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Double Opt-In Best Practices for Email MarketingDouble opt-in (DOI) permission practices are often seen as unnecessary and harmful to list growth. However, when used correctly, they can improve your email program’s results by protecting your sender reputation, which keeps you from having deliverability problems.I’ll explain the advantages and disadvantages of double opt-in—which is sometimes referred to as confirmed opt-in—as well as where and how to use it effectively. However, let’s first answer the most foundational question of…How does a double opt-in process work?When an email address is entered into a signup form to receive emails from your company, or, a signup box is checked or left pre-checked as part of a registration or download form, you would send them a signup confirmation email that asks them to click a link in the email in order to confirm their subscription. If they click the link, their subscription is confirmed, and you send them your welcome email, followed by your promotional emails. If they don’t click the link, you don’t send them any additional emails.“Sending one opt-in confirmation request may be enough, especially if you’re getting a high rate of confirmation,” says Daniel Deneweth, Head of Email Deliverability Services at Oracle CX Marketing Consulting. “Others may need to send a ‘reminder’ and then perhaps even a ‘last chance’ confirmation request email to get their rates up. Sending those to non-responders within one or two weeks could be effective, and not too risky.”This process contrasts with a single opt-in process, where your company accepts all email addresses entered into signup forms and accepts all checked boxes as consent.There are three chief advantages of double opt-in.1. It provides ironclad permission.Double opt-in is the only way to be 100% sure that the person who entered an email address actually owns that email address. Since you can only get permission from the owner of an email address, this is the only ironclad way to get permission. From a compliance perspective, securing a double opt-in is the strongest proof of consent you can collect.“This is the No. 1 reason to implement a DOI policy,” says Clea Moore, Director of Deliverability Strategy for Email Deliverability Services at Oracle CX Marketing Consulting. “In addition to compliance issues around the Canadian Anti-Spam Law (CASL) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it helps ensure that you don’t send financial, medical, or other potentially sensitive information to the wrong person. For example, Kelly Molloy, an anti-spam friend and former colleague of mine, regularly receives messages meant for someone else with the same name. Those emails include software keys, concert tickets, medical appointment reminders, and receipts with contact and billing information.”2. It makes consent crystal clearPeople don’t always recognize that they’re signing up for promotional emails. This is especially true when a consumer is checking out online, registering for a webinar, downloading a white paper, or accomplishing some other primary objective. Email consent is collected as a secondary objective. This is most true when email consents are collected via inconspicuous pre-checked boxes or people are auto-opted-in according to details hidden in terms and conditions. This is so user-unfriendly that it’s illegal under CASL and GDPR.A double opt-in clarifies and strengthens consents by adding intent and acknowledgement to the opt-in. Evidence of this can be seen in the fact that subscribers that complete this process have considerably higher email engagement than those who complete a single opt-in process.Read more:FurryDreamDreamlandWhat makes an email exceptional? More specifically, what makes an event registration email stand out from the rest? This list of examples thoroughly breaks down the email marketing tactics that companies use to effectively supplement their overall event strategy. The data shows that email will continue to play a very important role in the event organizer’s promotional strategy. According to the latest events industry benchmark report, 40% of marketers believe email marketing is the most effective channel for event promotion. Taking this into account, this list was created to serve as a source of inspiration for your future campaigns. Given the diversity of examples, there will surely be something to take away from each. Take the Event Technology Assessment Table of Contents 1.Forecast: Consistent Color Scheme 2.Inbound: Speaker Spotlight 3.Women’s Conference: Combined Design Principles 4.Marketing United: Deliberate Messaging 5.Unbounce: Engaging Video Content 6.Collision: Dynamic GIFs 7.AdAge Next: Bold Design Decisions 8.Web Summit: Sense of Urgency 9.Zoomtopia: Helpful Resources for the Reader 10.Orbit Media Conference: Adding a Personal Touch 11.Social Media Marketing World: The Email Signature 12.Dreamforce: Early Bird Offering 13.Consensus: Promoting Registration During The Event 14.Pulse: Consistent Event Engagement 15.Wistiafest: Rule of Three 16.The Email Design Conference: Global Brand Visualization 17.Saastr: Highly Consumable Content 18Apple WWDC: Knowing Your Audience 19.Invision: CTA Placement 20.Google I/O: Creating Exclusivity 1) Forecast: Consistent Color Scheme In the context of event email marketing tactics, the goal of any email should be to capture the reader’s attention. Thus, email design is an essential component to any email marketing campaign. And this does not mean that the design must be intricate with high quality