Should scientology be tax exempt?
At the outset — I am not a lawyer. I am certain those more knowledgeable than I can find fault with some imprecise terminology or descriptions I use. But I doubt they would disagree with the general picture I am trying to paint.
Of course, the answer about scientology’s tax exempt status for many people (myself included) is “No, they should NOT be entitled to special exemption from taxation.”
But why? And what is different about scientology than other exempt organizations?
There is a long tradition of protecting religious freedom in the United States. It is a foundation of the country and an extremely valuable and important pillar on which this country was founded and continues to rest today. The First Amendment to the Constitution reads:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
This has been interpreted in a numerous court decisions, including from the US Supreme Court, to mean that no government agency and no court can make determinations about the nature of religious belief and practice — so long as it does not violate the laws of the land.
So, how do you become a tax exempt religion? That is up to the IRS. There is provision in the Internal Revenue Code to forgo taxing certain categories of organizations, including religious ones. Thus the IRS must make a determination whether an organization fits within that law. De facto they are forced to make a determination of “religious status.” In fact, this is not precisely correct, what they are doing is making a determination about whether an organization fulfills the requirements of Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code as applicable to religious organizations. (Of course, scientology proclaims very loudly that this determination by the IRS means they are recognized as a religion).
The underlying principle of tax exemption is that certain organizations benefit the public at large. Educational institutions, relief agencies and churches fit in that category. The general idea is that because they benefit society, they should not be taxed as this simply reduces the amount of money they have available to spend on benefiting the public, and in any case, taxes are supposed to be collected and spent on things that benefit the public, whether it is infrastructure or providing a safe country to live in through the military.
But tax exempt organizations are NOT supposed to be acting in a fashion that is against the law or in violation of”public policy” (the principle that injury to the public good or public order constitutes a basis for setting aside, or denying effect to, acts or transactions).
And this is where it becomes very complicated and somewhat murky.
Scientology engages in abuses and human rights violations. Some of these are clearly illegal — child labor law violations for example. Some seem to be violations of public policy (hiring private investigators to harass people “legally,” going through garbage, putting up smear sites, sending out “Squirrel Busters” etc) and others are simply inhumane and nasty, but not illegal — like disconnection.
When confronted with evidence of their abusive activities the default response of scientology is to deny them and begin smear campaigns on the sources. But when push comes to shove and they have to respond in court (as in the Monique Rathbun case in Texas) they claim their activities are “protected from scrutiny by courts by the First Amendment.”
Scientology then trots out their religious comparisons: the Amish and Jehovah’s witnesses have similar disconnection policies. The treatment of Sea Org members with little sleep, sometimes sordid living conditions, the RPF, rice and beans, restrictions on communication with the outside world etc etc are no different than monks and nuns who live under a vow of poverty, eat simple food, pray 5 times a day, maintain a general code of silence and cut themselves off the outside world. In this, scientology is probably correct. They cannot be singled out on this basis.
Eventually they fall back on the argument that the claims against scientology are not more egregious than the scandals in the catholic church with pedophile priests, and “nobody is saying the catholic church should not have tax exempt status” (there are plenty of people who DO in fact say this, that NO churches should enjoy tax exempt status at all).
So, what IS the difference with scientology and why should it lose its tax exempt status?
First, there is evidence that the income of scientology is inappropriately used for the benefit of individuals. This is called inurement. Money going to L. Ron Hubbard in earlier years was a basis for the IRS denying tax exempt status to scientology organizations. Today, it would appear David Miscavige and Tom Cruise are guilty of inurement. Miscavige pays lawyers to ensure he stays within the law, but they are not informed of everything. There are CEO’s of nonprofits, like National Geographic, who earn high six figure salaries and fly around in private jets and this is not considered to violate IRS regulations. But one massive difference in scientology is the gulf between Miscavige and everyone else. Nobody else even comes close to his income and benefits. And Tom Cruise has received significant tax free benefits in the form of free Sea Org slave labor that I suspect was not accounted for as income on his taxes. Probably not enough in and of itself to lose tax exemption.
Secondly, and FAR more importantly, scientology is run like a business. There are price lists. No pay = no service. Scientology convinced the IRS that if you are indigent there is an entire section of the organization designated to help you if you ask for it (the Chaplain’s Dept). This of course is a lie. And of course they forgot to mention HCOPL Free Service, Free Fall and numerous other references that forbid any form of free service in scientology. They combined their pitch about free service to those who cannot pay (and calling them “requested donations”) with the “exchange” card. The IRS were told it is a fundamental religious belief that getting something without exchange is spiritually harmful, so for the good of scientologists and as a part of their “firmly held religious beliefs” they MUST pay. They even went so far as to explain refunds and repayments with this logic. The IRS felt services for money was bad, but were even more disbelieving when they discovered the church professed a “money back guarantee.” That was handled by telling the IRS that it would be spiritually harmful to the church to take people’s money and give them nothing in return. It was a clever ploy as it claims that the payments are not merely to make money, but are part of the “sacrament” of scientology. Sort of like the religions that believe in smoking dope. The IRS (and the courts) cannot second guess this and claim it is a sham without running afoul of the First Amendment.
However, they do not need to. Because scientology itself has proven this is a sham. After IRS oversight ended, they also stopped giving money back, even for undelivered services. Proof that the claim that this was a “firmly held religious belief” was a lie.
There is a third enormous problem.
Scientology does NOT provide a public benefit. The “humanitarian” and “social betterment” programs of the church of scientology are miniscule and are primarily done for the purpose of creating videos to convince people to give more money.
And if one were to exclude the activities of Narconon, Applied Scholastics, WTH Fdn, Criminon and CCHR (because scientology repeatedly states they are NOT church entities when anyone sues them, and proclaim their complete separation) the “church of scientology” brings virtually nothing to the table as far as public benefit goes. According to scientology those entities can continue without the church of scientology, in fact they would be more profitable if they didn’t have to “flow money up the management lines.” So, maintain their status and just eradicate the church’s exempt status. It would NOT decrease whatever public benefit there may be of these activities.
So, what does scientology provide as far as public benefit goes?
Volunteer Ministers and some drug education lectures. Scientology does not run homeless shelters or give food to the hungry. It doesn’t run education programs in third world countries. It does nothing that is traditionally considered the role of religion. Even counseling is only offered for a FEE. In fact, the volunteer minister and drug education activities (as insignificant as they are) are not even FUNDED by the church. They are funded by individual scientologists.
The only thing Scientology does with its money is buy buildings. This is partly to try and comply with IRS regulations that prohibit the accumulation of cash by exempt organizations (remember they are supposed to be for the public benefit, not a private bank). Scientology doesn’t want to “throw money down the toilet” by helping the underprivileged in society — they are considered to be “downstats” and you never “validate a downstat.” Traditionally a church buying or building new facilities is considered to be an “exempt purpose” as by expanding the facilities they will be able to help more people in the community, provide shelters in time of natural disaster. You think the Super Power building will open its doors to the general public as a shelter if a hurricane is heading towards Clearwater? Not a chance, but the pink christian church across the street will. Scientology is gaming the system — buying massive amounts of real estate when there is NO NEED for it to provide services to their community. These buildings are REAL ESTATE and PR investments pure and simple. This is easy to prove — walk into ANY of the “ideal orgs” and they are dead. Bereft of people. Clearly not being used. Nobody can contemplate that a tax exempt religious organization would just buy property it didn’t need. Nor that it would accumulate billions of dollars.
Finally, the fourth compelling reason to withdraw scientology’s tax exempt status is the violation of public policy.
And for this, let’s return to the pedophile priests defense: “you’re not withdrawing the catholics exemption because they have pedophile priests.”
IF there were a few bad actors in scientology compared to the overall picture it would be one thing. While one pedophile priest is one too many, and dozens or hundreds of them is obscene, the scope of the catholic church is enormous and their homeless shelters and food banks and counseling services etc etc span the world. To take away their exempt status would harm a lot of people — as above, that is NOT the case with scientology.
But what if the catholic church had a POLICY that they would investigate and harass anyone who sought to expose the pedophile priests? Spending enormous amounts of TAX FREE (ie publicly subsidized) money on lawyers, private investigators, websites, publications, videos and any other means they could to smear the victims?
What if the catholic church as an institutional policy sought to claim that their abusive actions were “protected under the First Amendment”?
