I just can’t bear to refer to this organization as “The Church of Scientology,” for it doesn’t deserve even that monicker, despite the U.S. government having ruled that this odious organization is indeed a church, entitled to tax exemption and all other privileges of churchiness. But unlike the U.S., France has seen Scientology for what it is: an immense pyramid scheme in which people are lured into the organization, bilked of their money in worthless classes and “auditing sessions,” and sometimes punished in brutal ways—while church officials live high on the hog, touting their connection with celebrities like Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

And, after paying thousands of dollars to finally learn the secrets of church “theology”, you find it’s a bunch of science fiction pablum based on the imagination of L. Ron Hubbard, involving a space dictator Xenu, bodies stored in volcanoes, and escaping spirits (thetans) that cause us trouble by invading our bodies, removable only by paying big bucks to the church.

For some reason it’s easier for Europeans than Americans to see through this scam. Scientology, for instance, has a checkered history in France, beginning with the 1978 fraud conviction of founder L. Ron Hubbard and the head of his French organization.  Several members of the “church” have committed suicide after other fraud convictions or unfavorable results from audits.

Now compare (from Wikipedia) the treatment of this cult in France versus the U.S.:

Since 1995, France has classified the Church of Scientology as a “secte” as seen in the report of the National Assembly of France. On this basis, a hostile stance is generally taken against the organization. A 1999 government inquiry committee reporting on the financial aspect of cults recommended dissolving the Church of Scientology because of swindling, complicity of swindling, abuse of trust, and other nefarious activities. A government report in 2000 categorized the church as an “absolute cult” and recommended that all its activities be prohibited.^.The keeping of files containing personal information on all its members (and other practices), are seen to qualify the Church as a totalitarian cult, moreover “extremely dangerous”. The report rejected U.S. criticism of the French government’s hostility towards Scientology, saying that Washington’s protection of cults was “exorbitant”. [JAC: indeed!]

In 2005 the municipal government of Paris passed an official resolution so that unlike in Marseille, celebrity Scientologist Tom Cruise would never be made an honorary citizen, specifically because of his affiliation with Scientology.

Since 1978 the “church” has been convicted several times for fraud, and of course they cry “persecution.” Yesterday, as The Raw Story and The Local (an English site about France) report, a four year-old conviction of Scientology for fraud was upheld by the country’s highest court. Sadly, the court fined the organization the paltry sum of €600,000 euros—chump change for the “church.”

From The Local:

France’s highest court on Wednesday upheld several convictions for “organized fraud” against the Church of Scientology. A representative from the Church told The Local the ruling was tantamount to “religious persecution” by France.

The Cour de Cassation in Paris, France’s highest appeals court, on Wednesday rejected an appeal by the Church of Scientology against several convictions for “organized fraud”.

The Church had argued in a September 4th hearing that the verdicts constituted a violation of their religious liberty, but the court on Wednesday rejected that claim.

In 2009, convictions and fines of €400,000 and €200,000 ($812,000 in total) were handed down to the Church’s Celebrity Centre and a Scientology bookshop in the French capital.

Scientology leader in Paris, Alain Rosenburg and the Celebrity Centre’s former president Sabine Jacquart were also found guilty of taking financial advantage of elderly members of the Church and sentenced to two-year suspended prison sentences as well as being handed €30,000 fines for organized fraud.

This trial started in 2009, and the high court’s decision marks its end—for now. As The Raw Story reports:

The head of a parliamentary group on religious cults in France, lawmaker Georges Fenech, hailed the ruling.

“Far from being a violation of freedom of religion, as this American organisation contends, this decision lifts the veil on the illegal and highly detrimental practices” of the group, said Fenech.

The court case followed a complaint by two women, one of whom said she was manipulated into handing over 20,000 euros in 1998 for Scientology products including an “electrometer” to measure mental energy.

A second woman claimed she was forced by her Scientologist employer to undergo testing and enrol in courses, also in 1998. When she refused she was fired.

Of course the “church” is crying foul:

French scientologist minister Eric Roux on Wednesday told The Local the ruling was an example of France’s “religious persecution” of the Church.

“France is really the most backwards country in Europe in terms of religious tolerance,” he said. “We’re being judged for our beliefs, not our behaviour. How can the Cours de Cassation decide that our beliefs are untrue or fraudulent, but not say the same thing about Protestants or Catholics?”

No, they’re being judged because they bilk their members.  The “church” has a point that there’s no difference between the falsity of Scientology’s theological claims and those of established churches, but Scientology differs because it demands huge payments for courses and for “therapy” that has no effects.  It’s quackery.  You don’t have to pay thousands of euros to confess in a Catholic church, or join a Protestant one. In fact, I don’t understand how educated people, and all those celebrities, can see the church as anything other than a scam. Do they really believe that palaver about Xenu and thetans?

The “Church” of Scientology is appealing to the European Court of Human Rights.