DOCSLIB.ORG

Role Konspiračních Teorií Ve Scientologické Církvi

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Role Konspiračních Teorií Ve Scientologické Církvi MASARYKOVA UNIVERZITA FAKULTA SOCIÁLNÍCH STUDIÍ KATEDRA POLITOLOGIE Role konspiračních teorií ve Scientologické církvi Bakalářská práce Barbora Janošková Vedoucí práce: Mgr. et Mgr. Petra Vejvodová, Ph.D. UČO: 427212 Obor: Bezpečnostní a strategická studia Imatrikulační ročník: 2013 Brno, 2017 Prohlášení o autorství práce Prohlašuji, že jsem bakalářskou práci na téma „Role konspiračních teorií ve Scientologické církvi“ vypracovala samostatně a použila jsem jen zdroje uvedené v seznamu literatury. V Brně, 22. 5. 2017 podpis ................................. Poděkování Na tomto místě bych ráda poděkovala Mgr. et Mgr. Petře Vejvodové, Ph.D., za velmi důležité rady, čas a energii při přijetí a odborném vedení mé bakalářské práce. Nakonec bych ráda poděkovala mým rodičům a bratrovi, bez jejichž velké podpory by bakalářská práce nemohla vzniknout. Anotace: Bakalářská práce se zabývá rolí konspiračních teorií ve Scientologické církvi. Cílem práce je zjištění role vybraných konspiračních teorií a analýza rizik, která mohou způsobit. Práce je rozdělena do dvou částí – teoretické a deskriptivně analytické. V teoretické části je kladen důraz na konceptualizaci pojmů. Druhá část práce se zaměřuje na pojmenování rolí a rizik, která mohou konspirační teorie představovat pro osoby uvnitř i vně Scientologické církve. Klíčová slova: konspirační teorie, Scientologická církev, nová náboženská hnutí, operace Sněhurka Annotation: Bachelor thesis deals with the role of conspiracy theories in the Church of Scientology. The aim of the thesis is to find out the role of selected conspiracy theories and analyze the risks they can cause. The thesis is divided into two parts - theoretical and descriptive analytical. In the theoretical part, emphasis is placed on conceptualization of concepts. The second part of the thesis focuses on naming the roles and risks that conspiracy theories can pose for people inside and outside of the Church of Scientology. Keywords: conspiracy theories, Church of Scientology, new religious movements, operation Snow white OBSAH 1 Úvod ......................................................................................................................... 7 2 Metodologie ............................................................................................................. 9 3 Teoretická část ...................................................................................................... 11 3.1 Konspirační teorie ............................................................................................ 11 3.2 Scientologická církev ....................................................................................... 15 4 Deskriptivně analytická část ................................................................................ 21 4.1 Operace Sněhurka ............................................................................................ 21 4.1.1 Operace Freakout ...................................................................................... 24 4.2 Psychiatrické spiknutí proti scientologům ....................................................... 25 5 Role a rizika konspiračních teorií ....................................................................... 31 6 Závěr ...................................................................................................................... 34 7 Seznam použité literatury .................................................................................... 