What if the catholic church had an institutional policy to investigate, threaten and harass any media that sought to report on the allegations about pedophile priests?
What if they paid lobbyists to get laws passed that would ensure they were allowed to protect their pedophile priests and that they should be exempt from law enforcement or civil court action because they were ONLY to be dealt with by internal procedures in the church?
What if ALL of those things were true (and some will no doubt claim they are) AND the catholic church did NOTHING to benefit their communities at large?
In that case, I would feel just as strongly that the catholic church is NOT entitled to tax exempt status.
I am no expert on the catholic church. I am an expert on scientology.
All of those things and more ARE true about scientology.
Thus, it should NOT continue to enjoy tax exempt status under the IRS Code.
Anyone can believe anything they want. It is actions that matter. Scientologists have a right to practice their religion as they see fit, no different from Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists or Rastafarians. But their institution should not be subsidized by the general public when its toxic policies and practices are harming far more people than they are helping.
The only way scientology’s tax exempt status will change is with pressure brought to bear on the IRS. And the most effective pressure is from US Congressional Representatives. Media coverage of the issue helps raise awareness of elected officials and the IRS. But a Congressman or Senator demanding that the IRS answer up on why they are doing nothing about this is what is most effective. Especially if it comes from someone who sits on a key committee. The IRS has to get their budget authorized by Congress too. And while scientology is statistically insignificant numerically, it is NOT statistically insignificant financially. There are are a few billion dollars sitting there.
So, if there is something you want to do, write to your Congressman. Demand he or she take action.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/revoke-scientologys-tax-exempt-status
This is the only way to stop them. Revoke Tax Exempt Status and stop the abuse!
I wrote my Congressman and Senators today, great idea Mike. The IRS site has a form any person can fill out to report Tax Exempt organizations for violations. There is an exact list of what violations they are interested in knowing. CoS has done every violation listed. To make a report is pretty straight forward.
1. Do a search for IRS.gov in your browser
2. Put in the search box on the IRS site the numbers 13909
3. Fill out form 13909 and you can mail it or email it. EIN number for Scientology is 59-2153393
DO YOUR PART ON REPORTING SCIENTOLOY TO THE IRS Every Report will count !!
IRS REPORT FORM .to report Scientology for violations of Tax Exempt status.
1. Link below on how you report it
2. Scroll down to Form Number 13909 (suspect misconduct or wrongdoing by an exempt organization see list of violations the IRS is interested in. Scientology has done every single one of them) and click on it.
3. Follow the Instructions and mail it or you can email it too.
4. EIN Number on the web for Scientology is 59-2153393
http://www.irs.gov/…/How-Do-You-Report-Suspected-Tax-Fraud-…
Bravo, Mike!
The church of scientology is the perfect argument for all religions being treated equally in that only their genuinely charitable acts should be considered tax exempt. Gathering funds to purchase or build new buildings for the church is definitely not a charitable act unless the building has a use that does not involve prothletising, such as being a homeless shelter. Also all drug / alcohol intervention and general counselling services should be regulated and only science based treatments be approved for tax exemption.
There is the question of the fraud involved with the selling lifetime memberships. They are selling something they can not deliver, since being in “good standing” is conditional and changes at every event where David Miscavige announces all of the conditions have changed. As in one must retrain, all certificates are suddenly cancelled, enforced purchased of new products(new meters) to even have the right to call yourself a Scientologist. Then, there are the sudden declares……….
I have a HASI Lifetime Membership. What’s that worth these days?
Scientology’s pope, David Miscavige, is almost up there with the “real” pope when it comes to disposable income that does not have to be accounted for:
https://opentabernacle.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/popes-personal-income-200-million-annually/
This article is misleading as it describes the income as the pope’s “personal use”. The pope and all of his property is Church property. And “personal use” means he oversees various charities.
Really well put together Mike. Should be vetted by an atty and then submitted for publication in major print (ink & electronic) media.
I had a timely? dream last night that DM absconded with “da cash” and left the CoS adrift and leaderless. It disintegrated rapidly.
Could be…Anyway, no one would be surprised if that happened.
Good analysis, Mike. The fundamental outpoint at the bottom of this situation is that the government equates ‘religion’ with ‘charitable activity’. Perhaps most of them are, but they all have to raise money and pay their bills, and in the end the government is ‘respecting an establishment of religion’ in violation of the Constitution. I think a good solution to this conundrum would be to tax all organizations the same but to exempt that portion of income that could be documented as spent on charitable activities. Some churches would fare well but Scientology would not. In the long run it might even change the way they behave.
“Charitable Acts” unfortunately also include them evangelising and trying to convert you over to their faith. This is supposed to be beneficial to you because it can save your soul. Real Churches do bugger all apart from collect money to buy buildings, maintain them, pay the utility bills on them, pay their staff, likely provide them with places to live, and the same last two in retirement. It is the parishioners that do true charitable things with their own time and money – not the money of their Church which would laugh in their faces at the very thought. This will be true of the Church of England, for example. The last time our good Church of England did anything directly to help the poor was not throwing the water away after they boiled tassles to clean them for the next use (they were used as towels in those days for when after the monks had eaten and wiped their hands afterwards) and serving that hot liquid up as tassle soup to the poor and destitute of the parish. And bear in mind that they were taking 10% of everything everybody owned as well. It has always been a scam. And yet they are a charity and what they do are charitable acts.
Very good and important write-up! And don’t forget that the “church” sells a bridge with on the top of it (OTVIII) where the outcome (EP) is something that has nothing to do with a public benefit at large!
At the end of the day, this is the important question. And I apologize in advance: it’s too late, I’m too tired, and I’ve had too much (excellent) wine tonight to be properly posting any great analysis. Sadly, that won’t stop me from continuing to type.
As an old guard, never in, but fairly knowledgeable critic, I will share that the common thread of my more sophisticated fellow critics (including the late Bob Minton) is that we don’t really care about what Scientologists believe precisely because we see the pointlessness in differentiating that with other religious beliefs. Sure, new critics tend to overplay the entire Xenu thing, but that’s because it is easy. I actually know someone who went through OTIII who knew me well enough to say, “I don’t know that I believed it, but I did feel I got some gains from the level.” Good for him…why would I – how could I – invalidate that?
As far as the private inurement, I actually haven’t seen enough from DM compared to other religions that would trigger the IRS to bother with the COS. Jan and Paul of the Trinity Broadcast Network (he’s dead I think) lived a much more, er, high-end lifestyle than DM, in spite of the Egyptian cotton shirts. Heck, does the COS even own its own private jet or just lease them? Many Christian evangelists own their own G5, Citation 10 or whatever. And they remain untouchable. Even Jim and Tammy Baker weren’t taken down by inurement (and they lived very well…air-conditioned dog house anyone?) but by fraud, for overselling the units in their Christian development whose name I forget and am too lazy to look up. Tom Cruise benefitting from slave labor? Doesn’t strike me as particularly over the top what was done for him in the guise of donor cultivation and relations, (whether he should be annoyed is a different question).
Church abuse? I’m sorry: anyone who fights to stay in the Hole are idiots as far as I’m concerned. Hopefully they don’t reproduce and silently remove themselves from the gene pool. If they don’t have enough balls to say “I’m out of here” like Tom Devoct or Debbie Cook, or Jeff Hawkins or Marty or Mike, I just have no use for them. They are losers. I repeat, LOSERS.
The thing to get upset about is simply this: what does the Church do with the benefit of their tax exemption? 1) they use it to attack enemies and litigate rather than benefit society, 2) they use it to buy real estate out of proportion to parishioner need, suggesting it is a business strategy rather than a charitable strategy, 3) they lie lie lie which is fundamentally opposite of what taxpayers require of charities.
The IRS decision went against a previous Supreme Court decision in Hernandez, which said that basically Scientology was a pay-as-you-go religion, that parishioners got a quid-pro-quo deal with the Church: pay the money, you get to take the level. That is a business, not a charity. In Sklar, the Sklars tried to get the same deal as the COS and they failed, but Silvermann in the 9th Circuit showed the way: the question isn’t as much the ability of the Sklars to get a deduction, but why do Scientologists get special treatment?
These are the roads to the COS ruin…and they are still out there, waiting. From Congress or the Courts, who will make it happen?
Wow brendon
Great analysis… your wine does you good..
