Church with a trademark

Who are Scientologists and why their organization was banned in Moscow

On June 29, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation recognized the decision of the Moscow City Court on the elimination of the Saintological Church of Moscow. Within six months, the organization should be removed from the Unified Register of Legal Entities and will not be able to officially work in Russia. The Ministry of Justice filed a lawsuit with the lawsuit - representatives of the department insisted that the word “scentology” was registered as a trademark, and this violates the law on freedom of religion: religion could be distributed by a religious organization, not a commercial partnership. Scientologists have officially been working in Russia since 1994. Over 22 years, representatives of the Church have gone through dozens of processes, prohibitions and searches, but still managed to avoid deprivation of the right to religious activities. At the request of Medusa, journalist Yevgeny Buntman tells who the Scientologists are and what they are pursuing for.

Measurement of feelings

“Take these handles in your hands and think about something that worries you, about something bad,” an employee of the Church of Scientology sets up an electric psychometer. This is a streamlined device, on the screen - divisions and arrow. The arrow of the device first rushes on the scale, then freezes exactly in the middle. “Now think about the same thing again,” she asks. I am just as diligently thinking about the best that it only comes to mind. “You see, you thought about the bad, the device fixes it,” the employee triumphs. It is not possible to understand some pattern in the movement of the arrows.

E-meter, it is also an electropsychometer, began to be used by the founder of Scientology Ron Hubbard in 1950. The followers of his teachings believe that the device helps the priest (auditor) to determine with which area of ​​the experiences of the subject (preclear) you need to work.

Until the 1960s, scentologists said that the device could treat certain diseases, but in 1963 the US quality control and medicines control controls of the USA of fraud; Hundreds of electropsychometers were seized during the search. Then the followers of Hubbard changed the description of the device: “The e-meter does nothing. This is an electronic device that measures the mental state and a change in human condition, and also helps that the auditing is more accurate and faster. The E-meter is not intended and not effective for the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of any type of disease. ” Scientists claim that this is an ordinary galvanometer.

In the Moscow Scientological Church, such a device can be bought for 420 thousand rubles. The price for it is set the same around the world, the rights to its name and design belong exclusively by the Scientological Church. Measurements of the device are one of the key rites in Scientology. “For example, it is used in auditing, that is, confession,” Medusa explains the official representative of the church Nina de Castro. “And this is much more effective than the confession of the Christian priest, where you can decide: well, I will tell you about this, but no about another.”

As a religious teaching, Scientology arose in 1952. The American science fiction writer Lafayette Ron Hubbard developed a practice called Dianetics. Scientologists believe that the main cause of all diseases is negative moments from the past of each person. The more a person experiences these moments (of course, under the guidance of an experienced practice), the more likely, getting rid of them. Following Dianetics, Hubbard also founded religion - Scientology.

In the center of the ideology of Scientologists is a person, his body, health and memories. The key concept is auditing. Scientology defines this procedure as "a technology that improves the work of the mind and restores the potential of a spiritual being." Two people participate in communication - the auditor (priest) and a preclear (a man who has not yet become a clergy (Clear, clean)). In fact, this confession, which allows, as is considered in scentology, to rise to a higher level of perception.

The second key term is Tatan, a “spiritual being”. The level above the concept of "clergy" is called from, operating Tatan. In the hierarchy, approved by the Scientological Church, the main goal is the “bridge to complete freedom”, and the priests move along the level of levels from. The top of the hierarchy is the Frivindz ship, which run in the Caribbean. Selected members of the church gather on it, and only there are the highest steps from.

It's not to harmony here

Nina de Castro stands at a huge table of degrees of initiation and steps of the inner hierarchy. “You yourself look at how to provide a new step from such an environment. Employees of special services come to us, conduct searches, knock out doors. There is no harmony, ”she complains.

Difficulties with the law among Scientologists arose almost immediately after the founding of the church. They were accused of fraud, of preaching pseudoscience, of financial violations, in the persecution of apostates and critics of the teachings of Hubbard. The trials took place in the USA, in Germany, France, in Belgium.

In Russia, the difficulties of Scientologists arose two years after registration, in 1996. The State Duma adopted a resolution "On the dangerous consequences of the influence of some religious organizations on the health of society, families, Russian citizens." In the explanatory note, the followers of Ron Hubbard also got : “The work of some so -called religious organizations is likened to the activities of special services. The American “Scientological Church” was especially successful in this. Its penetration was recorded at the regime enterprises of the city of Obninsk, at the enterprises of the military-industrial complex in various regions of Russia ... Already in thirty cities of Russia there are centers of the so-called dianetics-the recruiting structures of the "Scientological Church". "

“Russian Scientologists could not re -register in the Ministry of Justice as a religious organization, and are still not officially such,” the head of the State Duma Committee on Public Associations and Religious Organizations, Yaroslav Nilov, recalls in an interview with Medusa. - Signs of religious activity in the Scientological Church were not found by the Ministry of Justice. There is an opinion that this organization was originally created as commercial, with signs of using network marketing technologies, ”he says.