36 Celkový počet znaků: 65 766 1 Úvod Konspirační teorie jsou fenoménem, kterým se společnost snaží nalézt vysvětlení různých událostí a situací již několik desítek let. Spojitost konspiračních teorií s náboženstvím a dopad působení těchto teorií na bezpečnost nejen členů nových náboženských hnutí, ale také celé společnosti, je velmi aktuálním tématem. Konspirační teorie jsou často skloňovaným tématem ve spojitosti s novými náboženskými hnutími, která jsou neustále se rozrůstajícím společenstvím. Jejich rozvoj je velmi dynamický, stejně tak jako pole jejich působnosti. V posledních desetiletích rapidně narůstá počet obětí sekt a nových náboženských hnutí1. (Buchnerová 1999: 25) Toto číslo začalo narůstat zejména v 90. letech 20. století a bylo spjato s blížícím se koncem tisíciletí a obavami spojenými s koncem světa. (Buchnerová 1999: 25) Konspiračním teoriím je důležité se věnovat, neboť ve spojitosti s mnoha hnutími hrají významnou roli. V některých případech nahrazují ideologii nebo jsou její součástí, nastavují pravidla fungování a misi, kam hnutí směřuje. Určují směr a často předpovídají cestu a cíl celé skupiny. Bakalářská práce se zabývá případovou studií Scientologické církve a konspiračními teoriemi, které jsou s touto církví spjaty. Práce se konkrétně zaměřuje na dvě konspirační teorie – tzv. operaci Sněhurka a na konspirační teorii spjatou s údajným spiknutím proti Scientologické církvi ze strany psychiatrů. Cílem práce je zjištění role konspiračních teorií ve Scientologické církvi a pojmenování možných rizik, jaká mohou konspirační teorie způsobit osobám pohybujícím se v blízkosti Scientologie. Již od samého počátku bývají konspirační teorie využívány ve snaze o lepší vykreslení skutečností, vytváří iluze, způsobují nadšení nebo naopak vyvolávají u svých následovatelů strach. Tak jako je politika součástí společenské praxe několik tisíciletí, stejně přítomné byly různé náboženské směry a jejich odnože. S postupem času se náboženství mění a v určitém ohledu přizpůsobuje potřebám, které jsou s danou dobou spjaty2 a reflektují ji. Je tedy logické, že v posledních desetiletích se objevuje větší množství náboženských hnutí, která jsou označována jako nová náboženská hnutí. Mezi ta patří i Scientologická církev. Tato hnutí mohou mít různá zaměření; od 1 Dále jen NNH. 2 Období válek, finanční krize apod. 7 pseudokřesťastnských3 a dálněvýchodních4, přes hnutí, která kladou hlavní důraz na psychologii a terapii5, až po politicky orientovaná6 hnutí. (Bley 1998: 77) Bakalářská práce se soustředí na konkrétní případ Scientologické církve a propojení s konspiračními teoriemi. Důraz je kladen především na teoretickou debatu. Práce je rozdělena do dvou hlavních částí. První z nich je teoretická. Pro správné pochopení práce je důležitá konceptualizace klíčových pojmů. V teoretické části jsou podrobně popsány pojmy konspirační teorie a Scientologická církev. Pro pochopení celé problematiky je konceptualizace pojmů zcela nezbytná. Pojem konspirační teorie je velmi široký a v tomto případě je klíčové, aby bylo čtenářům jasné, z jaké perspektivy je s tímto pojmem v práci nakládáno. Stejně tak je důležité, aby měl čtenář povědomí o základních principech Scientologické církve, neboť právě na ty jsou konspirační teorie významně navázané. Druhá část práce je deskriptivně analytická. Je pojata jako případová studie Scientologické církve a zaměřuje se na události spojené s konspiračními teoriemi.7 Tyto konspirační teorie jsou zde představeny a rozebrány. Krátké shrnutí na konci bakalářské práce slouží ke zhodnocení rizika, které pro Scientologii a osoby pohybující se v jejím okolí konspirační teorie mohou znamenat. V závěru jsou shrnuty poznatky, které práce přinesla. 3 Mezi tato hnutí se řadí například Boží děti, Univerzální život nebo Církev sjednocení. 4 Tato hnutí jsou ve většině případů spjata s indickými tradicemi, není tedy divu, že se mezi ně řadí Společnost pro transcendentální meditaci, Hare Kršna nebo Hnutí Osho. 5 Jako příklad hnutí, v němž je kladen důraz na psychologii, je Scientologie. 6 Posledním zmíněným hnutím s politickými prvky je například Evropská dělnická strana nebo Církev sjednocení. 7 V tomto případe již zmíněná operace Sněhurka, a s údajným spiknutím psychiatrů proti Scientologii. 