As Lincoln said to Grant, send the General a barrel of whisky……
Hi Brendon, I really liked your post.I also like a good Merlot or Zin.However posting after 2 glasses gets a little dreamy to post properly for all the up & coming youngsters!At least for me.I thought about 2 ideas after your post.1) When I was SO @ ASHOFDN,The 1st 2 yrs believe it we had fun. A small band of team members & working @ night, we really could all get the giggles over things, including our CO & the Senior Executives,who would start some of it.We had a weekend visit from a member of The Commodore’s Messenger Org,& he was excellent @ throwing his voice as we were lined up for muster on Temple St.One would hear lions,tigers, dogs cats & all manner of animal calls.It was funny & those are good moments.But when I became aware the last 2 yrs in the SO,that there was a flip, very dark side to the COS,SO,& GOI,after a year of mental,physical & yes spiritual abuse, I knew there was no way I could stay.I had to give up what I had dedicated my whole life & being to,& blow the SO.Even though I was never told I was to be RPFed I knew which way the wind was blowing. No,I would not allow anymore damage to myself @ that point.Why some stay on even after all they endure is difficult to totally understand.I just send all the “ins” love & light & hope they someday see. Thank you & take care, Ann B. Watson.
The IRS is not stupid or blind when it comes to Scientology and Miscavige thumbing his/their nose at them. They would dearly like/love to go after him. But, they need “authority” to act, which they get from Senators and Representatives.
Your representative does not need more than ONE well written letter from YOU to act. He will in turn write to the IRS to DO something…anything…
Why does your representative not need 10,000 letters from people like you to act? Because HBO, SNL, David Letterman, etc.. have already created an awareness in millions of Americans. So now your rep has the “need” to find a letter(s) from someone like you to help him stop this madness. It’s not quantity of letters that count, it’s only timely, quality letters to reps.
I believe it is now up to a few people, like Michael Fairman (see below), to take the ball over the goal line..
Michael Fairman says
April 6, 2015 at 7:18 pm
My two Senators and Representative have been informed/
http://whoismyrepresentative.com/
I too have made my voice known to my representative.
Mike, thank you for this well-written and realistic treatise on why the Church of Scientology should have its tax-exempt status thoroughly investigated and and re-evaluated. (Of course, I’d like to see it yanked altogether and pronto but we’re being realistic and not emotional here.) In any event I shall be writing my congressmen, senators, both federal and state.
If anybody knowledgeable about David Miscavige’s excess benefits/inurement wants to send in a Form 13909 then some important identifying details of how to identify the correct branch of the Church of Scientology can be found on this page. Just search on 13909:
http://scientologymoneyproject.com/tag/501c3/
I am hoping that somebody with direct experience of this or who knows people with direct experience of this who will talk about it will send in this form so they can provide contact details and extra information if asked by the IRS.
Great article Mike. I would really like to see the financial coercion/extortion that practically all scientologists and ex scientologist have experienced be reported in any letters to Congresspersons, Senators, and the IRS.
Also I think it makes sense to have a central compilation/storage record of all the letters written. IE: scanned and forwarded. BCC for each person writing additionally send to perhaps the ‘scientologymoneyproject’. Am I out of order to suggest forwarding Jeffrey Augustine?
And if the other powers in this world just decided to look another way shouldn’t we be concerned about that? Aren’t they deserve some of the blame? Aren’t they still looking other way?
Here are a couple of pages where a lot of detailed accusations about the inurement/excess benefit received by David Miscavige is listed. This could be the basis of a Form 13909 sent in to the IRS. Does anyone know of more details of inurement/excess benefit that could be reported?
http://www.savescientology.com/excess_benefits.pdf
http://www.freezone.org/timetrack/1987.htm
Hi
here is my question: How did it get so big. I understand that nobody within spoke, but from outside world perspective? I mean all that money they made. Nobody was concerned? If i’m Pope (no disrespect) wouldn’t i want to know who am i against here and maybe crush the competition early on? Is this a crazy question?
I think the answer to your question would create some controversy on this site and some straight out hateful ones from other anti-scientology websites. The subject and practice of scientology in its original form (before miscavige and others altered it) does venture into the spiritual side of life. The infinity of existence has been addressed by Hubbard and believing it or not at this point in time has nothing much to do with attempting to answer your question. But the processes (auditing) if done what with what Hubbard called standard procedures does give a degree of euphoria not attained elsewhere in my opinion. It’s one of those very personal aspects of existence, auditing does give you answers and the Bridge is allegedly a path to spiritual freedom. We will never know what scientology may have been like now the likes of miscavige got a hold of it – that guy would make the mafia jealous. The administration required to make auditing and training auditors “standard” was destroyed in the church pretty much after miscavige gained control in the early 80s. Even before that the system was ‘wonky’ as the policy developed by Hubbard, while it looks good doesn’t work in broad application.
However, the auditing technology packs a whallop in the personal truth department if done properly and the many volumes of lectures and written words paints a nice picture of a way out of the mess man generally makes of life or himself.
It’s very attractive and once you “cognite” what Hubbard discovered. Many sign billion year contracts and/or dropped everything to do Scientology. It became big because it contains an answer how to get life back to native state, away from the vested interests who profit from the way life is now i.e. wars, poverty, bankers and such.
Whether you believe, know or imagine it all or parts of it, Scientology was presented to a suffering world and snapped up. It certainly can be proved beyond doubt many vested interests, and that includes miscavige has gone to extraordinary lengths to control Scientology. Miscavige is really just a vested interest in it for the money, but scientology today is nothing like it was meant to be or practiced.
Some say it’s crap and Hubbard was a con-man, maybe… but he sure got a church in many countries and amassed a huge amount of followers and wealth. I reckon there’s something good in the auditing technology but that’s only my opinion. As it is, miscavige has destroyed it.
It’s a bit hard not to impressed with a standard Dianetics session if done properly, once again, that’s only my opinion.
Thanks, but it’s not what i meant. My question is how come no one from the outside took an interest before (or ever?), like authorities or another religions. I’m not naive to think that authorities will intervene because it’s … well their job, but it seems that scientology made tons of money pretty fast and become a major financial player so how come other players didn’t try to use authorities to fight back? same goes to other organized religion, after all religion is a business and it seems scientology was taking very wealthy potential clients…
Lovebigwords.
Indeed they did – research the attacks on Scientology, ‘Arrows in the Dark’ is a good book for that sort of stuff and there’s heaps of other books but the history of both Dianetics & Scientology is peppered with examples of “the game of money.” There’s lots of lies, intrigue and all sorts of sordid undertakings in the world of religion for profit. Like… did Hubbard die naturally or was he killed?
It’s easy to research but damn near impossible to weed out the lies from the truth – good luck!
Is it going to be me who sends in the Form 13909 about the inurement David Miscavige receives? If I did it would just be what I have read and not what I have witnessed. There are people reading here who have been witness to David Miscavige’s lavish lifestyle or who know a lot about it from people close to him. If I send ii in then it will likely be ignored as the collection of stories it is with no evidence to back it up and it could undermine a real effort of doing this containing good detailed information that could stop their tax exempt status and put Miscavige in jail.
Excellent points as per usual Mike.
Sea Org members are not clergy. They are slaves used for evil purposes by David Miscavige, the thug who leads the criminal cult of $cientology. Nowadays many of them are involved in helping Miscavige steal money from the ever-dwindling number of true-believers.
My two Senators and Representative have been informed/
Nice essay. Great idea to write to my Congressman, Dennis Ross in Florida.
He never responded to my last e-mail asking why he shut down the government.
This is a great opportunity to bring up Scientology’s tax exempt status.
Sadly the only people suffering vow of poverty conditions are the staffs and volunteer “ministers” of scientology groups and organizations.
The church of scientology which increases their wealth via real estate purchases rather than collect their wealth as liquid assets in keeping with their IRS agreement, is not itself as a corporate entity being very much “vow of poverty” or servicing society.
All who are serviced are wealthier members, the people who are already able enough to afford the fixed donations required for each Scientology supposedly spiritual service (including the counseling that is done ‘by the hour” fixed donations, and further adding insult there is Hubbard policy about preferred rates of counseling if you wish the “best” counselors in the “church” to give you preferred counseling treatment).
There is so much troublesome policy.
