Scientology as a state-recognized religion

Scientology status by country describes the status of Scientology

Scientology

Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...

and its recognition as a religion or otherwise in different countries. The Church of Scientology

Church of Scientology

The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...

pursues an extensive public relations

Public relations

Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....

campaign for state recognition of Scientology as a religion and cites numerous scholarly sources supporting its position. The level of recognition Scientology

Scientology

Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...

has been able to obtain varies significantly from country to country.

The Church of Scientology

Church of Scientology

has been recognized as a religious denomination in its home country, the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, and has received full recognition in various other countries such as Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

and Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

; it thus enjoys and regularly cites the constitutional protection afforded in these nations to religious practice. Some countries, mostly in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, have regarded Scientology as a potentially dangerous cult

Cult

The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...

, or at least have not considered local branches of the Church of Scientology to meet the legal criteria for being considered religion-supporting organization

Religion-supporting organization

Religious activities generally need some infrastructure to be conducted. For this reason, there generally exist religion-supporting organizations, which are some form of organization that manage:* the upkeep of places of worship, e.g...

Status by country

Country	Status	Further information
Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...	Argentina recognizes Scientology as a religion.
Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...	Case law Case law In law, case law is the set of reported judicial decisions of selected appellate courts and other courts of first instance which make new interpretations of the law and, therefore, can be cited as precedents in a process known as stare decisis... has ruled that Scientology is a religion.	Scientology in Australia Scientology in Australia Scientology has existed in Australia since the mid 1950s. Their numbers vary depending upon the source: according to the 2007 census it has a growing population, 2507 members, up from 1489 ten years ago, while Scientology itself has claimed 150,000 members in Australia. It has headquarters in...
Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...	Tax-exempt status as a charitable religious organization.
Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...	In 2005 Scientology's application for the status of a recognized religion was refused.	Scientology in Belgium Scientology in Belgium Scientology has operated in Belgium since 1972, but the organization has encountered difficulties there in recent years.-Status of Scientology in Belgium:...
Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...	Not registered as a religion. Registered as a non-religious "private association" under CNPJ number 05.586.122/0001-25. The organization has the following registered activities: sound recording and music edition, book publishing, distribution of movies, videos and TV programs.
Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...		Scientology in Canada Scientology in Canada Scientology in Canada has encountered similar difficulties in obtaining status as a tax exempt organization as has happened in other countries.-Legal status as a religion:Religious scholars David G...
Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...	As of 2009, Scientology is considered a cult.
Croatia Croatia Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...	Croatia recognizes Scientology as a religion.
Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...	In Denmark the Church of Scientology is not officially approved as a religion. It first applied for approval in the early 1970s; two further unsuccessful applications followed in 1976 and 1982. In mid-1997, the Church of Scientology filed a fourth application, which was suspended at their own request in 2000. In suspending their application, the Church asked the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs to clarify the approval procedure, but was told that it must first submit an application before any feedback could be provided. Despite Scientology's unofficial status, the Church of Scientology maintains its European headquarters in Copenhagen Copenhagen Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region... .
Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...	Scientology is not officially recognized as a religion. An application by the Church of Scientology to be registered as a religious body was denied by the Ministry of Education in 1998 on the grounds that "the known nature of the activities is not public worship in the sense meant by the law on freedom of religion". The denial was issued after the Church "had failed to comply with a request for more information".
France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...	Since 1995, France has classified the Scientology as a "sect" (cult) as seen in the report of the National Assembly of France. On this basis, a hostile stance is generally taken against the organization. In 2009, Scientology was fined the equivalent of almost US$900,000 upon conviction for fraud.	Scientology in France Scientology in France A parliamentary report classified Scientology as a dangerous cult. However, the French government recommended to not use the parliamentary reports and the lists included, through a circulaire made by prime minister Raffarin in 2005...
