Kingnewswire press release // The Church of Scientology of Sweden and all its churches affiliated with Stockholm, Malmö and Göteborg celebrate the 25th anniversary of the religious recognition of the Church of Scientology. The decision was made on the day of the founder of the Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, on March 13, 2000, in accordance with the Act respecting religious communities (SFS 1998: 1593)
Although Sweden has enjoyed greater freedom of religion since 1951 and this right has been inscribed in Swedish law and constitution, which guarantee freedom to practice its religion alone or in groups, recognized religious diversity has been increased since the separation of the Church and the State on January 1, 2000. Since then, a certain number of other religions have been recognized in addition to the Church of Sweden, in particular the Catholic Mission Church, Romaine, the Swedish Missionary Alliance, the Baptist Union of Sweden, the Salvation Army, the Methodist Church of Sweden, the Pentecostal Church and the Evangelical Church.
The first major recognition of Scientology in Sweden came from the tax authorities who, after doing research and asking questions about the lessons, practices and social impact of scientologists in the country, decided to grant the Church a tax exemption on November 23, 1999. In their decision, they declared that “the Church is a non -profit organization with religious practices such as Sunday, that the study of religious scriptures ”and that it complies with all the requirements of the law.
The time had come to ensure that the Church also obtained the right to be recognized as a religion of good faith. On March 13, 2000, the anniversary of the birth of the founder of the Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard, the Swedish National Council of Justice for land and public funds (National Administration of Religions) granted final registration as a religious entity, after verification that the conditions were met.
“The year 2000 was very important for us in Sweden in many ways,” said Minister Tarja Vulto, then information secretary of the Church of Scientology in Sweden. “We have not only been recognized as a real religious organization, but we also obtained all ministerial rights to celebrate marriages, baptism ceremonies and legally binding funerals,” she adds.
It goes without saying that the Church of Scientology has actively participated in initiatives of social improvement throughout Sweden, especially in the areas affected by crime and the activities of the gangs. For example, in a district of Malmö, known for its high crime rate and the presence of gangs, the Scientologists have distributed Le Chemin du happiness (TWTH), which promote an ethical life. After establishing the dialogue with the local gang chief, they obtained access to the area, which led to transformative changes. The gang members participated in cleaning and catering efforts and watched educational videos from the Chemin du Happiness, while the local youth center received support for renovations. In a few weeks, the area went from a community to prey crime to a cleaner and more peaceful community, a change recognized by the police as a significant improvement. A similar initiative in a district of Stockholm made it possible to distribute thousands of booklets from the Chemin du Happiness, which led to a notable reduction in criminal activity, as confirmed by local police.
Beyond these specific community efforts and the many popular “family weekends” which have gathered thousands of people at the ideal church of Scientology in Malmö, organizations affiliated with Scientology have long been active in Sweden. The Citizens’ Commission for Human Rights (CCDH) has been working for over 40 years to denounce human rights violations in psychiatry and plead for legislative changes promoting human treatment. At the same time, Narconon, a drug rehabilitation program based on the discoveries of L. Ron Hubbard, has been present in Sweden for over 50 years. He helped thousands of people and their families overcome their dependence thanks to his unique methods and concluded agreements with municipalities across the country to provide his services. “The multidimensional approach of Scientology to approach social issues while promoting community engagement is something that members of our community are very proud, and they do their best to continue to improve and increase these efforts,” said Ivan Arjona, representative of Scientology to European and United Nations institutions.
The religion of Scientology was founded by the author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first church of Scientology was created in Los Angeles in 1954 and the religion of Scientology developed to count today more than 11,000 churches, missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 countries, and more and more countries recognizing its religiosity in good faith and its value for society, as evidenced by recognitions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, United, Sweden, Netherlands, Italy, Colombia, Mexico, Canada, Portugal and many others.
source link eu news