Scientology has not developed their “think tank” (Exec Strata was a Hubbard “think tank” setup that hasn’t matured, there’s no members with enough historical and worldly experience nor gumption, to rescind the Hubbard arbitrary irreligious policies).
Only ex members get up to the level of thinking that ought to go on inside of official scientology.
$cientology is purely and simply a business so the answer is simple: No.
WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:
Revoke Scientology’s tax exempt status.
Scientology received tax exempt status in 1993 through the use of numerous frivolous lawsuits and blackmail against government officials. Please tell the IRS to retract COS tax exempt status. They are estimated to have made billions of dollars since the illegal 1993 agreement.
The money is used to harass former members, coerce abortions, to secure their Int. base so people can’t escape, child abuse, forcing members to disconnect from family who aren’t Scientologist friendly, and to litigate to death anyone who opposes them. They litigated the “Cult Awareness Network” to death years ago and then bought the name. The C.A.N is now a Scientology run enterprise.
Over the years Scientology has put many government officials and politicians in their pocket. Stop this before it’s too late.
Please sign this petition. I am sick and tired of my money supporting this heinous cult. Neurotology is not a religion, not a church, not an organization. It is a CULT.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/revoke-scientologys-tax-exempt-status
Yes, you are an expert on Scientology Mike, particularly administratively and that is critical in the fight against the abuses of the Cof$. To fight to claim their technology as false is folly as its their human rights abuses that have far more of a chance of swaying the political/judicial system and inducing action. I hope that gets understood in the right places and reaches such places as Congress and important areas of the US judicial system. Your reputation as a sensible, caring human being is growing and is being promoted along the now natural communication lines of the modern era. It is my sincere wish that you voice is listened to, and your “15 minutes” falls on the right ears. I for one appreciate your concentration on the human rights abuses within scientology, it has to be the Achilles’ heel of that organisation.
For a decade or more I’ve voiced my opinions and written many things on the abuses of the church and it is a tough battle to get someone not involved with scientology to even listen let alone understand and therefore do something.
The tax exempt status imo is the correct target with the resources available to bring about change and the downfall of the miscavige empire, which has been built upon human rights abuses, the brutality of disconnection, suppressive declares, half truths and bald faced lies.
Money and lawyers, geezers!
“I am an expert on scientology.” Yes you are and are doing a great job at exposing.
The time is right to step up and DO something, right, speak out where it is helpful, also write letters.
I agree with Alanzo that SO members are not clergy. They may have a few in the ranks, but over all they are slaves or sheep.
Mike this is an excellent and thought provoking essay.
Gratitude.
Several of us have mentioned inurement. Let me give you one that clearly has nothing to do with church operations. Sea Org members are required to contribute $50 every year for a “gift” for Davey. Since its required, it is NOT a gift, its income for Davey. Multiply $50 times 5,000-plus Sea Org members times 20-plus years, plus interest, and you have rather large, unreported income to the IRS and, since he claims CA residence, to CA (he should have listed Florida as his residence–they have no income tax, last time I checked).
And Davey won’t show up to a tax audit, imho.
Scientology under LRH YES, Scientology under David Miscavige NO.
Mike you said:-
“After IRS oversight ended, they also stopped giving money back, even for undelivered services.”
I thought giving refunds is a condition of the 1993 agreement with IRS
and such condition remains unchanged.
Are you taking the view that the Garcia ruling trumps that?
Yes, you are right. That is what I said, it was one of the representations made to the IRS as a condition for exemption. But as soon as the oversight ended, they simply stopped returning money, knowing the IRS now had no mechanism for looking into such a thing.
Have no data re oversight ending. Please explain, preferably in detail.
I agree with you Mike. I personally saw a refund cycle take place with friends of mine in the 80’s. They were given their money back with no problem upon request. But after the IRS oversight ended later on, I never saw people getting money back even when doing the routing form and proper things etc. The only one I knew who got money back was Carisa Marion who threatened legal and so they gave it to her. Other than her no one I knew who requested money back after the IRS oversight ended ever got it back. I hope the Garcias appeal their decision.
Maybe pulling Scientology’s tax exempt status seems impossible, or maybe improbable, but things could be done – auditing (financial) of its operations maybe could be done. Some churches have a sort of cafe on the property where people can buy food and refreshments, they sell books, etc. and these activities shouldn’t be tax exempt. I wonder how many buildings are used for religious activities and spaces that are not, such as the ballroom at Flag that is booked for weddings and events. Those areas and that income should be taxable. Housing and hotel rooms, restaurants, etc. should be taxable and should be paying sales and property taxes, local hotel taxes. It is not clear that these taxes are being paid.
The local Board of Education should be looking into child labor issues. No one should be working full time at any Church of Scientology who is under 18 years old. All children should be enrolled in school full time and part-time work should be limited under the law.
It should be know the level of public services the Church uses. This worked well in getting communities to understand how large companies were essentially subsidized by the taxpayer, i.e. Walmart, beyond the mere fact that Scn is tax exempt. How much is their activities costing us? Many cities are setting minimum wage levels. Even if the Church is not obligated to pay minimum wage, it should be known what they are paying and the negative effect that has on the local region.
It would also help if our Judicial System doesn’t just allow some of the more immoral and illegal activities of the Church to be resolved through the Courts. The refund case was extremely frustrating. Forcing people to use the Church’s flawed process to handle refund requests was just wrong. The Headley’s case regarding violations of child labor laws and human trafficking was also another case that was just wrong.
I think there is a case for denying people services too. Its religious discrimination to stop people practicing Scientology based on the arbitrary SP ruling. Should a person be denied private auditing by a Scientology field auditor based on the fact that a church deemed them unfit? By whose standard is that decided. By the fact that disconnection exists its a violation of human rights to practice ones chosen religion. Could a catholic church deny its parishioners the right to worship god and read the bible even if they were excommunicated. Of course not. However SCN pulls this off all the time. Even your purchased meter can now be denied to you based on the whim of an EO.
And speaking of the VM program, LRH said that was specifically to have nothing to do with the church. Nothing at all. Of course, DM ignored that and had the church totally running VMs and look what happened…nothing. It was not even supposed to be called the Scientology Handbook. That too was DM’s call and a month after the 1994 release he admitted it should have remained the VM Handbook. That is the first and only time I have ever known him to admit a mistake, though he did say “WE should have called it . . .”
I think the inurement angle has the best chance of success. It doesn’t matter if David Miscavige hasn’t got a cent of his own money to scratch his arse with, there is very obviously inurement going on. Church earnings have paid for his own gymnasium, private golf course, housing a personal chef, food flown in from around the world, scuba diving, expensive holidays expensive shoes, expensive suits, skeet guns, custom motorcycles – the list goes on. This is Church money that should be used for public benefit being used just for his personal benefit. IANAL but I would call that “inurement” and they could lose their tax-exempt status just from that.
Wish it was so. BEcause obviously it is easy to prove. But that’s not how it works unfortunately.
It’s hard to do it vs. a Church, as you said, but not hard to do it against an individual using Church money (Miscavige) and an organization that claims to be secular and independent (Narconon). Narconon alone owes tens of millions in local sales and bed taxes, if not more.
Is it not possible to send in a Form 13909, tick the top box in section 3 “Directors/officers/persons are using income/assets for personal gain” and add extra documentation for section 4 to detail the personal gains of David Miscavige? Some people must have first-hand accounts of how David Miscavige has used Church funds for personal gain and you could get information from these people and detail it in your complaint. It does not have to be receipt of any money – just benefits like some of the ones I listed.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f13909.pdf
This page details where to send the filled in Form 13909. I think somebody should gather all the first-hand accounts and send the details of this in. I don’t see what there is to lose and there is everything to gain.
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/divulge_all_suspected_tax_exempt_status_abuses_to_the_irs.pdf
“And what is different about scientology than other exempt organizations?” Well, now that you asked: 1. Its leader lives like a billionaire, so there is inurement. 2. It doesn’t do what it promised in its 1993 Agreement (granting refunds, etc.) 3. It lied about its corporate structure–or its lying now, I’m not sure which (the ’93 Agrement says Narconon is part of Co$, but, in the Narconon cases. Co$ is saying “we’re not involved”; also, contradictions about Miscavige’s role and the relationship between RTC and OSA). 4. There is no real social betterment. 5. Their income now is not from the services they were providing, and they are not providing any–the orgs are empty. 6. They have made false and illegal medical claims and abused the legal system.