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...		Scientology in Germany Scientology in Germany The Church of Scientology has been present in Germany since 1970. German authorities estimate that there are 5,000–6,000 active Scientologists in Germany today; the Church of Scientology gives a membership figure of around 30,000...
Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....	In the case "Attiki Prefecture vs KEPHE," the practice of Scientology was ordered ended in Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... . An appeal to the Athenian Court of Appeals ended with a reaffirmation of the verdict. The verdict was originally issued on December 20, 1995, but was not immediately put into effect. In January 1998 a Greek appeals court ordered Scientology's assets liquidated. The appeals process came to its conclusion in 2002, when KEPHE ended its appeals. According to the U.S. Department of State, Scientologists, who are mostly located in the Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... area, practice their faith through a registered non-profit civil-law organization. Two laws from the 1930s require recognized or "known" religious groups wanting to open houses of worship to obtain "house of prayer" permits from the Ministry of Education and Religion. There is no formal mechanism in Greece to gain recognition as a known religion. By law, the Ministry may base its decision to issue permits on the opinion of the local Orthodox Greek Orthodox Church The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament... bishop Bishop A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the... ; documentation provided to the Department of State by Scientology representatives and the Greek Orthodox Church indicated the Ministry did indeed consult with local bishops in some cases. According to Ministry officials, applications for additional houses of prayer were numerous and approved routinely; however, Scientologists in Greece had not been able to register or build a house of prayer.
Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...	According to Freedom of religion and belief: a world report (1997), Indonesian government legislation recognizes the "right of all religions to exist and function in society" and "the Church of Scientology has experienced no difficulties in gaining registration".
Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...	In Israel, freedom of religion is a legal right, but only five religions, all Abrahamic Abrahamic religions Abrahamic religions are the monotheistic faiths emphasizing and tracing their common origin to Abraham or recognizing a spiritual tradition identified with him... , are officially recognised by authorities. In January 1987 a parliamentary commission on cults, headed by MK Miriam Glazer-Ta'asa Miriam Glazer-Ta'asa Miriam Glazer-Ta'asa is an Israeli former politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Likud between 1981 and 1988, and as Deputy Minister of Education and Culture from 1981 until 1984.-Biography:... , declared Scientology a cult, although no further measures were taken.
Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...	In Ireland, the Church of Scientology has not been successful in its attempts to obtain tax-free, charitable status. Scientology maintains a mission in Dublin.
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...	In terms of corporate status, the Italian Church of Scientology is merely one of Italy's non-profit and common-law associations; it has neither an intesa (recognition agreement with the Italian state), nor is it a recognized confessional community (ente di culto). Some courts, including those in Rome and Turin, have viewed Scientology as a religion, although the Appeals Court of Milan did not do so during the 20-year-long criminal trial of various Scientologists. After it twice refused to recognize Scientology as a religion, its decisions were overturned by the Italian Supreme Court. The Italian Supreme Court gave exact guidelines to the Appeals Court of Milan to follow. Following these guidelines the Appeals Court of Milan concluded: "This Judge – along with the Supreme Court – acknowledges the fact that the evidence collected does not lead to the exclusion of the denominational character of Scientology that is supported by its by-laws and public recognition. A criminal association amongst the present defendant does not exist." With that, the Appeals Court of Milan exonerated the defendants of all charges. Responding to the charge that Scientology had an inordinate interest in making money, the Supreme Court noted that this charge "appears much less excessive if we consider how money was raised in the past by the Roman Catholic Church Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity... ." In March 2000, the Italian Supreme Court upheld Scientology's religious status in Italy while reaffirming that Narconon is a non-tax-exempt for-profit business.
