Scientology front groups

The Church of Scientology uses front groups to promote its interests in politics and to make itself appear legitimate. Many of the groups are founded on pseudoscience, named disingenuously, and underplay their links to Scientology.

History

Following discovery of the Church's Operation Snow White, the FBI's July 7, 1977 raids on the Church's offices produced, among other documents, an undated memo entitled "PR General Categories of Data Needing Coding". This memo listed what it called "Secret PR Front Groups" which included the group Alliance for the Preservation of Religious Liberty (APRL), later renamed Americans Preserving Religious Liberty.^[1]

In 1991, Time (magazine) investigative reporting identified several other fronts for Scientology, including the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), The Way to Happiness Foundation, Applied Scholastics, the Concerned Businessmen's Association of America and HealthMed.^[2] The article The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power resulted in years of litigation.

The Cult Awareness Network (CAN) was an organization that provided information on cults, as well as support and referrals to deprogrammers. The organisation was founded in 1978 and was eventually overpowered by the Church of Scientology in a series of lawsuits.^[3][4][5] In its place, the Church of Scientology created the organisation called the New Cult Awareness Network.

In 1998, the Boston Herald identified Narconon and the World Literacy Crusade as front groups for Scientology.^[6] Other Scientology groups include Downtown Medical, Criminon and the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE).

Other organisations with links to the Church of Scientology include EarthLink and Striker Systems.

Known Scientology front groups

References

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