Court refuses to rule on Scientology

Germany's Supreme Administrative Court refused yesterday to rule on whether the Church of Scientology should be treated as a bona fide religion or a commercial enterprise, referring the matter to a lower court. The Supreme Court had been asked to rule on a decision by the state of BadenWurttemberg to deny charitable status to the local Scientologist branch on the basis that the sect was a money-making venture rather than a religion.

The Berlin judges urttemberg's Administrative Court to rule on the issue but suggested the sect should only be considered a business if it made a profit from selling educational materials to non-members. Scientologists insist they make no profit from the materials. urttemberg and the state of Bavaria last year banned members of the sect from joining the civil service.

The organisation took out fullpage advertisements in a number of European newspapers earlier this year to condemn Germany's treatment of Scientologists, comparing it with Hitler's persecution of the Jews.

The Confederation of German Industry and Commerce describes Scientology as "a worldwide commercial enterprise with a military structure comparable to the Mafia". The confederation claims that the organisation uses conventional businesses, especially estate agents, as front groups, demanding that up to 18 per cent of the profits be paid to its central fund.

"Because of the immense pressure to succeed, the firm is practically forced to swindle its customers," according to a report by the confederation's Cologne branch.

At least 20 firms linked to Scientology have been set up in Berlin since reunification to capitalise on the property boom that followed the fall of the Wall.

Founded in 1954 by the science fiction writer, L. Ronald Hubbard, the Church of Scientology teaches a belief system called Dianetics, which combines elements of Buddhism, Christianity and Freudianism with a dash of astral history.

The interior minister of BadenWurttemberg, which has kept Scientologists under surveillance since the beginning of this year, claims that the sect is determined to place its members in influential positions in Germany's business and political worlds.

Few Germans show any sympathy towards Scientology but some liberal observers argue that the government's approach is counter-productive and diplomats acknowledge that the issue has become an irritation in relations with the United States. The US State Department has complained about Germany's treatment of Scientologists.