End Times and Current Events

General Category => Scientology => Topic started by: Mark on November 24, 2015, 04:19:05 am



Title: Russia bans Church of Scientology for 'not being a religion'
Post by: Mark on November 24, 2015, 04:19:05 am
Russia bans Church of Scientology for 'not being a religion'

CONTROVERSIAL religion the Church of Scientology was today facing a major blow after a branch was banned following a surprise court ruling.

Moscow City Court banned the local branch of the group amid claims from the Russian Justice Ministry that it failed to comply with federal laws on freedom of religion.

That came after the group tried to register Scientology as a trademark owned by the US Religious Technology Center.

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "The representatives of the Church of Scientology have created many legal conflicts by themselves by restricting the religious freedom through the use of trade marks."

The ruling does not affect the practice of Scientology anywhere else in the world.

It is considered a religion in a number of countries and has eight million members across the globe.

Moscow's Church of Scientology branch was registered 21 years ago in 1994.

Only four years ago, in 2011, it opened plush headquarters in the city a mile away from Red Square.

The court said the church has to set up a commission to liquidate the organisation within six months.

Scientology lawyers are considering their position.

They argue the church had "violated no bans", and no real reasons to justify the liquidation had been made out.

The church also argues the decision "violates the rights of tens of thousands of believers."

Scientology was founded by American science fiction author L Ron Hubbard in the 1950s.

Followers include Hollywood A listers Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Juliette Lewis.

The church uses an e-meter device, an instrument used to measure a number of things, including the amount of "body thetans" in an individual.

According to the church these are the souls of aliens brought to planet Earth 75 million years ago.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/621539/Scientology-shock-Court-bans-the-Church-of-Scientology-for-not-being-a-religion