"to hear the story of Abraham and Isaac, Noah and the flood, or Moses and the Ten Commandments. Or imagine joining the Catholic Church but not being told about the crucifixion and the resurrection until you have reached Operating Theological Level III, which can only be attained after many years and tens of thousands of dollars in church-run courses."" The German government takes the view that Scientology is a commercial enterprise, and Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Philippines, Israel and Mexico remain unconvinced that Scientology is a religion. Other countries have recognised Scientology as a religion. An Australian Government Inquiry into"
"in 1993. The organization is considered a cult in Chile and an ""anticonstitutional sect"" in Germany, and is considered a cult (French ""secte"") by some French public authorities. The church argues that Scientology is a genuine religious movement that has been misrepresented, maligned, and persecuted. The Church of Scientology has pursued an extensive public relations campaign for the recognition of Scientology as a tax-exempt religion in the various countries in which it exists. Scientology has often encountered opposition due to its strong-arm tactics directed against critics and members wishing to leave the organization. A number of governments regard the Church"
"a religious organization; it has been variously judged to be a commercial enterprise or a dangerous cult. Scientology is legally accepted as a religion in the United States and Australia, and enjoys the constitutional protections afforded to religious practice in each country. In October 1993, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service recognized the Church as an ""organization operated exclusively for religious and charitable purposes"". The Church offers the tax exemption as proof that it is a religion. (This subject is examined in the article on the Church of Scientology). In 1982, the High Court of Australia ruled the State Government of"
"called it a ""totalitarian cult"" and a ""commercial enterprise"". In 1995, a parliamentary report in France classified it, along with 172 other religious groups, as a ""dangerous cult."" In Russia, the government had refused to consider the church for registration as a religious organization, which became the subject of proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights in the case of ""Church of Scientology Moscow v. Russia"". The court decided that Russia's refusal to consider the Church of Scientology's application for registration as a religious community ""had been a violation of Article 11 (freedom of assembly and association) of the"
"Department has criticized Western European nations for discrimination against Scientologists in its published annual International Religious Freedom report, based on the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. In some countries Scientology is treated legally as a commercial enterprise, and not as a religion or charitable organization. In early 2003, in Germany, The Church of Scientology was granted a tax-exemption for the 10% license fees sent to the US. This exemption, however, is related to a German-American double-taxation agreement, and is unrelated to tax-exemption in the context of charities law. In several countries, public proselytizing undergoes the same restrictions as commercial"
"a major lawsuit that was rejected by the court as baseless early in 1992. And a third is its religious status in the United States, formalized when the IRS granted the organization tax-exempt status in 1993. It has been in conflict with the governments and police forces of many countries (including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Germany). It has been one of the most litigious religious movements in history, filing countless lawsuits against governments, organizations and individuals. Reports and allegations have been made, by journalists, courts, and governmental bodies of several countries, that the Church of"
"of religion. France and Belgium have not recognized Scientology as a religion, and Stephen A. Kent, writing in 2001, noted that recognition had not been obtained in Ireland, Luxembourg, Israel or Mexico either. The Belgian State Prosecution Service has recommended that various individuals and organizations associated with Scientology should be prosecuted. An administrative court has yet to decide if charges will be pressed. In Greece, Scientology is not recognized as a religion by the Greek government, and multiple applications for religious status have been denied, notably in 2000 and 2003. In the Netherlands, Scientology was granted tax exempt status in"
"the IRS removed Scientology's tax-exempt status, asserting that its activities were commercial and operated for the benefit of Hubbard, rather than for charitable or religious purposes. The decision resulted in a process of litigation that was settled in the Church's favor a quarter of a century later, the longest case of litigation in IRS history. Scientology is officially recognized as a religion in the United States. Recognition came in 1993, when the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stated that ""[Scientology is] operated exclusively for religious and charitable purposes."" Scientology was again recognized as a religion by the U.S. courts when the"
"Scientology in France The Church of Scientology of France is organized as a group of secular nonprofit organizations. France is a secular state, which protects the rights of citizens to practice their religion. Although citizens can form religious associations based on the 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State, which grants certain benefits, the Church of Scientology of France is instead organized into secular associations based on a 1901 law regarding nonprofit groups. A 1995 parliamentary report lists Scientology as a cult, which has since been under the watch of MIVILUDES and its predecessors (""Observatoire"
"single pretended victim who ""acted in bad faith and abused its right to act in justice"". The Scientology religion has been practiced in France since the 1950s, and its churches have tens of thousands of faithful in the hexagon and millions in the world. If France does not recognize or subsidize any religion, it guarantees their free exercise. Around France, the Scientology religion is a recognized religion in the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Holland, Sweden, by the German courts, etc., and the Church's humanitarian programs affect dozens of millions of people in the world every year. On 27 October"
"like those of military chaplains and the local law in Alsace-Moselle). It recognises religious organisations according to formal legal criteria that do not address religious doctrine. Conversely, religious organisations are expected to refrain from intervening in policy-making. Certain groups, such as Scientology, Children of God, the Unification Church, or the Order of the Solar Temple, are considered cults (""""sectes"""" in French), and therefore do not have the same status as recognised religions in France. ""Secte"" is considered a pejorative term in France. The French health care system is one of universal health care largely financed by government national health insurance."
