Hubbard, Lafayette Ron

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Hubbard, Lafayette Ron (1911–86). American science-fiction writer and founder of Scientology. He became widely known with the publication in 1950 of his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, which is the basic textbook of Scientology. The Church of Scientology was founded in 1954. It has been involved in disputes about whether it is a religion or a psychotherapy, and over its methods of recruitment: in Australia, the High Court ruled in 1983 that it is a religion; in the UK, restrictions were placed (between 1968 and 1980) on those wishing to enter the country to work for, or to study, Scientology. Meanwhile, Hubbard withdrew increasingly from administration in order to write.

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Hubbard, Lafayette Ron

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