photos. Most times it is best to adhere to basic, fundamental principles of good email design. One of these core principles is maintaining a consistent color scheme. Forecast event reg email example maintains consistent color scheme As show in the above example for the Forecast Conference, going with the same color creates an appealing effect. Keep in mind that a consistent color scheme does not mean using the same exact color throughout the email. It is more aesthetically pleasing to display a consistent color spectrum so that the design does not come off as one-dimensional. In this example, the purple to pink spectrum gives a unifying feel that brings an aesthetic harmony to the overall email. Key takeaway: Sticking with a consistent color scheme helps to unify the email aesthetic and offers a more memorable experience for the reader. back to top 2) Inbound: Speaker Spotlight Inbound event email example highlights speakers For larger conferences, one of the best assets to show off is the lineup of speakers. Use your email campaigns as an opportunity to showcase your speakers to familiarize your audience. Shttp://furrydreamdreamland.tumblr.com/

Countries Where Bitcoin is Legal and not LegalThe peer-to-peer digital currency Bitcoin made its debut in 2009 and with it ushered in a new era of cryptocurrency. While tax authorities, enforcement agencies and regulators worldwide are still debating best practices, one pertinent question: is Bitcoin legal or illegal? The answer – it depends on the location and activity of the user.Bitcoins are not issued, endorsed, or regulated by any central bank. Instead, they are created through a computer-generated process known as mining. In addition to being a cryptocurrency unrelated to any government, Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer payment system since it does not exist in a physical form. As such, it offers a convenient way to conduct cross-border transactions with no exchange rate fees. It also allows users to remain anonymous.Consumers have greater ability to purchase goods and services with Bitcoin directly at online retailers, pull cash out of Bitcoin ATMs and use Bitcoin at some brick-and-mortar stores. The currency is being traded on exchanges, and virtual currency-related ventures and ICOs draw interest from across the investment spectrum. While Bitcoin appears at glance to be a well-established virtual currency system, there are still no uniform international laws that regulate Bitcoin.Countries that Say Yes to BitcoinBitcoin can be used anonymously to conduct transactions between any account holders, anywhere and anytime across the globe, which makes it attractive to criminals and terror organizations. They may use Bitcoin to buy or sell illegal goods like drugs or weapons. Most countries have not clearly determined the legality of Bitcoin, preferring instead to take a wait-and-see approach. Some countries have indirectly assented to the legal use of Bitcoin by enacting some regulatory oversight. However, Bitcoin is never legally acceptable as a substitute for a country’s legal tender.The United StatesThe United States has taken a generally positive stance toward Bitcoin, though several government agencies work to prevent or reduce Bitcoin use for illegal transactions. Prominent businesses like Dish Network (DISH), the Microsoft Store, sandwich retailer Subway and Bedding, Furniture, Electronics, Jewelry, Clothing & more (OSTK) welcome payment in Bitcoin. The digital currency has also made its way to the U.S. derivatives markets, which speaks about its increasingly legitimate presence.The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has been issuing guidance on Bitcoin since 2013. The Treasury has defined Bitcoin not as currency, but as a money services business (MSB). This places it under the Bank Secrecy Act which requires exchanges and payment processors to adhere to certain responsibilities like reporting, registration, and record keeping. In addition, Bitcoin is categorized as property for taxation purposes by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).CanadaLike its southern neighbor the United States, Canada maintains a generally Bitcoin-friendly stance while also ensuring the cryptocurrency is not used for money laundering. Bitcoin is viewed as a commodity by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). This means that Bitcoin transactions are viewed as barter transactions, and the income generated is considered as business income. The taxation also depends whether the individual has a buying-selling business or is only concerned with investing.Canada considers Bitcoin exchanges to be money service businesses. This brings them under the purview of the anti-money laundering (AML) laws. Bitcoin exchanges need to register with Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), report any suspicious transactions, abide by the compliance plans, and even keep certain records. In addition, some major Canadian banks have banned the use of their credit or debit cards for Bitcoin transactions.AustraliaAustralia considers Bitcoin a currency like any other and allows entities to trade, mine, or buy it.The European UnionThough the European Union (EU) has followed developments in cryptocurrency, it has not issued any official decision on legality, acceptance or regulation. In the absence of central guidance, individual EU countries have developed their own Bitcoin stances.In Finland, the Central Board of Taxes (CBT) has given Bitcoin a value-added tax exempt status by classifying it as a financial service. Bitcoin is treated as a commodity in Finland and not as a currency. The Federal Public Service Finance of Belgium has also made Bitcoin exempt from value added tax (VAT). In Cyprus, Bitcoin are not controlled or regulated either. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom (U.K.) has a pro-Bitcoin stance and wants the regulatory environment to be supportive of the digital currency. Bitcoin is under certain tax regulations in the U.K. The National Revenue Agency (NRA) of Bulgaria has also brought Bitcoin under its existing taw laws. Germany is open to Bitcoin; it is considered legal but taxed differently depending upon whether the authorities are dealing with exchanges, miners, enterprises or users.Ukraine - LegalThe use of bitcoins is not regulated in Ukraine. Mining is legal type of entrepreneurship.Belarus - LegalThe Decree On the Development of Digital Economy — the decree of Alexander Lukashenko, the President of the Republic of Belarus, which includes measures to liberalize the conditions for conducting business in the sphere of high technologies.The provisions of the decree "On the Development of Digital Economy" create of a legal basis for the circulation of digital currencies and tokens based on blockchain technology, so that resident companies of the High-Tech Park can provide the services of stock markets and exchange offices with cryptocurrencies and attract financing through the ICO. For legal entities, the Decree confers the rights to create and place their own tokens, carry out transactions through stock markets and exchange operators; to individuals the Decree gives the right to engage in mining, to own tokens, to acquire and change them for Belarusian rubles, foreign currency and electronic money, and to bequeath them. Up to 1 Jan In 2023, the Decree excludes revenue and profits from operations with tokens from the taxable base. In relation to individuals, the acquisition and sale of tokens is not considered entrepreneurial activity, and the tokens themselves and income from transactions with them are not subject to declaration. The peculiarity of the introduced regulation is that all operations will have to be carried out through the resident companies of the High Technology Park.In addition, the decree includes:Extension of the validity period of the special legal regime of the High-Tech Park until January 1, 2049, and expansion of the list of activities of resident companies. Under the new rules, developers of blockchain-based solutions, developers of machine learning systems based on artificial neural networks, companies from the medical and biotechnological industries, developers of unmanned vehicles, as well as software developers and publishers can become residents. The list of promising areas is unlimited and can be expanded by the decision of the High-Tech Park supervisory board.Preservation of existing benefits for resident companies in the High-Tech Park, including the cancellation of the profit tax (instead of which a contribution of 1% of the gross revenues proceeding to the administration of the park is applied), reduced to 9% of the personal income tax rate for employees, and the right to contribute to the Social Protection Fund according to the national average figures, and not the actual salaries.Exemption of foreign companies providing marketing, advertising, consulting and other services to the residents of the High-Tech Park from paying value-added tax, as well as paying income tax, which allows to promote IT products of Belarusian companies in foreign markets. To encourage investments, the Decree also exempts foreign companies from the tax on income from the alienation of shares, stakes in the authorized capital and shares in the property of residents of the High-Tech Park (under condition of continuous possession of at least 365 days).Introduction of individual English law institutions for residents of the High-Tech Park, which will make it possible to conclude option contracts, convertible loan agreements, non-competition agreements with employees, agreements with responsibility for enticing employees, irrevocable powers of attorney and other documents common in international practice. This measure is aimed at simplifying the structuring of transactions with foreign capital.Simplification of the regime of currency transactions for residents of the High-Tech Park, including the introduction of a notification procedure for currency transactions, the cancellation of the mandatory written form of foreign trade transactions, the introduction of confirmation of the conducted operations by primary documents drawn up unilaterally. Also, the decree removes restrictions on resident companies for transactions with electronic money and allows opening accounts in foreign banks and credit and financial organizations without obtaining permission from the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus.Simplification of the procedure for recruiting qualified foreign specialists by resident companies of the High-Tech Park, including the abolition of the recruitment permit, the simplified procedure for obtaining a work permit, and the visa-free regime for the founders and employees of resident companies with a term of continuous stay of up to 180 days.Japan - LegalOn 7 March 2014, the Japanese government, in response to a series of questions asked in the National Diet, made a cabinet decision on the legal treatment of bitcoins in the form of answers to the questions. The decision did not see bitcoin as currency nor bond under the current Banking Act and Financial Instruments and Exchange Law, prohibiting banks and