"In Switzerland, some cantons are officially Catholic, others Reformed Protestant. Some Swiss villages even have their religion as well as the village name written on the signs at their entrances. Georgia has no established church, but the Georgian Orthodox Church enjoys ""de facto"" privileged status. Much the same applies in Germany with the Evangelical Church and the Roman Catholic Church, and the Jewish community. In Finland, both the Finnish Orthodox Church and the Lutheran Church are official. England, a part of the United Kingdom, has Anglicanism as its official religion. Scotland, another part of the UK, has Presbyterianism as its"
"that the IRS's examination of Scientology was the most exhaustive review of any non-profit organization in history. Elsewhere, Scientology is recognized as a religion in Australia, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Sweden, Croatia, Hungary and Kyrgyzstan. In New Zealand, the Inland Revenue Department classified the Church of Scientology as a charitable organization and stated that its income would be tax exempt. It has gained judicial recognition in Italy, and Scientology officials have won the right to perform marriages in South Africa. Scientology is not recognized as a religion in Canada. In the UK, the Charity Commission for England and Wales ruled in"
"United States Constitution, which prohibits governmental establishment of religion and protects freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly. However, no religious or cult members are granted any special immunity from criminal charges. France and Belgium have taken policy positions which accept ""brainwashing"" theories uncritically, while other European nations, like Sweden and Italy, are cautious about brainwashing and have adopted more neutral responses to new religions. Scholars have suggested that outrage following the mass murder/suicides perpetuated by the Solar Temple as well as the more latent xenophobic and anti-American attitudes have contributed significantly to"
"a secular state, but the state recognises certain religions as officially mandated religions. This gives the state a hand in religious administration and appointment of clergy, in exchange for which the state pays certain running costs and wages. Currently, religions covered by such arrangements are Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Greek Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Russian Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Calvinism, Mennonitism and Islam. Since 1980 it has been illegal for the government to collect statistics on religious beliefs or practices. An estimation by the CIA Factbook for the year 2000 is that 87% of Luxembourgers are Catholic, including the grand ducal family, the remaining 13%"
"was convicted at the same trial and given a suspended one-year prison sentence. Since 1995, some French authorities have classified the Church of Scientology as a """"secte"""" (cult) as seen in the report of the National Assembly of France. On this basis, a hostile stance is generally taken against the organization. A 1999 government inquiry committee reporting on the financial aspect of cults recommended dissolving the Church of Scientology because of swindling, complicity of swindling, abuse of trust, and other nefarious activities. A government report in 2000 categorized the church as an ""absolute cult"" and recommended that all its activities"
"to followers of cults. The secular opposition to cults and new religious movements operates internationally, though a number of sizable and sometimes expanding groups originated in the United States. Some European countries, such as France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland have introduced legislation or taken other measures against cults or ""cultic deviations"". In the Netherlands ""cults"", sects, and new religious movements have the same legal rights as larger and more mainstream religious movements. As of 2004, the Netherlands do not have an anti-cult movement of any significance. The first organised opposition to new religions in the United States appeared in 1972"
"origin, faith or sexual orientation"". Thus, the Act does not protect religion as such, but the group of people adhering to the religion. The new Act parallels Religious faith with the protection of people on the grounds of ethnicity or sexual orientation and has mostly been used in cases concerning agitation in relation to Jews and homosexuals. In Switzerland, Article 261 of the penal code titled ""Attack on the freedom of faith and the freedom to worship"" (Störung der Glaubens- und Kultusfreiheit) criminalizes: The United Kingdom is made up of four distinct parts and several legal jurisdictions. In criminal justice"