8 2 Metodologie V první části bakalářské práce se věnuji především konceptualizaci základních pojmů, které se prolínají celou prací a jsou v této problematice klíčové. Jako první je zde konceptualizován pojem konspirační teorie. V případě konceptualizace tohoto pojmu jsou zmíněny definice a poznatky vícero autorů. Následuje shrnutí historie, filozofie a klíčových milníků ve spojitosti se Scientologickou církví. Druhá část práce, tedy deskriptivně analytická, se zaměřuje na případovou studii Scientologické církve a pojmenování role a rizik spjatých s konspiračními teoriemi, které se k tomuto hnutí vážou. Scientologická církev je v současnosti jedním z nejznámějších hnutí, které bývá společností přijímáno jako obecně méně násilné a nebezpečné.8 Hlavními prameny pro bakalářskou práci byla nejen odborná literatura a odborné texty, ale především primární prameny, oficiální webové servery a zpovědi osob, které hrají nebo hrály ve vybraném náboženském hnutí významnou roli. Práce využívá především primárních zdrojů, aby byl její přínos a validita co nejvyšší. Publikací na téma Scientologické církve a s ní spojenou problematikou bylo zpracováno velké množství. Autorem mnoha z nich je hlavní představitel Scientologické církve L. Ron Hubbardem. Spojení konspiračních teorií a zhodnocení jejich rizik na příkladu Scientologické církve bylo vybráno s cílem přinést nový pohled na téma konspiračních teorií právě prostřednictvím konkrétní případové studie. Důležitou roli hrají také sekundární zdroje, analýzy, články a adekvátní odborné texty. 8 Tento fakt potvrzuje uznání Scientologické církve jako náboženství v mnoha zemích světa. Jedním z nejvýznamnějších kroků pro celou Scientologickou církev bylo uznání amerického daňového úřadu (IRS – Internal Revenue Service), který udělil této církvi v roce 1993 neziskový status a daňové
Load more

Recommended publications
  • ACRONYM IX Tiebreakers
    ACRONYM IX ­ Tiebreakers In G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, this nation is home to the title group’s high­tech base The ​ ​ Pit. In a busy marketplace in this nation, a sword­swinging man is shot to death in Raiders of the Lost Ark by Indiana Jones. An action film set in this nation depicts Rachel ​ Weisz’s [“vices”] Evie Carnahan using an ancient book to awaken the title monster. Chadwick Boseman stars in an early 2016 film as one of this nation’s title “Gods,” Thoth. For 10 points, name this setting of The Mummy and Cleopatra. ​ ​ ​ ​ ANSWER: Egypt ​ Narconon is a drug rehab program affiliated with this organization, which sought to purge its own negative publicity in Operation Snow White. This organization operates Gold Base, which is home to its leader, David Miscavige. Former King of Queens star ​ ​ Leah Remini was labeled a “suppressive person” by this organization after leaving it in 2013, though its remaining members include Beck and John Travolta. The HBO documentary Going ​ Clear exposed secrets of, for 10 points, what “church” founded by L. Ron Hubbard? ​ ANSWER: Church of Scientology ​ The creators of this creature dubiously called it “quirky, albeit endearing” and it was the most seen creature in a series that also included a Doritos­craving fetus. It first appears after a man claims he “might just chill tonight” and later leads that man out of his ​ apartment. This creature is also seen licking a man’s face, presumably with a pug’s tongue. An ad for Mountain Dew Kickstart is the origin of, for 10 points, what god awful hybrid of three creatures first seen in a 2016 Super Bowl ad? ANSWER: puppy monkey baby ​ This singer sang during Prince William and Kate’s first dance after their wedding and maintains a “Music To Run To” playlist on Spotify, which includes her song “Keep on Dancin’.” Despite allegedly just liking the subject’s tattoos, this singer’s “heart can’t understand” an apparent infatuation in a song from her 2015 album Delirium.