Is that enough?
Yes, I agree Mike
Here is where to start
http://whoismyrepresentative.com/
They DO like getting personal mail and they do act as a result… HBO and others have put this on the front burner of public policy. NOW is the time to write a personal letter.
Mike, maybe it is a long shot, but I have an idea.
Apparently, the IRS does have a process for reviewing the exempt status of organizations. It is discussed in reasonable detail here:
http://www.irs.gov/uac/IRS-Complaint-Process-For-Tax-Exempt-Organizations
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Examination-and-Compliance-Check-Processes-For-Exempt-Organizations
If you assume the viewpoint of a senior IRS official, you will perceive the C of S as a notoriously litigant organization with virtually unlimited legal budget, high-powered attorneys and they already totally defeated the IRS in 1993. So, the only way I would even start any review procedure against them if I have tons of solid proof and can build an ironclad case.
There might be a way to help them.
As you can see, private individuals can report abuses, using Form 13909 here. It can even be submitted anonymously:
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f13909.pdf
The C of S ticks a few boxes here (namely „Organization engaged in deceptive or improper fundraising practices”, “Organization is engaged in commercial, for-profit business activities”, “Directors/officers/persons are using income/assets for personal gain”).
My educated guess is that if a sufficient amount of such forms is received, along with proper evidence and documentation, it can be used to prove that there is a PATTERN of abuse, e.g. 150 individual complaints about disconnection as an immoral practice proves that the individuals disconnecting from relatives were pressured by the Church as that’s the only thing they have in common.
It is a bit similar approach that the Church used – the IRS could handle 1 lawsuit, but could not deal with hundreds or thousands. I presume that if a sufficient number of individual and properly filled complaints are filed, then it should trigger an official review.
Also, if a lot of these forms are filled and submitted, this gives ex-Scientologists something to ask their elected representatives about. It is much easier for them to enquire about the specific fate of all these Forms 13909, rathen then about the very general topic of Scientology’s tax exempt status.
I wonder if the low pay of staff and then the subsequent freeloader debt when they leave is of consequence. I got paid $35 a week for two years. Total pay was $840. I was landed with a $2900 freeloader bill for doing the SO courses. No auditing or benefit to me. It was basic training to be on post. IE Staff Status 0 1 2 and the basic Sea Org courses that were mandatory. I then had to do my basic hat. If my math is correct I paid for what amounts to mandatory training (there was no way out of it).
This means that I paid to be on staff. You could say that room and board and food were included but we were not allowed to eat off base and or leave the base and once again meals in the mess hall and uniforms were mandatory.
Thoughts?
With the use of every aspect of Less Danes “Big League Sales” in every org it seems truly a stretch to call any purchase a donation.
About a two years ago, my kids were on staff at LA Org and they said proudly that everyone in the org was ordered to do the Big League Sales course and book and go to training on Big League Sales. So everyone in the org, regardless of their post, was expected to reg donations and reg Basic Book Sales. So if everyone is ordered to the Big League Sales Closing Techniques course, how does that make it a church?
It doesn’t. It CLEARLY makes it a business. A cultic business.A toxic business. A criminal business. A straight forward lying business. The type of business NO ONE should be doing business with.
Nice post, Cindy!
When you write I think I can FEEL the fury you must feel (and I feel) about what they get away with.
There is a petition created – did you know? As of 9am on Monday April 6th they still need 81, 749 signatures.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/revoke-scientologys-tax-exempt-status
Scientology’s tax exemption makes about as much sense as giving tax exemption to the Ku Klux Klan…
A problem I see in reversing their tax-exempt status is that it was not gained by merit but rather by battering the IRS employees with lawsuits and they will do the same again if the IRS takes their tax-exempt status away and the IRS will have to back down again.
I doubt today the cherch could find 2,300 parishioners that want to join forces with this goofy cherch and file a lawsuit against the IRS. But, more importantly, there is a $ muti-billion prize for the IRS today if they succeed in revoking their tax exempt status. In 1993 there was nothing for the IRS to gain if they “won” and the expenses of 2,300 lawsuits seemed relatively high compared to nothing to gain from the Co$ in 1993…
Today the IRS should be sharpening their ax.
Write to your Rep and let him know what you think. This free country is being abused.
http://whoismyrepresentative.com/
Let’s have a look what the IRS guidelines say about jeopardizing tax-exempt status:
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf#7
All IRC section 501(c)(3) organizations, including churches and
religious organizations, must abide by certain rules:
1) their net earnings may not inure to any private shareholder
or individual,
2) they must not provide a substantial benefit to private interests,
3) they must not devote a substantial part of their activities to
attempting to influence legislation,
4) they must not participate in, or intervene in, any political
campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for
public office, and
5) the organization’s purposes and activities may not be
illegal or violate fundamental public policy
—————————-
They do 1) for David Miscavige. They do 2) for Tom Cruise. I think they lobby so if they spend more than one million dollars on that per year then they do 3). I don’t know if they do 4). They do 5) in the case of Mosey Rathbun (but it is hard to link back to them) and have had Nicole Kidman’s phone tapped.
If you google, “where do my donations to the Red Cross go?” you will get fairly detailed outlines of where they went. I’m pretty sure that if you donated and were suspicious that you had been conned by someone that the Red Cross would take your concern seriously and investigate it.
If you google, “where do my donations to the International Association of Scientologists go?” You get a very different outcome. Try it and see.
I’m not sure, but I’m suspecting that demanding the church or it’s front groups have their tax exempt status revoked is not necessarily the most effective forward push.
We really don’t KNOW that miscavige has amassed a fifty million dollar fortune by using his position as Captain of the Sea Org or COB of the RTC in an illegal or nefarious manner. But considering that the net worth of just about any sea org member is in the hundreds or thousands of dollars, not millions, there is certainly a reasonable suspicion that he’s doing something highly suspicious and/or criminal. There is no reason on earth why the IRS should not investigate such a suspicious situation. Criminal priests get tossed in jail fairly often.
I think it would be within the rights of anyone who ever donated anything to the IAS to demand a full forensic accounting of every penny that has been donated over the past thirty years to ensure that nothing criminal has been going on. Is Miscavige giving himself a massive “consulting fee?” Is he using IAS dollars to pay for his scuba excursions? Was any IAS money spent on fixing up Nazinine for Tom Cruise?
Based on recent revelations it would seem entirely proper for Miscavige to have independent forensic accountants provide detailed accounting of every penny donated to the IAS so as to ensure nothing illegal, immoral or unethical has been happening. If Miscavige refuses and fights any such revelations then there must be some sort of redress for people who have donated who are now very suspicious that they were lied to about where the money was going and what has ultimately been done with it.
Since I’m not particularly savvy in the legal arena I’m just throwing this out to see if there are any ideas as to how we might force a forensic accounting of groups like the IAS, ABLE and Miscavige personally due to all the recent information that makes it appear that tax deductible donations might be being used illegally.
Would we be better off to focus on demanding to see the books and demanding the IRS do a proper forensic accounting, rather than the broad statement that the church of scientology should have its 501c3 revoked?
It’s a good theory Les, but you have to file a lawsuit to get any accounting, and survive the hurdles and motions to dismiss based on the First Amendment that sank the Garcia case. Eventually this is what would happen with a Garcia type case. They would have to turn over their accounting.
If you write a demand letter to the IAS that you want an accounting of your money, it will go in the round file.
And there is nothing you can do about that.
Tricky, indeed.
Correct me if I’m wrong here. 1.The FBI and CIA don’t need to file a lawsuit to start gathering private financial information, they only need a subpoena. 2. Many international banks are now agreeing to disclose private financial information especially in instances where terrorism is involved. 3. Financial information, wiretaps etc. are all legal for the FBI and IRS as long as a subpoena has been properly secured.
It would seem to me that requesting and putting pressure on our Senators, congressmen and the IRS to seriously investigate noticeable financial irregularities would possibly be the most obvious and direct point to use.
I don’t really know…just trying to get a grip on how to bring a criminal to justice.
They can only issue a subpoena based on an ongoing criminal investigation — and scientology would move to have it quashed as an infringement of their rights protected under the First Amendment. Even the IRS has a hard time getting financial information from churches — there is a law passed through congress called the Church Audit Procedures Act.