"In some countries, the government is prohibited by law from establishing or supporting religions by separation of church and state, though there may be exceptions to such rules. Religions are thus necessarily supported by private organizations, generally funded by those who attend their services. The French Republic is constitutionally ""laïque"" (roughly, secular). It is prohibited by a 1905 statute to salary, subsidize or recognize any religion; for historical reasons, this statute however does not apply to the Alsace-Moselle area (where four religions are state-subsidized under the local law), to French Guiana (Catholic priests are employed by the local government, although"
"that it does not consider Scientology a religion, but a ""commercial enterprise with a history of taking advantage of vulnerable individuals and an extreme dislike of any criticism"" whose ""totalitarian structure and methods may pose a risk to Germany's democratic society"". Accordingly, the German government has taken a very strong stance against the organization. Germany is not alone in opposing Scientology; in France, the Church of Scientology was convicted of organized fraud in October 2009, after a court found that members had been manipulated into paying large sums for Scientology products, and the Church only narrowly escaped being banned altogether."
"mention them in their annual review about anticonstitutional activities. The German government does not recognize Scientology as a religion; rather, it views it as an abusive business masquerading as a religion and believes that it pursues political goals that conflict with the values enshrined in the German constitution. This stance has been criticized, most notably by the U.S. government, which recognizes Scientology as a religion and has raised concerns about the violation of individual rights posed by sect filters. Scientologists in Germany face specific political and economic restrictions. They are barred from membership in some major political parties, and businesses"
"was reportedly rejected in 1999, and is not registered as a charity as of 2009. In Austria, the organization withdrew its application to register as a ""religious confessional community"". The activities of the Church of Scientology are not prohibited or limited in any way in the European Union and Scientology enjoys the full freedom of any church in these countries. Some governments, however, have labeled the church as a cult. Although the status is not changed or the freedom is not limited, German and Belgian government entities have accused Scientology of violating the human rights of its members and therefore"
"religion. The law at all levels protects this right in full against abuse, either by governmental or private actors. The Government generally respects religious freedom in practice. In 2008, the U.S. government received no reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc was a French trader and adventurer in the Caribbean, who established the first permanent French colony, Saint-Pierre, on the island of Martinique in 1635. Belain sailed to the Caribbean in 1625, hoping to establish a French settlement on the island of St. Christopher (St. Kitts). In 1626 he returned to"
"of the Sonderbund of the Catholic cantons, and at the ""Tagsatzung"" of 1844 in vain demanded the expulsion of the Jesuit order from the territory of the Swiss confederacy. The Protestant victory of the ""Sonderbundskrieg"" of 1847 led to the realization of such a ban in the 1848 Swiss Constitution, expanded even further in the revised constitution of 1874, so that all activity of Jesuits either in clerical or in educational function was outlawed in Switzerland until 1973, when the paragraph was removed from the constitution by a popular vote. Religion in Switzerland Christianity is the predominant religion of Switzerland,"
"which is widely considered cruel, despite being popular amongst especially French-speaking Swiss. The United States is one of the countries that has legislation for protection of shechita (Jewish) and dhabihah (Muslim) ritual slaughter. The Humane Slaughter Act defines ritual slaughter as one of two humane methods of slaughter. Since 1958 the United States has prohibited the shackling and hoisting of cattle without stunning them first. In Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah 508 U.S. 520 (1993), the United States Supreme Court struck down a ban imposed by the City of Hialeah, Florida, on Santería religious animal sacrifices"
"Religion in Switzerland Christianity is the predominant religion of Switzerland, its presence going back to the Roman era. Since the 16th century, Switzerland has been traditionally divided into Roman Catholic and Reformed confessions. However, adherence to Christian churches has declined considerably since the late 20th century, from close to 94% in 1980 to about 67% as of 2016. Furthermore notable is the significant difference in church adherence between Swiss citizens (72%) and foreign nationals (51%) in 2016. Switzerland as a federal state has no state religion, though most of the cantons (except for Geneva and Neuchâtel) recognize official churches (""Landeskirchen""),"