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...	According to the U.S. State Department's 2008 International Religious Freedom Report, Scientologists are among many minority groups facing increasingly negative media coverage in Kazakhstan. During an April 10, 2008, press conference, a spokesperson for the Kazakh government's Procurator General's Office claimed that there were approximately 1,870 religious organizations in the country that presented a threat to national security and were engaged in destructive operations, citing Scientologists as one of the examples (these statements were later removed from the press conference transcript posted on the PGO website). In 2008, parliament discussed new draft legislation which would severely restrict religious freedom. In February 2009, Interfax reported that Kazakh prosecutors were seeking liquidation of the Scientology Church in Karaganda Karaganda Karagandy , more commonly known by its Russian name Karaganda, , is the capital of Karagandy Province in Kazakhstan. It is the fourth most populous city in Kazakhstan, behind Almaty , Astana and Shymkent, with a population of 471,800 . In the 1940s up to 70% of the city's inhabitants were ethnic... . In a statement on its website, the Kazakh Prosecutor General's Office cited concerns over national security, as Scientologists' activity was aimed at undermining the "Kazakh nation's health through inflicting harm on people's psychic and physical health", and added that Scientologists were practising medicine outside medical institutions, and without the requisite education.
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...	The U.S. Department of State's 2005 Report on International Religious Freedom announced that the Church of Scientology had been registered as a religious group by the Kyrgyzstan State Commission on Religious Affairs.
New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...	The Inland Revenue Department of the government of New Zealand issued an official decision in December 2002 which accepted that the Church of Scientology of New Zealand met the requirements of the definition of Charitable Purpose in s OB 1 of the Income Tax Act 1994. The Inland Revenue Department made no ruling about whether Scientology was a religion or not. In June, 2008 the New Zealand Charities Commission accept the registration of the Church of Scientology as a charity under the category of religious activities. It made no ruling as to whether Scientology was a religion. The New Zealand Charities Commission is currently considering requests for the Church of Scientology to be deregistered as a charity.	Scientology in New Zealand Scientology in New Zealand Scientology has been established in New Zealand since 1955.The 2006 census gives 357 people affiliated to The Church of Scientology although the Church claims that it has 5000 followers....
Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...	Norway does not recognize the official Church of Scientology as a religious community, but it is registered as a non-profit.
Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...	The Portuguese government officially recognized Scientology as a religion in November 2007.
Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...	The Church has been subjected to considerable pressure from the state in Russia. In April 2007, the European Court of Human Rights European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or... ruled against Russia for repeatedly refusing to consider the Moscow Church of Scientology's application for the status of a legally valid religious association. The court found that the reasons given to deny re-registration of the church by the justice department and endorsed by the Moscow courts had no legal basis. In July 2007, the St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea... City Court ordered that the city's Scientology center be closed for violating its charter by engaging in unlicensed health care services. A court in Samara Samara, Russia Samara , is the sixth largest city in Russia. It is situated in the southeastern part of European Russia at the confluence of the Volga and Samara Rivers. Samara is the administrative center of Samara Oblast. Population: . The metropolitan area of Samara-Tolyatti-Syzran within Samara Oblast... came to a similar decision in November 2008, closing down the activities of the local center for practicing without a license. In September 2009, the European Court of Human Rights issued a binding ruling in favor of two Scientology branches in Surgut Surgut Surgut is a city in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located on the Ob River near its junction with the Irtysh River, the largest in the autonomous okrug and the second largest in Tyumen Oblast. Population:... and Nizhnekamsk Nizhnekamsk Nizhnekamsk is a city in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, located to the south of the Kama River between the cities of Naberezhnye Chelny and Chistopol.Population: -History:... , which had been denied registration as "religious organizations." The two organizations were awarded 20,000 € in costs and damages. The ruling, which cannot be appealed, said that Russia could not ban the Church of Scientology simply because it did not have a long history in the country. In 2010 some of the works of L. Ron Hubbard were included into the Federal List of banned extremist materials Federal List of Extremist Materials Federal List of Extremist Materials is a list of works that are banned in Russia. It is compiled by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation since July 14, 2007 and contains 918 items as of July 20, 2010... http://palm.newsru.com/religy/30jun2011/genprok.html but removed on 3 May 2011.http://www.scientologyfacts.ru/?show=news&id=66 Federal List of banned extremist materials Federal List of Extremist Materials Federal List of Extremist Materials is a list of works that are banned in Russia. It is compiled by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation since July 14, 2007 and contains 918 items as of July 20, 2010... Yet another such attempt was made by prosecutor in mid-2011 but was unsuccessful from the very beginning. http://www.sova-center.ru/misuse/news/persecution/2011/07/d22014/	Scientology in Russia Scientology in Russia -Church of Scientology Moscow v. Russia:In April 2007, the European Court of Human Rights ruled against Russia for repeatedly refusing to consider the Moscow Church of Scientology's application for the status of a legally valid religious association...
