Scientology Acts to Legalize as Religion

Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.

Volume 1, Number 1

SCIENTOLOGY ACTS TO LEGALIZE AS RELIGION

Three Churches Given Charters by New Jersey

THE MOST certain thing about Scientology is that no one can be certain what this "Science of Certainty" will come up with next.

In February of this year, rumors that Scientology would become a religion lost their swaddling pantlets and became a full-fledged fact. Copies of charters to three organizations, known as the CHURCH OF AMERICAN SCIENCE, THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY, AND THE CHURCH OF SPIRITUAL ENGINEERING, chartered under the laws of the State of New Jersey, were proudly displayed in the Phoenix offices of the Hubbard Association of Scientologists. The Church of American Science is the parent organization for the three churches.

The news was received with mixed emotions. Some were outspokenly antagonistic to the idea. Some who'd nursed the glories of self-determinism since Book One couldn't subscribe to the new idea that the best way to win is to BECOME the enemy. Many from California feared that designating Scientology as a religion would classify it with that state's 9,857,385,237 cults.

(There's more on Page 4.)

WHY!

Undoubtedly, with many of you, receipt of "The ABERREE" will come as a surprise--pleasant or unpleasant. You may look at our response to popular demand (Ahem!) and think: "Ye gods! Something else to spend money for!" But you needn't. We don't care whether anyone subscribes or not. If no one does, we won't have to bother with a second issue. If too many subscribe, we might even be forced to get out something better.

At the time this is written, we haven't the slightest idea what The ABERREE is going to be like, nor where it goes from here. There are plenty of magazines and news bulletins in the field now--but there aren't enough good ones and there are too many bad ones. Some just want to publish something; some have a grudge against the human race and are trying to get revenge by sponsoring CO2, cyanide, or other "quick clearing" suits and devices; others just hope some day to make enough money to pay postage; one of the most interesting started as a "lazy letter", but be-

(Don't stop now. See Page 2.)