Ok, so what about via lawsuits to the nominally secular entities that are protected by the IRS deal? Like NarCONon? If we’re needing to do an end run around the First Amendment for a forensic accounting, wouldn’t that be the most sensible way to do it? Because we all know that money flows up to mother cherch (cough**DM**cough) just like the rest of it.
Great point. Great idea. I agree. What part of the US Government is responsible for this kind of crime? FBI?
Red Cross is SUPER open about their flow of money:
http://www.redcross.org/support/donating-fundraising/where-your-money-goes
They’re also actually visible in the world doing what they say they’re doing as well.
Mike. I’ll get my letter out to my Representatives today. Thanks for the outline. Best to You and Your family. How do you find the time to do all this?? – Thank You!
Mike – AWESOME job shining a spot light on Scientology’s Tax Exempt Status. Mummuar Miscavige is suffering a huge hangover after the Saturday Nite Live spoof on Scientology went out to millions of viewers…he is getting really weak. Keep the pressure on him! Good job!!
I was wondering – Is it okay in this Country to lie to someone checking out a “religion” about the Founder? Scientology is fraud from the get-go. L Ron Hubbard was not the man Scientology $ells. It is fraud from the start. Jesus was not alive to interview and watch – L Con was. His name was smashed into the History books as a CON MAN! LIAR and CHEAT!
Can’t “something be done about that”?
You articulated the problems with the church quite well, Mike.
The thing I would add is that the CO$ takes problems (corruption, fraud, abuse, human aberrations, human frailties, etc.) that the Catholic church and other churches experience or do and pervert them, or elevate them, to a whole new level.
Levels that have not been even ever thought of by other churches.
Another thing is that some problems within other churches are not policy or enforced policies.
They just happen to be human problems.
Someone said, churches are hospitals for sinners.
But in the CO$ the abuse, fraud corruption are enforced policy.
Nothing DM and the CO$ says is free of fraud or deceit.
The fraud and deceit are so well hidden and articulated that they stump the minds of the average person.
The fraud, corruption, abuse and lies is so devious, so obscene, so evil, that the average mind cannot put words to adequately describe it. The evil is so diabolical, so insidious, so overwhelming, so confounding, so brain jamming, so mind boggling that the average person is lost for words.
The average person can understand the problems and aberrations within other churches, and see it for what it is. There is no problem in those churches that the general outside public cannot find in themselves.
But only a person who has lots of experience in scn, (an insider who sees the light, sees the truth, and leaves the co$ and comes out, to talk about it, like yourself ) really can understand the degree of and extent of fraud, corruption, the lies, the abuse that goes on in the CO$.
The CO$ is a called a systems house.
A systems house is a business or organization which plans (make policies) to systematically defraud people.
There are many examples that hit the media; charity organizations, oil change shops, car rental shops and the like.
These businesses and organization usually take people for a few dollars or a few hundred dollars and in some cases 1000s and more.
But the CO$ takes people to the cleaners on a whole different level. They will suck you in and masturbate your present and future financial resources. And make you a slave to their organization for a billion yrs.
They take fraud, corruption, extortion, slavery, punishment, and brain washing to a whole new level, never dreamed off by most people.
That is where the CO$ is different.
Dio
I’d like to read a detailed report from Marty on what was really going on.
barefacedmessiah, It is scattered around his blog and books. Anything of substance has been written about by him in those two forms. If something was repetitive in nature he probably didn’t detail it over and over though.
What EXACTLY don’t you think Marty wrote about?
Not only does Scientology not contribute much to the public good, it makes extensive use of government supported programs to provide health care for Sea Org Members. Medi-Cal, which is supported by federal and state taxes, and is intended for very low income or indigent people, is the program which provides health care coverage for Sea Org members in California.
Simple Says
Excellent point! Well stated. Thank you!
You’re right that DM doesn’t pay for health care for his “clergy” workers in the SO. He sends them on public assistance to have the state pay for them, and that includes the state paying for abortions for its staff because they don’t have the money to buy condoms.
The majority of states follow the Hyde Amendment’s language to suppress state and federal funding of abortion services, except in cases of rape, incest, or medical necessity. Those Sea Org women who live outside the 17 states that self-fund in order to have more liberal and generous Medicaid abortion care are almost certainly taking advantage of non-profits like Planned Parenthood. That enrages me because Planned Parenthood, et al, operate on extremely tight budgets and are constantly in need of funds to help indigent women obtain legal & safe abortion services. All the while, this “church” that demands (coerces) abortions and is sitting on billions of dollars could have been paying it’s own way and didn’t.
I share your outrage Ms G.
In about 2003 the orgs in the PAC base used about 1 (one) million
US dollars of tax payers money for SO workers health care.
Many SO members are kicked out by the time they are in their 50’s
and older and have spent their main earnings years making nothing
which means no taxes or social security. I know of some who land
on the street, or are helped by real charitable churches.
But now I heard the church is paying big time hush money. The out-
points are endless with this church.
The church only cares about itself. It interacts with others only when it needs something. If it helps the general public, it does so for selfish reasons. And it is perfectly willing to consume public services it doesn’t contribute to. It seems exchange is a concept that applies to others.
Simple:
Please delete the word “much” in the first line of your post. I should read “Not only does Scientology not contribute to the public good, it makes extensive use of ….” When I asked in the local org why there was nobody there I was told “Oh the drug riff raff on the street have driven away our foot traffic” But it gets worse, When I asked the “minister” why a religion would refer to people as drug riff raff I was told because that is what they are and they don’t realise the only help for saving them would be to join the church -presumably pay money they don’t have to Narconon, When I asked why they weren’t out there helping those people like I see the ancient nuns a couple of blocks away providing free food to the homeless day in and day out she gave me a blank stare. Now that’s what I call a real modern religion – what’s in it for Scientology. Dick all.
A very intelligent and thoughtful article, Mike.
Had some thoughts and comments…
Regarding the comparison of Sea Org Members to monks…I’m sure this point can be argued intellectually and academically, however, the message the church is sending is:
Scientology: The world’s only 20th century religion, a synergy of eastern philosophy and western technology, including archaic and barbaric practices of the middle ages.
Regarding the church’s “principles” of exchange, based on this logic wouldn’t the free service of the Chaplain result in spiritual degradation for the indigent public? If so, then the church is knowingly and wilfully harming the public by offering it’s valuable Chaplain services free of charge.
Regarding the “sacrament” aspect…too funny, regging is now a sacrament. 🙂
And finally, while in the US the IRS determines whether Scn is a recognized charity/religion, ultimately that judgement rests with the public. And I don’t see the general public ever accepting the “church” as a religion in it’s current form. Aside from the IRS, the only people I know that consider Scn to be a religion are the still-in Scnists – and even they know it’s a lie.
Monks don’t have military ranks.
Sea org members do.
Monks don’t salute each other, have “musters”, obey military-style orders or run around with military uniforms on.
I have even seen Lawrence Wright and Alex Gibney refer to the Sea org as “Clergy”.
The Sea org is not “clergy”.
The Sea Org is a paramilitary organization within Scientology.
Alanzo
C’mon Al, these are Warrior Monks. You know, the kind that spend years in deep meditation (RPF), only to emerge with Super Powers and battle the forces of Evil in the universe. Am I missing something? 🙂
Hi Alanzo, Thank you,thank you for this post! In Truth & take care. Ann B. Watson.
I’d call this a Freudian slip, but I think it is more a Hubbardian slip:
“…….poverty, eat simple food, PAY 5 times a day…..”
Thank you for taking the time to write this, Mike. It is extremely well composed.
Respectfully injecting a little humor here(oh, you´ll LOVE this picture):
Mike, your balls are so BIG that your mode of ambulation is….ROLLING!
Excellent post!
Roll on, dude 🙂
Well said Mr. Rinder. Thank you for addressing this issue head on.
In addition to writing your representatives, folks should consider signing the following White House administration petition that was inspired by the the IRS related. questions raised in Going Clear
Revoke Scientology’s tax exempt status
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/revoke-scientologys-tax-exempt-status
I am not opposed to this petition, but I think they are pretty futile. There have been petitions done in the past and the net result was zilch.
My worry about the petition is that people sign it and think they have done what they need to do, and thus less people write to their Congresspeople. That is really what is needed. Letters to Congressional Reps. And not form letters, but realy letters from real people.