    [Show full text]
  • Destruction Is in Its DNA the Church of Scientology Is Imploding at What
    Scientology: Destruction Is In Its DNA The Church of Scientology is imploding at what any outside spectator would call an alarming rate. While its leader, David Miscavige, stands before enthralled devotees several times a year claiming highest-ever membership figures and off-the-top production figures, the truth from inside is quite the opposite. Since the late 1960s, Scientology has claimed membership in the millions. Yet those un-named millions have never been tallied from any official membership rolls nor validated in any way. In fact, it's been reported by those who were actually there that the reports of "millions of members" were literally created out of thin air as nothing but PR fluff to satisfy some demanding senior Scientology executive who wouldn't settle for anything less. While the Church may lie to its public and the world in general, inside the organization they keep tight tally every single week of how many parishioners are actually attending services in every one of their organizations as well as how many attendees they have at their yearly event gatherings. And insiders have reported that these figures are an ever dwindling spiral, now down to as low as 25 - 30,000 worldwide. Included in those figures are those who actually work for the organizations as well, meaning that public membership could be as low as 20,000. One recent credible source even estimates it as low as 10,000. L. Ron Hubbard wrote many volumes of policies governing the purposes and activities of every single part of the organization, from its highest management echelons down to how cleaning personnel are to wash windows.
    [Show full text]
  • Freedom of Religion and the Church of Scientology in Germany and the United States
    SHOULD GERMANY STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE OCTOPUS? FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY IN GERMANY AND THE UNITED STATES Religion hides many mischiefs from suspicion.' I. INTRODUCTION Recently the City of Los Angeles dedicated one of its streets to the founder of the Church of Scientology, renaming it "L. Ron Hubbard Way." 2 Several months prior to the ceremony, the Superior Administrative Court of Miinster, Germany held that Federal Minister of Labor Norbert Bluim was legally permitted to continue to refer to Scientology as a "giant octopus" and a "contemptuous cartel of oppression." 3 These incidents indicate the disparity between the way that the Church of Scientology is treated in the United States and the treatment it receives in Germany.4 Notably, while Scientology has been recognized as a religion in the United States, 5 in Germany it has struggled for acceptance and, by its own account, equality under the law. 6 The issue of Germany's treatment of the Church of Scientology has reached the upper echelons of the United States 1. MARLOWE, THE JEW OF MALTA, Act 1, scene 2. 2. Formerly known as Berendo Street, the street links Sunset Boulevard with Fountain Avenue in the Hollywood area. At the ceremony, the city council president praised the "humanitarian works" Hubbard has instituted that are "helping to eradicate illiteracy, drug abuse and criminality" in the city. Los Angeles Street Named for Scientologist Founder, DEUTSCHE PRESSE-AGENTUR, Apr. 6, 1997, available in LEXIS, News Library, DPA File. 3. The quoted language is translated from the German "Riesenkrake" and "menschenverachtendes Kartell der Unterdruickung." Entscheidungen des Oberver- waltungsgerichts [OVG] [Administrative Court of Appeals] Minster, 5 B 993/95 (1996), (visited Oct.
    [Show full text]
  • Behar-Forbes-1986.Pdf
    L. Ron Hubbard, one of the most bizarre entrepreneurs on record, proved cult religion can be big business. Now he's declared dead, and the question is, did he take $200 million with him? The prophet and profits of Scientology There is something that FORBES L. Ron Hubbard gone underground in New York City: 1973 still doesn't know, however. It is something no one may know outside a small, secretive band of Hubbard's followers: What is happening to all that money? Hubbard himself has not been seen publicly since 1980, when he went underground, disappearing even from the view of high "church" officials. That's in character: He was said by spokesmen to have retired from Scientology's management in 1966. In fact, for 20 years after, he maintained a grip so tight that sources say since his 1980 disappearance three appoint­ ed "messengers" have been able to gather tens of millions of dollars at will, harass and intimidate Scientol­ ogy members, and rule with an iron fist an international network that is still estimated to have tens of thou­ sands of adherents—all merely on his unseen authority. How could Hubbard do all this? As early as the 1950s, officials at the American Medical Association were By Richard Behar wife, went to jail for infiltrating, bur­ glarizing and wiretapping over 100 warning that Scientology, then NLY A FEW CAN BOAST the fi­ government agencies, including the known as Dianetics, was a cult. More nancial success of L. Ron Hub­ IRS, FBI and CIA. Hubbard could hold recently, in 1984, courts of law here bard, the science fiction story­ his own with any of his science fic­ and abroad labeled the organization O such things as "schizophrenic and teller and entrepreneur who reported­ tion novels.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Activity for Teaching the Sociology of Religion I Created This Activity To
    Activity for Teaching the Sociology of Religion I created this activity to encourage active learning for an Introduction to Sociology class. In these introductory classes, students come from diverse major backgrounds and often are early in their college careers. For this reason, any activity I create for classes such as this one is designed to encourage both mastery of the material, but also to help students work on their ability to utilize a sociological perspective. The activity described below is designed to be used on the first or second day when the topic of religion is introduced in an introductory class (total time: approximately 1.5 to 2 hours for lecture and activity). Its most basic purpose is to teach students the sociological definition of “a religion.” More than that, however, I want students to engage with the diversity of religion present in our society. As described below, I chose to use three uncommon or extreme religious groups that students were likely not overly familiar with. After the activity concludes, however, I think it is important that the instructor engages the students in discussion about the connections that can be made between the activity and the wider sociopolitical forces that influence shared images of other religious groups. In this document, I have included a detailed summary of the short lecture that I give before the activity to introduce students to the topic of the sociology of religion. I also provide instructions for conducting the activity, the worksheet that I distribute to each student, and the documents that are shared by each group.
