A Multi National Organization, And Religion - 1684 Words

Although adherents of Scientology and social scientists are adamant that it is a religion, a more appropriate explanation is that this is a multi-national organization, and religion is only one of its several mechanisms. The other components of scientology include political ambitions, business enterprises and projects, cultural production, simulated medical perpetrations and simulated psychiatric practices and an interchangeable family structure for some of its elite members known as the Sea Organization. Elite Sea Organizations members have very little time for family obligations because of the demands of their jobs. The most disturbing aspect about life with the Sea Organization is that members might have to undergo very strict and†¦show more content†¦The organization can be called â€Å"religious in nature† and is regarded as good as any religion by its adherents. This is because Scientology envisages twenty so called principles or commandments that form the base of Scientology are usually found in what is generally regarded as religion. Social scientists insist that although the movement took the title of â€Å"church† especially to be recognized as a religion, which does not say anything about the status of their belief systems. In fact some social scientists contend that Scientology is setting the trend for religion for the 21st century. However, critics maintain that Ron Hubbard declared Scientology to be a religion because it was a good way to make money and also avoid paying taxes. This is made evident in the cases of Church of Scientology of California v Internal Revenue Service. In 2000, the Church of Scientology scored an important victory when it was exempted from UK value added tax on the basis that it is a not-for-profit body. Another fact is that Scientologists deny that Scientology is a religion when they want to enter any country that does not like religious propagation such as Japan and Greece; however, whatever the reason behind Scientology’s religious claims, because they make only selected claims does not reduce the fact that most Scientologists regard their commitment to scientology as a religious commitment (Peckham 1998). Studying Scientology from a