securities companies from dealing in bitcoins. The decision also acknowledges that there are no laws to unconditionally prohibit individuals or legal entities from receiving bitcoins in exchange for goods or services. Taxes may be applicable to bitcoins.Do you think of how to make fast profits with your cryptos..? It’s so possible atcenturycoingroup.us because at Century Coin Group USA , you will be able to make double of your bitcoin investment within just seven days..South Korea it is LegalMinors and all foreigners are prohibited from trading cryptocurrencies. Adult South Koreans may trade on registered exchanges using real name accounts at a bank where the exchange also has an account. Both the bank and the exchange are responsible for verifying the customer's identity and enforcing other anti-money-laundering provisions.As of April 2017, cryptocurrency exchange businesses operating in Japan have been regulated by the Payment Services Act. Cryptocurrency exchange businesses have to be registered, keep records, take security measures, and take measures to protect customers. Financial Services Agency (FSA) was established in 2014 for the purpose of establishing a registration platform for cryptocurrency exchange businesses. the law on cryptocurrency transactions must comply with the anti-money laundering law; and measures to protect users investors. The Payment Services Act defines “cryptocurrency” as a property value. The Act also states that cryptocurrency is limited to property values that are stored electronically on electronic devices, not a legal tender.Taiwan - Legal /Banking banFinancial institutions are not allowed to facilitate bitcoin transactions. Regulators have warned the public that bitcoin does not have legal protection, "as the currency is not issued by any monetary authority and is therefore not entitled to legal claims or guarantee of conversion".Financial institutions have been warned by regulators that necessary regulatory actions may be taken if they use bitcoin. TaiwanOn 31 December 2013, Financial Supervisory Commission (Republic of China) (FSC) and CBC issued a joint statement which warns against the use of bitcoins. It is stated that bitcoins remains highly volatile, highly speculative, and is not entitled to legal claims or guarantee of conversion.On 5 January 2014, FSC chairman Tseng Ming-chung stated that FSC will not allow the installation of bitcoin ATM in Taiwan because bitcoin is not a currency and it should not be accepted by individuals and banks as payment.South Africa - LegalIn December 2014 the Reserve Bank of South Africa issued a position paper on virtual currencies whereby it declared that virtual currency had ‘no legal status or regulatory framework’. The South African Revenue Service classified bitcoin as an intangible asset.Namibia-LegalIn September 2017 the Bank of Namibia issued a position paper on virtual currencies entitled[20] wherein it declared cryptocurrency exchanges are not allowed and cryptocurrency cannot be accepted as payment for goods and services.Zimbabwe - LegalThe Reserve Bank Of Zimbabwe is sceptical about bitcoin and has not officially permitted its use. On 5 April 2017 however, BitMari, a Pan-African Blockchain platform got licensed, through its banking partner, AgriBank, to operate in the country.Nigeria - LegalAs of 17 January 2017, The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has passed a circular to inform all Nigerian banks that bank transactions in bitcoin and other virtual currencies have been banned in Nigeria.However, during the year, the CBN (through its Deputy Director on Banking and Payments System, Musa Itopa-Jimoh) clarified the circular and its stance on bitcoin, citing that a lot of people misinterpret the central bank’s recent warning. It noted that "Central bank cannot control or regulate bitcoin. Central bank cannot control or regulate blockchain. Just the same way no one is going to control or regulate the Internet. We don’t own it".Later on, a committee was set up by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) to look into the possibility of the country adopting the technology driving bitcoin and other digital currencies – blockchain. The committee has submitted its report but "several sub-committees are still working on the issue" according to the Director, Banking & Payments System Department at CBN, Mr. ‘Dipo Fatokun.Israel- Yes- LegalAs of 2017, the Israel Tax Authorities issued a statement saying that bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies would not fall under the legal definition of currency, and neither of that of a financial security, but of a taxable asset.[55] Each time a bitcoin is sold, the seller would have to pay a capital gains tax of 25%. Miners, traders of bitcoins would be treated as businesses and would have to pay corporate income tax as well as charge a 17% VATSaudi Arabia - Legal - Banking banFinancial institutions are warned from using bitcoin. The Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) has warned from using bitcoin as it is high risk and its dealers will not be guaranteed any protection or rights.Jordan-Legal- Banking banThe government of Jordan has issued a warning discouraging the use of bitcoin and other similar systems.The Central Bank of Jordan prohibits banks, currency exchanges, financial companies, and payment service companies from dealing in bitcoins or other digital currencies. While it warned the public of risks of bitcoins, and that they are not legal tender, bitcoins are still accepted by small businesses and merchants.Lebanon-LegalThe government