    [Show full text]
  • L. RON HUBBARD Messiah Or Madman ?
    Messiah or Madman ? L. RON HUBBARD Messiah or Madman ? Bent Corydon and L. Ron Hubbard, Jr. a.k.a. Ronald DeWolf Dear Bookbuyer: SL This is not the jacket we planned for this book. We have been forced to use this makeshift design in order to safeguard our right to ship MESSIAH OR MADMAN ? to the public. We consider it our duty to make this important book available to you as soon as possible--despite the ongoing legal harassment we are suffering. The contents of L. RON HUBBARD, MESSIAH OR MADMAN ? justify the enormous legal and personal problems that we have gone through. We are convinced that this book must not be suppressed at any cost! Later editions will bear a jacket consistent with our usual high standards. But since a restraining order had been placed on our first printing because of litigation over jacket design, we felt it imperative to release books to the public immediately. We are sure that the bookbuying public will understand, and support us in our fight to protect First Amendment liberties. ISBN 0-8184-0444-2 [Reformatted, Spell Checked, OCR-Corrected from Plaintext version 1.0, August 18, 1998] New PDF Version Created By - The Real No User (2011) L. RON HUBBARD - Messiah or Madman ? Bent Corydon and L. Ron Hubbard Jr. a.k.a. Ronald DeWolf L. Ron Hubbard wrote the 1950 bestseller Dianetics, the Modern Science of Mental Health. This inspired a layman-oriented mental health movement which, ultimately, developed into Scientology, the most profitable of the money-making new religions. Surrounded by adoring teenyboppers, uniformed in mini-skirts, bikini tops and high heeled boots, Hubbard was a bigamist who masterminded Watergate-style break-ins.
    [Show full text]
  • January 30, 2008 the Free-Content News Source That You Can Write! Page 1
    January 30, 2008 The free-content news source that you can write! Page 1 Top Stories Wikipedia Current Events Grass fires break out in wide area of Texas regime propaganda'. In the U.S. state of Texas, grass •Snow storms cuts the Beijing- fires spread across 2,000 acres of Guangzhou railway and paralyzes land, destroying at least two dozen China's Chunyun structures in the process. The fires were fueled by gusty winds of up •The United States House of to 60 miles per hour. Representatives passes a $146 billion economic stimulus No injuries or deaths have been package. reported. Residential areas in •Venezuelan gunmen hold 30 Tarrant, Wise, Parker, Nolan, Mauritanian refugees begin hostages in a bank in Guárico Burnet, and Callahan counties returning home from Senegal state before fleeing the scene in were evacuated as firefighters an ambulance with several struggled to put out the flames. Venezuelan police arrest bank hostages. The gunmen are Fires were also reported in Dallas, robbers, free hostages subsequently captured. Denton, and Collin counties. Many Police have of these fires have now been •United States presidential arrested contained, officials say. election, 2008: Voters in Florida four bank go to the polls to determine robbers who In response to the fires, Texas presidential nominees. took as governor Rick Perry activated the many as sixty hostages in a two- •Hillary Clinton wins the state's Emergency Operations day siege after the robbery was Democratic Party primary Center at the highest level. In botched. election with no delegates addition, 152 counties instituted awarded from, nor much burn bans.