"The only existing umbrella organization within the countercult movement in the USA is the EMNR (Evangelical Ministries to New Religions) founded in 1982 which has the evangelical Lausanne Covenant as governing document and which stresses mission, scholarship, accountability and networking. While the greatest number of countercult ministries are found in the USA, ministries exist in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, Ethiopia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Sweden, and Ukraine. A comparison between the methods employed in the USA and other nations discloses some similarities in emphasis, but also other nuances in emphasis. The similarities are that"
"are associated with France, the best known are the following; The 1905 French law on the separation of Church and State removed the privileged status of the state religion (Catholic Church) and of the three other state-recognised religions (Lutheranism, Calvinism, Judaism), but left to them the use without fee of the churches that they used prior to 1905. A notable exception is Alsace-Lorraine, which was at the time of the separation part of Germany, and where the pre-1905 status, including the Concordat, is still in force. This was negotiated in 1918 when Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France at the end"
"by the Renseignements Généraux which justified its classification as cults in the parliamentary report. In a decision of 1 December 2005 validated by the Council of State, the Administrative Court of Appeal in Paris overturned the refusal of the Minister of Interior to grant the request of the association and ordered the files release. The parliamentary report was strongly criticized by U.S. officials. In 1999, a report on religious freedom around the world conducted by the State Department accused it of not having heard from the groups accused and the lack of opposing debate. The French branch of Tradition, Family"
"""out of date"" in restricting religious worship to ""reverence or veneration of God or of a Supreme Being."" Scientology has been accused of being ""a business, often given to criminal acts, and sometimes masquerading as a religion."" In conjunction with the Church of Scientology's request to be officially recognized as a religion in Germany, around 1996 the German state Baden-Württemberg conducted a thorough investigation of the group's activities within Germany. The results of this investigation indicated that at the time of publication, Scientology's main sources of revenue (""Haupteinnahmequellen der SO"") were from course offerings and sales of their various publications."
"cult or religion), to allow cults to receive money from the state. That modification did not take place. On November 22, 1996, the leader of the Lyon Church of Scientology, Jean-Jacques Mazier, was convicted of fraud and involuntary homicide and sentenced to eighteen months in prison for his role in the death of a member who committed suicide after going deeply into debt to pay for Scientology auditing sessions. Fourteen others were convicted of fraud as well. Kaja Bordevich Ballo, a Norwegian student in Nice, committed suicide hours after hearing the results of a negative Scientology personality test. In April"
"legal in Germany and is allowed to operate there. Its precise legal status however is unresolved. Two points are contested: first, whether or not the teachings of Scientology qualify as a ""religion or worldview"" (""Religion"" or ""Weltanschauung""; these are equal before German law), and secondly, whether or not these teachings are only used as a pretext for purely commercial activity; if the latter were the case, this would most likely imply that Scientology would not qualify for protection as a ""religious or worldview community"" (""Religions- oder Weltanschauungsgemeinschaft"") under Article 4 of the German constitution, which guarantees the freedom of belief,"
"be prohibited. The keeping of files containing personal information on all its members (and other practices), are seen to qualify the Church as a totalitarian cult, moreover ""extremely dangerous"". The report rejected U.S. criticism of the French government's hostility towards Scientology, saying that Washington's protection of cults was ""exorbitant"". In 2005 the municipal government of Paris passed an official resolution so that unlike in Marseille, celebrity Scientologist Tom Cruise would never be made an honorary citizen, specifically because of his affiliation with Scientology. The 2006 riots in France came in the midst of a parliamentary commission in charge of examining"