of Lebanon has issued a warning discouraging the use of bitcoin and other similar systems.Turkey-LegalBitcoin is not regulated as it is not considered to be electronic money according to the law.Iran-Legal-Banking banFinancial institutions are not allowed by central bank to facilitate bitcoin transactions. In April 2018, Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran issued a statement banning the country’s banks and financial institutions from dealing with cryptocurrencies, citing money laundering and terrorism financing risks.Bangladesh - Legal/Banking banFinancial institutions are not allowed to facilitate bitcoin transactions. In September 2014, Bangladesh Bank said that "anybody caught using the virtual currency could be jailed under the country's strict anti-money laundering laws".India -Legal /Banking banFinance minister Arun Jaitley, in his budget speech on 1 February 2018, stated that the government will do everything to discontinue the use of bitcoin and other virtual currencies in India for criminal uses. He reiterated that India does not recognise them as legal tender and will instead encourage blockchain technology in payment systems."The government does not recognise cryptocurrency as legal tender or coin and will take all measures to eliminate the use of these cryptoassets in financing illegitimate activities or as part of the payments system," Jaitley said.In early 2018 India's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced a ban on the sale or purchase of cryptocurrency for entities regulated by RBI.In 2019, a petition has been filed[by whom?] with the Supreme Court of India challenging the legality of cryptocurrencies and seeking a direction or order restraining their transaction.Countries That Say No to BitcoinWhile Bitcoin is welcomed in many parts of the world, a few countries are wary because of its volatility, decentralized nature, perceived threat to current monetary systems and links to illicit activities like drug trafficking and money laundering. Some nations have outright banned the digital currency while others have tried to cut off any support from the banking and financial system essential for its trading and use.List of some of the Countries Bitcoin-Cryptos are illegalChina - IllegalBitcoin is essentially banned in China. All banks and other financial institutions like payment processors are prohibited from transacting or dealing in Bitcoin. Cryptocurrency exchanges are banned. The government has cracked down on miners. (Related reading How Bitcoin Can Change The World)Russia - RegulatedBitcoin is not regulated in Russia, though its use as payment for goods or services is illegal. As of November 2016 declared, bitcoins are "not illegal" according to the Federal Tax Service of Russia.[50] Deputy Finance Minister of the Russian Federation Alexei Moiseev said in September 2017 it's "probably illegal" to accept cryptocurrencies payments.[51] However bitcoin market sites are blocked and in court decisions stated that bitcoin is a currency surrogate which is outlawed on the territory of Russian Federation.Vietnam - IllegalVietnam’s government and its state bank maintain that Bitcoin is a not a legitimate payment method, though it is not regulated as an investment.Bolivia, Columbia and Ecuador not legalEl Banco Central de Bolivia has banned the use of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Columbia does not allow Bitcoin use or investment. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies were banned in Ecuador by a majority vote in the national assembly.Algeria it is illegalAccording to the "Journal Officiel" (28 December 2017)The purchase, sale, use, and holding of so-called virtual currency is prohibited. Virtual currency is that used by internet users via the web. It is characterized by the absence of physical support such as coins, notes, payments by cheque or credit card. Any breach of this provision is punishable in accordance with the laws and regulations in force.Egypt it is illegal"Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta, the primary Islamic legislator in Egypt, has issued a religious decree classifying commercial transactions in bitcoin as haram (prohibited under Islamic law).Morocco it is illegalOn 20 November 2017 the exchange office issued a public statement in which it declared, "The Office des Changes wishes to inform the general public that the transactions via virtual currencies constitute an infringement of the exchange regulations, liable to penalties and fines provided for by [existing laws] in force."The following day, the monetary authorities also reacted in a statement issued jointly by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Bank Al-Maghrib and the Moroccan Capital Market Authority (AMMC), warning against risks associated with bitcoin, which may be used "for illicit or criminal purposes, including money laundering and terrorist financing"On 19 December 2017, Abdellatif Jouahri, governor of Bank Al-Maghrib, said at a press conference held in Rabat during the last quarterly meeting of the Bank Al-Maghrib's Board of 2017 that bitcoin is not a currency but a "financial asset". He also warned of its dangers and called for a framework to be put in place for consumer protectionUnited Arab Emirates - Contradictory informationAbsolute ban. According to the Library of Congress "Under article D.7.3 of the Regulatory Framework for Stored Values and an Electronic Payment System, issued by the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates in January 2017, all transactions in “virtual currencies” (encompassing cryptocurrencies in Arabic) are prohibited."Nevertheless, on 13 February 2018 Dubai gold trader Regal RA DMCC became the first company in the Middle East to get a license to trade cryptocurrencies, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre said.