„Scientology is a religion in the oldest sense of the word, a study of wisdom. Scientology is a study of man as a spirit, in his relationship to life and the physical universe.
It is non-denominational. By that is meant that Scientology is open to people of all religions and beliefs and in no way tries to persuade a person from his religion, but assists him to better understand that he is a spiritual being…“
The following definitions are from Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary (2nd EditionThe World Publishing Company, Cleveland and New York-1959).
Derivation: from Latin religio (-onis) (religion), (piety), (conscientiousness), (scrupulousness), from religare (to bind back), re-, and ligare, (to bind), (to bind together).
(a) Any specific system of belief, worship, conduct, etc., often involving a code of ethics and a philosophy; as the Christian (religion), the Buddhist (religion), etc. (b) loosely, any system of beliefs, practices, ethical values, etc. resembling, suggestive of, or likened to such a system, as, humanism is his (religion).
Derivation: from Latin religiosus (religious). Of, concerned with, appropriate to, teaching, or relating to religion; as, a (religious) place; (religious) subjects.
Also
Careful; scrupulous; conscientiously exact; such as religion requires; as, a (religious) observance of vows or promises.
Derivation: from Latin philosophia; Greek philosophia, from Greek philosophos, from philos (loving), and Sophos (wise). Originally, love of wisdom and knowledge.
A study of the process governing thought and conduct; theory or investigation of the principles or laws that regulate the physical universe and underlie all knowledge and reality; included in the study are aesthetics, ethics, logic, metaphysics, etc.
The general principles or laws of a field of knowledge, activity, etc; as the (philosophy) of economics.
A study of human morals, character and behaviour. The mental balance believed to result from this; calmness; composure.
Scientology is a religion by the very nature of its philosophy and system of Ethics, Technology, and Administration, all of which is designed and set up for life to free itself from entrapment, and restore total freedom to the spirit.
„But one of the oldest things that was ever given into the training of wise men that I know of was simply this — the basic faith in which the individual has been trained and the basic political allegiance of the individual must not be tampered with by the Order training him. And it was the Order itself which laid that down. That’s an old, old one. They were training very wise men and that was the first thing that they made sure not to do. They did not tamper with these things. If the individual cared to alter these things himself nobody was even vaguely persuading him. It might be in the course of his study that he found certain things that men did laughable, or confusing, or he found certain things that men did remediable-but nobody was standing there trying to lead him into a higher religious or political conviction. And that is the case with Scientology.“
(The celebrated lecture series given by L. Ron Hubbard to the Professional Course, Phoenix, Arizona, in July 1954.)
L. Ron Hubbard’s treatise on Scientology as a religious philosophy and a religious practice is given in Hubbard Communications Bulletin (H.C.O.B) of 21 June, 1960 „Religious Philosophy and Religious Practice“ (as revised 18 April, 1967).
It is highly important that all promotional literature and Church literature reflect the fact that Scientology is a religion.
For instance one promotional piece of recent time stated „Scientology is a philosophy and a science.“ There was no mention that Scientology was a religion.
If any statements are made in any literature which reflect that Scientology is other than a religious philosophy, an appropriate condition must be assigned to the party so making same.