    [Show full text]
  • Moxon's Annexes
    A N N E X A 7/22/2014 Resources - ICANN Welcome to the new ICANN.org! Learn more, and send us your feedback. Dismiss русский 中文 اﻟﻌرﺑﯾﺔ Translations at ICANN Français Español Log In | Sign Up GET STARTED NEWS & MEDIA POLICY PUBLIC COMMENT RESOURCES COMMUNITY IANA STEWARDSHIP Resources Uniform Domain Name Dispute About Resolution Policy | Deutsch | English | Español | اﻟﻌرﺑﯾﺔ :ICANN This page is available in Français | Italiano | 日本語 | 한국어 | Português | русский | 中 Board 文 Policy Adopted: August 26, 1999 Accountability Implementation Documents Approved: October 24, 1999 & Transparency Notes: Governance 1. This policy is now in effect. See Groups www.icann.org/udrp/udrp-schedule.htm for the implementation schedule. Contractual Compliance 2. This policy has been adopted by all ICANN- accredited registrars. It has also been adopted by Registrars certain managers of country-code top-level domains (e.g., .nu, .tv, .ws). Registries 3. The policy is between the registrar (or other ccTLDs registration authority in the case of a country- Internationalized code top-level domain) and its customer (the Domain domain-name holder or registrant). Thus, the policy Names uses "we" and "our" to refer to the registrar and it uses https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/policy-2012-02-25-en 1/10 7/22/2014 Resources - ICANN TLD "you" and "your" to refer to the domain-name holder. Acceptance Policy Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy Public (As Approved by ICANN on October 24, 1999) Comment 1. Purpose. This Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Contact Policy (the "Policy") has been adopted by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN"), is incorporated by Help reference into your Registration Agreement, and sets forth the Dispute terms and conditions in connection with a dispute between you Resolution and any party other than us (the registrar) over the registration and use of an Internet domain name registered by you.
    [Show full text]
  • |||GET||| the Church of Scientology 1St Edition
    THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY 1ST EDITION DOWNLOAD FREE Hugh B Urban | 9781400839438 | | | | | The First Amendment Encyclopedia La Libre Belgique in French. International Business Times UK. The Salt Lake Tribune. World Religions in America. HOME L. With his continuing research into the mind, Mr. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Archived from the original on October 21, Bloomsbery Academic. The religion's mythology holds the belief that "in the The Church of Scientology 1st edition past, thetans applied their creative abilities to form the physical universe". In " Operation Freakout ", agents of the church attempted to destroy Paulette Cooperauthor of The Scandal of Scientologyan early book that had been critical of the movement. December 27, The Arbitration Committee of the Wikipedia internet encyclopedia decided in May to restrict access to its site from Church of Scientology IP addresses, to prevent self-serving edits by Scientologists. Herald Sun. Retrieved February 8, El Pais. It has been variously defined as a culta business or a new religious movement. Retrieved September 11, Cowan and David G. Excerpts and descriptions of OT materials were published online by a former member in and then circulated The Church of Scientology 1st edition mainstream media. Organization devoted to the The Church of Scientology 1st edition and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. Because the reported tenant was the "United Churches of Florida" the citizens and City Council of Clearwater did not realize that the building's owners were actually the Church of Scientology until after the building's purchase. Press Release. The Church of Scientology 1st edition, Ed. Retrieved June 21, Archived from the original on May 15, Increasing Spiritual Awareness.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is Scientology?