[53] DMCC's website emphasizes the "cold storage" of cryptocurrencies and states "DMCC’s Crypto-commodities license is for Proprietary Trading in Crypto-commodities only. No initial coin offerings are permitted and no establishment of an exchange is permitted under this license."Nepal it is IllegalAbsolute ban. On 13 August 2017 Nepal Rastra Bank declared bitcoin as illegal.Pakistan it is IllegalAs of 7 April 2018, State Bank of Pakistan [SBP] has announced that bitcoin and other virtual currencies/tokens/ coins are banned in Pakistan. This news was followed right after India's restriction of converting bitcoin and cryptocurrencies into fiat currency. For organizations and institutions it is banned by State Bank of Pakistan. Bank will not get involved if there is any dispute. They will not facilitate any transaction for it.The bank has issued an official notice on its website and has also posted the news on its official Twitter account.The Bottom LineAlthough Bitcoin is now almost 10 years old, many countries still do not have explicit systems that restrict, regulate or ban the cryptocurrency. The decentralized and anonymous nature of Bitcoin has challenged many governments on how to allow legal use while preventing criminal transactions. Many countries are still analyzing ways to regulate the the cryptocurrency. Overall, Bitcoin remains in a legal gray area for much of the world.Thank you!

Scientology.Not only should this ‘religion’ have its tax exempt status removed immediately, it should probably be outlawed.I use religion in parenthesis because Scientology cannot be described as a religion, like Christianity. Judaism and Islam. These faiths, regardless of their authenticity, seek to provide people with hope of a better existence after death and a reason to be a good person by seeking oneness with god and giving to the poor. They were also founded by people who genuinely believed what they were saying. Scientology provides none of this. It was founded by a conman and provides freedom from a nonexistent threat in return for near enslavement. The first amendment provides freedom of religion, not freedom for criminal organizations to torture people and avoid taxation.Where do I even begin?The Theology:Scientologists falsely believe that the universe is trillions of years old and was created by things called Thetans, which attach to and guide living creatures. 75,000,000 years ago there existed a spacefaring civilization nearly identical to 1950’s American society, with cars, similar clothing and human inhabitants. This society eventually came to be ruled over by a Hitler figure named Lord Xenu, who took absolute power for himself. In order to solve the overpopulation crisis (and presumably with no Infinity Gauntlet to be found) Xenu froze a bunch of random people and loaded them onto DC-8s. The frozen aliens were taken to earth, which at the time was a prison planet called Teegeeac, and were dumped into the Hawaiian Volcanoes (the oldest of the Hawaiian islands is about 5,100,000 years old). Xenu then nuked the volcanoes and brainwashed the alien Thetans into believing his propaganda and released them onto the earth. The alien Thetans began attaching themselves to living creatures and forcing them to be stressful. Once a person dies, the Thetan leaves the original host to find a new one, and the new host is able to retain the memories of all the deceased people who were attached to their own Thetan. LRH, for instance, believed that he shared a Thetan with Cecil Rhodes and the inventor of music. Only by expelling the Thetans can humanity rise up and defeat Xenu, who is currently in prison.I hope I don’t need to explain what is wrong with this.The reason people believe this crap at all is because you will only be told ‘the truth’ once you have been a member of the church for years, spent tens of thousands of dollars and been exposed to sufficient forms of propaganda and brainwashing. More recently, leaked documents and internet sleuths have revealed Scientology’s bullshit cosmology to the public. The CoS has filed suit against anyone who ‘desecrates their beliefs’ by spreading awareness of this garbage as part of their doctrine and refuses to publicly acknowledge it.Dianetics:To purify a Thetan, the host, according to Scientological doctrine, must undergo a process called Dianetics developed by LRH. Dianetics is when a church official called an Auditor asks the vict - I mean host about traumatic events during his or her lifetime. Once they have covered all traumatic events during the current lifetime, the Auditor then presses them to keep pushing backwards in time to past lives and stressful encounters that took place there. Think of it as a form of psychotherapy with past lives. Once the painful memories, called Engrams, are encountered, they can be overcome. Dianetics requires the use of an E-meter, a supposedly magical device capable of detecting the activity of the Thetan. In reality, an E-Meter is a common instrument found in just about every lie detector. What it really detects is electrodermal activity, the variation of tiny electrical currents within human skin, and since they were being used without permission the FDA raided the church and confiscated a bunch of them in 1963. Of course, Dianetics was roundly dismissed by the scientific and medical communities at the