Church of Scientology

The Church of Scientology is a new religious movement that was founded by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard as an organization dedicated to the practice of Scientology, an "applied religious philosophy" formulated by Hubbard.

Churches, missions and major Scientology centers

Scientology churches and missions exist in many communities around the world. Scientology calls its larger centers orgs, short for "organizations." The major Scientology church of a region is known as the local org, e.g., "the New York org," or "the Washington, D.C. org." Members of the public entering a Scientology church or mission are offered a free personality test followed by a suggestion of which Scientology courses and "auditing" would benefit them. Courses, books and counselling are available for a fixed donation.

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Though historians point to the founding org in Camden, New Jersey in 1953, the church itself recognizes the Los Angeles org, founded in 1954, as the first Church of Scientology.

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The Church of Scientology also has several major headquarters, including:

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"Saint Hill," Sussex, England

:Main article: Saint Hill

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L. Ron Hubbard moved to England shortly after founding Scientology, where he oversaw the worldwide development of Scientology from an office in London for most of the 1950s. In 1959, he bought Saint Hill Manor near the Sussex town of East Grinstead, a Georgian manor house formerly owned by the Maharajah of Jaipur. This became the worldwide headquarters of Scientology through the 1960s and 1970s. Hubbard declared Saint Hill to be the org by which all other orgs would be measured, and he issued a general order (still followed by the Church today) for all orgs around the world to expand and reach "Saint Hill size." The Church of Scientology has announced that the highest levels of Scientology teaching, OT 9 and OT 10, will be released and made available to church members when all the major orgs in the world have reached Saint Hill size.

Related Topics:
England - Scientology - London - 1959 - Saint Hill - Sussex - East Grinstead - 1960s - 1970s - Scientology teaching

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"Flag Land Base," Clearwater, Florida

Today, the worldwide "spiritual headquarters" of the Church of Scientology is located in the city of Clearwater, Florida. Officially known in Scientology as Flag Land Base, this international headquarters was founded in the late 1970s when an anonymous Scientology-founded group called "Southern Land Development and Leasing Corp" purchased the Fort Harrison Hotel for $2.3 million. Because the reported tenant was the "United Churches of Florida," another anonymous front group for the Church of Scientology, 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.http://www.holysmoke.org/cos/tax-battles.htm Clearwater citizens' groups, headed by Mayor Gabriel Cazares, rallied strongly against Scientology establishing a base in the city (repeatedly referring to the organization as a cult), but Flag Base was established nonetheless.

Related Topics:
Clearwater, Florida - 1970s - Fort Harrison Hotel - Cult

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In the years since its foundation, Flag Base has expanded as the church has gradually purchased additional property in the downtown Clearwater area. Its relationship with the city has repeatedly moved between "friendly" and "hostile," as the church has worked with the city to establish better relations; while at the same time actively opposing the local St. Petersburg Times and even protesting the Clearwater police department. Scientology's largest project in Clearwater has been the construction of a huge high-rise complex called the "Super Power Building," an enormous structure whose highest point, when completed, will be a huge Scientology cross that will tower over the city.

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"PAC Base," Hollywood, California

Los Angeles, California, has the largest concentration of Scientologists and Scientology-related enterprises in the world. Scientology has established a highly visible presence in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. The church owns a large complex on Sunset Boulevard (formerly a hospital) that contains Scientology's major west coast headquarters, the Pacific Area Command Base ("PAC Base"). Adjacent buildings include the American Saint Hill Organization (ASHO), the Advanced Organization (AOLA) for the delivery of upper level church teachings, The First Church of Scientology, founded 1954, and the offices of Bridge Publications, Scientology's publishing arm. The Church of Scientology successfully campaigned to have the city of Los Angeles rename one block of a street adjoining this complex "L. Ron Hubbard Way."

Related Topics:
Los Angeles - Hollywood - Bridge Publications

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Elsewhere in Hollywood is the most elaborate of the Scientology Celebrity Centers, luxurious accommodations meant to cater to arts professionals. On Hollywood Boulevard, a multi-story building houses the executive offices of Church of Scientology International and an open-to-the-public exhibition devoted to the life of L. Ron Hubbard. Also in the area are the headquarters of Author Services, Inc. (Hubbard's Literary agency), the Association for Better Living and Education (A.B.L.E.), which administers social programs based on Hubbard's writings, (including Narconon and Applied Scholastics), the World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE), which promotes Hubbard's business management techniques and facilitates a network of Scientology-related businesses, and the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, a Scientology-affiliated group that focuses on alleged abuses of psychiatry.

Related Topics:
L. Ron Hubbard - Narconon - Applied Scholastics - World Institute of Scientology Enterprises - Citizens Commission on Human Rights - Psychiatry

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"Gold Base," Gilman Hot Springs, California

Another headquarters for Scientology, and by some accounts the main headquarters of the entire Scientology network, is Gold Base, located near Hemet, California, about 80 miles southeast of Los Angeles. It is also known as INT base.

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The facility is owned by Golden Era Productions and is the home of Scientology's media production studio, Golden Era Studios.

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Gold Base reportedly contains the headquarters of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), which owns the trademarks and copyrights connected with Scientology and Dianetics. The Chairman of the Board of RTC is David Miscaviage, who is often described by sources bothe inside and outside of Scientology as the ultimate head of the Church of Scientology and all scientology-related enterprises, since he has the power to authorize or cancel the use of the works of L. Ron Hubbard.

Related Topics:
Religious Technology Center - Scientology - Dianetics - David Miscaviage

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The existence of Gold Base is not broadly publicised as is the case of the other headquarters mentioned here: the RTC lists a Los Angeles address on their publications and web site. The existence of Gold Base was kept secret, even within Scientology, in the pre-internet era. The facilities at Gold Base are surrounded by razor wire, floodlights, and video observation cameras.

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Flag ship "Freewinds"

Another Scientology center of note is the cruise ship Freewinds, which is the only location one can take courses in the current highest level of Scientology training (OT VIII). It cruises the Caribbean Sea, under the auspices of the Flag Ship Service Organization. The Freewinds is also used for other lower level courses and auditing for those willing to spend the extra money that it takes to get services on a ship in the Caribbean. Celebrities like Tom Cruise are allowed to use the ship for recreational purposes as well.

Related Topics:
Cruise ship - Tom Cruise

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