    What is Scientology? (part 1 of 2): The Eclectic Religion Scientology has been called the world’s most significant new religion, and Scientologists themselves claim to draw on 50,000 years of wisdom. However apostates from Scientology claim it is a vicious, dangerous cult masquerading as a religion. No matter which description we choose, the fact remains that Scientology is a controversial, mysterious religious movement, with more than 10 million members in around 160 countries across the globe. In this series of articles, we hope to delve into this puzzling movement, and find the answer to several intriguing questions. Is Scientology a religion or an evil cult? What exactly does a scientologist believe, and how do these beliefs compare to the religion of Islam? What do scientologists believe? The official scientology web site[1] states that “Scientology is a religion that offers a precise path leading to a complete and certain understanding of one’s true spiritual nature and one’s relationship to self, family, groups, mankind, all life forms, the material universe, the spiritual universe and the Supreme Being”. From this we can easily deduce that scientology does acknowledge God, or what they refer to as the Supreme Being. “Scientology comprises a body of knowledge which extends from certain fundamental truths. Prime among these are, that man is an immortal spiritual being, his experience extends well beyond a single lifetime and his capabilities are unlimited, even if not presently realised.” In this statement we can see that scientologists believe in some form of reincarnation perhaps not dissimilar to the Eastern religions such as Hinduism or Buddhism.
    [Show full text]
  • TR-50546-14 NEH Application Cover Sheet America's Media Makers
    TR-50546-14 NEH Application Cover Sheet America's Media Makers PROJECT DIRECTOR Mr. R. Andrew Higgins Wyndham E-mail:[email protected] Director, VFH Media Programs Phone(W): 434-924-6894 145 Ednam Drive Phone(H): Charlottesville, VA 22903-4629 Fax: 434-296-4714 UNITED STATES Field of Expertise: Literature: British Literature INSTITUTION Rector and Visitors of University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA UNITED STATES APPLICATION INFORMATION Title: BackStory with the American History Guys--Finding the American Way (series) Grant Period: From 5/2014 to 4/2016 Field of Project: History: U.S. History Description of Project: BackStory with the American History Guys, a national, weekly one-hour broadcast show and podcast???-a program of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH) at the University of Virginia--requests an America???s Media Makers grant of $234,868. Funds will be used to produce a special series of 22 radio programs that will ultimately comprise three mini-series. Under the banner "Finding the American Way," the grant-funded episodes will be paired with lesson plans and packaged for educational purposes. Partners include the National Council for History Education, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and HISTORY (History Channel). BUDGET Outright Request $234,868.00 Cost Sharing $1,131,617.00 Matching Request Total Budget $1,366,485.00 Total NEH $234,868.00 GRANT ADMINISTRATOR Mr. Robert M. Merhige E-mail:[email protected] Director, Grants and Contracts Phone(W): 434-924-4270 1001 North Emmett Street Fax: 434-982-3096 PO Box 400195 Charlottesville, VA 22904-4195 UNITED STATES BackStory with the American History Guys TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Scientology's Legal System
    MARBURG JOURNAL OF RELIGION, Vol. 21, No. 1 (2019) 1 Scientology’s Legal System Phil Lord LL.B. (McGill, Dean's List), B.C.L. (McGill, Dean's List), ACIArb. This paper provides an overview of the legal system of the religion of Scientology. To the members of the religion, this legal system supersedes and fully displaces the mainstream legal system. Scientology’s legal system is self-contained and independent, with rules, enforcement mechanisms, and correctional facilities. The overview provided in this paper will be useful to courts and to further research in the nascent yet vital field of Scientological legal research. The contents are as follows: INTRODUCTION; I. SOURCING; II. WITHIN AND WITHOUT; III. RULES; IV. ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS; V. CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES; CONCLUSION. MARBURG JOURNAL OF RELIGION, Vol. 21, No. 1 (2019) 2 INTRODUCTION This paper provides a broad overview of the legal system of the religion of Scientology.1 No legal scholar has yet provided such an overview. This fact is somewhat perplexing, as the religion was founded some seventy years ago.2 More broadly, the literature on Scientology is far sparser than that on other recently founded religions such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints3 (two religions which count far more adherents than 1 I am grateful to Prof. Mark Antaki, Alec Sader and Olivier Lirette for their thoughtful comments on earlier drafts. In conducting research for this paper, I have had the opportunity to interact with several Scientologists. The Scientologists who I met at the Montreal and Los Angeles churches have all been kind and helpful.
    [Show full text]