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Template:ScientologySeries The Free Zone (or independent Scientologists or Scientology Freezone) comprises a variety of groups and individuals who practice Scientology beliefs and techniques independently of the Church of Scientology (CoS). Such practitioners range from those who closely adhere to the original teachings of Scientology's founder, science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, to those who have so far adapted their practices to be almost unrecognizable as Scientology. The term Free Zone was originally only used by a single organization, but the term is now commonly applied to all non-CoS Scientologists, although many dispute the application of the term to themselves. However, the group whose name became adopted as a generic term for independent Scientology was not the first group to break away from the official organizations founded by Hubbard; the California Association of Dianetic Auditors, the oldest breakaway group still in existence, claims a founding date of December 1950, predating the Church of Scientology itself.

A November 2004 press release published by the International Freezone Association cited what it says was a command written by L. Ron Hubbard himself: "... before you go, whisper this to your sons and their sons: 'THE WORK WAS FREE. KEEP IT SO.'" (capitals as in press release).

Skeptic Magazine described the Free Zone as: "..a group founded by ex-Scientologists to promote L. Ron Hubbard's ideas independent of the COS ." A Miami Herald article wrote that ex-Scientologists joined the Free Zone because they felt that Church of Scientology leadership had: "..strayed from Hubbard's original teachings." One Free Zone Scientologist identified as "Safe", was quoted in Salon as saying: "The Church of Scientology does not want its control over its members to be found out by the public and it doesn't want its members to know that they can get scientology outside of the Church of Scientology".

Origin of the term 'Free Zone'

The first group to use the term 'Free Zone' was the organization founded by "Captain" Bill Robertson in 1982, now known as "Ron's Org". The name came from the "space opera" beliefs Robertson expressed in the "Free Zone Decree", which he said was an Official Decree of the "Galactic Grand Council" which was "relayed from Mainship, Sector 9":

1. The planet known as Teegeeack - local dialect "Earth" or Terra - Sun 12, Sector 9, is hereby declared a Free Zone.
2. No political interference in its affairs from any other part of the Sector or Galaxy will be tolerated.
3. No economic interference in its affairs will be tolerated from any non-planetary agency or power.
4. All of its inhabitants are hereby declared Free Zone Citizens and free of external political or economic interference.

The name "Teegeeack" had already been established as a galactic name for Earth by Hubbard in the materials known as OT III, which tell the story of Xenu.

Germany

Hamburg Scientology Commissioner Ursula Caberta has said that the Free Zone is a type of "methadone program for Scientologists," and, in any case, "the lesser evil." The Free Zone group Ron's Org says that the Verfassungsschutz Baden-Württemberg (State Office for the Protection of the Constitution) has stated that there is no need to keep Ron's Org under observation "as the Ron’s Org has no anti-constitutional goals." Ron's Org says that some of its members have in fact cooperated in the efforts of state authorities to observe and investigate the Church of Scientology.

The Church of Scientology and the Free Zone

The Church labels all practitioners of and believers in Scientology without its sanction "squirrels" — a term Hubbard coined to describe those who alter Scientology "technology" or practice it in a nonstandard fashion. Among Scientologists, the term is pejorative, and comparable in meaning to heretic. In practice, the hierarchy of the Church of Scientology uses it to describe all of those who practice Scientology outside the Church, regardless of their degree of adherence to the tech. This usage is at odds with the meaning Hubbard originally attributed to the term. Many "squirrels" are former Church members who left the Church for various reasons — the Church frequently states they were dismissed for "unethical activities", but many observers say that because of the different meaning the word ethics has in Scientology, this merely translates to a general accusation they did something that Church officials viewed as detrimental to the Church.

The Church has taken steps to suppress the Free Zone and shut down dissenters when possible. CoS has used copyright and trademark laws to attack various Free Zone groups. Accordingly, the Free Zone avoids the use of officially trademarked Scientology words, including 'Scientology' itself. In 2000, the Religious Technology Center unsuccessfully attempted to gain the Web domain www.scientologie.org from the WIPO, in a legal action against the Free Zone.