time and little has changed since the publication of LRH’s ‘Dianetics, The Modern Science of Mental Health’ in 1950. There is absolutely no evidence that Thetans store Engrams in the body’s cells, as church doctrine claims. For comparison, the soul in the Abrahamic and Dharmic traditions is something entirely metaphysical and interacts with the body through energy and therefore cannot be proven or disproven to exist (yet?). By contrast, the Thetan physically interacts with the body’s structure, especially that of the brain, and can be proven nonexistent. Oh, and LRH never had a fucking science degree. You’d think that having a professional with an education in the field of psychology would be mandatory for a ridiculously expensive ‘treatment’ like this?Unsurprisingly, Scientology teaches its adherents to be distrustful of all doctors, especially psychologists, ever since a group of doctors suggested Hubbard himself may be suffering from schizophrenia and should be institutionalized. Scientologists are banned from using aspirin and seeking help from any professionals outside of the church except for emergencies, including dentists and routine checkups. LRH believed in an obsessive conspiracy that the entire health community was a giant front for torturing and sexually abusing patients, even going so far as to compare them to Nazis. This instills a fear of the medical community in Scientologists that prevents them from seeking badly needed help, endangering their lives. Worse still, the church has harassed people in various countries who have actually suffered from medical malpractice into joining the cult. The only reason the church exists in the first place is because the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners sued Hubbard’s so-called research foundation into bankruptcy for medical practice without a license.The Man Himself:Lafayette Ronald Hubbard was perhaps the greatest failure of a human being to ever live. He was placed on probation from George Washington University. During his carrier as a Junior Lieutenant in the navy during the second world war, he ordered his troops to open fire on open water believing a Japanese sub to be present (he later claimed to have sunk it). Later on he was sacked for crossing into Mexican-controlled waters and opening fire on the Coronado Islands, which are controlled by Mexico. Postwar Hubbard was involved with the activities of lunatic John Parsons, an occultist who engaged in sex-magic rituals to try and create the antichrist. It was here that he met Sara Northrup, whom he married while still wed to another woman. The two of them ran off with John Parson’s life savings.It was then that LRH revealed who he truly was, a monster. He began beating Sara ruthlessly in 1946. The problem got worse after Sara’s father died. LRH viewed her grieving as an annoyance and beat and strangled her when she cried at his loss. One night he pistol whipped her in the face because she was smiling in her sleep and he assumed she was thinking about another man. Sara tried to flee, but later returned out of sorrow for Hubbard, who she thought was sick in the head. It only got worse. The treatment Sara endured under Hubbard can only be described as torture. He viciously beat her as before, threw her out of a moving car, reported her to the FBI as a Communist sympathizer, permanently damaged her left ear and forced her to remain awake for four days. Perhaps most brutally, when Sara was pregnant, LRH tried stomping on her womb to abort the baby. Miraculously this failed. But one of their children, Alexis Hubbard, was kidnaped by her own father in order to control Sara. Sara begged Hubbard to give Alexis back, but Hubbard refused and eventually told her he’d killed the child himself. In reality she was alive and was being kept in Cuba. Sara was eventually reunified with the child, but in return she was forced to absolve Hubbard of all blame by signing a document.LRH began to grow a group of followers as he developed a religious cult based on Dianetics (see above) and, sixty-five years ago today, the first church of Scientology was founded. Hubbard rapidly changed his own ideas and established self-contradictory teachings. However, a cult of personality began to form around him, with his loyal followers believing that he was some sort of a chosen one. On August 12, 1967, Hubbard founded a paramilitary group called the Sea Organization, or Sea Org. He apparently convinced himself that he was a Phoenician Prince in a past life and had buried treasure somewhere in the Mediterranean for his future self to dig up. To get into Sea Org, members of the church had to attend a boot camp where they were forced to run everywhere and perform five hours of manual labor per day. All recruits had to sign a billion year contract, pledging themselves to the Sea Org for the next billion years. Couples within the organization are discouraged from sex and childbearing. If they do have children, the children must be raised by Sea Org until they have attained the age of six. Marriage outside of the Sea Org is forbidden. Life on the ship is tightly controlled and totalitarian with everyone under constant surveillance. Participants who are not living up to the churches expectations were subject to the Rehabilitation Project Force. I’ll let Gary Armstrong, an escapee from the church, describe it for you…‘RPF members were segregated and not allowed to communicate to anyone else. They had their own spaces and were not allowed in normal crew areas of the ship. They ate after normal crew had eaten, and only whatever was left over