For this reason, Scientologists emphasize the orthodox and standard application of the Scientology scripture. Thus, Scientologists never interpret scripture for each other but always refer to the original source materials. A Course Supervisor in a Scientology church is not a teacher in that he does not lecture or give his own opinions because to do so, even if well-intentioned, would inevitably enter alterations, even if slight, into the technologies which would lessen their effectiveness. This alteration could accumulate over time to the point where Scientologists could never achieve the full spiritual benefits of the religion.
For these reasons the Church and its members want, above all else, to preserve and apply the Scriptures exactly as set forth by Mr. Hubbard.
Earlier, L. Ron Hubbard personally supervised the practice of the religion, and he also registered as marks many of the religion’s identifying words and symbols, such as “Dianetics” and “Scientology.” These registered marks provided a legal mechanism for ensuring that the Scientology religious technologies were orthodox and ministered according to the scriptures. They also provide a legal mechanism to prevent anyone from practicing in a non-orthodox manner or engaging in some distorted use of L. Ron Hubbard’s writings, while then claiming it is standard Dianetics or Scientology.
In 1982, Mr. Hubbard donated these marks to the Religious Technology Center (RTC), and entrusted it with the responsibility to protect the religion by enforcing orthodox application of his Scientology technologies, and to protect the public by ensuring that only authorized church organizations used the identifying religious marks.
Thus, while Church of Scientology International serves as the mother church and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and propagation of Scientology and the various churches of Scientology, Religious Technology Center serves as protector of the religion. While each Scientology organization and, indeed, every Scientologist is expected to enforce the standard application of scriptures, RTC is the final arbiter of orthodoxy.
RTC is not part of the management structure of the Church and is not involved in its day-to-day affairs. A major reason for having the marks held by a separate Scientology organization is so that it is removed from the daily exigencies of management and so can more effectively perform its functions.
RTC has an ongoing program to register its religious marks in many countries around the world -- even those that do not yet have a Scientology organization. Doing so ensures that the religious marks will not be usurped in those countries and that their citizens will know that they are receiving orthodox Dianetics and Scientology religious services when a Scientology organization is formed in their area.
To ensure the purity of the religion and its Scriptures, RTC supervised a massive five-year project, only recently completed, to republish all of L. Ron Hubbard’s writings on Dianetics and Scientology. RTC ensured that the authenticity of each work was verified by comparing them word by word with his original manuscripts -- only once RTC was satisfied that the works were accurate were they republished. RTC then helped see that archival editions of these materials were produced, thus ensuring the availability of the pure unadulterated writings of Mr. Hubbard to the coming generations. As part of this project, Mr. Hubbard’s original tape-recorded lectures -- most of them over three decades old -- were restored using state-of-the art technology, and then accurately transcribed. Even the translations of the Scripture are scrupulously checked for accuracy by RTC prior to any publication.
RTC has many other activities, all of which add up to performing its basic ecclesiastical functions: ensuring that what is represented as Dianetics or Scientology is genuinely so; protecting the general public by not allowing any organization or individual to do something entirely different while using the religious marks to misrepresent itself as Dianetics or Scientology; and not allowing any individual or organization to deliver Dianetics or Scientology while calling it something else. Any misuse or unauthorized use of the Scientology religious marks is rapidly corrected by RTC so that the religion is kept pure and all people may benefit from the application of Mr. Hubbard’s Scientology technologies.
Mr. David Miscavige has served as RTC’s Chairman of the Board, its most senior position, since 1987. Mr. David Miscavige is uniquely qualified for this position. An active Scientologist for most of his life, he has been involved with nearly every aspect of the Church’s activities for many years and worked closely with Mr. Hubbard. Mr. David Miscavige has worked tirelessly to protect the religion. He authored the early 1980s reorganization of Church corporate and management structures which have given the religion years of sustained growth and stable leadership.
Ecclesiastical Structure: Individual Churches and their Congregations
Leisa Goodman’s Scientology home page.
Copyright 1994-2006 CSI. All Rights Reserved. Dianetics and Scientology are trademarksand service marks owned by Religious Technology Center and are usedwith its permission. Scientologist is a collective membership markdesignating members of the affiliated churches and missions ofScientology.