Somehow – when I commented – I was not able to see that a lot of people have already posted the petition.
One thing that a petition does does do is give you a pulse on what the voices are saying.
I agree – congress must be written to. I’m on it!
Mike,
While you bring excellent points in your post above, and I’m in whole hearted agreement – I hope to seek some additional info as I am a never-in and do not have the experience and knowledge you (and others on this board who may be equally able to respond) do. I would like to ensure my letters to my Congressman and Senator(DO BOTH PLEASE) have adequate references in them.
While there is certainly an abundance of moral and societal issues and ills at stake, which I will certainly mention, your previously mentioned tax code areas to highlight and I believe, though I’m not an attorney by any stretch, the world wide (with emphasis on The United States) law suits either in litigation or favorably adjudicated to address…I wonder if you, or anyone else in the know, can provide me a point in the correct direction for actual laws broken that have been ruled as such by the court or P.D.’s such as charges that didn’t result in nolle process etc.
I feel this would add substantial material to the letters as opposed to letters without them. No matter how little, every little bit helps.
I have written letters to my rep before and felt very Form Lettered, if you will, and I’d like to ensure I can provide all the relevant material possible.
Anyone able to point me to any convictions (I already have the IRS/ Government infiltration case to cite – even though it was pre-IRS ruling sadly); I’d be most appreciative.
Much thanks for the excellent suggestion.
While I agree on petitions being mostly futile as an actual means of accomplishing something, as some who has been their reps and senators about Scientology at least 2-3 times a year, every year, since 2008, I can confirm that whenever I have used a reference to a recent petitions as a means of quantifying public outrage I have ALWAYS gotten a more positive response from said congress critter.
So the two things – letters and petitions – go hand in hand imo and personal experience.
Another compelling reason to withdraw scientology’s tax exempt status is the fact that for the last decade, the number one priority program preached to the staff and deluged upon the public in downpour of phone calls is the ‘Basics Sales’ program. Call centers, sales quotas, overpriced books and lecture packages that range up to more than $10,000 … do these really fit the definitions of Section 501(c)3?
The main difference between a Catholic and a Scientologist is that one is asked to pray 5 times a day and the other is asked to pay 5 times a day.
Lol!!
😀
You crack me up. 🙂
While the Rastafarians are only obligated to play five times a day.
Matt, had to read that twice to keep it from slurring together. lol
Great suggestion Mike. You guys have done an amazing job in getting Co$ into the glaring media spotlight. Now the rest of us should follow up by getting this onto the lines of those who have the power to act. Police, City Departments, Community Forums, IRS, Congress etc. Let’s up the ethics gradient!
Not only should their tax-exemption be taken away, but Miscavige should be buried up to his neck in rice & beans and tickets should be sold for people to take a shot at hitting him in the face with pie tins filled with cow dung.
That’s an insult to cow dung…
I just wrote a check to the IRS, so please allow me a moment of hating Daves guts and throwing things at him. 🙂
Forgive me, all cow dung of the world, you are more useful than Co$.
NOLAGirl,
Cows are generally rather unassuming animals that mind their own business, even when they leave a flop. This is vert unlike Cult behavior.
Dave on the other hand is the type of animal that needs a lot of supervision and when he leaves a flop it usually gets on other folks in a bad way.
So we refer to the type of shit that we don’t care much for as Daveshit. I kinda like your version though…….. Dave’s Dung has a better ring to it.
And MM can probably create a great sing a long to go along with His Dung Heap in Hemet. Just sayin, we like to keep our cows separated out from the compost heap of Scientology.
And NOLA Girl as Newcomer points out Cow dung is quit different than Dave Dung. Cow dung is actually quite useful as a fertilizer, a compost ingrediant, and in a pinch you can burn it for heat. Dave Dung has no useful purpose and come to think of it neither does Dave. He and cockroaches have that in common.
Well said, Mike; I wish I would have had some of these words when I wrote my letters.
Over a year ago, I wrote Sen. Reid, my congressmen, and Sen. Wyden from Oregon about the church of scientology’s 501c3 violations, etc. I received the usual form letter responses but I also got a letter back from the IRS that didn’t seem so much like a form letter. My personal complaint, the application of the church’s own “policy” as a tool for blackmail to keep me from reading anything negative about David Miscavige or speaking out against his sociopathic behavior, may be protected by the First Amendment, but it shouldn’t be. This is blackmail pure and simple. (Keep your mouth shut or you will lose your family.) PERIOD. My letters may be sitting in a file or a trash bin, but if enough of these letters are written, it will make a difference. There are plenty of stories that are NOT protected and if enough letters and lights are shone on this vile church, maybe someone one day will be the “Alex Gibney” voice that will end its tax exempt status.
Write, sign petitions; do what you can. It makes a difference. Paulette Cooper may have been a tiny little voice in the background way back when but her voice (figuratively speaking) is heard loud and clear in Alex Gibney’s documentary. It starts somewhere.
David Miscavige is not investigated for his 50 million for the same reasons that Harry Reid is not investigated for his 10 Million (oddly enough, also through real estate dealings loop holes and corruption). The current pop culture and ‘pop politics’ looks the other way. Uncanny ties to the likes of Saul Alinsky and “Rules for Radicals” are justified by those hard wired with sociopathic tendencies. Megan Kelly is an example of someone who is not hardwired for sociopathic tendencies. Greta Van Susteren is an example of a hard wired self serving individual. The conundrum is that sociopaths CANNOT see it any other way. A sociopath BELIEVES that the other person is ‘confused’.
Since David Miscavige jumps from one Constitutional protection to another, the IRS could prosecute through investigation and by pulling resources from several segments of its budget and organization. Sociopaths despise the Constitution, thinking they know better, but rarely admit it.
With the carrot of a few billion and a brilliant prosecutor, it can be done.
It’s not a political website, 3FB, but you continually inject your own far-right jabs and asides, and that’s not going to go by unchallenged.
[Rant deleted. but point well taken. This is NOT a political website and keeping things on the topic is appreciated whether you are a liberal or a conservative]
Great post … lots of good reasoning here. Thank you! And thanks to Infinitely More Trouble for the helpful link.
Well said, Mike!
As you say, there’s really no helping of the overall community. This also is true internally with Class V Staff, especially those who didn’t moonlight or have a spouse supporting them.
When I was on staff, I couldn’t afford to buy clothes. My clothes mainly came from public who would bring in bags of used clothing they no longer wanted. If my car broke, there were a few public who were good at fixing cars and would help me out with that. If I didn’t have money to eat, a public might take pity on me and take me out for lunch or dinner. If I needed a chiropractic adjustment or dental appointment, there were a few chiros and dentists who gave deep staff discounts, or sometimes a free services (and even free/discounted supplements). My glasses were bought by another staff member and her husband. After I split with my husband, my housing was supplied by a public who gave me a small corner of her basement to live in at no charge.
This flow of the public helping out the clergy was common at our org. And is the opposite of what a true church should be doing. The public who helped were always very gracious about it, saying things like, “You help people every day. It’s the least I can do.” But it’s backwards. Those public were already paying for their services, and then also paying to help me and other staff be able to be there.
And, of course, there’s the policy of having to tell HCO any time you, as a staff member receives a gift from a public. But I wouldn’t have been able to remain on staff without all the help I got from our parishioners.
Totally agree XClassVStaff, pretty much describes my staff experiences in the mid-80s through to early 90s. In fact, I really can’t recall how I managed to survive through that, I’ve looked at the numbers, but they just don’t add up. I guess I really was OT
The only assistance (I use the term loosely) offered to those experiencing hardship is Ethics. Which effectively amounts to implanting.
No, charity just does not seem to be in Scn’s DNA.
Same here, statpush. I have no idea how I managed to survive those years. We made less than the panhandlers downtown.
Quite a direct statement, clearly expressed.
The minimum IRS can do is investigate D Miscavige’s personal finances. Where does he get to build up 50 million dollars personally being a Sea Org member? And why he only pays 50.00 dollars a week to the rest of the Sea Org Members?
He is the Ecclesiastical Leader and is NOT involved in any management of the church, or so he claims. Then, why does he get paid so much if he is not managing nothing?
More than letter will follow to Congressmen and IRS alike. Why not? Lets increase the pressure.
Are there documents proving DM’s income?
