From now on in Russia, only outlaws will have Scientology pamphlets, as the writings of L. Ron Hubbard have been criminalized. That’s right, no more free “Are You Stressed?” quizzes in the subway for the people of Moscow. From Yahoo News:
Under a new law empowering the Russian government to ban written work categorized as “extremist materials,” the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has declared that the work of L. Ron Hubbard, the American founder of Scientology, belongs on a list of materials “undermining the traditional spiritual values of the citizens of the Russian Federation.”
The law lays out fines of 3,000 rubles ($100) for anyone in possession of such materials, or a jail term of up to 15 days — with harsher penalties imposed on repeat offenders and/or those with a criminal history.
According to the Moscow Times, 28 Hubbard-penned titles are now on that forbidden-readings list, including such works such as “The Factors, Admiration & the Renaissance of Beingness” and “The Unification Congress. Communication! Freedom and Ability.” The writings were reportedly intercepted by Russian transport officials, who forwarded them to a panel of “psychiatrists, psychologists, and sociologists” for review. The panel determined that the Scientology works justified using “violence in general” against critics of the church — while also containing “hidden calls for social and religious hatred.”
Read More: Yahoo News