from the crew meal. Their berthing was the worst on board, in a roach-infested, filthy and unventilated cargo hold. They wore black boilersuits, even in the hottest weather. They were required to run everywhere. Discipline was harsh and bizarre, with running laps of the ship assigned for the slightest infraction like failing to address a senior with "Sir."’And that’s not even getting into the accusations of child labor.During his late life Hubbard became paranoid that everyone was out to get him. In 1973 he was accused of fraud by French authorities and fled Europe to the United States. When the U.S. threatened to extradite him and/or arrest him for years of tax evasion, he went into hiding. He finally died on January 24, 1986 from a stroke. Good riddance.Criminal Activities:Like all cults, Scientology seeks to forcibly isolate its practitioners from all outside forms of information. A Scientologist cannot interact with doctors, psychiatrists or critics of the church or they will be removed and punished. This includes family members, friends and spouses. You can’t even talk to someone if you are a member and the church deems the person to be dangerous. Leaving the church is dangerous because the leadership compiles dossiers of confidential and embarrassing material on all major members, including revelations from Dianetics sessions.Scientology includes a doctrine of fair game in which the church has a divine right to strike back, with any means necessary, at those who criticize it. John Sweeney, who worked on a BBC documentary criticizing the movement, had his hotel broken into, was harassed and spied on by the church and was condemned by leading Scientologist celebrities like Cruise and Travolta. Under this principle, the church infiltrated the Internal Revenue Service in the 1970’s because the IRS had refused to recognize them as a tax-exempt religious organization. It was, at the time, the largest case of domestic espionage in American history. They have filed lawsuits against dozens of companies and media outlets for criticism and have gotten themselves in legal trouble with the Canadian, British, French and German governments. In many cases they harass former members of the church, stalking them and slandering them with propaganda. They are known abusers of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which says that companies cannot be held legally responsible for publishing copyrighted material if they take it down immediately. They have claimed copyright over material that criticizes them and have demanded search engines like Google take them down. They filed a $2,000,000 lawsuit against an organization called the Cult Awareness Network and set up the so-called New Cult Awareness Network as a propaganda outlet to replace it.Revelations have claimed that the church forces its members to have involuntary abortions and reportedly uses starvation and beatings as forms of discipline. Much of the worst abuses of the church go on in a place called the hole, a facility operated by the church. Officially it is a correctional area to be used by executives for religious observance, but in reality it is little more than a concentration camp. In 2004, de-facto church leader and bloodthirsty sociopath David Miscavige ordered dozens of other executives to the hole, where they were kept for months and in some cases years. Miscavige frequently attended the hole himself to oversee them, where he tormented the prisoners, criticizing them for tiny perceived offenses, ranting about how great he is and calling them names. To substitute for the time-tested Sea Org tradition of throwing dissidents off the ships (sometimes with their limbs bound), Miscavige had prisoners at the hole stand against a wall and ordered buckets of frozen water be thrown at them, exposing them to hypothermia. Others were forced to dip full-body into muddy lakes or frozen pools. Miscavige himself has been accused of participating in the beating and torture going on in the hole. Food was said to consist of barely edible leftovers. Temperatures could reach as high as 41 °C since there was no air conditioning and the whole structure was infested with bugs. The whole experience has been compared to conditions in North Korean POW camps. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the hole is…‘a place of confinement and humiliation where Scientology's management culture — always demanding — grew extreme. Inside, a who's who of Scientology leadership went at each other with brutal tongue lashings, and even hands and fists. They intimidated each other into crawling on their knees and standing in trash cans and confessing to things they hadn't done. They lived in degrading conditions, eating and sleeping in cramped spaces designed for office use’And if you think ‘holy shit, these people are going to get somebody killed.’ Don’t worry, they already did.Bottom Line:Scientology is not a religion. It is a disease, a form of servitude that started out as a scam by a wife beating animal, is built around a cosmology that sounds like the plot of a bad anime, peddles pseudoscientific conspiracies that endangers the lives of its own members, creates a culture of fear and intimidation that distrusts outsiders, separates families, intimidates critics and tortures and murders innocent people. To call it a religion is a mockery of religion.Sources:The Hole (Scientology) - WikipediaSea Org - WikipediaDefining the TheologyNewsweek, October 16 1950Scientology Versus Medicine10 Tragic Facts About Sara Northrup, L. Ron Hubbard's Wife - ListverseGoogle pulls anti-Scientology links