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ReligionNewsBlog.com • Item 22604 • Posted: Wednesday October 1, 2008  

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Swedish tax money benefits Scientology

Swedish taxpayers have been indirectly supporting the Church of Scientology though local government contracts given to front organizations with ties to the group.

According to a Sveriges Television (SVT) documentary set to air on Wednesday, 156 of Sweden’s 290 local councils have contributed more than 10 million kronor ($1.4 million) to the Scientology movement.

Much of the money has been channeled through contracts with Narconon, a company which offers a controversial treatment method for drug addicts.

According to SVT, Narconon also serves as a front organization for the Church of Scientology and contributes 10 percent of its earnings to the main branch of the movement.
[...]

The SVT report also details other organizations with ties to the Church of Scientology that have received contracts with various municipalities in Sweden.

One such organization is the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), which attempts to discredit all forms of psychiatry and claims that psychiatry is to blame for the Holocaust and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

SVT has interviewed people who have abandoned Scientology who explain that the movement relies on front organizations to raise money and recruit members.

“If they [municipalities] give money to Scientology front-organizations, then the Scientologists will increase their control in Sweden in a very disingenuous way,” said Los Angeles native and 24-year Scientology veteran Michael Pattinson to SVT.

See Also:

• Citizens Commission on Human Rights Scientology’s hate group within a hate group (Apologetics Index)
• Narconon Fantasy, junk science and quackery (Apologetics Index)

In our opinion Scientology is a commercial enterprise masquerading as a religion:

• Scientology — Business or Religion? (Operation Clambake)
• The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power (TIME Magazine)
• Scientology as a business (Wikipedia)
• The cost of Scientology (Operation Clambake)
• The high cost of Scientology (Paulette Cooper, victimized by Scientologists)
• Scientology’s front groups (Apologetics Index)
• Research resources on Scientology (Apologetics Index)
• Discuss Scientology (FACTnet)

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