Church of Scientology

A religious organisation founded by L. Ron Hubbard, whose early life has been linked by various writers to rocket engineer Jack Parsons and the occult Ordo Templi Orientis in Pasadena, California, an association the Church itself has contested.

L. Ron Hubbard

L. Ron Hubbard founded Dianetics and, subsequently, the Church of Scientology.¹ Before establishing the Church, Hubbard married Sara Northrup.²

Jack Parsons, who founded the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), was Hubbard’s compatriot in numerous occult rites before Hubbard went on to found the Church.³ Jacques Vallée has said that the inventor of Dianetics practised ritual magic with the rocket expert Parsons.⁴ Vallée has also linked Parsons and Hubbard to the same process of belief in extraterrestrial superiority.⁵

According to Dark Mission (ebook), the Church has claimed that Hubbard was sent by the United States Navy (USN) to infiltrate and break up a black magic cult operating in Los Angeles.⁶ Richard C. Hoagland has said that, after reviewing documentation supplied by the Church, he considers plausible the premise that Hubbard was an Office of Naval Intelligence informant sent to infiltrate and destabilise the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) and Federation of American Scientists.⁷ According to Dark Mission, the Federation of American Scientists was a left-wing group of disaffected Manhattan Project veterans dismayed at the military uses of atomic weapons.⁸ Hoagland has since said that he holds the weight of the evidence supports the Church’s version of events regarding Hubbard’s role at the OTO temple in Pasadena, over the less flattering alternative account.⁹

In October 2008, Mike Bara was invited to visit the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition in Hollywood and meet with several members of the Church.¹⁰ Bara said that members of the Church sought to correct what they viewed as mischaracterisations in Dark Mission’s treatment of Hubbard and Parsons at the JPL.¹¹ According to Bara, the Church was most concerned with conveying that none of its teachings are based on the Thelemic beliefs of Aleister Crowley.¹² Bara said he considers the Church deserving of the benefit of the doubt on that point.¹³ Bara said the Church argued that Hubbard was sent to infiltrate and disrupt Parsons’ activities at 1003 Orange Grove Avenue rather than being a willing participant in Parsons’ pursuits within the OTO.¹⁴ Bara said that documents provided by the Church inclined him to lean toward the infiltration interpretation.¹⁵

According to Dark Mission, a Bill of Sale produced by the Church shows that Parsons sold the sailing boat Harpoon (sailing boat) to Hubbard.¹⁶ Hoagland has said that the Church remains a major influence in Hollywood today.¹⁷

References (17)

Hubbard founded Dianetics and later the Church of Scientology
“Ron Hubbard, on the other hand, founded Dianetics and, later, the Church of Scientology.”
Messengers of Deception: UFO Contacts and Cults ch. 13
Hubbard married Sara Northrup before founding the Church
“Hubbard went on to marry Betty and eventually form the Church of Scientology”
Dark Mission ch. 12
Hubbard was Parsons' compatriot in occult rites before founding the Church
“His compatriot in many of these bizarre rites was one L. Ron Hubbard [Fig. 5-19], who later went on to form the controversial "Church of Scientology"”
Dark Mission ch. 12
Vallée: Hubbard is said to have practised ritual magic with Parsons
“Indeed, the inventor of Dianetics is said to have practiced ritual magic with a rocket expert named Jack Parsons”
Messengers of Deception: UFO Contacts and Cults ch. 4
Vallée links Parsons and Hubbard to the same extraterrestrial-superiority belief process
“The same links can be traced around people like Jack Parsons, who founded JPL, and Ron Hubbard, who founded Scientology.”
Messengers of Deception: UFO Contacts and Cults ch. 13
Church claims Hubbard was sent by the US Navy to infiltrate a black magic cult
“The Church of Scientology claims that he was sent by the U.S. Navy to infiltrate and break up a "black magic cult" operating in Los Angeles.”
Dark Mission ch. 12
Hoagland finds plausible the premise that Hubbard was an ONI informant sent to infiltrate the OTO and FAS
“After seeing the documentation supplied to me by the Church of Scientology, I find the premise a plausible one.”
Dark Mission ch. 5
FAS described as a group of disaffected Manhattan Project veterans
“a group called the Federation of American Scientists, a left wing group of disaffected Manhattan Project veterans who were dismayed at the military uses of atomic weapons”
Dark Mission ch. 5
Hoagland now holds the evidence favours the Church's account of Hubbard's role at the OTO temple
“I will admit that I now hold that the weight of the evidence supports the Scientologist's version of events over the less flattering one.”
Dark Mission ch. 5
Bara invited to the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition, October 2008
“In October, 2008, I was invited to the visit the L. Ron Hubbard Life Exhibition in Hollywood and meet with several members of the Church of Scientology.”
Dark Mission ch. 5
Church members sought to correct mischaracterisations in Dark Mission's Hubbard/Parsons section
“They sought to set the record straight on what they viewed as mischaracterizations in the section dealing with Hubbard and Jack Parsons of JPL.”
Dark Mission ch. 5
Church most concerned to convey its teachings are not based on Crowley's Thelema
“They were most concerned with conveying the message that none of their teachings are based in any way on the Thelemic beliefs of Aleister Crowley.”
Dark Mission ch. 5
Bara considers the Church deserving of the benefit of the doubt on that point
“From my limited knowledge of the practices of the Church of Scientology, it is my opinion is that the Church deserves the benefit of the doubt on this point.”
Dark Mission ch. 5
Church argued Hubbard was sent to infiltrate, not a willing OTO participant
“The Church has argued Hubbard was not so much a willing participant in Parsons’ pursuits as he was an instrument of disruption inside the Ordo Templi Orientis. According to the Church—and as we outlined in Chapter Five of the original edition—Hubbard was sent to infiltrate and disrupt the worrisome activities of Jack Parsons at 1003 Orange Grove Avenue.”
Dark Mission ch. 5
Church documents inclined Bara toward the infiltration interpretation
“Documents provided to me by the Church now incline me to lean more toward this interpretation, although I think it is fair to say we will never know for certain.”
Dark Mission ch. 5
Bill of Sale shows Parsons sold the boat Harpoon to Hubbard
“A Bill of Sale produced by the Church shows that Parsons sold the *Harpoon* to Hubbard.”
Dark Mission ch. 5
Hoagland: the Church remains a major influence in Hollywood today
“which is still a major influence in Hollywood today”
Dark Mission ch. 12

Church of Scientology

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