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a hugely profitable, global racket that survives by intimidating members and critics in a Mafia-like manner.... "Scientology is quite likely the most ruthless, the most classically terroristic, the most litigious, and the most lucrative cult the country has ever seen."<ref name=Behar>Behar, Richard (May 6, 1991). [http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Fishman/time-behar.html "The thriving cult of greed and power"]. ''Time'', pp. 32-33.  Republished at Carnegie-Mellon University website/School of Computer Science/Dave Touretzky's page/Church of Scientology International v. Fishman and Geertz.  Copyrighted material; for fair educational use only.</ref></blockquote>

a hugely profitable, global racket that survives by intimidating members and critics in a Mafia-like manner.... "Scientology is quite likely the most ruthless, the most classically terroristic, the most litigious, and the most lucrative cult the country has ever seen."<ref name=Behar>Behar, Richard (May 6, 1991). [http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Fishman/time-behar.html "The thriving cult of greed and power"]. ''Time'', pp. 32-33.  Republished at Carnegie-Mellon University website/School of Computer Science/Dave Touretzky's page/Church of Scientology International v. Fishman and Geertz.  Copyrighted material; for fair educational use only.</ref></blockquote>

Scientology unsuccessfully sued ''Time'' magazine over the revelatory story.<ref>Branch, Rick (1997). [http://www.watchman.org/articles/scientology/scientology_a-history-of-terror-and-abuse "Scientology: A history of terror and abuse"]. ''The Watchman Expositor'', vol. 14, no. 5.  Republished at Watchman Fellowship website.</ref>   

Scientology unsuccessfully sued ''Time'' magazine over the revelatory story.<ref>Branch, Rick (1997). [http://www.watchman.org/articles/scientology/scientology_a-history-of-terror-and-abuse "Scientology: A history of terror and abuse"]. ''The Watchman Expositor'', v. 14, no. 5.  Republished at Watchman Fellowship website.</ref>   

Numerous other [[author]]s and publications have been additional targets of Scientology retaliation.<ref>[http://www.lermanet.com/scientologynews/index.html "The News Archives"]. Lermanet.com: Exposing the Con website/The News Archives.</ref> In 1995, ''The American Jurist'' magazine published "Dangerous science: The Church of Scientology's holy war against critics", which notes, <blockquote>

Numerous other [[author]]s and publications have been additional targets of Scientology retaliation.<ref>[http://www.lermanet.com/scientologynews/index.html "The News Archives"]. Lermanet.com: Exposing the Con website/The News Archives.</ref> In 1995, ''The American Jurist'' magazine published "Dangerous science: The Church of Scientology's holy war against critics", which notes, <blockquote>

An addition source of controversy has been the death of 36-year-old Lisa McPherson at Scientology's Clearwater headquarters, which she was undergoing "care".<ref>Branch, Craig (1996). [http://www.watchman.org/sci/mcpherson.htm "A History of Terror and Abuse"].  Watchman Fellowship website/Articles/Scientology.</ref>

An addition source of controversy has been the death of 36-year-old Lisa McPherson at Scientology's Clearwater headquarters, which she was undergoing "care".<ref>Branch, Craig (1996). [http://www.watchman.org/sci/mcpherson.htm "A History of Terror and Abuse"].  Watchman Fellowship website/Articles/Scientology.</ref>

Doctrinally Scientology is non-Christian (Hubbard even denied there was a Christ<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20041021195224/http://www.lermanet2.com/cos/nochrist.html "(No title)"] (Oct. 2004 or bef.). Lermanet.org website.  Retrieved from October 21, 2004 archive at Internet Archive.</ref>), and is seen to be manifesting a form of [[New Age]] belief.<ref>http://www.watchman.org/sci/hubrel03.htm</ref> Famous psychologist Rollo May concluded that it is "an oversimplified form of regular psychotherapy mixed with hypnosis."<ref>Miller, Russell (1988). ''Bare-Faced Messiah'' (New York, NY: Henry Holt), ch. 9.</ref>  

Doctrinally Scientology is non-Christian (Hubbard even denied there was a Christ<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20041021195224/http://www.lermanet2.com/cos/nochrist.html "(No title)"] (Oct. 2004 or bef.). Lermanet.org website.  Retrieved from October 21, 2004 archive at Internet Archive.</ref>), and is seen to be manifesting a form of [[New Age]] belief.<ref>Branch, Craig. [http://www.watchman.org/sci/hubrel03.htm "Hubbard's Religion"].  Watchman Fellowship website.</ref> Famous psychologist Rollo May concluded that it is "an oversimplified form of regular psychotherapy mixed with hypnosis."<ref>Miller, Russell (1988). ''Bare-Faced Messiah'' (New York, NY: Henry Holt), ch. 9.</ref>  

It is also pointed out that Satanist [[Aleister Crowley]] was Hubbard's mentor, and that Hubbard lived with Crowley protégé John Parsons, reportedly engaging in sex magic at their black magic mansion hospice.<ref>Multiple references:

It is also pointed out that Satanist [[Aleister Crowley]] was Hubbard's mentor, and that Hubbard lived with Crowley protégé John Parsons, reportedly engaging in sex magic at their black magic mansion hospice.<ref>Multiple references:

*Van Gorden, Kurt (2014).  [http://www.watchman.org/profile/sientpro.htm "Profile: Church of Scientology"].  republished at Watchman Fellowship website.</ref>

*Van Gorden, Kurt (2014).  [http://www.watchman.org/profile/sientpro.htm "Profile: Church of Scientology"].  republished at Watchman Fellowship website.</ref>

Liberal religious cult apologist<ref>http://www.rickross.com/apologist.html</ref> J. Gordon Melton dismisses the charge that Scientology is a cult, as he does in regard to certain other dangerous groups.<ref>Multiple references:

Liberal religious cult apologist<ref>Ross, Rick A. (April 1998 or bef.). [https://web.archive.org/web/19980429001130/http://rickross.com/apologist.html "Cult apologists?"] Rick Ross website/General Information/Cult Apologists.  Retrieved from April 29, 1998 archive at Internet Archive.</ref> J. Gordon Melton dismisses the charge that Scientology is a cult, as he does in regard to certain other dangerous groups.<ref>Multiple references:

*http://www.apologeticsindex.org/m06.html

*[http://www.apologeticsindex.org/m06.html "J. Gordon Melton: Religious scholar"].  Apologetics Index website/J. Gordon Melton.

*http://www.apologeticsindex.org/c31.html</ref>  

*Kent, Stephen A. and Krebs, Theresa (1998).  [http://www.apologeticsindex.org/c31.html "Academics and doctrinal 'secrets'"].  ''Skeptic Magazine'', v. 6, no. 3.  Republished at Apologetics Index website/When scholars know sin: Alternative religions and their academic supporters.</ref>

On October 27, 2009, "A [[Paris]] court convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud and fined it more than euro 600,000 ($900,000) on Tuesday, but stopped short of banning the group's activities.

On October 27, 2009, "A [[Paris]] court convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud and fined it more than euro 600,000 ($900,000) on Tuesday, but stopped short of banning the group's activities.

== References ==

== References ==

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