Konstantin Mikhailov, a religious scholar, an employee of the Center for the Study of Religions of the Russian State University, believes that such a statement of the issue is incorrect: “Any large church leads a commercial one. Activities, just the same, do scentologists. This is a fee for a “bridge to freedom”, and the sale of some kind of religious literature. Scientologists have unusual things for our soil, for example, registration of trademarks. This is partly a consequence of the fact that the Hubbard was saved in copyright, after all, he is a science fiction writer. This is a full religion. I heard from them stories about miraculous healings, there is a cult of the highest power, the supreme deity. Finally, there is an obvious cult of the founding of the founding, Ron Hubbard. ”

The Scientological Church on Taganskaya Street looks like a large office. The dining room, where men and women in white shirts have lunch. Clean cabinets, spacious halls and corridors. And, of course, the office of the boss. The entrance is fenced with a chain - how the exhibits are enclosed in the museum. Inside is a large chair, books on the shelves and a sign with the name of L. Ron Hubbard. According to Nina de Castro, there is such an office in every big church. On the walls - the sayings of Hubbard, everywhere his books and portraits. In the introductory hall on the ground floor there is a list of commandments. There is also a “do not kill”, and “do not steal”, only 21 points. “Our Code of the Builder of Communism,” the representative of the church laughs.

A chapel is located below. On the floor of the mosaic with the symbols of the church, chairs stand in rows. At the stage - the department of the priest, next to the bust of Hubbard. The entire catechism is in the form of posters on the walls, which again creates the feeling of the office. Credo, the Code of conduct of the priest (auditor), commandments, quotes from the books of the founder. But then there is a place and obviously religious symbols. Scientology uses the cross, but does not put any Christian meaning into it. The cross at the intersection is crossed out. Eight ends of the symbol mean eight practices of scentology, the highest of which is the infinity of the supreme creature.

The researcher of small religious movements, Alexander Dvorkin, who introduced the term “destructive sects” (annoying the majority of religious scholars) assures that this is the Satanic symbol borrowed from Alister Crowley. Along with this, Dvorkin sees in the symbolism of Scientologists and references to the CIA emblem .

Another key symbol in Scientology is the Latin letter S, intertwined with two triangles. The letter, of course, means scentology. The first triangle is affinity - reality and communication. The second is knowledge, responsibility and control. Affini is love and friendly location. There are a lot of Englishism in Scientology - auditing, affinity, clergy. This is not very confusing the ministers of the church, such a terminology is a distinctive feature of this religion.

“They adapt some things,” says Konstantin Mikhailov. “They are sent by brochures, which sometimes turn out to be too clumsy, and they have to abandon them, here people are not used to this.”

Pursued movement

In 2007, the court in St. Petersburg closed the city public organization "Cyentological Center". The inspection of the Ministry of Justice showed that Scientologists without a license conducted educational activities and illegal collection of information about private life.

In 2008, again in St. Petersburg, in the building of the Church of Scientology, a search was held. The former parishioner complained to the prosecutor’s office, fearing that the data of his auditing, confession, could be used. In the church he was assured that this would not happen, but during the search, the prosecutors seized two boxes with records.

In April 2010, the Surgut City Court of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug of Ugra recognized the books and video election of Scientologists extremist. In total, 29 works and manuals on scentology and dianetics were in the federal list of extremist materials.

In the spring of 2011, the court changed its decision, and the materials were excluded from the list. Nevertheless, some works are still prohibited-already by the decision of the Schelkovo City Court of the Moscow Region of June 30, 2011. Among them is one of the key brochures called “what is Scientology”.

The legality of the storage of personal data is one of the main issues that the state asks Scientologists. In the summer and autumn of 2015, searches were held in the Saintological Church of Moscow and other centers for studying the works of Hubbard. Law enforcement officers have discovered “illegally installed items of the audio-video control system consisting of acoustic microphones and video cameras belonging to the category of special technical means intended for the unspoken receipt of information”.

Religious who Konstantin Mikhailov admits that this practice is doubtful from the point of view of the law and can become a means of all kinds of manipulations. However, he believes that it is no secret to any of the adherents, that their conversations with the auditors are recorded.

