replete with evidence [that Scientology] is nothing in reality but a vast enterprise to extract the maximum amount of money from its adepts by pseudo scientific theories... and to exercise a kind of blackmail against persons who do not wish to continue with their sect.... The organization clearly is schizophrenic and paranoid, and this bizarre combination seems to be a reflection of its founder, L.Ron Hubbard."

  • Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Paul Breckenridge, June 1984, in the Gerry Armstrong case

    "In addition to violating and abusing its own members' civil rights, the organization over the years with its "fair game" doctrine has harassed and abused those persons not in the church whom it perceives as enemies."

  • California appellate court, 2nd. district, 3rd. division, July 29, 1991, B025920 & B038975, Super. Ct. No. C 420153

    "In January 1980, fearing a raid by law enforcement agencies, Hubbard's representatives ordered the shredding of all documents showing that Hubbard controlled Scientology organizations, finances, personnel, or the property at Gilman Hot Springs. In a two week period, approximately one million pages were shredded pursuant to this order."

  • California appellate court, 2nd district, 7th division, Wollersheim v. Church of Scientology of California, Civ. No. B023193 Cal. Super. (1986)

    "Other testimony established Scientology is a hierarchal organization which exhibits near paranoid attitudes toward certain institutions and individuals---in particular the government, mental health professions, disaffected members, and others who criticize the organization or its leadership... During trial, Wollersheim's experts testified Scientology's "auditing" and "disconnect" practices constituted "brainwashing" and "thought reform" akin to what the Chinese and North Koreans practiced on American prisoners of war."

    "A religious practice which takes place in the context of this level of coercion has less religious value than one the recipient engages in voluntarily. Even more significantly, it poses a greater threat to society to have coerced religious practices inflicted on its citizens."


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    words/photos© by or c/o Gregg Hagglund (elrond@cgo.wave.ca)
    Last modified: Monday October 20, 1997.

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