Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 2, No. 3, 2003, Page 57
The revenue service considers Scientology a business, regardless of whether or not it is a
church, that the high rates charged for Scientology courses demonstrate a commercial
intent, and that the way it recruits students can also be considered commercial.
But the main reason revenue inspectors gave for the denial of exemption was that the
―intent‖ and ―content‖ of the courses aims mainly to solve ―personal problems.‖ This means
the goal is ―individual‖ and for ―personal benefit,‖ rather than the ―common good.‖
Scientology argued that, with 19,000 members in Holland, it served the common good. But
recent apostates say the number of active members is around 150.
The High Court said further that it was up to Scientology, not government authorities, to
prove that it serves the common good. Scientology is appealing the High Court decision to
the European Court in the Hague (which rejected a similar appeal in the mid-1980s).
(Sladjana Labovic and Bart Middelburg, Het Parool, Internet, 12/11/03)
Mongolia Using Hubbard-Inspired Program
Representatives of Applied Scholastics (AS), in response to a request from the Speaker of
the Mongolian Parliament, Tumor Ochi, have presented the learning methods developed by
Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard for use in the Asian country. S. Krishnan, the
executive director of AS in Malaysia, says his office will work closely with the Mongolian
Ministry of Education to develop an implementation strategy. (The Star, Malaysia, Internet,
10/19/03)
Exodus from Netherlands Group
Fifty of some 150 core members of the Church of Scientology in the Netherlands have left
the group, and high ranking Scientologists from overseas have flown in to deal with what
Scientology documents allegedly call a ―mutiny.‖
One cause of the recent exodus is reportedly a split between those who think only
Scientology as it is now constituted can properly convey the teachings of founder L. Ron
Hubbard, and those who think that Hubbard‘s way can be achieved better, more enjoyably,
and for less money, outside the church‘s constraints. The ―Independents‖ have started a
movement with a website named www.ronsorg.nl, which stands for ―Ron‘s Organization and
Network for Standard Tech.‖
A third group has left because Scientologists in commercial concerns in the Netherlands and
elsewhere have allegedly swindled hundreds of thousands of people.
Caspar de Rijk, a founder of the Netherlands branch of Scientology, says that Scientology
was for a long time able to keep members from communicating among themselves or with
family and friends by threat of heavy sanctions. But the Internet has helped change the
situation. ―What Hubbard one day started is now being reduced again to normal
proportions.‖ Former members who come to a meeting of the independent grouping ―realize
they can practice the principles but without all that indoctrination and intimidation,‖ says de
Rijk.
De Rijk reports that when he refused to take a lie detector test for suspected ―bad
intentions‖ — he told them he had none — he was transferred to a ―rehabilitation project,‖ a
kind of re-education camp, which he refused to attend. Because he was a ranking member,
higher officials saw de Rijk as a threat, so they threw him out of Scientology. Now, a
number of Dutch Scientology leavers have been declared ―suppressive persons,‖ which
means, according to Scientology protocol, that they can be ―tricked, prosecuted or lied to,
or destroyed according to internal ethics.‖ The number of those excommunicated in Holland
has been limited, says de Rijk, because it would be difficult to explain to remaining
members that more than a third of the active following has suddenly become ―suppressive.‖
The revenue service considers Scientology a business, regardless of whether or not it is a
church, that the high rates charged for Scientology courses demonstrate a commercial
intent, and that the way it recruits students can also be considered commercial.
But the main reason revenue inspectors gave for the denial of exemption was that the
―intent‖ and ―content‖ of the courses aims mainly to solve ―personal problems.‖ This means
the goal is ―individual‖ and for ―personal benefit,‖ rather than the ―common good.‖
Scientology argued that, with 19,000 members in Holland, it served the common good. But
recent apostates say the number of active members is around 150.
The High Court said further that it was up to Scientology, not government authorities, to
prove that it serves the common good. Scientology is appealing the High Court decision to
the European Court in the Hague (which rejected a similar appeal in the mid-1980s).
(Sladjana Labovic and Bart Middelburg, Het Parool, Internet, 12/11/03)
Mongolia Using Hubbard-Inspired Program
Representatives of Applied Scholastics (AS), in response to a request from the Speaker of
the Mongolian Parliament, Tumor Ochi, have presented the learning methods developed by
Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard for use in the Asian country. S. Krishnan, the
executive director of AS in Malaysia, says his office will work closely with the Mongolian
Ministry of Education to develop an implementation strategy. (The Star, Malaysia, Internet,
10/19/03)
Exodus from Netherlands Group
Fifty of some 150 core members of the Church of Scientology in the Netherlands have left
the group, and high ranking Scientologists from overseas have flown in to deal with what
Scientology documents allegedly call a ―mutiny.‖
One cause of the recent exodus is reportedly a split between those who think only
Scientology as it is now constituted can properly convey the teachings of founder L. Ron
Hubbard, and those who think that Hubbard‘s way can be achieved better, more enjoyably,
and for less money, outside the church‘s constraints. The ―Independents‖ have started a
movement with a website named www.ronsorg.nl, which stands for ―Ron‘s Organization and
Network for Standard Tech.‖
A third group has left because Scientologists in commercial concerns in the Netherlands and
elsewhere have allegedly swindled hundreds of thousands of people.
Caspar de Rijk, a founder of the Netherlands branch of Scientology, says that Scientology
was for a long time able to keep members from communicating among themselves or with
family and friends by threat of heavy sanctions. But the Internet has helped change the
situation. ―What Hubbard one day started is now being reduced again to normal
proportions.‖ Former members who come to a meeting of the independent grouping ―realize
they can practice the principles but without all that indoctrination and intimidation,‖ says de
Rijk.
De Rijk reports that when he refused to take a lie detector test for suspected ―bad
intentions‖ — he told them he had none — he was transferred to a ―rehabilitation project,‖ a
kind of re-education camp, which he refused to attend. Because he was a ranking member,
higher officials saw de Rijk as a threat, so they threw him out of Scientology. Now, a
number of Dutch Scientology leavers have been declared ―suppressive persons,‖ which
means, according to Scientology protocol, that they can be ―tricked, prosecuted or lied to,
or destroyed according to internal ethics.‖ The number of those excommunicated in Holland
has been limited, says de Rijk, because it would be difficult to explain to remaining
members that more than a third of the active following has suddenly become ―suppressive.‖