Scientologists believe that their main enemies are behind the attacks: psychiatrists and special services. “They attack Scientology because they envy that we have many people,” explains Nina de Castro. - From special services why claims? They use drug -disease hypnosis and zombie people to fulfill certain orders. And Scientology and Dianetics can take out all these things. In order not to have problems later, today we do not take people working in special services, people who already have the implants in their own way. Attacks are going on because of this. ”

Despite the nasty reputation, which had developed among Scientologists almost from the first year of their stay in Russia, they have almost no open conflicts with representatives of other religions. The head of the relevant State Duma Committee, Yaroslav Nilov, speaks calmly and emphasizes that the deputies have a normal dialogue with them. There is no special opposition from Orthodox activists. In 1999, pickets on Boris Galushkin Street, where the headquarters of Scientologists used to be, were spontaneous, not massive and short-lived. On the contrary, representatives of the Church say, curious citizens saw a poster with the inscription “Sect there” and an arrow pointing to the center of Dianetics, and went there. At the entrance to the Moscow Church of Scientology, security is sitting, in case of danger, it acts, as any private security company is supposed - calls the police or does not let the dissatisfied.

“In fact, Scientologists are a tiny community. And in the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church there are probably people who understand that they, in general, do not threaten anyone. Around the world, the number of Scientologists, really active members of the church, is measured in tens of thousands, no more. Like any religious community, they are very overstated by statistics, ”explains Konstantin Mikhailov. Assessments of the number of Scientologists vary very much. Representatives of the church say that active parishioners from 40 to 50 thousand people only in Russia. In the relevant committee, the State Duma is called the figure "in a couple of thousand people."

Payment by psychometer

Among the numerous claims to Scientologists, a special place is occupied by the issue of their financial activity.

“The Church of Scientology lives on donations,” Nina de Castro insists. Their amount increases with each step, but its exact size determines the Church itself in each case. It depends on what the auditor will say, having checked with the readings of the electropsychometer. The amounts are quite large, but the official representatives of the church are difficult to call them on the move. As a rule, this is the main complaint of the state to scentologists. Significant money pass through the church, and it is not clear whether they are all reflected in the tax return. In the Moscow Church, they did not even call an approximate amount; This remains a mystery in other countries. The rates for the "bridge to complete freedom" are sometimes published contrary to the desire of the church. The total cost of promotion to the highest steps of the Scientological Hierarchy ranges from 33 thousand to 380 thousand dollars, depending on the desired level.

“The issue of donations largely depends on specific communities and priests,” says Konstantin Mikhailov. - In general, this is not so different from any other religion. But there really are abuses. However, it depends on the people who come to the Scientologists. As for paid services, they exist in any religion. In the Orthodox Church for Baptism, I buy a cross. You cannot consider fraud if the paid religious service is not fulfilled. And then the belt of the Virgin can be called fraud. "

In the history of the Scientological Church, there are many cases when the inability to pay for the next step led people to bankruptcy or suicide. One of these episodes was the reason for the investigation in the Time magazine in 1991: the former parishioner of the Church jumped out of the window, squeezing the last money in his hand, who had not yet switched to Scientologists.

Scientologists themselves do not hide that most services are paid. “A person puts it in himself, this is his choice,” says Nina de Castro. - Donations are mandatory, only familiarization testing is free. Then, when he begins to study, he supports himself and the church. We have certain fixed donations, for example, he sacrifices for the auditing. It is not cheap, because teaching a priest this is a lot of work. Hubbard said that the year of auditing has been going on for five years of study at the university. ”

* * *

The Russian Orthodox Church reacted with approval on the liquidation of the Moscow Scientological Church. The deputy head of the Synodal Department for the relationship between the Church with society and the media, Vakhtang Kipshidze called the decision "an important precedent demonstrating the determination of the state not to recognize religious organizations that use the religious sense of people for malicious purposes." According to the official representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, "in court it was possible to prove that the activity of this organization itself is an abuse of human freedom as such."

On June 21, 2016, another search was held in the building of the Moscow Church. On the ground floor, where a person from the street falls first, large screens hang, on which films about diainet, scentology and habbard show neophytes. Most of the TVs are broken, FSB officers seized electronics, devices, records. “They tried to hack an ATM, carried away the coffee machine,” they complain in the church. On June 29, the Supreme Court confirmed the decision of the Moscow City Court on the liquidation of the Saintological Church of Moscow. Representatives of the church said this infringes on the interests of 10 thousand believers in Russia.

Scientologists are not going to turn off activities. “This happens in every country,” says de Castro. - How many years in America did not want to recognize us with religion, then they recognized. Потом в Европе шли суды, в Бельгии 18 лет гонялись за саентологами, но затем судья разобрался и сказал, что это надуманные претензии. Рано или поздно признают и в России».

Евгений Бунтман

Moscow