Slovenia Slovenia Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...	According to a 2008 Le Monde Le Monde Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944... report, Slovenia recognizes Scientology as a religion.
South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...	In 1975, Scientology was recognized as a non-profit organization in South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... , despite the 1972 report of a formal government Commission of Inquiry that recommended otherwise. In April 2000, Scientology ministers were granted the right to perform marriages. In December 2007, South Africa granted a certificate to the Church recognizing it as a "Public Benefit Organisation".
Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...	On 31 October 2007 the National Court in Madrid issued a decision recognizing that the National Church of Scientology of Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... should be entered in the Registry of Religious Entities. The administrative tribunal of Madrid's High Court ruled that a 2005 justice ministry decision to scrap Scientology from the register was "against the law." Responding to a petition filed by the church, the ruling said that no documents had been presented in court to demonstrate it was anything other than a religious entity. Authorities had earlier declared that the government would not interfere in any way with the activities of the Church of Scientology.
Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....	On March 13, 2000 Scientology was registered as a "religious community".
Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....	In several cases between 1995 and 2000, the Switzerland Supreme Court Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland is the supreme court of Switzerland. It is located in Lausanne.According to the Constitution of Switzerland, the court has jurisdiction over violations of:federal law;public international law;*intercantonal law;... consistently ruled that the Church of Scientology is primarily a commercial, rather than religious, organization. There is also a law in Basel Basel Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany... which makes it illegal to "dishonestly" accost people on the street, a law which was adopted to help combat proselytizing by Scientologists.
Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...	In 2003, the National Ministry of the Interior for Taiwan recognized the Church of Scientology of Taiwan as a charitable religious institution, officially adding it to the rolls of the country's recognized religions.
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...	The UK government does not classify the Church of Scientology as a religious institution. The Church's application for charity status in England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... and Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... was rejected in 1999, and the Church has not exercised its right of appeal. However, in 2000, the Church of Scientology was exempted from UK value added tax Value added tax A value added tax or value-added tax is a form of consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the "value added" to a product, material or service, from an accounting point of view, by this stage of its... on the basis that it is a not-for-profit body. The Ministry of Defence Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces.... has confirmed that Scientology is "an officially recognised religion in the Royal Navy Royal Navy The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service... ". The UK Prison Service does not recognize Scientology as a religion, but prisoners who are registered as Scientologists may practice their religion and are given access to a representative of the Church of Scientology if they wish to receive its ministry. The UK government has openly criticized the Church in the past, as documented in 1971 in the Foster Report Foster Report The Foster Report is a 1971 report titled Enquiry into the Practice and Effects of Scientology, written by Sir John Foster for the government of the United Kingdom, regarding the Church of Scientology.... , but places no restrictions upon its activities.	Scientology in the United Kingdom Scientology in the United Kingdom Scientology in the United Kingdom is practised mainly within the Church of Scientology and its related groups which go under names including "Hubbard Academy of Personal Independence" and "Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Centre". The national headquarters, and former global headquarters,...
United States of America	Since 1993, the Internal Revenue Service Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue... in the United States has formally recognized Scientology as a religion.	Scientology in the United States Scientology in the United States Scientology was founded in the United States by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard and is now practiced in many other countries.-History:...
Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...	Recognized as a religion.

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