Free Zone (Scientology) - The Church of Scientology and The Free Zone

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.

The Church of Scientology has used copyright and trademark laws against various Free Zone groups. Accordingly, most of 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 (World Intellectual Property Organization; one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations), 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)

If I have fought for a quarter of a century, most of it alone, to keep this work from serving to uphold the enslavers of Man, to keep it free from some destructive "pitch" or slant, then you certainly can carry that motif a little further. But before you go, whisper this to your sons, and their sons – "The work was free. Keep it so."

—L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology: Clear Procedure - Issue One (1957)

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

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".

A 2006 Channel 4 documentary, The Beginner's Guide to L Ron Hubbard, presented by Sikh comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli explored Free Zone Scientology after the Church of Scientology declined to take part.