If there are I see no action needed other than to get that information out. That action alone would accomplish everything needed. Those on the inside would not be able to ignore it easily. Those who are anti church will spread the information like wildfire. I can’t see the church surviving another 6 months once that information got out.
So is there real genuine proof of this?
He lives like a billionaire so that should be enough for an investigation.
Not based on history
2 ways:
1. the corporate entity that pays DM has to file a tax return. Tax exempt corporate tax returns (I believe) are supposed to be available to the public
2. DM actual personal return. Definitely private, unless released by the tax payer. Example when Romney was running for President public pressure caused him to reluctantly release his. DM is NOT going to release his, even in the unlikely event of pressure from within scientologists community.
I think you are probably right on both counts Roger. I heard one of the founders of Burning Man talk about the requirements for making the salaries of employees of a non profit public if they are paid more than 100k a year.
I suspect he is smart enough to have a way around that and also to keep any nest egg well out of the range of scrutiny. He has access to a lot of experts in that field.
I don’t resent anyone earning a lot of money and keeping it away from the reach of the IRS as long as they earn it with voluntary exchange and do so honestly. So I’m fine on it in this case.
Just FYI
The irs and more specifically the treasury departments criminal investigation division takes and will sometimes follow up on specific leads if deliberate illegal tax/money manipulations occur. This was how Elliot Spitzer gov of NY got nailed. He was investigated by the irs for money laundering (he was trying to move money around to hide his payments to his mistress) Of course I would guess DM has accounts to make sure it’s legal but who knows. If somebody has specific proof or evidence it’s more likely there will be an investigation.
The net worth of Miscavige came up on this blog – here is the link:
https://www.mikerindersblog.org/david-miscavige-net-worth/
WOW, fantastic write up Mike.this should bring a much higher degree of understanding to those not directly involved in management, well maybe even those currently unsnarled in the incredible fiasco of self delusion. It looks like you are doing something about it. Thank you for taking on the job.
http://whoismyrepresentative.com/ is the easiest way to find out who your congresspeople and senators are. (It even tells you who your state representative is — hell, write them a letter, too! The more the merrier.) I can assure you that all representatives LOVE LOVE LOVE getting real letters from their constituents, and that such letters have the greatest impact.
This is really true. I belong to two grass-roots organizations…we have volunteer lobbyists in Washington, but the movements themselves are small. These two organizations have been successful at influencing congressional actions on several occasions. When a specific thing has come up we have sent out e-mails providing dummy letters along with names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of representatives (this makes it easy for people to do it.) Of course the representative doesn’t read the letter. But each representative has people who tally up numbers. If he or she receives a lot of letters demanding action on something, the numbers start to mean something. And it is not necessary that the representative actually be your own. If an issue is on the federal level, which this one is, letters from around the country will be tallied.
It is also a good idea to propose an actual action to be taken. Representatives don’t want to spend time figuring out actions to take on vague issues like “get rid of the tax exemption.” They respond more readily to “form a committee to investigate this” or “bring this to the attention of [whatever committee they are on that might be interested.]” or any other clear response you can think of to suggest.
And there is also an actual IRS form to report violations of things like “being a business instead of performing for the public good.” There is a list on the form to check out, and you can request to remain anonymous. This form is available at Jeffrey Augustine’s scientologymoneyproject site and he has recommendations about the best way to fill it out…which entity to target, and so on. If a lot of THESE came into the IRS perhaps it would be a tiny reverse version of what Co$ did in the 90s.
Thanks for this very, very useful and well-researched piece, Mike. It makes the whole thing much clearer. I liked it that Going Clear focussed on the tax exemption rather than opining about whether it is a religion or not.
Infinitely More Trouble
Thank you for your attachment (find your rep) I have a petition & an IRS exemption form that everyone can file. Although other posters have said contacting your states’ congress person is the way to go.
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/revoke-scientologys-tax-exempt-status
Scientologymoneyproject.com
Thanks you, Mike and Betsy and Roger. This is something each and every ex Scn and Indie can DO. We can’t all be Mike’s or Marty’s or Jason Beghe’s talking out on TV about the abuses. But we can form a very strong and effective behind the scenes punch by writing to the proper authorities. I’ll check out the web sites listed above and the forms and start doing that right away.
[nuns and priests]pay 5 times a day?? I think it’s ether a typo or your getting your practices confused?
I think he meant “pray.” 🙂
Although making members “pay 5 times a day” is a practice that I’m sure would appeal to David Miscavige.
Typo now corrected….
Except it isn’t a typo for The Cult!
In the cherch , you must pay to pray, pay to play, pay to say, pay to stay, and even pay to go away…
pay 5 times a day
That’s funny but true for a Scientologist.
A very clear, well laid-out argument, Mike. Nicely done.
Yes, this is so good, if you edited it down to an editorial, you could easily submit this to the Tampa Bay Times and get it published.
I’d then like to see the church of scientology officials respond with their own similar quest editorial to the same newspaper.
If you submitted it as a guest editorial to Tampa Bay Times, I’m sure other newspapers would pick it up just due to the newsworthiness of what you write.
New York Times, Wall Street Journal, internet news sites, . . .
I think you missed your calling, Mike. Shoulda been a lawyer…or a preacher. 😉 Oh, wait, you’re probably already a reverend.
I agree with you totally. And, as you know, I support a campaign that gives one, clear message to the public and to any political representative one might choose to talk with:
“WE DEMAND that David Miscavige RESIGN from the Corporation of Scientology.”
“WE DEMAND that David Miscavige RESIGN from the Corporation of Scientology.”
“WE DEMAND that David Miscavige RESIGN from the Corporation of Scientology.”
Rinse and repeat until the pulpit is clean of any stain of the spiritual filth that is David Miscavige.
The problem to solve isn’t Scientology. That is just a philosophy. Like it or leave it.
The problem to solve (or demonize) Isn’t L. Ron Hubbard. He’s dead. Too late for any ethics action there.
The problem to solve is the virus in the machine, David Miscavige.
“WE DEMAND that David Miscavige RESIGN from the Corporation of Scientology.”
Keep it simple. Let other people contribute to our motion by making our objective easy to understand.
If you agree, please share this message with others.
The problem with this concept is it is EXACTLY what the First Amendment forbids. You cannot petition the government (any branch) to remove the head of a religion. Just because you say “corporation of scientology” doesnt change anything. The catholic church is composed of corporations too. THere is no “corporation of scientology” — there is Religious Technology Center or Church of Scientology International or Church of Scientology of Miami. Those are corporations.
You can make your demand to those IN the church. They are the only ones you can “force” Miscavige to do anything.
I think you should re-read my posting.
Point taken, Mike. I see what you mean. I was sort of playing with words to make a point with the “corporation” comment.
So, in all sincerity, what CAN the government do? Even if it’s a religion, if a person is guilty of racketeering, fraud, innurement, embezzelement, harrassment, battery, etc.doesn’t the government have the right or the responsibility to investigate those criminal acts and prosecute to protect the citizenry?
Can people like us request/demand the govt to investigate a particular person for those federal/state crimes? Surely, if he was found guilty, they’d have no choice but to put him in jail, which, of course, would accomplish the same end.
So, as American citizens, suspecting that there have been crimes committed, any or all of us can write our representatives on a local and federal level and request an investigagion, yes?
Thanks for letting me know.
Indie,
When you mentioned fraud, the James and Tammy Bakker evangelical fiasco of the 80s, came to mind.
He was first put away for 45 yrs, with a $500,000 fine.
Then the sentence later was reduced to less than five yrs and the fine was dropped.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Bakker
Read it, it is a good read, even humorous.
If Jim Bakker can be found guilty and put away, it should be easier to put DM away and keep him put away.
DM’s crimes are exponentially worse than Jim Bakker’s.
Dio
indie8million, your question is both complex and simple at the same time. In order to prosecute one needs enough EVIDENCE brought to a District Atty. so that he/she is willing to bring before a Grand Jury to obtain an indictment. The evidence you bring must be strong enough, in the eyes of the DA, to warrant the time, effort and money needed to SUCCESSFULLY prosecute. (take a couple hours to study the U.S. adversarial, crim justice system & U.S. Constitution)
A MUCH better idea is what Mike put forward vis-a-vis putting political pressure on the IRS to strip tax exemption. Writing letters to people to ask for criminal prosecution is worse than useless.