Scientology in New Zealand

Scientology has been established in New Zealand since 1955.[1]

The 2006 census gives 357 people affiliated to The Church of Scientology[2][3] although the Church claims that it has 5000 followers.[4] By the 2013 census the number claiming to be affiliated had dropped to 315 people.[5]

The church is registered as a charity[6] and Inland Revenue Department has granted charitable status to the church for tax purposes.[7] Marion Moffat is the chairperson of Church of Scientology of New Zealand.

In 1969 the government instituted a Commission of Inquiry into Scientology which resulted in the Dumbleton-Powles Report.

On 21st January 2017, the new Ideal Church of Scientology of Auckland opened its doors in the heritage-listed Grafton building, formerly Whitecliffe Art College. [8]


Censorship

In 2008 a protest against the church as part of Project Chanology was held in some parts of New Zealand by "Anonymous", a world-wide group that has concerns about internet censorship by Scientologists.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Dumbleton-Powles Report
  2. ↑ Statistics New Zealand: QuickStats About Culture and Identity, Table 28:Religious Affiliation
  3. ↑ 2006 New Zealand Religioud Affiliation Data (XLS file) Archived 2013-11-15 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ Wall, Tony (2008-02-10). "The Faith Business". Sunday Star Times.
  5. ↑ "2013 Census totals by topic – tables". Statistics New Zealand. Statistics New Zealand. 10 December 2013. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013.
  6. ↑ charities.govt.nz
  7. ↑ http://www.scientologytoday.org/News/2002/021224.htm
  8. ↑ "An inside look at Auckland's new Church of Scientology". New Zealand Herald. 2017-01-23. Retrieved 2017-09-01.
  9. ↑ Wall, Tony (2008-03-16). "Protesters bid to unmask Scientology". Sunday Star Times. Retrieved 2008-12-17.


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