Many Free Zone advocates say that everyone has the right to freely practice the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, whether sanctioned by the Church or not. In support of this they cite Hubbard himself:

Dianetics is not in any way covered by legislation anywhere, for no law can prevent one man sitting down and telling another man his troubles, and if anyone wants a monopoly on dianetics, be assured that he wants it for reasons which have to do not with dianetics but with profit. —L. Ron Hubbard, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health (1950)

Other Free Zoners assert basic human rights protections in order to freely follow their chosen religion.

The word "Scientology"

Controversy over the origins of the word Scientology has given Free Zone a way to contest Scientology's trademarks. They note a German book, entitled Scientologie, Wissenschaft von der Beschaffenheit und der Tauglichkeit des Wissens (1934), by Dr. Anastasius Nordenholz (as opposed to Hubbard's Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought, 1954), which they use as the basis of their challenge to Scientology's trademark claims. Because Scientologie was not written by Hubbard, they argue, the Church is exerting unfair control over its practice, and attempting to enforce a monopoly.

References

1. Grossman, Wendy M. (December 1995). "alt.scientology.war". Wired News. Retrieved 2007-04-14.
   "One of the first steps toward open warfare was the emergence, in about 1990, of a group that wanted to separate the church and its scriptures. Calling itself the Free Zone, this group consists of people who have left the church but still want to practice its teachings - use the tech, as Free Zoners say. Ex Scientologist Homer Smith is one of these (ex meaning "expanded," not "former" Scientologist, says Smith). Wanting to encourage serious discussion of the tech away from the noisy brawl next door in alt.religion.scientology, Smith set up a second newsgroup, alt.clearing.technology, for this purpose."
2. Sappell, Joel (1990-06-29). "When the Doctrine Leaves the Church". Los Angeles Times. p. A49:1. Retrieved 2007-04-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Additional convenience link at .
3. "California Association of Dianetic Auditors -- Who We Are". Retrieved 2007-04-14. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |month= and |coauthors= (help)
4. "The Truth Is Out Here! : The Scientology Free Zone could be described as the pioneer of truth in the tradition of the Great Western Pioneers of the US who carved out a place in history" (Press release). International Freezone Association. 2004-11-16. Retrieved 2007-04-14. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. Lippard, J. (1995). "Scientology v. the Internet. Free Speech & Copyright Infringement on the Information Super-Highway". Skeptic Magazine. pp. Vol. 3, No. 3., Pg. 35-41. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
6. Staff (2005-07-02). "SCIENTOLOGY: What's Behind the Hollywood Hype?". Miami Herald. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
7. ^ Brown, Janelle (1999-07-22). "Copyright -- or wrong? : The Church of Scientology takes up a new weapon -- the Digital Millennium Copyright Act -- in its ongoing battle with critics". Salon. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
8. The Free Zone Decree
9. Sappell, Joel (1990-06-24). "Defining the Theology". Los Angeles Times. p. A36:1. Retrieved 2007-04-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Additional convenience link at .
10. Kintzinger, Axel (1998-12-11). "The sect is broke". Die Woche. Retrieved 2007-04-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
11. "Maybe it makes you feel more confident, for example, if you learn that the office for safeguarding the constitution (Verfassungsschutz) of the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg has stated years ago that the Ron’s Org is not a part of the Church of Scientology and that there is no need to observe them as the Ron’s Org has no anti-constitutional goals. Indeed, there is some cooperation between members of the Ron’s Org and state authorities who observe the Church of Scientology and investigate their activities. English FAQ on German Ron's Org site
12. Meyer-Hauser, Bernard F. (June 23, 2000). "Religious Technology Center v. Freie Zone E. V". Case No. D2000-0410. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

External links

Organizations

• FreeZone Earth
• Freezone AO International
• Ron's Org Committee
• International Freezone Association

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• Free Zone
• Scientology