Hubbard believed that, unlike mere illustration, art always elicits a contribution from its audience.
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L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology, and the Visual Arts. 3. Art as Communication
The founder of Scientology believed that, if the technique endangers the transmission of the message, the artist should change the technique rather than the message.
L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology, and the Visual Arts. 2. The Myth of the Loose-Moraled Artist
For a certain culture, being a good artist came to be “commonly identified with being loose-moraled, wicked, idle, and drunken.” That culture, Hubbard believed, was wrong.
L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology, and the Visual Arts. 1. The Aesthetic Mind
The founder of Scientology devoted much attention to aesthetics. However, his texts on the subject remain little-known.
Japan Religious Donations Law. 4. The Return of Brainwashing
Brainwashing was debunked by scholars of new religious movements as pseudoscience already in the 20th century. It now returns in Japan.
Japan’s Religious Donations Law. 3. An American Precedent
In 1931, in the landmark case “People v. Blackburn,” the Supreme Court of California stated that claiming an inspired religious knowledge and collecting donations even for a marginal religious movement is part of religious liberty.
Japan’s Religious Donations Law. 2. “Fear” and Religious Fraud
The new law, by prohibiting donations based on “fear” of misfortunes in this or in the next life and on trust in “inspired” teachers, in fact looks with suspicion at all religions.
Japan’s Religious Donations Law. 1. An Ambiguous Text
The Japanese Parliament has passed laws regarding as fraudulent donations motivated by “fear” and where the “free will” of the donors has allegedly been suppressed.
Benedict XVI and Religious Liberty. 4. Seeking a Theoretical Foundation for Freedom of Religion
The German Pope’s argument for a theological and philosophical foundation of freedom of religion did not persuade everybody, but remains a crucial reference.
Benedict XVI and Religious Liberty. 3. The French vs. the American Model of Freedom of Religion
The German Pope recognized that there were two different notions of freedom of religion, and only the “American” one was compatible with Catholicism.