Free Zone (Scientology)
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The Free Zone (or independent Scientologists or Scientology Freezone) comprises a variety of groups and individuals who practice Scientology beliefs and techniques independently of the Church of Scientology (CoS). Such practitioners range from those who closely adhere to the original teachings of Scientology's founder, science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, to those who have so far adapted their practices to be almost unrecognizable as Scientology. The term Free Zone was originally only used by the organization founded by "Captain" Bill Robertson in 1982 (now known as Ron's Org), but the term is now commonly applied to all non-CoS Scientologists, although many dispute the application of the term to themselves.
It is hard to estimate the number of people involved in the Free Zone, one reason being that some don't want to be public about their involvement to avoid possible harassment by the Church of Scientology.[citation needed]
In 2005 Beliefnet.com gave members of the Free Zone their own discussion board, giving them equal status with Church of Scientology members.
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[edit] The Church of Scientology and the Free Zone
The Church labels all practitioners of and believers in Scientology without its sanction "squirrels" — a term Hubbard coined to describe those who alter Scientology "technology" or practice it in a nonstandard fashion. Among Scientologists, the term is pejorative, and comparable in meaning to heretic. In practice, orthodox Scientologists use it to describe all of those who practice Scientology outside the Church, regardless of their degree of adherence to the tech. This usage is at odds with the meaning Hubbard originally attributed to the term. Many "squirrels" are former Church members who left the Church for various reasons — the Church frequently states they were dismissed for "unethical activities", but many observers say that because of the different meaning the word ethics has in Scientology, this merely translates to a general accusation they did something that Church officials viewed as detrimental to the Church.
The Church has taken steps to suppress the Free Zone and shut down dissenters when possible. CoS has used copyright and trademark laws to attack various Free Zone groups. Accordingly, the Free Zone avoids the use of officially trademarked Scientology words, including 'Scientology' itself.
Many Free Zone advocates say that everyone has the right to freely practice the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, whether sanctioned by the Church or not.[citation needed] In support of this they cite Hubbard himself:
- Dianetics is not in any way covered by legislation anywhere, for no law can prevent one man sitting down and telling another man his troubles, and if anyone wants a monopoly on dianetics, be assured that he wants it for reasons which have to do not with dianetics but with profit.
—L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health (1950)
Other Free Zoners assert basic human rights protections in order to freely follow their chosen religion.
Controversy over the origins of the word Scientology has given Free Zone a way to contest Scientology's trademarks. They note a German book, entitled Scientologie, Wissenschaft von der Beschaffenheit und der Tauglichkeit des Wissens (1934), by Dr. Anastasius Nordenholz (as opposed to Hubbard's Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought, 1953), which they use as the basis of their challenge to Scientology's trademark claims. Because Scientologie was not written by Hubbard, they argue, the Church is exerting unfair control over its practice, and attempting to enforce a monopoly. So far, legal efforts to challenge Scientology have failed.[citation needed]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] International Organizations
- FreeZone Earth
- Freezone AO International
- Free Zone Churches Worldwide
- Freezone Ron's Org Committee Worldwide
- Freie Zone e.V
- International Freezone Association
- Tribute to Mary Sue Hubbard
- Tribute to L Ron Hubbard
- Ron's Org in the USA
- Scientologists Freezone
[edit] Regional Organizations
- Australian & New Zealand Freezone Association
- Freezone Scientology in Austria
- Freezone Germany
- Freie Scientologen in Deutschland, Schweiz, Österreich und Holland
- Czech Freezone
- New Zealand Freezone Association
- Russian Freezone - Ron's orgs network in CIS countries
- Freezone Switzerland
[edit] Other links
- The Complete Aberree The Aberree - a 1950s publication on Dianetics, Scientology, and related topics
- Freezone pages on Beliefnet
- Reno Freezone Center
- alt.clearing.technology monograph archives, Homer Wilson Smith
