Scientology aims for more converts

THE CHURCH of Scientology in Ireland says it hopes to expand its membership by opening new missions outside Dublin and attracting more immigrants.

The church has an estimated 400 members in Ireland, but spokesman Gerard Ryan believes more people across the country could look to Scientology for their faith in the coming years.

“Ireland is a much more multi-faith society these days. People are looking for something a bit more unusual. There are two trends at the moment: there is a decrease in organised faith and large numbers of people are professing no faith at all. But Scientology is coming from a different place completely.”

Mr Ryan said less than 10 per cent of the church’s members are foreign nationals, due to the literacy level required to study their teachings. However, its publications are available in a number of languages.

The controversial religion will be the subject of a protest outside its Dublin headquarters in Middle Abbey Street this morning, for the seventh time this year. Anonymous, a loose collective of internet activists, object to what they term the church’s “corruption”.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times